New York closed home sales dive 28 percent in March

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ALBANY, N.Y. — New York realtors sold 7,633 previously owned homes in March, a 28.4 percent decline from 10,664 homes sold in the year-earlier month. Pending sales also declined more than 11 percent, foreshadowing further drops in closed home sales in the next couple of months. That’s according to the March monthly housing report that […]

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Environmental-survey work starts at Micron site

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Manufacturing & Engineering, Subscriber Only, Technology

CLAY, N.Y. — Environmental-survey work has started at the White Pine Commerce Park in the town of Clay where Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MU) plans to build a semiconductor campus. “Right now, we’ll be doing environmental permitting throughout 2023 and into 2024. After we complete that process, we’ll begin the ground preparation and construction,” Scott

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CLAY, N.Y. — Environmental-survey work has started at the White Pine Commerce Park in the town of Clay where Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MU) plans to build a semiconductor campus.

“Right now, we’ll be doing environmental permitting throughout 2023 and into 2024. After we complete that process, we’ll begin the ground preparation and construction,” Scott Gatzemeier, corporate VP of front-end expansion at Micron, said in speaking with reporters at the site on April 28. A short time earlier, Micron and local officials gathered to announce the start of the environmental work.

“A fab of this scale … 600,000 square feet of cleanroom but 1.2 million square feet under roof … It’s going to take two years for us to build that up and then we’ll start manufacturing and bringing in literally thousands of semiconductor equipment tools and ramping it throughout the rest of the decade,” Gatzemeier added.

“For us, partnering with … various state agencies to bring this project to life is just a historic moment for Micron,” Sanjay Mehrotra, president and CEO of Micron Technology, said in his remarks. He delivered remarks on the property at 8699 Burnett Road in the town of Clay.

It was on Oct. 4, 2022 that Micron announced plans to invest up to $100 billion over the next 20-plus years on a semiconductor-manufacturing campus at the White Pine Commerce Park in the town of Clay.

“This is … the start of the project as we go through the design and environmental-impact study phase and environmental permitting,” Gatzemeier said during the April 28 formal announcement.

Mehrotra noted that Gatzemeier led Micron’s team that selected the site in Clay to build the semiconductor campus.

CME Associates, Inc., a DeWitt–based engineering technology corporation, provided Micron officials an update on its plan for conducting an environmental survey of the site.

“And that reflects the commitment of Micron to building an environmentally friendly, sustainable, and, of course, community-friendly site here,” Mehrotra said. “So, this is really an important milestone, important start to this project.”

A piece of equipment from CME Associates was parked on the property not far from the tent in which Micron and local officials provided their project update.

In his remarks, the Micron CEO went on to say that it’s a 20-year project, and the site, which currently has acres of shrubbery, will have four “major” buildings and each structure will be the size of “10 football fields.”

“So, a total [of] 40 football fields worth of cleanroom space. Each of them being 600,000 square feet … 2.4 million square feet of cleanroom space that will be built over the course of 20 years,” Mehrotra added.

The project will lead to the creation of 50,000 jobs over that 20-year period, including 9,000 Micron employees and 41,000 jobs in the community to support this “massive operation,” the Micron CEO noted.

“And yes, it will be massive because memory is becoming a massive part of our lives, of every business.in the world today,” he added. “You all have heard about ChatGPT, generative AI [artificial intelligence] and we are just barely seeing the tip of the iceberg for AI. So, AI … industrial IoT … all of these require more data. They require more insights from data. Data lives in the kind of memory that will built here in Clay.”

Mehrotra went on to say that it’s not just about technology and production. It is “absolutely about” sustainable operations, efficient operations, and workforce development. Recruiting 50,000 workers is going to “require reaching out” to the community, underserved populations, those populations that have been underrepresented in technology.

Ask Rusty: How Much Can I Earn in my First Year on Social Security?

Business Mentors, Subscriber Only

Dear Rusty: My 62nd birthday is in late August of this year. I would like to start collecting Social Security, but after reading about the need to keep my earnings less than $21,240 in the first year it doesn’t seem fair to those who have birthdays later in the year. I will have earned a

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Dear Rusty: My 62nd birthday is in late August of this year. I would like to start collecting Social Security, but after reading about the need to keep my earnings less than $21,240 in the first year it doesn’t seem fair to those who have birthdays later in the year. I will have earned a lot by the end of August. Or am I missing the part where the year starts from the day you retire? Or is it a fiscal year? Please elaborate?

Signed: Looking Ahead

Dear Looking Ahead: Born in late August, your first month of eligibility for Social Security (SS) will be September (you must be 62 for an entire month to be eligible for SS benefits). If you start your benefits in September, for the months of September through December 2023, you’ll have a monthly earnings limit of $1,770. If you exceed that limit in any of those four months, you won’t be eligible for SS benefits in any month that the $1,770 monthly limit is exceeded. If you exceed the monthly limit in all of those months, you won’t be entitled to any benefits in 2023, unless using the annual earnings-limit formula to determine your penalty would result in a lesser amount.

The penalty for exceeding the annual limit is $1 for every $2 you are over the 2023 limit and, if using that formula yields a penalty which is less than for exceeding the 2023 monthly limit for September to December, the Social Security Administration (SSA) will use the annual limit instead of the monthly limit to compute your penalty. Thus, your annual earnings earned before September will only count if using the annual limit will result in less of a penalty than using the monthly limit for the months after your benefits start. If you plan to retire from working before September, then there will be no penalty for exceeding the annual earnings limit prior to that. But if you continue to work full time there will likely be a penalty that will cause the SSA to take away some of your benefits.

Starting in 2024, only the annual earnings limit (which will be a bit more than the 2023 annual limit) will apply to you. Generally, if you continue working full time and will significantly exceed the annual earnings limit, it may be wise to reconsider claiming your Social Security until your income is below or closer to the annual limit each year — or until you reach your full retirement age, after which the earnings limit no longer applies. And if you do claim early and exceed the earnings limit, and if you have benefits taken away for some number of months to satisfy the penalty, you’ll get time-credit for those months after you reach your full retirement age. That credit will, essentially, move your claim date forward by the number of months you didn’t receive SS benefits, increasing your benefit amount accordingly after your full retirement age.

Russell Gloor is a national Social Security advisor at the AMAC Foundation, the nonprofit arm of the Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC). The 2.4-million-member AMAC says it is a senior advocacy organization. Send your questions to: ssadvisor@amacfoundation.org.

Author’s note: This article is intended for information purposes only and does not represent legal or financial guidance. It presents the opinions and interpretations of the AMAC Foundation’s staff, trained and accredited by the National Social Security Association (NSSA). The NSSA and the AMAC Foundation and its staff are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration or any other governmental entity.

Talberg joins NYISO board of directors

Health Care, Insurance & Financial Services, Subscriber Only

RENSSELAER, N.Y. — The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO), the nonprofit that operates New York state’s power grid, added Sally Talberg to its board of directors, effective April 18. She has more than 25 years of experience in the energy and environmental fields, with an emphasis on utility regulation and electricity markets, according to

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Shineman Foundation awards more than $272K to regional nonprofits

Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Health Care, Nonprofits, Subscriber Only

OSWEGO, N.Y. — The Richard S. Shineman Foundation announced it has awarded grants to 11 Oswego County not-for-profit organizations in its first grant round of 2023 at its April board meeting. The projects encompass a range of focus areas, including health and human services, respite care, education and workforce development, and the arts. The foundation

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OSWEGO, N.Y. — The Richard S. Shineman Foundation announced it has awarded grants to 11 Oswego County not-for-profit organizations in its first grant round of 2023 at its April board meeting.

The projects encompass a range of focus areas, including health and human services, respite care, education and workforce development, and the arts. The foundation said its mission is to be a catalyst for change to enhance the quality of life in Oswego County.

The funded projects will benefit Oswego County on several fronts. The largest award, $74,600, was given to Fulton Family YMCA to support its Camp and Outdoor Recreation for Youth — designed as an outdoor recreation space — that provides summer and after-school programming to local youth. The second-biggest grant, $60,000, was awarded to On Point for College to support college-bound students with comprehensive support that includes the college-application process, college visits, and needed resources to ensure their success.

The Shineman Foundation also awarded several grants to support the arts community in Oswego County. The CNY Community Arts Center received a grant to revamp its website and develop a user-friendly online registration system. The Ontario Center for the Performing Arts, which operates the Oswego Music Hall, was awarded a grant to conduct targeted marketing with the goal of increasing its membership and audience. Symphoria received a multi-year grant to expand its Music for Oswego programming throughout Oswego County.

The Central New York Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Alliance was awarded a disease-prevention education outreach grant for Oswego County services and programming. David’s Refuge was provided a grant to support respite, wellness, and community programming for Oswego County residents. The H. Lee White Museum received a matching grant to support its educational tall ship project.

Three mini-grants were awarded and included a mini-grant to Oswego Industries to support a redesign of its website. The State Street Methodist Church was awarded a mini grant for its Helping Hands Program, which provides under-resourced community members with toiletries and paper products. Peaceful Remedies received a mini grant to support Circle Talk for Men programming and technology upgrades.

Rome Health continues work to centralize, modernize facilities

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Health Care, Regional News, Subscriber Only

ROME, N.Y. — Rome Health is continuing the transformation it began about two years ago when it changed its name from Rome Memorial Hospital to Rome Health. The name more accurately reflects the breadth of services the organization provides, COO Ryan Thompson says, and Rome Health continues to work to make sure its facilities adequately

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ROME, N.Y. — Rome Health is continuing the transformation it began about two years ago when it changed its name from Rome Memorial Hospital to Rome Health.

The name more accurately reflects the breadth of services the organization provides, COO Ryan Thompson says, and Rome Health continues to work to make sure its facilities adequately support those services.

“It’s very exciting to watch us transform as a health system,” he says.

That transformation kicked off with an $11.3 million project, completed last November, to renovate the Rome Health Medical Center, located at 1500 James St., and bring together services that were previously spread out.

“We’ve co-located services together,” Thompson says. “This is where the majority of medical imaging takes place.” The 31,000-square-foot, two-story medical center gives patients better access to primary care with other services, such as cardiology, located nearby.

“We also have our community pharmacy … right in the medical center,” he adds. The pharmacy also opened last November. Along with providing medication for hospital patients, the pharmacy provides a convenient option for patients to get prescriptions filled following an appointment.

The changes are all about driving convenience for the patient, Thompson notes, but also factor in provider and staff needs as well. “It was a team that built it together.”

Rome Health also just cut the ribbon on its new women’s surgical services suite located on the fourth floor adjacent to the maternity department. While maternity services have been great, there was no getting around the fact that women who ended up needing a c-section had to be brought in an elevator to the first-floor operating rooms, Thompson says.

Now, those needing surgery travel just a short way down the hall. “It’s going to be a much better experience for the moms,” he says.

Rome Health received a $3 million grant from Oneida County’s American Rescue Plan Act funding for the project. Work on the women’s surgical suite began last September and it will be fully open in June.

This fall, Rome Health expects to break ground on a $30 million project to build four new operating rooms to replace ones that have been in use for more than 57 years. It will use $26 million in state health care facility transformation grant funds for the project.

“We just wanted to modernize surgical services,” Thompson says. The new rooms will be larger and contain the electrical systems necessary for advancements in medical technology such as robotics.

With surgical volume increasing 26 percent between 2020 and 2021, the need is great. The hospital has seen growth in general surgery as well as weight-loss surgery, and spine surgery. “We’re currently in the design phase,” Thompson says, with hopes to start work in late fall.

When the new operating rooms are complete, Rome Health will transform the old operating rooms into pre- and post-operating room space.

“As things continue to evolve and change, you want to be able to evolve and change with that,” Thompson says. Modernizing Rome Health’s facilities to offer new technology means Rome residents won’t have to travel to Utica or Syracuse to receive care. “We’re redefining what community-based health care is to our community.”

“People want and need their health care to be delivered locally,” he says. “It needs to be convenient to them.”

The nonprofit Rome Health provides everything from primary care to specialty care to patients. It is an affiliate of St. Joseph’s Health and an affiliated clinical site of New York Medical College.

Whitman School to launch business and mental-health initiative with donation

Health Care, Nonprofits, Subscriber Only

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Syracuse University’s Martin J. Whitman School of Management this fall will start a new program that seeks to support students’ personal and professional development “at the intersection of business and mental health.” Syracuse is using a donation of $500,000 from 1991 graduates David and Dina Nass. David Nass is a graduate of

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Syracuse is using a donation of $500,000 from 1991 graduates David and Dina Nass. David Nass is a graduate of the Whitman School and Dina graduated from Syracuse’s College of Arts and Sciences.

The program aims to help students develop the tools and skills needed to address mental health-related issues they might face in school and as working professionals, “while also promoting greater work-life balance,” the school said.

The hope is that this programming will help students entering “high-stress” business careers to “confidently identify red flags” associated with mental health and to seek help for themselves and others.

“This kind of support for mental health-related issues is something we haven’t seen at many other business schools, despite it being increasingly important for young professionals to understand,” Alexander McKelvie, interim dean of the Whitman School, said in a news release. “The programming we are creating through the generosity of the Nass family is forward-thinking and rare. It’s asking our students: ‘What does happiness look like to you?,’ ‘How will you prioritize the important things in your life?’ and ‘How will you deal with the challenges?’”

McKelvie went on say, “Creating this signature initiative, which will leverage expertise from across campus, will help students do just that. And, we are very grateful to the Nass family for helping the Whitman School make this possible.”

As managing director and head of real-estate finance at UBS Investment Bank in New York City, David Nass “knows all too well the stresses and long hours involved in rising through the banking industry,” Syracuse said. Dina Nass — who majored in psychology and for a time worked as a substance-abuse counselor — also “understands the pressures and stigma attached” to mental-health issues in the workplace.

The initiative will encompass more than coursework and include expert guest speakers, symposiums, technology, and the introduction of a variety of mental-health topics for both graduate and undergraduate students.

Syracuse University will hold a formal launch event early this upcoming fall semester.

Oswego Health adds gastroenterologist Ali

Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Health Care, Nonprofits, People on the Move, Subscriber Only

OSWEGO, N.Y. — Oswego Health recently added experienced gastroenterologist Mohammad Fahad Ali, MD, to its medical staff. Dr. Ali joins the Center for Gastroenterology & Metabolic Diseases, which is located in Suite 400 of the Seneca Hill Health Services Center at 105 County Route 45A, Oswego. In addition, Ali will serve as director of endoscopy

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Upstate to be extension campus of SUNY College of Optometry

Health Care, New York News, Nonprofits, Subscriber Only

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — It’s an effort by two SUNY campuses to increase the number of eye doctors in Central New York and Western New York. SUNY Upstate Medical University is planning to become an optometry campus extension program of the SUNY College of Optometry in New York City. The partnership creates an optometry campus extension

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — It’s an effort by two SUNY campuses to increase the number of eye doctors in Central New York and Western New York.

SUNY Upstate Medical University is planning to become an optometry campus extension program of the SUNY College of Optometry in New York City.

The partnership creates an optometry campus extension program offering a Doctor of Optometry degree, collaborative vision research, access to eye care, and economic opportunities in the region, Upstate said in its late February announcement.

This partnership also “provides a more affordable option for aspiring eye-care professionals, especially those who live in New York State,” Upstate contends.

The program will “parallel” the Doctor of Optometry program currently offered by SUNY College of Optometry. The first class is anticipated to start in the fall of 2025 with an estimated 30 students, pending successful completion of all state and accrediting body approvals, Upstate said.

“We are addressing several critical issues through this partnership — the future of health care delivery with an interdisciplinary focus, collaborative research opportunities to improve eye and vision care, and the regional workforce shortage,” Dr. David Heath, president for SUNY College of Optometry, said. “Being part of the SUNY System provides unique opportunities to participate in solving challenges and we are looking forward to partnering with Dr. Dewan and his team to provide a greater resource for the upstate region.”

Reports from area optometrists and ophthalmologists indicate that many eye-care positions remain vacant “putting pressure on an already lean workforce” and leaving some communities without ready access to eye and vision care, Upstate said.

Further, a recent survey conducted by SUNY College of Optometry found that 25 percent of optometrists practicing in the region anticipate retiring within the next five years, an increase over the previous survey conducted in 2010.

“We are delighted to bring the world-class expertise of SUNY Optometry to enrich Upstate’s internationally-recognized Department of Ophthalmology and Center for Vision Research. By serving as their extension campus, we will increase the number of eye care professionals available to serve our communities,” Dr. Mantosh Dewan, president of Upstate Medical University, said. “This also fulfills Upstate’s goal to deepen partnerships with other SUNY schools and to increase the breadth of health professional programs offered by Upstate Medical University.”

Landsberg begins role as Crouse Health chief medical officer

Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Health Care, Nonprofits, People on the Move, Subscriber Only

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Described as a “long-time member” of the Crouse Health staff, Dr. David Landsberg is now serving as the health-care provider’s chief medical officer. He assumes the duties that Dr. Seth Kronenberg previously performed, prior to his appointment as president and CEO of the health system. In this senior leadership role, Landsberg will

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