Richard Bargabos, Chairman, has called meetings of the IDA and CRC Boards for Thursday, May 16th, 2013, at 3 pm. The meetings will take place at the Madison County Center for Economic Development in Canastota.
Empire Brewing Co.’s David Katleski honored at national Craft Brewers Conference in Washington
David Katleski of Empire Brewing Co. in Syracuse speaks March 27 at the national Craft Brewers Conference after winning the (Photo by Brewers Association)
By Don Cazentre | dcazentre@syracuse.com on March 27, 2013 at 4:30 PM, updated March 27, 2013 at 4:34 PM
One of the key people in Central New York’s local beer scene has won national recognition from a group that promotes craft brewing.
David Katleski, owner of Syracuse’s Empire Brewing Co. and the president of the New York State Brewers Association, was awarded the F.X. Matt "Defender of the Industry" award today at the annual Craft Brewers Conference in Washington, D.C.
The award is given by the national Brewers Association, based in Boulder, Colo., and is named after another Upstate beer hero -- the late F.X. Matt of the F.X. Matt Brewing Co,. in Utica (makers of Saranac).
The award is given each year to someone who has "given aid and support to the causes of small, independent brewers, and by doing so have supported the Brewers Association’s goal of vigorously defending the craft beer industry."
The craft brewing industry refers to smaller beer companies that make full-flavored and full-bodied beers without filler grains -- and is probably best described as not being companies like Anheuser-Busch InBev and SABMiller.
Katleski, who lives in Cazenovia, is the founder of Empire Brewing Co., a successful brewpub in Armory Square. Empire has announced plans to build a free-standing brewery on farmland off of Route 13 just south of Cazenovia; he expects to break ground in May. That brewery will supply beer to bars and restaurants, and will use ingredients grown on site.
Katleski also founded and ran the Empire Brewing & Music Festival in Clinton Square before selling it in 2010.
He founded and serves as president of the New York State Brewers Association, a trade association representing the roughly 100 craft brewers in the state. Last year, Katleski was a key figure in winning several brewer-friendly New York state laws, including a bill that gives tax breaks to brewers using New York state-grown ingredients, a bill that protects small brewers in their contracts with distributors and a roll-back of some tax increases.
The national Brewers Association’s annual Craft Brewers Conference gathers industry professionals (brewers and owners), writers, distributors and others to celebrate and work on issues related to craft beer.
Craft brewing now represents about 10 percent of the total beer market in the United States.
CNY RPDB launches VisionCNY.org website to Support Central New York Regional Sustainability Plan
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 16, 2012 Contact: Samuel Gordon, Senior Planner Telephone: (315)422-8276 ext. 204 e-mail: sgordon@cnyrpdb.org
SYRACUSE, NY The Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board (CNY RPDB) launched a new website www.visioncny.org today in conjunction with the Regional Sustainability Plan that has been supported by a $1 million grant from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) through the New York State Cleaner Green Communities Program. Cleaner Greener Communities is an environmental initiative announced by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo last year.
VisionCNY.org provides a vehicle for the public to provide input into the regional sustainability plan. The website provides an opportunity for users to learn about the planning team and process, take an online "sustainability quiz," and to contribute their ideas to promote sustainability through a message board, survey, and tools that allow them to add photos and map existing or proposed green projects. The public is invited to visit the website and provide input that will help to shape the final Vision CNY Sustainability Plan.
"We are looking forward to receiving input from the residents of the Central New York Region in relation to promoting and implementing sustainability in their communities," said David Bottar, Executive Director of the CNY RPDB, "By participating online through VisionCNY.org you can help to shape the future of our region."
The development of a comprehensive regional sustainability plan is the first phase of the Cleaner, Greener Communities program and is intended to provide resources that each New York State region can use to develop its own vision, goals and objectives for a sustainable future, identify actions needed to achieve that future and outline metrics to measure success. The Vision CNY Regional Sustainability Plan will cover the five counties of Central New York including Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, Onondaga, and Oswego Counties. Work on this plan was initiated in June 2012 and is scheduled for completion by January 2013.
Once the plan is developed, approximately $90 million in state funding will be available from the Cleaner, Greener Communities Program on a competitive basis to implement projects that support the goals of the plans. Projects must create opportunities for achieving carbon reductions, energy efficiency savings and/or renewable energy deployment while enhancing job creation, economic investment and development consistent with the region’s sustainability and REDC strategic plan.
Canastota candlemaker wins national Martha Stewart competition
Published: Tuesday, October 09, 2012, 2:24 PM Updated: Tuesday, October 09, 2012, 2:35 PM
By The Post-StandardAlaina Potrikus, The Post-Standard
Brian Howell and The Bee Man Candle CompanyThe Bee Man Candle Company is currently the leader in the online voting and is in the running to win the American Made Business Award from Martha Stewart. Owner Brian Howell talks about moving back to his hometown of Canastota to open his business. Video by John Berry / The Post-StandardWatch video
Howell will receive $10,000 and be featured in an upcoming issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine. He told his Facebook followers that he was “beyond excited and so humbled” by the award.
Enlarge John Berry, The Post-StandardThe Bee Man Candle Company is currently the leader in the online voting and is in the running to win the American Made Business Award from Martha Stewart. Owner Brian Howell talks about moving back to his hometown of Canastota to open his business. John Berry / The Post-Standard The Bee Man Candle Company gallery (5 photos)
After amassing more than 17,000 votes in an online competition last month, Canastota candlemaker Brian Howell learned Monday that he was the official winner of a national contest sponsored by Martha Stewart.
The Bee Man Candle Co., 410 E. North Canal St., Canastota, was among 100 finalists in the Martha Stewart American Made Awards competition, which celebrates the passion, creativity and craftsmanship of small business owners.
Finalists were selected from more than 2,000 entries nationwide.
The Bee Man Candle Co. was the only candle company in the competition and the only company from Central New York.
Howell, 33, returned to his hometown of Canastota last year to open a store for his beeswax creations that could also serve as an education and community center. The store’s official opening will be from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday.
Why an Australian loves Central New York and was happy to move here
Published: Sunday, September 16, 2012
By The Post-StandardThe Post-Standard
Mike Greenlar, Brian Humphreys writes about the beauty of Central New York all around us.
By Brian Humphreys Contributing writer
I moved to Central New York from my native Australia earlier this year. Since then, I’ve been surprised by how often I’m asked, "Why?"
What’s surprising isn’t so much the question itself, but, how it’s asked. Almost without exception, people use a tone that (only half-jokingly) questions the wisdom of my choice. Why, they wonder, would I leave Australia, with its environment and lifestyle, to live here, when there are many other (better?) places to live in the U.S.? Los Angeles, New York or Orlando they could understand, but Syracuse?
When I tell them I moved here to marry an Oswego girl, that seems the perfect answer — it makes sense to them. The expanded story, though, confuses some. The fact is, I became enraptured by the charms of Central New York long before I decided to marry, so much so that I have happily traveled from the opposite side of the globe to visit here almost 30 times in as many years.
Sadly, it seems that quite a few locals are blind to the unique and wonderful life they have.
In the hope that more Central New Yorkers will see their world as I do, I thought I’d paint a word picture of the region.
In 1982, as an exchange student at Hannibal High School, the warmth of the people I met became the foundation of my love for this part of America. Yes, Australians are jovial and embracing, but Central New Yorkers displayed an infectious passion for life and a remarkably warming sense of community.
Earlier, movies starring Henry Fonda, Doris Day, Jimmy Stewart and Katharine Hepburn shaped my imagining of the United States. These celluloid characters portrayed a storybook America — a Capraesque world — where anything was possible if you only worked hard enough.
As romanticized as that may be, I found a considerable truth to that conviction in Central New York. For the first time, I had faith that, while the world is not always a fair place, the future remained mine to influence. The people in Central New York taught me what individual effort can deliver. They showed me too that life was to be celebrated; events from Thanksgiving and Christmas to Veterans Day and the Fourth of July were milestones of unmatched community togetherness.
This region’s blessings aren’t limited to its people; the climate is a gift also. The heterogeneous year presents a reassuring pattern to life, a rhythm that’s absent in many other parts of the U.S. and the wider world. The dramatic changes of the season: to walk variously in flip-flops in July and knee-high boots in January and to take in a sky heavy with snow in winter and with cascading colors in fall are all to be cherished.
No matter the season, Central New York is a collation of vistas that could have inspired Norman Rockwell. Walk in any direction and you will come across scenes reminiscent of the America that graced the covers of the Saturday Evening Post. From the red, gable-roofed, Dutch-American barns that guard fields of head-high corn to the Colonial-Revival and folk-Victorian homes of the 1800s, from flagged-draped porches to manicured baseball diamonds. For me, the region is an imagined-America come to reality.
Even in everyday life, Central New York (and the northeastern United States in general) has some notable advantages over many other parts of the world. For example, food and clothing here are still far less expensive than in Australia. The value of housing is astounding; you get much more bang for your buck. My home in Oswego is twice the size — and on 10 times the land — of my former home in Australia, yet it cost one-quarter the price.
Now, I don’t want to give you the wrong impression: I’m not criticizing my homeland at all; there are many wonderful things about life in Australia that I will always adore. Rather, I want to point out that there are many things in Syracuse about which its citizens can and should be proud.
I can’t help but think the economic downturn of recent years has taken a toll on local optimism; that’s unfortunate, indeed. Because, as an outsider — one who spent many years looking in with envy — I believe Central New Yorkers have abundant reasons for optimism.
Central New Yorkers should be optimistic because they are well-positioned to prosper as the global economy recovers. They have the people, well-educated individuals and strong community, a bountiful regional environment and advanced industries able to expand exports of valued products and services.
As a globe-hopping Aussie, I’ve found the very best of America and the world right here in Central New York.
Brian Humphreys is the director of marketing and communication manager at Saab Sensis in East Syracuse. He is a former director general of public affairs in the Australian Department of Defense and an author on international security and defense matters.
Solarize Madison to help homeowners, businesses pursue solar projects
Published: Tuesday, June 12, 2012, 12:08 PM Updated: Tuesday, June 12, 2012, 12:58 PM
By Alaina Potrikus / The Post-Standard Follow
Madison County officials are hoping to help homeowners, businesses and others install at least 30 solar energy projects at a discounted rate and with fewer hurdles.
Solarize Madison hopes to sign up interested participants by Sept. 30. Madison County Planning Director Scott Ingmire said the collaboration is the first of its kind in New York State.
The volume purchasing concept should reduce costs to homeowners by 20 to 30 percent, Ingmire said.
When coupled with New York and federal tax credits and incentives, the installation costs could drop by 70 to 80 percent, he said.
"We can have an even greater impact," Ingmire said. "The more people who sign up, the better pricing we can receive for all involved."
The first 15 homeowners to sign a contract will receive an additional $2,000 solar incentive, paid for by a $30,000 Climate Change Innovation Program demonstration grant that county officials received in 2010 from the Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board.
Madison ranked healthiest county in Central New York, Onondaga ranked least healthy
Published: Tuesday, April 03, 2012, 4:26 PM Updated: Tuesday, April 03, 2012, 6:12 PM
By James T. Mulder / The Post-Standard
Syracuse, N.Y. -- People tend to live longer in Madison County than their neighbors in Onondaga County.
Madison County also has fewer low birthweight babies - a key predictor of newborn health and survival - than Onondaga.
Those are two major reasons Madison County was ranked as the healthiest county measured by health outcomes in Central New York, while Onondaga County was ranked the least healthy in the area in an annual survey released today.
The 2012 County Health Rankings gauge the health of people living in more than 3,000 counties nationwide, taking into account factors such as the percentage of people who die before age 75, the number of people who report being in fair or poor health, education rates, income levels, access to healthy foods, access to medical care, health behavior and physical environment.
Putnam County in the lower Hudson River Valley was ranked the healthiest county in the state, followed by Tompkins County, which ranked No. 2. Bronx ranked 62, making it the least healthy county in the state. The lower the ranking, the healthier the community.
Here are the health outcomes rankings for Central New York counties: Madison, 14; Cayuga, 34; Oswego, 38, and Onondaga, 42.
The rankings, launched in 2010, are published online by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
"We see the rankings as a call to action," said Angela Russell, an associate researcher at the University of Wisconsin. "The rankings tell us the health of a community is dependent on more than access to good health care. It depends on health behaviors such as smoking, drinking, obesity, social and economic factors."
Eric Faisst, Madison County’s public health director, said part of the reason his county fares well in the rankings is that its residents tend to experience less stress than people in urban areas. That’s why fewer residents report experiencing poor physical and mental health, he said.
"We live in rural communities because we perceive them to be healthier," Faisst said.
To improve health, Madison County has been promoting tobacco free living, healthy eating and exercise, he said.
Since the rankings began in 2010, Onondaga County has seen its health outcomes ranking get slightly worse, while neighboring counties have seen their rankings improve.
"If other communities are improving at a faster rate, your ranking is going to go down," Russell said.
While Onondaga County got a relatively poor ranking for health outcomes, it was ranked 15th out of the state’s 64 counties for health factors that affect people’s health within four categories: health behavior, clinical care, social and economic factors and physical environment.
Onondaga County, for example, has a significantly lower rate of adult smokers than its neighboring counties. Its residents also have much better access to doctors, above-average rates of diabetic and mammography screening and fewer preventable hospitalizations.
The latest edition of the rankings includes some new measures such as the percentage of fast food restaurants in each county and the levels of physical inactivity among residents.
Forty-nine percent of eateries in Onondaga County are fast food restaurants, the highest percentage in Central New York, according to the rankings. Here are the percentages for neighboring counties: Madison, 36 percent; Cayuga, 45 percent, and Oswego, 43 percent.
Oswego had the highest proportion - 27 percent - of adults 20 and older in Central New York who reported they get no leisure time physical activity. Here are rates of physical inactivity for neighboring counties: Onondaga, 22 percent; Madison, 23 percent; Cayuga, 26 percent.
Madison County "Shades of Green" promotional video
Madison County is proud to announce the first Shades of Green in Madison County: A Green Living Experience event which is scheduled for Friday, February 24, 2012 from 8:00 am through 5:00 pm in the STUAC Conference Center at Morrisville State College in Morrisville, New York. This exciting FREE, full-day event is an initiative of the Madison County Community Economic Development Committee formed to implement the Health Improvement Plan for Madison County. It is the first event of its kind in the county. The purpose of the sustainability workshop is to help individuals, businesses, and communities advance green initiatives throughout Madison County to achieve more economically viable, sustainable and healthier places to live, go to school, work, shop, and enjoy!
The event will be free and is open to everyone, although attendance is limited to 200. There is space available for exhibitors. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. For more information on the event and to register please visit the website: http://www.greenmadisoncounty.com/.
The event will have something for everyone, from the home and business owner to the community leader, as it will feature over twenty-five speakers in four breakout sessions with three tracks. Peter Fleischer, Executive Director of Empire State Future, and Cornelius B. Murphy, the President of the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) are the keynote speakers. The presenting sponsor of the event is Sysco, a global leader in selling, marketing and distributing food products to restaurants, healthcare and educational facilities, lodging establishments and other customers.
For Immediate Release January 19, 2012
Solid Waste Dept releases promotional video
The Madison County Dept. of Solid Waste has just released a new promotional video called Madison County Renewable Energy Projects. "We wanted something that could be used as a promotional tool for the Madison County Industrial Development Agency (IDA) to encourage new businesses to relocate to our proposed Agricultural Renewable Energy Park (ARE) and to take advantage of the low cost green energy being produced at the Buyea Rd. Landfill site," explained Director James A. Zecca. "We also wanted a product that could be used as an educational tool by our County Recycling Coordinator Sharon A. Driscoll."
Several features that make the ARE Park a level above other business parks include, low cost green energy i.e. heat and electricity; low cost land for development and the close proximity to the New York State Thruway.
"Development of the ARE Park will put land back on the County and town tax rolls, and create new jobs for the residents of Madison County," said John M. Becker, chairman of the Madison County Board of Supervisors.
The new video touts the promotion of green energy at the County’s landfill, citing the gas-to-energy facility that takes advantage of the methane gas produced naturally in the landfill and turning it into low cost electricity and heat for proposed businesses and the new solar array that supplies electricity to the ARC Recycling Center.
The green energy projects now located at the County landfill have sparked the interest of a number of area colleges and neighboring government agencies. Educational tours of the site are on the rise, according to Driscoll.
The video, produced by Acumen Media, is now on YouTube and can be found if you type in the search space, Madison County Renewable Energy Project.
The video can also be viewed on the Madison County Web site - madisoncounty.ny.gov
Central New York lands $103.7 million in state economic development money
Published: Thursday, December 08, 2011, 7:41 PM Updated: Friday, December 09, 2011, 7:47 AMBy Charles McChesney / The Post-Standard
Albany, NY -- The region’s economic development officials got more than they hoped for from a trip to Albany Thursday, bringing home $103.7 million in state economic development funds.
Rob Simpson, president of CenterState CEO and co-chair of the Central New York Regional Economic Development Council, said he was "thrilled" with the announcement. Members of the council have been meeting since July hammering out a list of projects that they thought could best improve the region that includes Onondaga, Oswego, Cayuga, Madison and Cortland counties.
The council’s plan included 30 projects and requests for $40 million in state funding. The state delivered $63.7 million more, including $14 million to renovate apartments in Lysander.
The extra millions came as a surprise. Council members had heard there was more money available from other state sources, but didn’t know the other projects were going to be included Thursday, said Syracuse University Chancellor Nancy Cantor, co-chair of the CNYREDC.
The announcement came at an Albany ceremony capping a process Gov. Andrew Cuomo laid out earlier this year.
The state was divided into 10 regions with an economic development council for each. The councils reviewed projects and chose which to include in a plan. The separate regional plans were presented last month to a state committee that chose four as "best plan awardees."
The North Country, Western New York and Long Island were chosen, along with Central New York, as the best.
Cuomo had said each of the winners would get $40 million while the remaining six regions would split $40 million between them.
Financial news host Maria Bartiromo, emcee for Thursday’s event, introduced videos for each region, then announced that each had been awarded millions in grants, far more than the $200 million Cuomo had talked of. In all, awards of $785 million were announced.
The money came from the $200 million in targeted regional money and from an additional $800 million in money for which companies, housing authorities, non-profits and others had filed state consolidated funding applications.
Good as the news was for Central New York, it appeared that not every project chosen by the local council received state funding. Five projects - including those that would have renovated the Abbott House in Aurora and assisted in expansions at Dupli Envelope and Graphics, Ephesus Technologies, Champlain Valley Specialty Food and Healthway Home Products - did not make the final list.
Dennis Nett / The Post-StandardThe Central New York Regional Economic Development Council’s largest single money request is for more than $5 million to complete work at the CNY Biotechnology Research Center at the former Kennedy Square apartments.
"If the project is not on there, it means it isn’t funded," said Austin Shafran, spokesman for Empire State Development. Shafran said regional technical factors could keep a project from getting funding, even it was part of a winning plan.
One factor was how quickly the project would yield new jobs. "We’re ready to create jobs in the short term, for the long term," he said.
Among the projects that were backed by the regional council and did land funding were:
•3 million for work to the Syracuse’s Inner Harbor.
•$3 million to equip space at the Syracuse Center of Excellence.
•$1.95 million to continue work at the Central New York Biotechnology Research Center and the nearby land.
•$150,000 to build a demonstration greenhouse in Madison County.
•$994,000 to help expand a winery in Cazenovia.
•More than $4 million in support for a dairy cooperative’s plan to build a plant in Cayuga County.
•$349,000 for expansion at the Fulton Companies in Oswego Counties.
Projects that had not been announced before included $14 million - the largest single award in Central New York - to renovate 208 apartments at Greenway in Radisson.
Greenway Apartments rents to people who make less than 80 percent of the area’s median income. Many tenants make less than 60 percent, said Arthur Loomis, a consultant for Liberty Affordable Housing, a Rome-based non-profit taking control of the facility.
"It’s shovel ready," Loomis said. "The complex, while in good shape, is tired and needs updating. It’s going to be like a brand-new project." Improvements include new siding, windows and sidewalks, as well as renovated kitchens and bathrooms, Loomis said. Much of the infrastructure hasn’t been updated since the complex was built in the mid-1970s, he said. The residents’ income doesn’t make it possible to renovate extensively without public help, he said.
Renovations to Centerville Court Apartments in North Syracuse won $3,349,255 in state support while efforts to buy and renovate James Street Apartments in Syracuse got $9 million.
In Cayuga County, some $400,000 was announced for the Howland Stone Store Museum in the hamlet of Sherwood. That money is to restore "Opendore," once home to the Howland family.
In Madison County, the state added $75,000 to provide emergency repairs to the homes of low-income, elderly residents.
In Oswego County, Grassman Energy was awarded $716,500 toward its efforts to begin design and manufacturing of wind turbines of the sort that can be seen at Carousel Center and atop the State University College at Oswego.
Before the winners were announced, Cuomo explained that the regional approach was part of a two-part effort to create jobs in New York.
The first part, he said, was improving the state’s image by improving the reality for business. That meant removing obstacles to job creation.
The second was giving the state’s region more say over what sort of development should be encouraged. "There is no single New York economy," he said. "You know your strengths; you know your niche."
Cuomo was joined at the ceremony by Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. The three said separately that they were so pleased with how the process worked that they had already agreed to fund a similar effort next year.
"Three minutes - I’ve never had as short a conversation to get anything done," Cuomo said of the backstage discussion with Skelos and Silver.
Contact Charles McChesney at cmcchesney@syracuse.com. Contact Doug Dowty at ddowty@syracuse.com.State grants announced;
Central New York receiving $103.7 million
Thursday, December 8, 2011
By CAITLIN TRAYNOR Dispatch Staff Writer Twitter.com/DispatchCaitlin
ALBANY -- The Central New York region presented the most compelling strategic plans for economic growth and job creation and was awarded the most funding out of the 10 Regional Economic Development Councils in the state.
Several projects in Oneida County were selected, too.
Governor Andrew Cuomo organized an initiative in July, splitting the state into 10 regional councils tasked with composing competitive strategic plans to spur economic development and Thursday announced how the $785 million in state funds set aside for the endeavor would be divided.
The Central New York region, which includes Madison County, will receive $103.7 million to support 74 projects. It tops the list for funding.
The council’s plan focused on strengthening core industries and the region’s unique economic assets, including clean energy and environmental systems, health and financial services, agribusiness and food processing, advanced manufacturing and tourism.
More than $1.7 million will be dedicated to projects in Madison County. Owera Vineyards will receive the largest portion of that - $994,000 - to establish a new winery and community farm on 58 acres in Cazenovia. The money will purchase machinery and equipment, complete site improvements to support wine production, tasting, tours and other tourism and agribusiness events.
More than $250,000 will be used toward the establishment of a beef farmer’s cooperative facility and $200,000 will go toward creating a Microenterprise Grant Program that will assist at least six businesses. Johnson Brothers Lumber will get a $150,000 share to construct a greenhouse and aquaculture facility at the ARE Park as an add-on to its lumber-drying kilns.
Stoneleigh Housing will get $75,000 for emergency housing repairs for low income elderly homeowners and $47,700 will go toward leadership and general business skill training for 36 Marquardt Switches employees.
Additionally, under the Mohawk Valley regional council, Madison County will receive another $42,000 for entry level employment training for 45 adults in the manufacturing industry.
Madison County Industrial Development Agency Executive Director Kipp Hicks was pleased with the level of funding the county was awarded, calling the money a catalyst to allow the projects to advance. Speaking to the regional council’s distinction of receiving the most funding, Hicks said it’s a testament of how well the region collaborated for the project.
With top industries outlined in the region’s strategic plan, Hicks said Madison County’s economic initiatives encompass all of them.
"The entire state found out what we know already," Senator David Valesky said. "That Central New York has the vision, talent and enormous potential to be a major economic force in New York State. This is a real game-changer for the region."
The Mohawk Valley regional council was awarded $60.2 million. Included in that are several projects in Oneida County including $703,500 to build and maintain a fiber optic network from Herkimer to Vernon.
Griffiss International Airport will receive $2.7 million for rehabilitation of a 28,000 square foot hangar building that will service commercial aircraft. Griffiss Local Development Corporation will take $350,000 to renovate another hanger into a manufacturing site for a defense contractor.
Griffiss Utility Services Corporation, in the Griffiss Business and Technology Park was awarded $1.5 million to allow the company to use biomass resources to generate steam and electricity for the park customers. The Griffiss Economic Development Corporation was given $397,500 for a cybersecurity accelerator.
Oneida County in general was awarded $750,000 for housing rehabilitation for seniors. The money will be used to renovate 26 the homes of low and moderate income residents in the county.
At the announcement of the regional awards, Cuomo said "regional collaboration and planning is a roadmap to get New Yorkers back to work.
"The plans submitted by all 10 regions were truly extraordinary. For the first time we are putting the power of the state government behind the innovation of our people, giving them the tools to rebuild our economy."
More local on tap: couple working to open Madison County’s first brewery in Hamilton
Published: Tuesday, September 06, 2011, 6:59 AM By Alaina Potrikus / The Post-Standard
The idea came to Carrie Blackmore and Matt Whalen over a pint at the Colgate Inn."Person after person came in asking what was local on tap," Whalen said.There were some regional brews, including Cooperstown’s Ommegang and Saranac from Utica.But Whalen, an avid home brewer, thought there might be room for something even more local.
This month, the couple are moving their brainstorm into a storefront on Milford Street in the village of Hamilton, in hopes of having their first customers by Jan. 1.Good Nature Brewing will be the first brewery in Madison County - and will use hops from Foothill Hops in Munnsville, the county’s first commercial hops farm in 50 years.
The brewery will be just a few miles from the Bouckville field where the state’s first recorded hop crop was planted in 1808 by James Coolidge, a Massachusetts native who saw economic potential in the plant used to bitter beer and flavor other products. By 1880, Madison County was one of three counties in the state producing 80 percent of the country’s hops."Nobody knows that," Whalen said.
Large-scale production was killed by disease, competition and Prohibition in the early 1900s. But local advocates have come together in recent years to promote the area’s hop houses, farms and breweries much like the concentration of wineries in the Finger Lakes region.
Whalen plans to start with a two-barrel system, with an annual production of 200 barrels, and expand in the next three years to a 10 barrel system, bumping production to 2,000 barrels a year.
While Whalen focuses on the brewing, Blackmore has been handling the logistics of starting a business - permitting, licenses and location.
The couple met while teaching at North Country School in the Adirondacks. Blackmore grew up in the Bronx and studied history at Colgate University. Whalen grew up in Camillus and attended Paul Smith’s College.They fell in love after leaving the district and moved back to Central New York with hopes of starting a business together.
The brewery’s name - Good Nature Brewing - came to Whalen while weeding a bed of squash at Alambria Springs Farm in Lebanon."I thought that what we were trying to do would be a good natured thing," he said.They’ve geared their flagship recipes to incorporate the hops varietals grown by Kate and Larry Fisher at Foothill Hops."The beer will have a very Madison County terroir," Blackmore said, smiling as she used the French word used to describe the way specific places influence flavor.
The local ingredients don’t stop there. One of their neighbors on Milford Avenue is a screenprinter, who has already made T-shirts and will be printing their glassware. They’ve reached out to a cabinet maker in Norwich to design and produce their tap handles. A Colgate University graduate designed their logo."We are committed to it," Blackmore said of the local sourcing. "We want to grow the business by working in a symbiotic way."
Excitement for the venture has resulted in a variety of financial support.A micro-enterprise loan through Madison County provided the $35,000 in seed money to purchase their equipment. The low-interest loan will turn into a grant if the company hires a low- to moderate-income employee within a year.The couple also sold memberships, which were quickly embraced by members of the community."People who don’t even know us have been reaching out to collaborate," Blackmore said. "It’s exciting."
Upcoming events What: 16th annual Madison County Hop Fest When: 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sept. 17. Where: Madison County Historical Society, 435 Main St., Oneida. Details: Free workshops and exhibits, a food and beer pairing ($15 advance, $20 at the door) and a beer sampling featuring more than 30 styles ($25 advance, $30 at the door). For more information: mchs1900.org/hopfest..
On tap These are some of the brews that will be on tap when Good Nature Brewing opens to the public, possibly early next year. Brewer Matt Whalen is also working on a recipe to be called "The Nor’Easter," and a Nut Brown Ale. American Pale Ale: Brewed with three malts and two kinds of hops, it is a well-balanced and full-bodied beer with a fruity nose, hints of pine and grapefruit and a malty, caramel finish. India Pale Ale: The whole leaf Chinook and Cascade hops grown at Foothill Hops in Munnsville give this ale a very floral, citrus and local taste. Chicory Mocha Porter: Chicory root is often used as a coffee substitute and is found growing wild all over Central New York. Lightly hopped for a nice balance, with locally grown Perle hops. Find out more at goodnaturebrewing.com.
Council Will Drive Local Economic Development and Improve Business Climate Statewide Central New York Regional Council to be Led by Nancy Cantor & Rob Simpson
Albany, NY (July 26, 2011)
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today launched his Central New York Regional Economic Development Council, which will redesign the relationship between the state government and businesses to stimulate regional economic development and create jobs statewide. The Governor was joined by Lieutenant Governor Robert Duffy, local officials, business leaders, and community members to launch the Regional Council at the Convention Center at OnCenter in Syracuse.
The Central New York Regional Council will be led by Nancy Cantor, the Chancellor of Syracuse University, and Rob M. Simpson, President of CenterState CEO, who will both serve as Regional Co-Chairs. The Regional Council will coordinate the economic development of Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, Onondaga, Oswego counties. A complete list of members of the Central New York Regional Council is included below.
"For too long, Albany has imposed one-size-fits-all economic development plans across the state, ignoring the unique assets and challenges of each region," Governor Cuomo said. "Today, we are taking a new approach. With the Regional Councils, we will empower individual areas like Central New York to chart their own course for job creation and growth and we will send a clear message that New York is open for business."
The Regional Councils represent a fundamental shift in the state’s approach to economic development, from a top-down development model to a community-based approach that emphasizes regions’ unique assets, harnesses local expertise, and empowers each region to set plans and priorities.
Currently, New York State’s economic development efforts are managed through dozens of separate state and local agencies. The Regional Councils will now bring together stakeholders in every region of the state to serve as a coordinated point of contact for economic development. Each Regional Council will be chaired by Lieutenant Governor Robert Duffy and will be led by two Regional Co-Chairs from the business and academic community. Additional membership is comprised of local leaders from business, academia, labor, agriculture, nonprofits, and community-based organizations.
Each Regional Council will develop a plan for the development of their region. The state will work with the Regional Councils to align state resources and policies, eliminate unnecessary barriers to growth and prosperity, and streamline the delivery of government services and programs to help the Regional Councils carry out their plans for development.
Governor Cuomo has already made historic changes to the state’s economic development grant application process to support the Regional Councils. Through a new Consolidated Funding Application that combines resources from dozens of existing programs, the Regional Councils can now apply for $1 billion in state funding for projects they determine to be part of their regional strategy.
Lieutenant Governor Robert Duffy said, "Governor Cuomo’s groundbreaking economic development strategy will put our state back on the right path. Only by focusing on what our regions actually need can we take full advantage of our resources and keep businesses and jobs here in New York. The Regional Councils will enable every section of the state to prepare individualized economic plans and will make the regions the drivers of their own success."
Empire State Development President, CEO & Commissioner Kenneth Adams said, "New York can no longer afford to have the worst business climate in the nation. The economic development strategies of Albany’s past have failed to
