Polls close in Turkey’s presidential election, capping bitter campaign     Ukraine live briefing: Russia launches drone raid on Kyiv; Ukraine suggests counteroffensive is imminent     Why is Turkey holding a presidential runoff election?     Are Turkey’s elections free and fair? Here’s what to know.     Erdogan’s political path from mayor to one-man rule of Turkey     Imran Khan increasingly isolated as Pakistan’s army pressures allies     Why Turkey’s elections matter so much for the world     In fields seeded with mines, Ukraine’s farmers face deadly planting season     Ukrainians fighting outside Bakhmut see Russian mercenaries withdrawing     Polls close in Turkey’s presidential election, capping bitter campaign     Ukraine live briefing: Russia launches drone raid on Kyiv; Ukraine suggests counteroffensive is imminent     Why is Turkey holding a presidential runoff election?     Are Turkey’s elections free and fair? Here’s what to know.     Erdogan’s political path from mayor to one-man rule of Turkey     Imran Khan increasingly isolated as Pakistan’s army pressures allies     Why Turkey’s elections matter so much for the world     In fields seeded with mines, Ukraine’s farmers face deadly planting season     Ukrainians fighting outside Bakhmut see Russian mercenaries withdrawing     
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News of Otsego County

Otsego Now

Vols Sought for Earth Day Task
By: DarlaY  04/06/2023  8:04 am

Vols Sought for Earth Day Task

Railyards Clean-up Planned

By WRILEY NELSON
ONEONTA

Otsego Now has issued a call for volunteers to clean up litter from the Oneonta Railyards at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, April 19. “Wetlands not Wastelands” is co-sponsored by the Keep Mohawk Valley Beautiful Campaign. The project is expected to take until 5 p.m., and volunteers may come and go as they choose.

The Railyards, an historic area and the focus of a major economic revitalization project, contains 27 acres of protected wetlands. Unfortunately, much of this critical ecosystem remains littered with trash. Gina Gardner, marketing and innovation and acceleration coordinator at Otsego Now, highlighted the threat this litter poses to wildlife and the community.

Local Agencies Partner to Form Innovation, Acceleration Center
By: Staff  02/09/2023  8:00 am

Local Agencies Partner to Form
Innovation, Acceleration Center

ONEONTA
Otsego Now, the umbrella organization of the Otsego County Industrial Development Agency and the Otsego County Capital Resource Corporation, is set to launch the county’s first Innovation and Acceleration Center, the primary focus of which will be bringing a booming tech and manufacturing industry to the region.

According to a recent press release, during the COVID-19 Pandemic, the IDA witnessed a devastating economic loss due to the lack of tourism. The hospitality industry currently makes up 25 percent of the industry sector in Otsego County. When the tourist sector was forced to shut down, the county’s sales tax dropped 30 percent and bed tax dropped by 50 percent. Roughly 60,000 tourists stopped coming to Otsego County. After witnessing this, the IDA identified manufacturing as a growth sector to the local and surrounding economy.

Otsego Now Promoting Projects, Developing Priorities Countywide
By: Staff  11/25/2022  8:00 am

Otsego Now Promoting Projects,
Developing Priorities Countywide

The build-out of an industrial park in the Town of Richfield Springs is one of Otsego Now’s current priorities, according to Chief Executive Officer Jody Zakresvski. (Graphic provided)

By CASPAR EWIG

With daily life returning to a semblance of normalcy, Otsego Now is actively continuing its stated quest “to act as a catalyst for economic transformation of the Otsego County economy.” When formed in 2014 as an umbrella organization for Otsego County’s Industrial Development Agency and Capital Resource Corporation, Otsego Now was tasked with the responsibility to “navigate the economic development process, develop sites, provide financial support, prepare workforce, and communicate with and mobilize the stakeholders needed for economic development” of Otsego County.

SULLIVAN: Projects on the Horizon in Northern Otsego
By: Staff  11/11/2022  4:00 pm
Column from Dan Sullivan

Projects on the Horizon in Northern Otsego

Over the past several years, the Town of Richfield and Village of Richfield Springs have built a coalition of residents, civic groups, and local government officials to form a revitalization plan for the two municipalities. Momentum began to build back in 2015, with the formation of a Joint Town/Village Comprehensive Plan Committee. Working with a professional planning firm, under a grant secured by Otsego Now, a Joint Comprehensive Plan was adopted in late 2018 by both Town and Village. The Town then quickly followed with a Zoning Amendment in 2019. Both the plan and the amendment won New York Planning Federation awards for best in state in 2019 and 2020, respectively. The stage was set for grant seeking.

Senator Schumer visits Oneonta to plug job accelerator center
By: Staff  05/05/2022  12:00 pm

Senator Schumer visits Oneonta
to plug job accelerator center

United States Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer visited Oneonta late last week to back Otsego Now’s application to create an acceleration center to stimulate new startups and manufacturing in Otsego County, with the potential to bring up to 300 new jobs over the next five years.

“I have a simple message,” Sen. Schumer said. “Otsego County has all the right ingredients to be a leader in advanced electronics manufacturing. With a boost from the federal government, we can supercharge rural communities here to create new jobs and new companies.”

He said the Otsego County Acceleration Center “gets my full backing in asking for nearly $2 million in the federal backing it needs to make the greater Oneonta area an emerging hub for tech and innovation.”

Citing manufacturers Custom Electronics and Ioxus, the Majority Leader said Otsego County already stands as an ‘electronics hub’ in upstate New York.

Reps Delgado, Stefanik tour Otsego County sites
By: Ted Potrikus  02/23/2022  11:09 am

Rep. Delgado, Rep. Stefanik talk upstate manufacturing in County visits

Rep. Antonio Delgado on his IOXUS tour in Oneonta on February 22.

Rep. Elise Stefanik with Andela Production Manager Dave Spencer during her tour of Andela Products in Richfield Springs on February 22.

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R) stopped in Richfield Springs Tuesday, February 22, for her first official visit to Otsego County since lawmakers grafted its northernmost regions into her already-sprawling 21st Congressional District.

“I used to have 12 counties in my district, now I’ll have 18 if I get the support of the voters in November,” she said as she toured Andela Products and Ruby Lake Glass on Route 28. She heard from Andela Production Manager Dave Spencer and Ruby Lake Managing Member Jonathan Gross as the pair talked about challenges facing small manufacturers in upstate New York. The two companies, which together recycle, pulverize, and repurpose glass products to ship around the world, struggle with the now-common pressures of supply chain, labor, and regulatory burdens.

“It’s costing us three-and-a-half times more for a container ship now than it did six months ago,” Mr. Spencer said.

The Congresswoman noted her concern that the companies’ labor woes mirror those of small businesses throughout her district.

“We have to get people back to work,” she said. “I think the pandemic unemployment benefits went on too long and people just stopped going to work. You’re facing regulatory hurdles and big taxes, I understand that.”

As for New York-specific politics, Congresswoman Stefanik said she welcomed upstate native Harry Wilson into the now-four-candidate race to run as the Republican candidate for

Campaign Underway To Keep Ioxus Here, Zakrevsky Tells City
By: Libby Cudmore  11/19/2020  5:00 pm

Campaign Underway To Keep

Ioxus Here, Zakrevsky Tells City

By LIBBY CUDMORE • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com

ONEONTA – Otsego Now President Jody Zakrevsky may save Ioxus.

“Ioxus is in the process of being sold to XS Power Batteries,” he said, appearing Tuesday, Nov. 17, at Common Council, via Zoom. Its CEO Scottie Johnson “indicated he was planning on closing Ioxus and moving the company to Knoxville, Tenn., but we worked with him to keep the facility here.”

Doing so, he said, would invest $14 million in expanding the building and double the current employment at the company.

XS Power Batteries, based in Knoxville, is “a premium battery group and one of the fastest-growing players in vehicle and stationary battery space.”

“He plans on expanding his product line,” said Zakrevsky. “He wants to get into ultra-capacitors. We can keep him here and grow his company.”

Initially, he said, Johnson was interested in purchasing the equipment and moving it to his Knoxville location, but the equipment was too big to move and the plant there was too small to accommodate it.

Instead, Zakrevsky put together “a strong package,” with a PILOT agreement, sales-tax exemptions and a $1 million Empire State Development Excelsior Tax Credit award.

He also had Johnson meet with the Otsego County Chamber and local realtors who showed houses. They engaged in a discussion with U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-NY, and heard a presentation from the state Power Authority.

“I think he appreciated that,” he said.
Zakrevsky said “it’s not a done deal,” but “it’s going forward.”

Foundation, Otsego NOW Offer $500 Grants For PPE
By: Jim Kevlin  08/04/2020  2:26 pm

Foundation, Otsego NOW

Offer $500 Grants For PPE

Otsego County small businesses and not-for-profit corporations with fewer than 50 employees are eligible for grants up to $500 to buy PPE (personal protective equipment) or install fixtures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, as long as Governor Cuomo’s emergency declaration is in effect.

The new Community Foundation of Otsego County and Otsego Now have contributed $25,000 each to make $50,000 available for this purpose.

State CFA ’19 Grants Announced Thursday
By: Jim Kevlin  12/18/2019  5:00 pm

ANDELA PLAN TOPS LIST

State CFA ’19 Grants

Announced Thursday

A $420,000 grant so Andela Products Inc. can expand into the Richfield Springs Industrial Park leads off the list of grants Otsego Now is hoping to receive in this year’s round of state economic development funding, to be announced Thursday in Albany.

Otsego Now’s Director of Finance & Administration Meaghan Marino will represent her organization, which either submits or advises project sponsors on the annual local CFA applications.  CFA stands for “comprehensive funding application,” and is the state’s vehicle to distribute funding to the 10 economic development regions.

Usually, Governor Cuomo makes the funding announcements at a gathering in The Egg at the Empire State Plaza government complex.

Otsego Now CEO Jody Zakrevsky provided this list of local projects seeking funding this year.

Otsego Now/Richfield Springs Business Park

$2,123,000 Total Budget

$420,000 Request

Springbrook:  Ford Building Restoration

$5,000,000 Total Budget

$1,000,000 Request

County of Otsego:  Energy Study

$100,000 Total Budget

$50,000 Request

Oneonta Grain Innovation Center, Lofts on Dietz

$926,500 Total Budget

 $185,000 Request

Babcock’s Tavern, Wells Bridge

  $285,000 Total Budget

$285,000 Request

Otsego Now Halal Meat Processing Facility, Otego

$1,100,000 Total Budget

$220,000 Request

American XTreme Family Entertainment Center, Otego

$607,800 Total Budget

$181,560 Request

 The Working Kitchen (142-146 Main St Oneonta)

$380,000 Total Budget

$76,000 Request

Zakrevsky: I Was Told, Don’t Pipe Any Gas To Cooperstown
By: Jim Kevlin  04/10/2019  5:00 pm

HE FEARED FOR BASSETT’S FUTURE

Zakrevsky: I Was Told, Don’t

Pipe Any Gas To Cooperstown

By JIM KEVLIN • The Freeman’s Journal & Hometown Oneonta

Otego Now President Jody Zakrevsky addresses a “Town Hall” meeting in Cooperstown’s Village Hall Ballroom Monday, April 8. (Jim Kevlin/AllOTSEGO.com)

COOPERSTOWN – When Otsego Now CEO Jody Zakrevsky arrived a year ago, he was told not to bring natural gas to Cooperstown, he said to a Cooperstown audience Monday, April 9, in one of several “Town Hall” meetings he’s convening around the county.

Asked afterward who told him, he said the leadership of Otsego 2000, board President Nicole Dillingham and Executive Director Ellen Pope.  “They advised me there would be strong opposition,” said Zakrevsky.  “At the time, I took their advice.”

Dillingham disagreed, “We had a cordial meeting to discuss our work, and his work.  We never told him what he could do.  That’s absurd.”

Otsego Now is the county’s Industrial Development Agency; Otsego 2000 is the Cooperstown-based environmental group.

There are two options to serving Cooperstown with natural gas, Zakrevsky said in an interview the morning after the “Town Hall” – running a line from Oneonta’s NYSEG system; or the preferred option, running a line down Route 28 from Richfield Springs’ Tennessee line, which has a greater gas supply.

Cooperstown Distillery Plans To Double In Size
By: Libby Cudmore  03/25/2019  8:29 pm

Cooperstown Distillery

Plans To Double In Size

Gene Marra, proprietor, Cooperstown Distillery, explained his plan to double the size of his distillery and add as many as 10 full-time jobs. The expansion, from 3,500 square feet to 7,500, including second floor production space. Marra, along with partner Andrew Gilcrest and Jody Zakrevsky, CEO, asked for “pre-pre-approval” from the Village in hopes that they would assist him in applying for a $60,000 grant to create jobs for “low-to-moderate income level” employees, meaning that the jobs created do not require a college degree. The board agreed to support the project, and asked him to give them a project outline to begin the application process. (Libby Cudmore/AllOTSEGO.com)

Ideas, Including Dome, Emerge At 1st ‘Town Hall’
By: Jim Kevlin  03/14/2019  3:38 pm
AT 5 TODAY, ZAKREVSKY IN WEST ONEONTA

Ideas, Including Dome,

Emerge At 1st ‘Town Hall’

Will May, left, a Hartwick freshman from Pittsburgh, suggests the Oneonta area be a proving ground for the Green New Deal at Jody Zakrevsky’s first “Town Hall.”  In the foreground is Oneonta’s Steve Londner, an attendee. (Jim Kevlin/AllOTSEGO.com)

Freshman Deme Fish suggested a covered dome, like one near her hometown of Lake George. Behind her is Mike Stalter, the former Oneonta town board member.

ONEONTA – At his first “Town Hall,” Otsego Now CEO Jody Zakrevsky last evening asked a Shineman Chapel full of Hartwick College student for ideas, including what might keep them here after graduation, and they told him:

How about turning the Oneonta area into a beacon for renewable energy, asked Will May, a freshman from Pittsburgh. Referring to the Green New Deal, he said, “We should be proving it is possible.”

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