Jefferson County hotel-occupancy rate rises 7 percent in January

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WATERTOWN, N.Y. — Jefferson County hotels saw an increase in guests in January. The hotel-occupancy rate (rooms sold as a percentage of rooms available) in the county rose 7 percent to 36 percent in the first month of 2023 from the year-prior month, according to STR, a Tennessee–based hotel market data and analytics company. Revenue […]

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Oneida County hotels post more than 12 percent increase in guests in January

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UTICA, N.Y. — Oneida County’s hotel-occupancy rate (rooms sold as a percentage of rooms available) rose 12.7 percent to 44.3 percent in January from the year-ago month. That’s according to a recent report from STR, a Tennessee–based hotel-market data and analytics company. Revenue per available room (RevPar), an important industry gauge that measures how much

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Visit Binghamton, Visit Syracuse say their regions are “ideal” for making movies

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Visit Binghamton and Visit Syracuse are collaborating in their efforts to promote the Southern Tier and Central New York as “ideal” locations for film production. After less than a year, this partnership has gained placement in Variety magazine, a publication that focuses on entertainment business news, per the Visit Binghamton film office. Moving into 2023,

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Visit Binghamton and Visit Syracuse are collaborating in their efforts to promote the Southern Tier and Central New York as “ideal” locations for film production.

After less than a year, this partnership has gained placement in Variety magazine, a publication that focuses on entertainment business news, per the Visit Binghamton film office.

Moving into 2023, the Visit Binghamton film office has already secured multiple productions, which will create jobs, provide a boost in tourism and a “positive economic impact” for the local community, the organization said. Traditionally, a minimum of 50 percent of every film’s budget will remain in the region.

In 2022, Onondaga County had a “record year” with more than $30 million in film-production budgets in the area. Of that, a minimum of 50 percent stayed in the county. The Visit Syracuse Film Office credits partnerships with city and county offices; American High, a Liverpool–based production company; Hulu; and organizations like CNY Arts for the success.

Louis Newman, a Broome County native and Visit Binghamton’s film & TV coordinator, and Eric Vinal, Visit Syracuse’s VP of film, TV & entertainment, work together to market, develop, and increase film, television, and commercial productions in the Southern Tier area, per Visit Binghamton.

Using New York State’s film-incentive program, they help in connecting productions to local crew, talent, equipment, services, vendors, municipalities, local government, and hotels.

“An increase in film, television, and commercial productions will provide an economic boost to our region,” Newman said. “The Binghamton community has been incredibly supportive thus far, whether a government official or a business leader, we have established a strong network that will allow all productions to succeed while they are in our community.”

Eric Vinal has been in the film industry, boosting the Central New York area since 2014. His leadership serves as a guiding force in the newly established partnership, the film offices say.

“This is an extremely exciting opportunity and time for Binghamton, Broome County, the Southern Tier, and Visit Syracuse (Film Office). As a member of the community for years while my brother and I attended SUNY Binghamton, I feel a strong connection to the region, and I have gained solid local knowledge. Working with Louis Newman and the team at Visit Binghamton, we are able to take our skill sets, experiences and processes from Central New York and implement them efficiently to help the region attract and manage productions in a more effective and impactful way,” Vinal said in a Visit Binghamton release.

In a Visit Syracuse release, Vinal went on to say, “Central New York crew, equipment, vendors, soundstages, hotels, and the Syracuse Hancock International Airport will all be utilized for productions in and around Broome County. This teamwork is mutually beneficial and strategic.”

SUNY Poly receives grant to help at-risk secondary students

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MARCY — SUNY Polytechnic Institute was recently awarded more than $1.4 million from the New York State Department of Education through a Liberty Partnership Program five-year grant to serve at-risk secondary school students in the region. Using a mixed-model school and after-school based effort, the program will serve hundreds of students in grades 5-12 to

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Using a mixed-model school and after-school based effort, the program will serve hundreds of students in grades 5-12 to facilitate positive outcomes and decrease the chances of students deciding to drop out of school. The program will recruit and select at-risk students to participate, employ family engagement and case-management strategies, and engage students in goal-setting and activities, according to a university news release.

SUNY Poly students will serve as mentors and provide program participants about various vocational careers they might schools. Participants include students from Little Falls City School District, Herkimer Central School District, Central Valley Central School District, Dolgeville Central School District, Frankfort-Schuyler Central School District, and Mt. Markham Central School District. SUNY Poly will work with Mohawk Valley Community College and SUNY Morrisville to sponsor summer career-oriented sessions including robotics, health professions, agriculture, and computer-oriented camps.

“I am proud that SUNY Poly will spearhead this effort and am thankful to the New York State Department of Education for fostering our ability to provide a continuity of services throughout a student’s secondary-school progression to help address factors that might otherwise contribute to their dropping out of school, diminishing positive life and career options, and harming their sense of subjective well-being,” SUNY Poly Interim Dean of the College of Health Sciences Joanne Joseph said in the release. “We look forward to partnering with school districts as we assess and meet the needs of students who are impacted by challenges related to rural poverty, in addition to the ramifications of COVID-19 lockdowns, in order to assist them in completing their high-school education and preparing them for the workforce.”

SUNY Poly’s Marcy campus, founded in 1966, has more than 3,000 students and offers 30 academic programs for undergraduate and graduate degrees.

The Liberty Partnership Program, established in 1988, works to address the high-school dropout rate in New York by providing a continuity of services throughout a student’s progression through secondary school for those identified as at-risk of dropping out.

Carthage Area Hospital receives $9K for equipment

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CARTHAGE, N.Y. — The Carthage Area Hospital Foundation recently awarded almost $9,000 to Carthage Area Hospital to support two equipment requests. The acute inpatient unit (AIU) needed a new ice and water machine. The hospital’s information-technology (IT) department also received five new computers for its education-training area. The hospital’s education-conference room had some “outdated” equipment.

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CARTHAGE, N.Y. — The Carthage Area Hospital Foundation recently awarded almost $9,000 to Carthage Area Hospital to support two equipment requests.

The acute inpatient unit (AIU) needed a new ice and water machine. The hospital’s information-technology (IT) department also received five new computers for its education-training area.

The hospital’s education-conference room had some “outdated” equipment.

“Unfortunately, the computers in the training room were ‘hand me downs,’ and they always had a lot of issues. With these new computers, there’s a much more fluid, easy onboarding experience for new nurses and providers,” John Cranker, chief information officer, said in the hospital’s announcement.

Benjamin Rubacha, systems integration director, also noted, “They’re faster, so there’s less downtime.”

In addition to the computers, the previous ice and water machine was outdated and was past its lifespan, Janice Dolan, a licensed practical nurse (LPN) and AIU team lead, said. The new machine will be available for both patients and staff.

About the organizations

Established in 1965, the nonprofit Carthage Area Hospital operates today as a 25-bed critical access hospital, serving about 83,000 residents in Jefferson, northern Lewis, and southern St. Lawrence counties.

The hospital formed a clinical affiliation with Crouse Health in Syracuse in 2017. The hospital also operates a network of community-based clinics, including its Philadelphia Medical Center, Family Health Center, Pediatric Clinic and Women’s Way to Wellness. It provides a range of specialty care, including general surgery, orthopedics, podiatry, urology, neurosurgical care, physical and occupational therapy and behavioral health.

The nonprofit Carthage Area Hospital Foundation is a philanthropic organization that “promotes charitable gifts to ensure continued excellence” in community health care. The foundation says it is “dedicated to ensuring that the Carthage area retains a local hospital that delivers quality health care” to the local community.

National face of Cazenovia College is final commencement speaker

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CAZENOVIA, N.Y. — John Robert Greene, a high profile and long-time member of the faculty at Cazenovia College, will be the speaker at the school’s 198th and final commencement on May 13. Cazenovia College announced in December that it plans to close prior to the start of the fall 2023 semester due to financial problems.

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CAZENOVIA, N.Y. — John Robert Greene, a high profile and long-time member of the faculty at Cazenovia College, will be the speaker at the school’s 198th and final commencement on May 13.

Cazenovia College announced in December that it plans to close prior to the start of the fall 2023 semester due to financial problems.

Greene served as the Paul J. Schupf professor of history and humanities at Cazenovia College prior to his retirement back in January. Greene was known as “the national face of Cazenovia College,” exemplifying its ideals, goals, and mission, the school contended in a release.

Greene marked his 42nd year of teaching at Cazenovia College in 2022. He began at the school as a part-time instructor in September 1979 while also serving as manager of the campus radio station. He became a full-time faculty member in 1984, was tenured in 1987, and was named a distinguished faculty member in 1993.

Cazenovia awarded Greene the school’s first endowed chair, the Paul J. Schupf Chair in History and Humanities, in 2000 and a distinguished service award in 2021. Upon his retirement in January, Cazenovia awarded Greene the title of professor emeritus, the school said.

Known nationally as a leading scholar of the American presidency, Greene has edited or written 20 books. They include works on Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush.

The school also noted that Greene is a sought-after subject matter expert for national and local print and broadcast media outlets and appeared for 17 years as a regular faculty panelist on WCNY-TV’s “The Ivory Tower” political and public affairs talk show.

“Dr. Greene has been a teacher and mentor to students as well as colleagues,” David Bergh, president of Cazenovia College, said. “He encompasses so much of what Cazenovia College has stood for and his dedication to the College made it most fitting that he be the one to address the College and our graduates in the last commencement ceremony.”

ConnextCare implementing new telehealth platform

Health Care, Subscriber Only, Technology

PULASKI, N.Y. — ConnextCare says it will be implementing a new telehealth platform across all of its locations in Oswego County. The work will continue throughout the month of March. Telehealth enables a provider to see a patient remotely, regardless of their ability to physically come to the office. ConnextCare’s Pulaski office started using the

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PULASKI, N.Y. — ConnextCare says it will be implementing a new telehealth platform across all of its locations in Oswego County.

The work will continue throughout the month of March. Telehealth enables a provider to see a patient remotely, regardless of their ability to physically come to the office.

ConnextCare’s Pulaski office started using the platform on March 2. All other sites and the school-based health centers will transition to the platform throughout the coming month.

ConnextCare will now be using its Greenway electronic medical record (EMR) to “ensure a more efficient telehealth experience for patients,” per its March 3 announcement.

The health-care provider will send patients a text message or an email on the day of their scheduled telehealth visit. The text or email will include a link to a video chat that patients can click on. They’ll be automatically connected to the telehealth virtual waiting room for admittance to their visit with the ConnextCare team.

ConnextCare says it became acutely aware of the need for telemedicine at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Within days of the pandemic, the ConnextCare information-technology team was able to secure the resources and training to be able to offer this service to patients.

“As we begin to transition back to a level of normalcy in healthcare, the benefit of a telehealth connection has proven to be both effective and convenient for our patients,” said Ken Martin, director of information services at ConnextCare. “With now over one quarter of all healthcare visits being of a virtual nature, ConnextCare looked to streamline the process for both our staff and patients by adopting a single platform. The Greenway telehealth package works seamlessly with our EMR, this eliminates the need for a third party application which increases the time to create and distribute the virtual appointment.”

Since the beginning of 2020, ConnextCare has used telehealth for more than 58,000 appointments and continues to use telehealth for 85 percent of its scheduled weekly mental-health appointments.

Besides Pulaski, ConnextCare operates health centers in Central Square, Fulton, Mexico, Oswego, Parish, and Phoenix. It also operates eight school-based health centers located in APW, Mexico, Pulaski, Fulton and Sandy Creek school districts.

ConnextCare was previously known as NOCHSI, or Northern Oswego County Health Services, Inc.

Eligible OCC faculty have until April 14 to decide on early-retirement incentive

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ONONDAGA, N.Y. — Some faculty members at Onondaga Community College (OCC) have until April 14 to decide if they will accept a voluntary early-retirement incentive. Citing declining enrollment, the OCC board of trustees on Feb. 28 voted to offer a voluntary early-retirement incentive to eligible faculty members. About 50 faculty members are eligible to take

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ONONDAGA, N.Y. — Some faculty members at Onondaga Community College (OCC) have until April 14 to decide if they will accept a voluntary early-retirement incentive.

Citing declining enrollment, the OCC board of trustees on Feb. 28 voted to offer a voluntary early-retirement incentive to eligible faculty members.

About 50 faculty members are eligible to take the incentive, OCC tells CNYBJ in an email.

In its announcement, OCC said its enrollment has dwindled from its peak of 13,018 in 2012 to 7,032 in 2022.

Faculty members who turn 55 during this calendar year and have a minimum of 10 years of full-time faculty experience — or are regular part-timers at OCC — are eligible, the school said.

As for how OCC intends to fund the retirement incentive, the community college says its leaders have been “continuously” saving money in reserves despite the enrollment decline. The funding in those reserves will fund the packages.

“We are proud to recognize our faculty who have served so well and are interested in transitioning to retirement,” John Sindoni, chair of the OCC board of trustees, said in the school’s news release. “We thank them for their service and are confident this voluntary early retirement incentive package will go a long way towards helping them meet their future plans while also strengthening the college’s future.”

Taxpayer, student impact

The OCC announcement, which was set up in a question-and-answer format, explained why the development is “good for taxpayers.”

OCC says it will realize fiscal savings in the next budget year, which begins Sept. 1. For example, if 15 faculty members take the voluntary early-retirement incentive package, the savings will be between $1.5 million and $1.7 million.

Over the course of five years, those savings would total between $7.5 million and $8.5 million, OCC said. Those dollar amounts include savings in both salary and health-insurance costs, the college added.

As for why the school believes this is good for students, OCC says savings from the voluntary early-retirement incentive package will allow it to invest in student-success initiatives which will “help attract, support, and retain students.”

OCC’s current full-time tuition is $2,595 per semester, which ranks near the bottom third of SUNY’s 30 community colleges. Savings from the voluntary early-retirement incentive package will help OCC “continue to be one of the most affordable SUNY community colleges,” per its announcement.

“Thanks to the leadership of our Board of Trustees, we are fortunate to be in a strong financial position,” Dr. Warren Hilton, president of Onondaga Community College, contended. “We have financial reserves, we have a great campus thanks to our partners in County and State government, we have tremendous faculty and staff, and we are continuing to create new programs in conjunction with our partners in the workforce. Today’s action by the Board of Trustees will help us invest in the success of students.”

Syracuse names new dean of the College of Arts & Sciences

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Syracuse University this week announced Behzad Mortazavi as the next dean of the College of Arts & Sciences (A&S). His appointment, which

New donut shop serves up sweet treats to the North Shore and beyond

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