ON THE JOB: ‘What do you feel most proud about your organization?’

Interviews by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant“I’m always satisfied when my business can provide a nice, clean, quiet and affordable room to our customers. Seeing a happy customer, who finds value in their stay, makes the effort worthwhile.”  — Robert M. Taylor, Owner, All Seasons Inn, Scriba/Oswego“I am most proud of my organization for the involvement in our local communities. From Oswego to Pulaski to Watertown and beyond, we have agents and staff who are dedicated to making their communities a brighter place. Beyond our community outreach efforts, we love that we get to serve our communities by bringing a relational approach rather than a transactional approach to real estate sales. When working with our team, we love that our clients consider us their forever agency. Our relationships go far beyond the typical lifecycle of a real estate transaction.”  — Dana Decker, Broker and owner of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices CNY Realty, Oswego“Without a doubt, the people at Bonadio are what I’m most proud of. The growth and success of our firm over the past 45 years is a testament to the hard work and commitment of every single employee. And despite the tremendous growth we’ve seen, we’ve remained true to our values and enhanced (more…)

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The First Quarter

The 2025 Business Guide we’re working on is a significant one — it marks the end of the very first quarter of the 21st. century (or the beginning of the second quarter).It was not too long ago — actually it was about 25 years ago — that we were all concerned with the Y2K crisis, that the Euro was introduced as the common currency to the many European countries and that the impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton was coming to a conclusion — not to mention the fever of the dotcom bubble, which dominated the news for several years until it “burst” in 2001-2002.At the time, some of the largest employers in Oswego County were Niagara Mohawk Power Corp. (listed in the 2000 Business Guide as having 1,300 full time employees, the county’s largest private employer), Alcan Aluminum Corp. (with 750 employees), Sealright (650), Nestle Chocolate Confections (600) and Metal Transportation Systems (423).Also on the list were A. L. Lee Memorial Hospital (with 383 employees), Oswego Wire (378), Owens Brockway (275), and Agrilink (formerly known as Birds Eye), which had 240 employees at the time.A few other companies listed in the 2000 Business Guide included:• Crysteel Manufacturing (80 employees)• (more…)

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Newsmakers: Will Barclay Named Pathfinder Bank’s Chairman of the Board

Pathfinder Bancorp, Inc., the bank holding company of Pathfinder Bank recently announced that William Barclay has been named chairman of the board of directors. Barclay succeeds Chris Burritt, who retired in accordance with the company’s by-laws. Burritt joined the Board of Directors in 1986 and has served as chairman for 10 years, marking 38 years of dedicated service.    “It has been an honor and privilege to be part of this great organization for 38 years since joining what was then Oswego City Savings Bank. Since then, our bank has grown from $88 million to $1.4 billion in assets, now owned by our shareholders,” said Burritt. “I confidently pass the baton to Will Barclay, whose wealth of experience and wisdom will undoubtedly enrich this role. We trust in his leadership to guide us forward with integrity and vision,” he added. (more…) (more…)

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Newsmakers: Katie Toomey to Chair Oswego Health Foundation

The Oswego Health Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the nonprofit healthcare system, has announced changes to leadership within its board of directors. Katie Toomey• Bond, Schoeneck & King PLLC Chief Marketing Officer Katie Toomey has been appointed as board chairwoman. An Oswego resident, Toomey oversees Bond’s marketing team. She works with the firm’s management on strategic initiatives, including business development, marketing strategy, and implementation of marketing initiatives. Before joining Bond, Toomey was vice president of member engagement with CenterState CEO. She also served as executive director for the Greater Oswego-Fulton Chamber of Commerce, which became a fully integrated affiliate of CenterState CEO in 2017. Toomey has 20 years of marketing communications and business development experience in a variety of industries, including healthcare, manufacturing, and consumer goods. In addition to serving in this new leadership role within the Oswego Health Foundation, Toomey is an active member of the Oswego Health system board of directors. Mary Ann Drumm• CRA Medical Imaging CEO Mary Ann Drumm will serve as vice chairwoman. Since 2002, Drumm has been responsible for overseeing the radiology services at the hospitals they service — including Oswego Hospital, Crouse Hospital — and radiology for several subspeciality practices in the surrounding area. The (more…)

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Alumna Appointed to SUNY Oswego College Council

Carol Bradlinski-Watros has been appointed to SUNY Oswego’s College Council by New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul for a seven-year term. The College Council is mandated by New York State Education Law, which provides for the establishment of a local council to supervise the operations and affairs of each state-operated institution of the State University.   Bradlinski-Watros of Mexico received her master’s in counseling services from SUNY Oswego in 1988.Her career was spent in Oswego County schools: at CITI as well as in the Hannibal and Central Square districts. She also spent several years in roles at Madison-Oneida BOCES, Jefferson-Lewis BOCES and Syracuse University.Now in her retirement, Bradlinski-Watros has committed her time to serving the Mexico community, where she moved 30 years ago. She serves on the board of directors for the Mexico Public Library, coordinates the outreach committee for her church and volunteers at a local thrift shop which supports the community’s food pantry. She is also the office manager for Mexico’s Kellogg Memorials. (more…) (more…)

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Read more about the article TIM’S NOTES: Midway Drive-In Keeps on Trucking Through Challenges
Sunset at Midway Drive-In. “The magic really settles into the lush Midway at showtime when the screen lights go off and the big screen lights up, with a beautiful sunset as the backdrop,” says drive-in theater owner, John Nagelschmidt.

TIM’S NOTES: Midway Drive-In Keeps on Trucking Through Challenges

It’s currently the oldest continually operating drive-in theater in the state, according to its owner by Tim Nekritz  |  nekritz@gmail.com It’s a pretty perfect and cool summer night and children…

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