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Oneida County hotels post strong month of business in July
UTICA, N.Y. — Oneida County hotels registered a rise in overnight guests in July, as two other key indicators of business performance also improved. The

DEC now controls Onondaga Lake Visitors Center
Honeywell transferred it to the agency GEDDES — The Onondaga Lake Visitors Center on the lake’s southern shore is now under
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GEDDES — The Onondaga Lake Visitors Center on the lake’s southern shore is now under the control of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).
The DEC on June 10 announced the transfer of the Visitors Center, which is located at 280 Restoration Way in the town of Geddes, from Honeywell.
The center features informative displays about the historic cleanup and restoration of Onondaga Lake, its tributaries, and watershed, the DEC said in its announcement.
The Visitors Center is retaining its name and following renovations, it will become a public outreach facility operated by DEC’s Bureau of Environmental Education.
The renovations are ongoing, and the DEC’s Environmental Education team “is already planning monthly programming into the 2026 season, which will run from April to September,” a DEC spokesperson tells CNYBJ in an email.
Honeywell originally built and opened the Visitors Center in 2012 to share information with the public about the cleanup and the history of Onondaga Lake. Displays in the center showcase the cleanup plan and progress, return of native plants and animals, and habitat restoration and enhancements.
“Onondaga Lake is an incredible natural resource and the cleanup of one of New York’s most polluted waterbodies is an undeniable success story,” DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton said in the announcement. “DEC embraces the opportunity to help New Yorkers and visitors alike learn about the history of the lake and its cleanup and the ecosystems its rebirth is helping to support and thrive.”
The DEC will operate the Onondaga Lake Visitors Center seasonally, April through October, and serve as a point of contact for environmental and educational organizations interested in hosting events or programming at the lakeside location. By fostering partnerships with local colleges and universities, including the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, the center will provide learning and career-development opportunities for students of all ages, the department noted.
The DEC works with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to oversee implementation of Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan Projects for Onondaga Lake. The transfer of the center to the DEC was among the plan’s requirements, the department noted.
Crews completed cleanup activities for Onondaga Lake in 2016 in accordance with the 2005 Record of Decision, the DEC said.
The department continues to oversee the completed cleanup and Honeywell’s ongoing monitoring of the lake-bottom cap to “ensure it remains effective and fully protective of public health and the environment.”
In its announcement, the DEC also said, “Significant progress continues to be made in cleaning up Onondaga Lake and its tributaries and watershed, enabling Central New Yorkers to once again connect to this important resource. Dramatic improvements in wastewater and stormwater management, coupled with tremendous progress in cleaning up historical industrial contamination, have improved water quality and aided in the return of native plants and animals. With these improvements, the lake is once again becoming a destination for outdoor enthusiasts, while serving as a source of community pride.”

New workforce-development specialists join MACNY
Will support expansion of apprenticeship and youth career exploration opportunities DeWITT — MACNY, The Manufacturers Association, recently hired a pair of workforce-development specialists to further advance its mission to expand early career exploration and strengthen workforce pipelines across the state through the development of apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programming. Mohamed Thiam has joined Partners for Education
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DeWITT — MACNY, The Manufacturers Association, recently hired a pair of workforce-development specialists to further advance its mission to expand early career exploration and strengthen workforce pipelines across the state through the development of apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programming.
Mohamed Thiam has joined Partners for Education & Business, Inc. (PEB), a MACNY affiliate, where he will lead youth-focused workforce initiatives in the Syracuse City School District, including the Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) programs, Public Service Leadership Academy at Fowler and ITC, the K-8 Smart Start Program, and the Career, Technology & Education Fair. His work will focus on building school-to-career pathways by connecting students with employers, coordinating hands-on experiences, and aligning programming with industry needs, MACNY said in a late July announcement. Thiam brings nearly a decade of experience in workforce and economic development, community organizing, and advocacy for underrepresented communities. Before joining PEB, he served as a job coach at InterFaith Works of CNY, where he helped immigrants and refugees navigate employment barriers, built partnerships with employers, and supported career advancement. He’s also a former graduate teaching assistant with a master’s degree in Pan-African Studies from Syracuse University.
Christa Matolka has come aboard MACNY’s talent development team to support the Real Life Rosies and Advance 2 Apprenticeship pre-apprenticeship programs, which prepare participants for careers in advanced manufacturing and other high-demand fields. She will collaborate with employers, educators, and community partners to recruit participants, support program delivery, and help participants successfully transition into registered apprenticeship programs and careers, MACNY notes. Matolka brings more than a decade of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, with a proven track record in highly process-driven environments. She has held key roles at companies such as LOTTE Biologics, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, and Ecovative Design, where she specialized in quality compliance, equipment validation, training development, and project execution. Her ability to manage complex systems, adhere to strict regulatory standards, and deliver effective team training positions her well to support pre-apprenticeship participants as they prepare for success in technical careers, the association contends. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from the University at Albany.
MACNY contends that Thiam and Matolka bring a combination of experience and industry insight that will elevate the association’s statewide efforts to develop a skilled, inclusive, and future-ready workforce through career exploration and apprenticeship opportunities.
MACNY, based at 5788 Widewaters Parkway in the town of DeWitt, is a 112-year-old nonprofit organization representing manufacturers throughout Central and Upstate New York.

NYS Parks announces upgrades to Black Diamond Trail, near Ithaca
ULYSSES — The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation in late July announced more than $1 million in upgrades to a popular Southern Tier multi-use trail connecting the city of Ithaca with Taughannock Falls State Park in the town of Ulysses. The improvements — an enhanced bridge crossing, new restrooms and
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ULYSSES — The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation in late July announced more than $1 million in upgrades to a popular Southern Tier multi-use trail connecting the city of Ithaca with Taughannock Falls State Park in the town of Ulysses.
The improvements — an enhanced bridge crossing, new restrooms and a new parking lot — provide a more welcoming experience for people who enjoy walking, running, and biking on the Black Diamond Trail, New York State Parks contends.
“Trailways like the Black Diamond Trail provide New Yorkers with an affordable and healthy option to explore their communities and enjoy the great outdoors,” New York State Parks Commissioner Pro Tempore Randy Simons said in the announcement. “These improvements make this already-popular trail even better, will benefit hikers, cyclists and skiers, and further strengthen the connection between Taughannock Falls and Ithaca and our communities.”
The $1.4 million State Parks project includes a new 70-vehicle parking lot and year-round public restrooms at the trail’s northern end near the park’s famous 215-foot waterfall, as well as rehabilitation of a historical railroad trestle that serves as the connecting bridge between the park’s North and South rim trails. The restroom building’s design aesthetic echoes a train depot, in keeping with the trail’s railroad history.
The 8.4-mile northern segment of the Black Diamond Trail follows the route of the former Lehigh Valley Railroad and connects Ithaca’s Cass Park and the Allan H. Treman State Marine Park to Taughannock Falls State Park, New York State Parks says. The stone-dust route ranges from mature forests of maple, hemlock, oak, and hickory to views of rustic agricultural lands, and dozens of ravines where cascading waters flow toward Cayuga Lake.
This rail trail is part of the former flagship passenger line of the Lehigh Valley Railroad. Known as the Black Diamond Express, this luxury train passenger service ran from New York City to Buffalo from 1896 until 1959.

SUNY Poly creates Engineering Advisory Board with industry leaders
MARCY — The SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly) College of Engineering recently formed a new College of Engineering Advisory Board, including a group of notable professionals from across New York state’s technology, construction, manufacturing, government, and infrastructure sectors. This newly formed board brings a blend of public and private-sector expertise to the forefront, offering a
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MARCY — The SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly) College of Engineering recently formed a new College of Engineering Advisory Board, including a group of notable professionals from across New York state’s technology, construction, manufacturing, government, and infrastructure sectors.
This newly formed board brings a blend of public and private-sector expertise to the forefront, offering a bridge between academia and industry, the college said in its July 23 announcement about the creation of the advisory board.
The board includes leaders from key organizations in the region and beyond: Mark Cushman (Giotto Enterprises); Vinny Guerriero (AMAT); Chris Keimel (Menlo Microsystems); Robert Kocik (Hartman Enterprises, Inc.); Ben Langsdorf (Wolfspeed); Linda Lubey (New York State Department of Transportation); Anthony Macera (Air Force Research Laboratory); Zack Malison (CSArch); Adam Murling (Indium Corporation); Ken Osmun (LeChase Construction); Scott Robidoux (Assured Information Security); and Mackenzie Schrock (Corning).
“There is an incredible level of technological diversity represented on this board, and that diversity is what allows us to create powerful synergy between higher education and industry,” said Mark Cushman, a member of SUNY Poly’s College of Engineering Advisory Board. “This partnership fosters innovation, supports regional economic development, and most importantly, positions SUNY Poly students to thrive. We are not just supporting a college, we’re helping lead a broader movement that connects people, technology, and opportunity.”
The mission of the board is to advise the SUNY Poly College of Engineering on current and emerging industry needs, curriculum relevance, applied learning opportunities, and strategic growth. It also fosters deeper collaboration across the institution and the broader engineering ecosystem, the college stated. The board is structured with an executive committee, curriculum & academic excellence committee, industry engagement and workforce development committee, and scholarship and resources committee.

OPINION: Be a Local Hero & Consider Becoming a Volunteer Firefighter Today
Volunteer firefighters exemplify what it means to be a good community member. They selflessly give countless hours of their time to protect the homes, businesses, and families in their communities. Unfortunately, though, recruitment and retention of volunteers is waning, and not enough is being done to buck the trend. Volunteer-firefighter recruitment has become a problem
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Volunteer firefighters exemplify what it means to be a good community member. They selflessly give countless hours of their time to protect the homes, businesses, and families in their communities. Unfortunately, though, recruitment and retention of volunteers is waning, and not enough is being done to buck the trend.
Volunteer-firefighter recruitment has become a problem both here and around the U.S. The National Fire Protection Association noted that in 2020, there was a 6 percent decrease in volunteer firefighters year over year, and the total number was a near-record low. In New York, we have suffered a 32 percent decrease in volunteers over the last 30 years, which strains existing resources and puts our communities at risk.
Nearly all firefighting operations in New York are made up of volunteers, and that is especially true in rural areas of the state. Without these brave and dedicated men and women, the state’s emergency response capabilities would crumble, and the costs would be far greater than simply saving homeowners from a huge spike in their property taxes.
For these reasons, the Assembly Minority Conference has proposed several pieces of legislation to address recruitment and retention concerns from our state’s volunteer firehouses:
• A.6414 (Palmesano): Provides a $400 tax credit to volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers, exempts registration and use taxes for vehicles used in the performance of duty, creates a loan-forgiveness program, and offers additional benefits for those volunteering to keep communities safe;
• A.4414 (Bologna): Permits volunteer firefighters to attend mandatory training under 19 NYCRR 426 without risk of employer penalties; establishes tax incentives for employers who hire volunteer firefighters;
• A.1064 (Angelino): Provides a state income-tax credit of up to $2,500 for volunteer firefighters and volunteer ambulance corps members in good standing for a minimum of five years;
• A.2068 (Manktelow): Authorizes excused leave for civil-service employees who are members of volunteer fire departments or volunteer EMS/rescue squads during declared states of emergency at the federal, state or municipal level;
• A.3576 (Miller): Allocates a portion of the public safety communications surcharge to support volunteer fire department initiatives and creates the New York State Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary Fund.
While legislative solutions are a part of our recruitment plan, new laws alone are not enough to reinvigorate our volunteer fire departments. There is no substitute for authentic concern for one’s community, and the drive to help one’s neighbor ultimately must come from within. Tax incentives and reimbursements are great, but the best recruiting tool at our disposal is to simply appeal to civic-minded individuals directly: Your neighbor needs you, please consider the great value in volunteering and become a hero to your community.
William (Will) A. Barclay, 56, Republican, is the New York Assembly minority leader and represents the 120th New York Assembly District, which encompasses all of Oswego County, as well as parts of Jefferson and Cayuga counties.

OPINION: Trump’s America First Economic Priorities Winning Over Voters
As inflation slows and Americans begin to reap the benefits of President Donald Trump’s America First approach to creating jobs for native-born workers, voters are rallying behind the president’s approach. A new survey shows a majority of voters, including a majority of Hispanics, Blacks, young people, and independents, favor the Trump Administration’s focus on raising
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As inflation slows and Americans begin to reap the benefits of President Donald Trump’s America First approach to creating jobs for native-born workers, voters are rallying behind the president’s approach.
A new survey shows a majority of voters, including a majority of Hispanics, Blacks, young people, and independents, favor the Trump Administration’s focus on raising employment among Americans born here, even if there are losses for foreign-born workers. Voters also trust Republicans over Democrats to handle the economy, and swing voters are moving toward the right compared to midterm elections in 2022 and 2018.
The survey, conducted by Quantus Insights from Aug. 11-14 among 1,000 registered voters finds strong support for President Trump’s approach to adding jobs for native-born citizens. Americans say by 33 points — 51 percent to 18 percent — they support the president’s policies that prioritize jobs for U.S.-born Americans. Another 32 percent say they are neutral on the issue.
The White House says native-born employment has risen by more than 2 million jobs since January, while foreign-born employment has dropped by half a million. The White House noted that during the same period in 2024, foreign-born workers were securing as many as 48 percent of new jobs created under the Biden Administration. Now, due to the president’s crackdown on illegal immigration, virtually all the job gains this year have gone to native-born citizens.
Majorities of swing votes, including young people, Hispanics, Blacks, independents and moderates all support the Trump Administration’s priority of raising employment among U.S.-born workers first, with only Democrats and liberals opposing the strategy, according to the survey.
African-Americans say by 30 points — 42 percent to 12 percent — they support the Trump Administration’s labor policies, and Hispanics support the administration’s policies by 28 points — a margin of 49 percent to 21 percent.
Young people ages 18-29 support the Trump Administration’s labor policies prioritizing American-born workers by 30 points — 47 percent to 17 percent — and voters ages 30-44 approve of the administration’s policies by 43 points — a margin of 57 percent to 14 percent.
Independents support the administration labor policies by 29 points — 43 percent to 14 percent — and moderates support the policies by 25 points — a count of 42 percent to 17 percent.
The survey also shows voters trust Republicans over Democrats to handle the economy by 5 points — an edge of 42 percent to 37 percent.
While the survey shows a narrow lead for Democrats in the generic Congressional ballot — 45 percent to 42 percent — there is reason to believe Democrats could suffer significantly compared to the previous midterm-election cycles. Key voter groups appear to be moving toward the right, according to the survey.
Black voters — while still broadly planning to support Democrats in the survey — are showing one of the largest shifts toward Congressional Republicans compared to how they voted in the 2022 midterm cycle. The Quantus survey reveals 17 percent of Black Americans plan to support Republicans, while 74 percent plan to support Democrats, which translates to Democrats winning their vote by 57 points. This is a substantial shift from just three years ago, when Democrats won Black voters by 73 points — a margin of 86 percent to 13 percent. Compared to 2018, the shift is even larger. Democrats won Black voters by 79 points — 90 percent to 11 percent — just eight years ago.
Young people are also showing much more interest in voting red next election cycle than they have in previous midterm cycles. The Quantus survey shows young voters still supporting Democrats next year, but by only 15 points — a margin of 52 percent to 37 percent. In 2022, Democrats won young people by 28 points — 63 percent to 35 percent according to CNN exit polls.
While Democrats and some in the GOP-establishment have fought President Trump every step of the way on his America First economic agenda, real job gains among Americans are rallying voters behind the president’s priorities. The public strongly favors Trump’s focus on raising employment among native-born Americans, including a broad coalition of swing voters.
Manzanita Miller is the senior political analyst at Americans for Limited Government Foundation, the research arm of Americans for Limited Government, a libertarian political advocacy group. The organization conducts policy research and publishes reports with the goal of reducing the size of the government.

UR Medicine Finger Lakes Health Foundation names new board member
GENEVA — UR Medicine Finger Lakes Health announced that its foundation board of directors has elected Mariana Hernandes Fortes Aurich as a new board member. She earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in physiotherapy from the State University of Londrina in Paraná, Brazil, with her master’s focusing on the study of Parkinson’s disease. In
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GENEVA — UR Medicine Finger Lakes Health announced that its foundation board of directors has elected Mariana Hernandes Fortes Aurich as a new board member.
She earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in physiotherapy from the State University of Londrina in Paraná, Brazil, with her master’s focusing on the study of Parkinson’s disease. In addition, Aurich completed a residency in intensive care physiotherapy at Inspirar College in Brazil.
Aurich previously served as a research associate in the Neurosurgery Department at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.
Aurich, originally from Brazil, now lives in Victor with her husband, Dr. Lucas Aurich, neurosurgery director of Geneva General Hospital, and their son, Matheus.
The mission of the Finger Lakes Health Foundation is to cultivate, secure, and steward philanthropic gifts to support the capital, programmatic, and endowment needs of Finger Lakes Health, the organization says.

SUNY Broome fall semester enrollment rises 17 percent compared to a year ago
DICKINSON, N.Y. — SUNY Broome Community College says its enrollment for the fall semester is up 17 percent, a gain of 559 students, compared to

Excellus hires Centralus Health CEO for its chief healthcare services officer position
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Excellus BlueCross BlueShield on Thursday named Dr. Martin Stallone executive VP, chief healthcare services officer of Excellus and its parent company, The Lifetime Healthcare Companies. He will start his new role on Dec. 1. Excellus is Central New York’s largest health insurer. Stallone is currently CEO of Centralus Health, a health-care system
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ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Excellus BlueCross BlueShield on Thursday named Dr. Martin Stallone executive VP, chief healthcare services officer of Excellus and its parent company, The Lifetime Healthcare Companies.
He will start his new role on Dec. 1. Excellus is Central New York’s largest health insurer.
Stallone is currently CEO of Centralus Health, a health-care system formed through the affiliation of Cayuga Health of Ithaca and Arnot Health in Elmira. It includes five hospitals serving communities across New York’s Southern Tier, Finger Lakes, and Central New York regions.
In addition to his role as CEO of Centralus Health, Stallone served in a variety of leadership positions during his 17 years at Cayuga Health.
In his new position, Stallone will oversee Excellus BlueCross BlueShield’s health care-related functions including pharmacy services, provider network, quality programs, and medical services including member-care management. He’ll also oversee efforts to “more closely align” providers, insurers, and other health-care partners.
“As a local, nonprofit health plan, we increasingly partner with hospital systems and provider practices to help improve community health while tackling the growing challenge of rising healthcare costs,” Jim Reed, CEO and president of The Lifetime Healthcare Companies, said in the announcement. “We’re thrilled to welcome Dr. Stallone to our team … His clinical leadership in health care delivery, combined with his understanding of our regional health systems, will help us drive innovation and deepen our provider partnerships to better serve our communities in Central New York and throughout upstate New York.”
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