| A Note from the Chamber Office Education Awards The Education Awards recipients have been notified and we are happy to be able to host the presentation ceremony on Tuesday July 28th at 7:00 pm (note this is a different date than originally scheduled) at the American Legion on Route 49 in Central Square. This is a great event and we invite award recipients, their families, sponsors and chamber members to attend to meet these well deserving students. If you plan to attend the event, please RSVP no later than Friday July 17 by calling the chamber office at 315-668-3408 (leave a message if no one answers) or by email to info@oneidalakechamber.com Congratulations to those who have been chosen to receive an Education Award. We look forward to meeting you on the 28th. Fireworks on the River. The Fort Brewerton/Greater Oneida Lake Chamber of Commerce sadly announces that the 20th Annual Fireworks on the River and Community Celebration scheduled for July 3rd in Brewerton will be postponed to a later date.This decision did not come easily to those who put a lot of effort to bring our community the best darn fireworks in Central New York. Many people have been in communication about this event, from the fireworks committee to our local fire departments, police departments, NYS Health Department, NYS Canal Corporation and countless other agencies and we collectively agree that the safety of our community is our #1 priority.Holding this event with the current situation in our state would bring unnecessary safety risks to our chamber members, our community members, our first responders and others who participate in this event. We are already looking into a date in the near future when we can all gather in our community and celebrate our businesses, our families and our freedoms.We hope you will understand and look forward to a great event in the “not so distant future”. We will be posting past fireworks videos on our facebook page. Be sure to follow the conversation on Facebook to stay up to date. However you celebrate your holiday this weekend, we hope you will visit some of the local venues that are chamber members and those who have supported the fireworks in previous years. Please be respectful of the protocols they must have in place to stay open, Not following their rules can put them at risk of being closed down. Stay safe this weekend!! Debbie Bilello Chamber Administrator 315-668-3408 info@oneidalakechamber.com |
  Empower branch lobbies are now open for in-person full service. All transaction types can now be completed in our lobbies. |
| We’d Like to Feature your Business on Facebook LIVE As a member of the chamber, you have the opportunity to bring your message to the chamber Facebook page – LIVE! Are you open? What are you doing differently now in your business? Do you have a new offering that you’d like to promote? If you are interested in being featured on our facebook page, or need more information, please call the chamber office at 315-668-3408 |
| Trinity Episcopal Church Trinity Episcopal Church in Constantia is preparing for it’s August 2020 rummage sale. If you are sorting and need to get rid of stuff please think of us.This is how we support our church and everything stays in the area. We have set up an enclosed tent next to the church where you can drop off your donations, without any human contact. It is emptied frequently. If you need a receipt for donations keep a list and stop up during the sale and we will gladly give you a form. Thank you in advance, Rummage Sale Committee |
| Christiansen Promoted To Eastern Shore CEO Anthis Joins Board Of Directors Eryl Christiansen was promoted from president to CEO and president of Eastern Shore Associates Insurance (ESA), at the agency’s annual meeting in April. Thomas Anthis joined the board as a member at large. Christiansen has been with ESA for 10 years and served as president for the past two years. Christiansen and his wife reside in Fulton. “I’m excited about our future as an agency,” Christiansen said. “ I have tremendous confidence in the creative, professional, and skilled team here that will take us to even greater  heights as we go forward. Eryl Chris ansen “It has always been my focus to provide insurance programs that help secure and protect our clients. This requires building strong relationships with our clients by understanding both their insurance needs and business objectives.” Anthis, an insurance agent and broker in ESA’s North Syracuse office, has been with ESA for five years and resides in Syracuse with his wife, son and daughter. “It’s my mission to partner with municipal officials, executives and business owners to develop encompassing insurance programs Thomas Anthis that will help them to mitigate losses through risk management and loss control practices,” he said. “I pride myself on being a responsive, valuable resource to our clients. “Being a part of ESA’s board means everything to me. It’s an honor to have an opportunity to assist in the growth of the organization’s tremendous foundation. Equally as important is the opportunity to continue to strengthen the relationships with our valued clients.” Headquartered in Fulton, Eastern Shore Associates is a Trusted Choice® agency and a 100 percent ESOP (employee stock ownership plan) company. ESA works with many of the top regional and national insurance carriers and offers a full range of business and personal insurance, including property, liability, automobile, farm, recreational vehicle, workers compensation, and bonds. “Other services include commercial risk analysis, loss control, and life insurance,” Christiansen said. “We also meet the insurance needs of many New York municipalities, schools, and emergency services. “Eastern Shore Associates was founded in 1986 when a group of three smaller Independent agencies decided to pool their resources to better serve their customers. The focus was to build ‘big agency’ capabilities while maintaining the ‘small agency’ approach to conducting business by helping their neighbors. “We desire to be a client-focused agency that is recognized as a trusted insurance advisor in our communities. We value long-lasting relationships with our clients, built on a commitment to excellence, continual improvement and a high standard of customer service. “ Eastern Shore Associates Insurance, www.esainsurance.com, has offices in Camden, Fulton, North Syracuse, Pulaski, Walworth and Waterloo. The Fulton office can be reached at (315) 598-6000. They are also on Facebook under “Eastern Shore Associates,” and LinkedIn at “Eastern Shore Associates Insurance Agency.” |
 Williams Joins Eastern Shore Associates Insurance Joshua Williams was recently hired as a life insurance agent and broker at Eastern Shore Associates Insurance (ESA) it was announced by Eryl Christiansen, CEO and president. He is based at ESA’s Fulton office at 101 Cayuga St. “Joshua’s experience and passion for helping clients and their families plan for their future security is a welcome addition to our team,” Christiansen said. “I know our customers will really enjoy working with him.” Williams and his wife, Katja, reside in Fulton. Before joining ESA, he worked for the past five years in financial services for larger international companies. “Coming from a large corporate culture to ESA has been a breath of fresh air,” Williams said. “ I love the positive team spirit and the tight-knit local community environment in which I work.” Headquartered in Fulton, Eastern Shore Associates is a Trusted Choice® agency and a 100 percent ESOP (employee stock ownership plan) company. ESA works with many of the top regional and national insurance carriers and offers a full range of business and personal insurance, including property, liability, automobile, farm, recreational vehicle, workers compensation, and bonds. Other services include commercial risk analysis, loss control, and life insurance,” Joshua Williams “Christiansen said. “We also meet the insurance needs of many New York municipalities, schools, and emergency services. “Eastern Shore Associates was founded in 1986 when a group of three smaller independent agencies decided to pool their resources to better serve their customers. The focus was to build ‘big agency’ capabilities while maintaining the ‘small agency’ approach to conducting business by helping their neighbors. “We desire to be a client-focused agency that is recognized as a trusted insurance advisor in our communities. We value long-lasting relationships with our clients, built on a commitment to excellence, continual improvement and a high standard of customer service. “ Eastern Shore Associates Insurance, www.esainsurance.com, has offices in Camden, Fulton, North Syracuse, Pulaski, Walworth and Waterloo. The Fulton office can be reached at (315) 598-6000. They are also on Facebook under “Eastern Shore Associates,” and LinkedIn at “Eastern Shore Associates Insurance Agency. |
Please welcome and congratulate the Lioness Club of Central Square officers and board for 2020-2021 Installation was held June 25th at Van Lieu Park. While Apple Festival has been canceled, the club is still strong and brainstorming on new measures to help meet the needs of our local community and beyond. Our annual Garage Sale is set to be held July 18th from 9am – 5pm at Goettel Park. Please stop by for your treasure hunting experience. And hey, if you have things you’d like to donate to the Lioness for the garage sale, contact Melissa French (315) 720-4664 |
| Edward Jones Edward Jones offices are still closed for Face to Face meetings but we have been open the entire time to make sure our clients are taken care of. Our company has now approved Zoom for meetings so we can do phone, Web-ex, or Zoom calls. We are accepting new clients and would be more than happy to set up a complimentary review for you during this difficult and confusing time. We hope to start opening after July 6th pending approvals. We can be reached at 315-451-1391 or ken.maag@edwardjones.com. Ken Maag, AAMS Edward Jones Financial Advisor 7445 Morgan Road, Suite 202C Liverpool, NY 13090 315-451-1391 FAX: 855-850-3864 Ken.Maag@EdwardJones.com |
 To Our Oswego County Tourism Partners,We hope this letter finds you well. Six months ago, none of us could have predicted the life-changing circumstances that we’ve been living through.We are aware that some of you have experienced significant loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and on behalf of the Oswego County Tourism staff, we send our condolences and best wishes.As we move toward re-opening more businesses and attractions, we want to share sources of important information to help you through the transition period.Oswego County Re-StartNew York State is continually issuing new guidance specific to different segments of the economy. Regardless of when they re-open, all businesses, organizations and non-profits are responsible for reading the guidelines, following them, and submitting a site safety plan to the state.This information is available on the Oswego County Re-Start page of oswegocounty.com. The page contains links to several sources of information to help businesses and attractions meet the requirements for re-opening. We encourage you to refer to this site often.Some other sources of information specific to the tourism industry are: Hotels, B and Bs and lodgings are permitted to operate provided they file a business safety plan and follow the guidelines outlined here: https://www.governor.ny.gov/sites/governor.ny.gov/files/atoms/files/NYS_BusinessReopeningSafetyPlanTemplate.pdfGroup gatherings: The prior executive order limiting non-essential group gathering to no more than 10 people has been modified to allow non-essential group gatherings of up to 25 people in areas that are in Phase 3.Statewide guidelines for employers and employees of beaches, auto and other racing activities: https://forward.ny.gov/statewide-guidelines.Refer to the NY Forward Business Re-Opening Lookup Tool for other specific categories: https://www.businessexpress.ny.gov/app/nyforwardUS Travel Association guidance for hospitality industry. This contains helpful information for accommodations, restaurants and attractions on what customers are looking for. https://www.ustravel.org/sites/default/files/media_root/document/HealthandSafetyGuidance.pdf. The material is covered in an hourlong webinar. View the recording and slides. Economic Impact SurveyAs you are all too well aware, the tourism and hospitality industry has been hit the hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic of all segments of the U.S. economy.In Oswego County, the loss of bed tax and sales tax will likely be significant, but also very important are the revenue and jobs lost to all those employers and employees who work in our various tourism-related businesses.Although we don’t know the impact yet, undoubtedly our marketing budget will be affected by the loss in occupancy tax revenue and uncertainty over our I Love New York matching funds grant. In an effort to assist you as our tourism partners, and plan responsibly for our remaining marketing 2020 projects, we are seeking your input through an on-line survey on how you have been impacted by the pandemic, and your future plans.You may answer anonymously if you prefer; individual responses will remain confidential and the combined results will be shared with you in a report.Your participation is greatly appreciated. It will help us gain a more definitive picture of the COVID-19 impact in Oswego County, and help us in planning our recovery.Where Are We Now?Finally, we want to bring you up to date on activities and issues that our office has been addressing over the past three months. As the Public Information Office for Oswego County government, the team has put in long hours since March publicizing COVID-19 virus activity and participating in response activities for the County Legislature, health and other departments of county government.Video updates on COVID-19 response and health department reports are recorded by Legislature Chairman Jim Weatherup and guests twice a week and posted on Oswego County’s YouTube channel at Oswego County’s YouTube channel.Although some of our spring advertising had already been placed when the pandemic hit, we put our spring and summer events campaigns on hold. We have scaled back but continue to do some advertising of our year-round fishery. We are waiting for guidance on when we can resume other marketing activities.We’re using social media to encourage outdoor recreation locally and working internally on new materials. We’re developing a regional social media campaign and partnering with the Syracuse Airport for a national campaign to promote the region when travel opens back up. The staff also created a “Guess the Location!” Facebook campaign to get people thinking about unique places including historic sites, waterfront, hiking spots, beaches, and fishing spots.We are also working with Operation Oswego County, the Oswego County IDA, SUNY Oswego, and Oswego Health on a series of community videos that draw on qualities such as perseverance, strength and collaboration as we come through the COVID-19 pandemic.Please know that you are foremost in our thoughts, and please continue to reach out. Our office is open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (315-349-8322; tourism@oswegocounty.com) Some of the staff continue to work remotely from home but we are always available through email and appointments. |
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