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Vintage Vibes formally opens storefront in Owego
OWEGO, N.Y. — Vintage Vibes — a new, woman-owned business that offers trendy and affordable new and vintage items of all sizes — has opened a storefront in downtown Owego. The boutique, located at 173 Front St., held a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony on Feb. 26 with the Tioga County Chamber of Commerce. Vintage […]
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OWEGO, N.Y. — Vintage Vibes — a new, woman-owned business that offers trendy and affordable new and vintage items of all sizes — has opened a storefront in downtown Owego.
The boutique, located at 173 Front St., held a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony on Feb. 26 with the Tioga County Chamber of Commerce.
Vintage Vibes also offers homemade items by local artists. Co-owners Samantha Solo and Ashley Stephens started the business online in September 2020.

SRC awarded contract to deliver radars to Egypt
CICERO, N.Y. — The Advanced Technology Systems Company (ATSC) recently awarded SRC, Inc. a contract to manufacture and deliver SR Hawk ground-surveillance radars in support of Egypt’s MS3 program. The SR Hawk radar is a long-range ground surveillance radar. It provides highly reliable situational awareness in a low-power package that is easy to setup and
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CICERO, N.Y. — The Advanced Technology Systems Company (ATSC) recently awarded SRC, Inc. a contract to manufacture and deliver SR Hawk ground-surveillance radars in support of Egypt’s MS3 program.
The SR Hawk radar is a long-range ground surveillance radar. It provides highly reliable situational awareness in a low-power package that is easy to setup and use, SRC contends in a Feb. 14 news release. The company didn’t disclose the value of the contract in the release.
“We are honored to provide Egypt with the robust and capable SR Hawk radar for their mission,” SRC president and CEO, Kevin Hair, said. “These radars are helping to keep borders secure and warfighters safe around the world.”
The SR Hawk radar operates in all weather conditions and extreme temperatures common in Egypt. The radar offers automated electro-optic sensor cueing, audible alerts, multi-target tracking and anti-clutter techniques, allowing operators to focus on the threat, not the radar, per SRC. Hundreds of SR Hawk radar systems have been deployed worldwide, it added.
SRC is a nonprofit research and development company headquartered in Cicero that focuses on areas that include defense, environment, and intelligence.

Mirabito Holdings adds three new board members
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — Mirabito Holdings, Inc. recently appointed three employees as new members of its board of directors. Joining the board are Justin Fisher, senior VP of supply; Jason Mirabito, senior VP of wholesale; and Matthew Meehan, senior VP of home comfort & commercial fuels. In his role, Fisher negotiates and executes purchasing and hedging
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BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — Mirabito Holdings, Inc. recently appointed three employees as new members of its board of directors. Joining the board are Justin Fisher, senior VP of supply; Jason Mirabito, senior VP of wholesale; and Matthew Meehan, senior VP of home comfort & commercial fuels.
In his role, Fisher negotiates and executes purchasing and hedging strategies across all divisions of Mirabito Holdings to manage price risk while driving profitability. He previously worked in the natural gas & electric division at Mirabito. Fisher earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Ithaca College, and then both his master’s degree in polymer science and engineering and MBA from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
Jason Mirabito manages key customer and supply relationships and identifies opportunities to strategically cross-train the sales team to maximize opportunities. He has also held sales & marketing and supply management-level positions at Mirabito Holdings. Jason is the first VP of the Energy Marketers of America association and serves on the Empire State Energy Association board of directors. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Le Moyne College and was part of The Washington Center and participated as an intern for the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
In his job, Meehan is responsible for managing all aspects of the home comfort & commercial fuels divisions at Mirabito Holdings, including pricing, mergers and acquisitions, the customer care team, and fleet. He has held various positions in the home comfort division throughout his career at Mirabito. Meehan serves as first VP of the New York State Propane Gas Association and serves on the board of directors and executive committees for the National Oilheat Research Alliance. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Le Moyne College and his MBA in supply chain management from Syracuse University.

HUNT’s Crocker serving as president of NYS Commercial Association of Realtors for 2022
CLAY, N.Y. — Dana Crocker, licensed associate real-estate broker in the Clay office of HUNT Commercial Real Estate, was recently named president of the New York State Commercial Association of Realtors for 2022. Crocker has been in the real-estate industry for 45 years, including the last 22 years specializing in commercial real estate, HUNT said
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CLAY, N.Y. — Dana Crocker, licensed associate real-estate broker in the Clay office of HUNT Commercial Real Estate, was recently named president of the New York State Commercial Association of Realtors for 2022.
Crocker has been in the real-estate industry for 45 years, including the last 22 years specializing in commercial real estate, HUNT said in a news release.
The New York State Commercial Association of Realtors (NYSCAR) is a specialty local board of realtors with statewide jurisdiction. Chartered in 1995, NYSCAR was formed by commercial practitioners to establish a board of realtors dedicated specifically to commercial issues.
“I am honored to be named as President of NYSCAR,” Crocker said in the release. “I started the Greater Syracuse Commercial Chapter in 2013 to provide commercial education to our members and provide networking opportunities and look forward to further sharing my passion for the industry in this role.”
Founded in 1911, HUNT Commercial Real Estate is a full-service commercial real-estate firm headquartered in Buffalo. With agents in the Rochester, Syracuse, and Albany regions, HUNT Commercial provides real-estate brokerage and consulting services throughout western and upstate New York.

Crews begin work to replace Sentinel Heights Road bridge in town of Onondaga
ONONDAGA, N.Y. — Work is underway on a $6.2 million project to replace the Sentinel Heights Road bridge over Interstate 81 in the town of Onondaga. The project will replace the existing bridge, which was built in 1963. Crews will construct a new two-span, multi-girder structure that will “enhance safety and improve resiliency along an
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ONONDAGA, N.Y. — Work is underway on a $6.2 million project to replace the Sentinel Heights Road bridge over Interstate 81 in the town of Onondaga.
The project will replace the existing bridge, which was built in 1963. Crews will construct a new two-span, multi-girder structure that will “enhance safety and improve resiliency along an important connector,” linking the communities of Nedrow and Sentinel Heights, New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez announced March 15.
Also known as Onondaga County Route 174, Sentinel Heights Road is frequently used by emergency service vehicles and provides access to the nearby Onondaga Nation territory, the DOT added.
“This bridge replacement project will help ensure that an important route for local residents and emergency service vehicles remains open and accessible for many years to come, facilitating the continued well-being of the entire region,” Dominguez said.
The new bridge will be 35 feet wide and have higher clearances above I-81 than the original structure, the DOT said. It will also feature five-foot shoulders on each side and concrete barriers with fencing to facilitate pedestrian and bicycle use and enhance safety.
Located just north of Onondaga Nation territory, the new bridge will also be adorned with the image of an Onondaga Nation wampum belt, honoring the Nation’s culture and heritage. The DOT collaborated with the Onondaga Nation to develop the plans for the image, the department noted.
“While the I-81 Community Grid project is often discussed, we are also making progress with other pieces of critical infrastructure,” New York State Assemblymember Pamela Hunter (D–Syracuse) said. “The Sentinel Heights Road Bridge is over a half-century old and I support the New York Department of Transportation’s decision to invest in its replacement. This will be a great benefit for local residents who frequently use the span as well as emergency services that rely on safe and modern transportation infrastructure.”
During construction, traffic will be directed to a signed detour route to the south utilizing Kennedy Road, Kennedy Road Spur, U.S. Route 11, and Rockwell Road. As part of the preliminary project work, the detour routes will also undergo significant improvements, including resurfacing, restriping, and guiderail replacement.
Construction is expected to be completed by this December, the DOT said.

Area localities get Climate Smart Community project funds
Communities in Central New York, the Mohawk Valley, and the Southern Tier were among those recently awarded funding from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC’s) Climate Smart Communities grant program. In all, $11 million went to municipalities as part of the $196 million in Regional Economic Development Council awards, Basil Seggos, commissioner of
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Communities in Central New York, the Mohawk Valley, and the Southern Tier were among those recently awarded funding from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC’s) Climate Smart Communities grant program.
In all, $11 million went to municipalities as part of the $196 million in Regional Economic Development Council awards, Basil Seggos, commissioner of the DEC, said in a release.
The projects will help reduce greenhouse-gas emissions and adapt to the ongoing impacts of climate change, including reducing flood risk, increasing natural resiliency, and relocating or retrofitting critical infrastructure, the DEC said.
Established in 2016, this 50/50 matching-grant program supports municipalities seeking to become certified Climate Smart Communities and implement projects that advance that state’s climate-change goals, the DEC said.
The program is jointly sponsored by seven state agencies: the DEC, NYSERDA, New York Power Authority, as well as the state Departments of State, Health, Transportation, and Public Service.
The program supports the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which requires New York to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions 85 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. Since the program’s inception, DEC has awarded more than $50 million to municipalities in support of local climate mitigation and adaptation projects, the department said.
The 2021 Climate Smart Communities Grant awards are as follows.
Central New York
The Town of Cazenovia will use $232,000 in funding for stormwater-flood mitigation. This project addresses two locations in the town where the existing stormwater infrastructure is increasingly unable to capture and convey runoff from intense rainfall events. Work includes the removal and replacement of collapsed and inadequate culverts and improperly located catch basins and storm piping to increase flow capture, removal of curbing and catch basins and repaving to provide sheet flow, a new storm sewer and swale system to intercept runoff, and a hydrodynamic separator unit for one site that will provide sediment removal to improve the quality of runoff water into a tributary of Cazenovia Lake.
The Town of Geddes received a grant of $219,000 for improvements at the Westvale Plaza. The town will implement a key recommendation from a recently adopted comprehensive plan to incorporate sidewalk extensions to Westvale Plaza and provide improved multi-modal connectivity between current and future developments along the corridor. Pedestrians are frequently observed attempting to cross busy intersections in this area and this route is used by bicyclists riding to and from the city of Syracuse.
The Town of Manlius will use $22,000 in funding on climate-action plans. The town will develop two plans for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions, including one that’s focused on government operations and a second one addressing emissions from the whole community.
Mohawk Valley
In the Mohawk Valley, the Town of Whitestown in Oneida County will use $210,000 for work on the third phase of the Sauquoit Creek Flood Bench. Phase three of the Sauquoit Creek channel and floodplain-restoration program involves the construction of three floodplain benches. These benches will reduce flood stage during extreme-weather events, cut impacts of flooding to town and village properties, and restore natural riverine processes by connecting Sauquoit Creek to its original floodplain.
The Town of Oneonta will use a $14,000 award for a comprehensive-plan update. The town will update its 2014 plan to include sustainability, smart growth, and climate-resiliency elements.
The Town of Otsego will also use its $14,000 grant for a comprehensive-plan update. The town will update its 2008 plan to include sustainability elements in alignment with the related Climate Smart Communities certification action and the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, the DEC said.
Southern Tier
In the Southern Tier, the Town of Sherburne will use a $30,000 grant award to update its comprehensive plan. Town officials will update their 2004 plan to include sustainability and resiliency elements in alignment with the related Climate Smart Communities certification action.

ICS expands Northeast footprint by acquiring Massachusetts firm
ENDICOTT, N.Y. — ICS has expanded with the acquisition of a company in Raynham, Massachusetts. It purchased Unified Networking Solutions, a provider of information-technology (IT) services in the Southeastern Massachusetts market. ICS didn’t disclose any financial terms of its acquisition agreement in its news release announcing it. Founded in 1986, ICS is an Endicott–based provider
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ENDICOTT, N.Y. — ICS has expanded with the acquisition of a company in Raynham, Massachusetts.
It purchased Unified Networking Solutions, a provider of information-technology (IT) services in the Southeastern Massachusetts market. ICS didn’t disclose any financial terms of its acquisition agreement in its news release announcing it.
Founded in 1986, ICS is an Endicott–based provider of IT managed services and cybersecurity services. The company also has offices in Syracuse, Ithaca, and Auburn.
With the acquisition, all 11 Unified employees have transitioned to ICS, Samantha Wyatt, marketing manager at ICS, tells CNYBJ in an email.
ICS has appointed Brian McDonald, president of Unified Networking Solutions, as the ICS director of the office in Raynham, which is less than 40 miles south of Boston. Howard Cathcart, VP of Unified, will remain in Raynham and take on a senior engineering role within the ICS group.
“After getting to know the team at ICS, it became clear that they were the perfect partner to bring expanded products, services and resources to Unified clients. This will allow us to meet the changing needs of our customers,” Brian McDonald said in the ICS release.
In the more than 30 years since its start, ICS has grown steadily to reach nearly 160 employees.
As a provider of managed-support services and IT-project implementation, the services at Unified Networking Solutions will complement ICS’ capabilities, the acquiring firm said. The two companies integrating their services “made perfect sense,” Kevin Blake, president and CEO of ICS, contended.
“It was clear that Unified’s culture and core values fit right in with ours. We are looking forward to growing our Northeastern footprint through future acquisitions,” Blake added.

M&T Bank names two to CNY Directors Advisory Council
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — M&T Bank recently appointed Alicia Dicks and Sheena Solomon to its Directors Advisory Council for the Central New York region. This 11-member council meets regularly to discuss business, customer, and community issues and provides insights to support M&T’s ongoing efforts to develop locally customized solutions and service models, the bank said in
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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — M&T Bank recently appointed Alicia Dicks and Sheena Solomon to its Directors Advisory Council for the Central New York region.
This 11-member council meets regularly to discuss business, customer, and community issues and provides insights to support M&T’s ongoing efforts to develop locally customized solutions and service models, the bank said in a news release.
Dicks is president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties, an organization with stewardship over more than $175 million in charitable community assets. She is deeply involved in Utica and the Mohawk Valley, sharing her expertise to foster inclusive growth and positive change.
Solomon is the executive director of the Gifford Foundation. Under her leadership, the Gifford Foundation is creating lasting community change and advancing racial justice and equity through various projects, M&T Bank said.

“M&T’s Central New York Directors Advisory Council plays an important role in helping us to ensure the bank is consistently making a difference in people’s lives throughout our region. The local business and community leaders on our board care deeply about Central New York and the Mohawk Valley. Working together, we identify new and different ways to uplift our communities and strengthen the local economy,” M&T Bank Regional President Steve Gorczynski said.
“I’m incredibly excited Alicia Dicks and Sheena Solomon have decided to join the council,” he added. “For years, they have worked tirelessly to advance social justice and racial equity, creating positive change through major initiatives and everyday moments to lend support. Their perspectives and insights will help inform and augment our enduring commitment to meet the changing needs of our community.”
In addition to Solomon and Dicks, M&T Bank’s Directors Advisory Council for the Central New York region consists of J. Andrew Breuer, president of Hueber-Breuer Construction; Me’Shae Brooks-Rolling, franchise owner of EventPrep Inc. and executive director of the Upstate Minority Economic Alliance; Mara Charlamb, VP and owner of United Radio; James A. Fox, managing director and president of Ramboll Group; Karyn Korteling, owner of Pastabilities; Joseph Mancuso, partner at Hancock & Estabrook LLP; Scott Shatraw, president of Utica First Insurance; Meg Tidd, CEO of VIP Structures; and Melissa Zell of The Pioneer Companies.
M&T Bank has 41 offices and employs nearly 360 people in its Central New York region, which covers Onondaga, Cayuga, Oswego, Madison, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Oneida, and Seneca Counties. It operates a regional headquarters on South Clinton Street in downtown Syracuse. M&T says it holds the region’s highest deposit share and is the top Small Business Administration (SBA) lender in Central New York. Each year, the bank also contributes more than $1 million to dozens of nonprofit organizations in the Central New York region.

Crouse to offer path to nuclear-medicine technologist certification
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Crouse Health is partnering with a Massachusetts college to provide local health professionals a chance to become a certified nuclear-medicine technologist. Crouse is working on the initiative with the School of Nuclear Medicine at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MSCPHS) in Boston. The 12 to 14-month program is designed
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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Crouse Health is partnering with a Massachusetts college to provide local health professionals a chance to become a certified nuclear-medicine technologist.
Crouse is working on the initiative with the School of Nuclear Medicine at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MSCPHS) in Boston.
The 12 to 14-month program is designed for students located in the upstate New York region who hold an associate degree in medical imaging or a bachelor’s degree “in any field,” Crouse Health said in a release.
The program builds on previous college studies, preparing participants to become a board-certified nuclear-medicine technologist licensed in New York State for the practice of nuclear-medicine technology. It also teaches participants how to “safely and compassionately” administer radioactive drugs, or radiopharmaceuticals, to patients.
Those taking part will complete course work online through MSCPHS, with Crouse Hospital providing clinical training. Crouse is one of three hospitals in New York state to participate in the program, the organization said.
Students will learn how to obtain rapid-succession images of where radiopharmaceuticals concentrate in the body, giving the medical team insight that’s essential to diagnosing patients. Students will also discover the functions of the many organs and tissues found in the human anatomy and learn how to treat several medical conditions using targeted radiation, per the release.
“We’re excited to partner with MSCPHS on this innovative educational and clinical opportunity,” Brad Hellwig, director of medical imaging at Crouse Health, said.
Students will follow a synchronous distance/online class schedule, offering the flexibility of online education coupled with the community-building experience associated with classroom learning, according to Crouse Health.
“Program participants will work alongside industry experts and gain firsthand knowledge of what it’s like to be a nuclear-medicine technologist,” Hellwig added.

Cayuga Health buys space at The Shops at Ithaca Mall
LANSING, N.Y. — Cayuga Health plans to redevelop the former retail space at The Shops at Ithaca Mall into a new mixed-use health-care facility. Plans will also include the development of a new health-education center in partnership with Cornell University, Ithaca College, and Tompkins Cortland Community College. The health-care system on March 15 announced that
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LANSING, N.Y. — Cayuga Health plans to redevelop the former retail space at The Shops at Ithaca Mall into a new mixed-use health-care facility.
Plans will also include the development of a new health-education center in partnership with Cornell University, Ithaca College, and Tompkins Cortland Community College.
The health-care system on March 15 announced that it bought 108,000 square feet of space at The Shops at Ithaca Mall and proposes to redevelop, relocate, and consolidate existing medical practices into one location.
The organization says it spent $8.5 million to acquire the former big-box retail parcels where Bon Ton and Sears previously operated, per its news release.
Cayuga Health contends the move is “making access more convenient for patients.” The health system plans to lease some of the space to prospective new vendors as well.
The Shops at Ithaca Mall is located at 40 Catherwood Road, near Route 13 in the village of Lansing.
“We see this capital expansion as a necessary next step in our strategic plan as we continue to reimagine our operations by making health care more accessible to everyone in the communities we serve,” Dr. Martin Stallone, president & CEO of Cayuga Health, said in the release. “This acquisition allows us to consolidate existing practices into one location for efficiency and improved patient access. We have been operating at The Shops at Ithaca Mall since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and it has been proven to be a valuable location within the community and for our health system.”
Cayuga Health acquired the property from an ownership group that includes Mason Asset Management and Namdar Realty Group, two Long Island–based real-estate investment companies that oversee leasing and management efforts at the mall.
“We are thrilled to welcome Cayuga Health as a permanent fixture of The Shops at Ithaca,” said Elliot Nassim, president at Mason Asset Management, which is responsible for leasing efforts at the mall. “Our team has worked closely with Cayuga Health over the last few years and is excited to see that relationship we’ve built come to fruition in a way that will benefit the community and create a mixed-used shopping experience offering convenience for many people.”
Cayuga Health has retained HOLT Architects of Ithaca to lead the redevelopment plans for the newly acquired space. Renderings of the designs will be on display at The Shops of Ithaca Mall for anyone interested in seeing the new capital-project planning.
“Malls around America were a beacon of success for decades, unfortunately with increased globalization and ecommerce they have seen a decline,” Tom LiVigne, chairman of the Cayuga Health board of directors, said. “Adapting and reusing big-box retail space like this supports our local economy, including The Shops at Ithaca Mall, by driving increased foot traffic to the businesses remaining and prospects.”
Cayuga Health has been occupying the retail space since March 2020 when it identified the facility as an “ideal location for critical” COVID-19 operations.
Its partnership started with the opening of a mass drive-through COVID testing center, which “proved to be essential during the height of pandemic.” The partnership expanded with an indoor vaccination clinic (the previous Sears location), occupying 200,000 square feet when the vaccines became available for distribution.
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