Chemung County Chamber of Commerce

Survey Results: Seven Funding Education Questions From & For The Business Community

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:56:40 GMT

Hundreds of explanatory and sometimes emotional comments clarified individual responses to the Chamber’s recent Funding Education survey, but the collective opinion of the business community is that major steps must be taken soon to improve the cost and quality of Education, not just locally but statewide and nationally as well.

The intentionally informal online survey invited members to respond to seven pointed questions which are often raised in conversation about the daunting challenge of Funding Education. Several Chamber committees have been studying components of the Funding Education crisis for several years.

The written comments show that the 230 member respondents often differed on the cause as well as on the best way to address Education’s fiscal woes. But, as the pie charts illustrate, about two thirds of respondents answered Definitely Yes or Possibly Yes to all seven questions.

The most emphatic response was generated by the last and least contentious of the seven questions, as nearly nine out of ten members agreed that the value of Education should be promoted to students.

Among the six more controversial questions, members felt most strongly that the cost of Health Plans and Pensions should be decreased. 45.8% of respondents were definite about that answer, with another 30.2% tentatively supporting it, depending on how the cost reductions would be achieved.

An appropriate next step is being explored by a small task force of local leaders in Education, Government, Community and Business.

To view survey results and a sampling of respondents' comments, please CLICK HERE.

Note: the Comments submitted by respondents are presented verbatim as received; the Chamber is not responsible for and does not necessarily endorse the content or accuracy of the Comments.

First Arena Update: Brew Pub Operation is Planned for Downtown Elmira

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:47:43 GMT

New Elmira First Arena team taps into beer, wine ideas
By Jason Whong, The Star-Gazette (5/20/13)

The brew pub slated to open this fall at First Arena will be more than a microbrewery in the heart of downtown Elmira, its developers said.

It also will feature wine on tap, its own root beer and ginger ale, food and a beer garden. And you’ll be able to go even when there’s no hockey game.

“It’ll be a little different than some breweries because we’re going to be featuring wine,” said Nate Cook, who controls the arena with Tom Freeman. “We’re also going to be featuring lagers as much as ales.

“It’s part of our whole theme of how can we have more stuff going on in the arena and how the arena can be utilized more by people downtown, and a brewery is just the type of thing that’s going to create foot traffic, which is really going to benefit all the local retail merchants,” Cook said.

The plans call for expanding the existing bar in the arena, which faces North Main Street, by knocking out the wall that separates the bar from the souvenir shop. The number of people who can be served there is undetermined, but Jeremy Gulich, of Elmira Heights, the manager and developer of the brew pub, estimated it at 30 to 60 people.

A storefront that is being used as storage, north of the existing souvenir shop, will be converted to a brew house. It will be separated from the dining area by a new glass wall.

Outside on West Gray Street, plans include a beer garden, separated from the sidewalk by flowers in planters. It will be able to serve 75 to 100 people, Gulich said.

Brian Riley, of Beaver Dams, has signed on as the brewmaster of the new operation. Riley has brewed professionally for about six months, but he’s been brewing at home since 2005.

Riley said he plans to offer as many as six kinds of beer at the pub. Four of them will be the main collection of beers, supplemented by a seasonal brew and a “scratch batch” experimental brew.

The names of the beers haven’t been determined.

The brewery also will feature wine on tap from barrels in a system that prevents spoilage.

“The nice thing is you can have some real premium wines, too,” Freeman said, explaining that if someone orders an expensive glass of wine from a bottle, the rest of the bottle could go to waste after a few days because of exposure to air. “With the wine on tap, you take what you need, and there’s no waste.”

The new brew pub isn’t the only thing in the works at the arena.

Freeman and Cook are planning to paint and dress up the building on its North Main Street and West Gray Street sides.

They also have a number of events scheduled for June, including comedy clubs and a teen dance.

(For original story, please visit http://www.stargazette.com/article/20130520/NEWS01/305200035/New-Elmira-First-Arena-team-taps-into-beer-wine-ideas.)

Finger Lakes Region Makes International Yahoo! List

Fri, 03 May 2013 18:14:34 GMT

Yahoo! Travel spotlights Finger Lakes
By Jessica Alaimo, The Star-Gazette, 5/2/13

Upstate New York’s Finger Lakes are sparkling in the sunlight this morning — they made Yahoo! Travel’s online list of 10 lakeside vacation spots that “have it all.”

The Finger Lakes join global luminaries such as Italy’s Lake Como, Switzerland’s Lake Geneva, Canada’s Lake Louise and Ireland’s Killarney lakes. New York’s Lake George, at the edge of the Adirondack Mountains in Warren County, also made the list.

The Yahoo! Travel entry on the 11 Finger Lakes promotes the wineries, the Corning Glass Museum, Watkins Glen State Park and the village of Skaneateles, described as “so pretty that Norman Rockwell might have created it.”

“We are proud to have their natural beauty recognized on an international scale,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a statement announcing the designation. New York was the only state to have two entries on the list.

State Sen. Tom O’Mara, R-Big Flats, also offered his praise for the region and the latest accolade.

“The Finger Lakes region has long been proud of our reputation as one of the world’s leading tourist destinations,” O’Mara said in a prepared statement. “This latest reaffirmation by Yahoo! of the quality of the Finger Lakes region’s natural beauty, hospitality, family friendliness, food and wine, and parks and trails is outstanding news. It shows that our traditions of excellence carry on and contribute to a way of life that’s on par with so many of the world’s great places.”

(For the complete list, please visit http://travel.yahoo.com/blogs/compass/lakeside-vacations-170410748.html?page=1.)

(For the complete original story, please visit http://www.stargazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2013305020042.)

New Owners to Revitalize Downtown's First Arena

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 16:06:05 GMT

Future is Bright for First Arena and the Elmira Jackals
First Arena Press Release - 4/10/13

New owners of the First Arena Tom Freeman and Nathan Cook held a press conference on April 10th to share their vision for the future. Local business owners, area representatives and regional officials were present during this press conference to share in the good news.

Freeman and Cook will now operate the facility, the team, and restaurant/catering as part of their ownership. The two have big plans to revamp the events held at the facility, including new entertainment and performances. Arena sponsorship packages are also being reviewed as they look for continued local and regional involvement.

"We are excited to move forward with a renewed vision for the First Arena, and see its revitalization as a premiere mainstay in downtown Elmira," stated Freeman. "We intend to bring back the original vision of the facility within this community - adding to the revitalization of downtown Elmira and the growing regional tourism industry."

Currently in the midst of the 2013 Kelly Cup Playoffs, the Elmira Jackals are looking to avenge their loss to the Florida Everblades, ending their 2012 playoff run in the second round. Season ticket renewals begin Friday, April 12, 2013, while season tickets are on sale now. More information can be found at http://www.jackalshockey.com/ or by calling 607.734.7825.

Opening in 2000, the First Arena has become an entertainment center for the Southern Tier and Twin Tiers regions as well as the home of the Elmira Jackals. The Elmira Jackals compete in the Eastern Conference of the ECHL, which serves as the primary development league for the American Hockey League (AHL) and the National Hockey League (NHL). After playing in the ECHL for the last six years, the Elmira Jackals have established themselves as one of the most competitive teams in the league.

Chemung Chamber Launches New Mark Twain Country Travel Guide

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 16:29:06 GMT

The Chemung County Chamber of Commerce recently launched its new 2013-2014 Mark Twain Country Travel Guide, an online version of which can be found by clicking HERE.

The publication highlights the region's fascinating history as well as the variety of arts, culture, accommodations, shopping, cuisine, festivals and outdoor adventures that make so many proud to call it home.

This detailed look at Mark Twain Country was designed not only for tourists, but to be a valuable relocation tool for Chamber member businesses. The guide contains a great deal of information that individuals and families new to Chemung County would find helpful, and welcomes them to the community by inviting them to experience its many attributes.

To request a copy of the Mark Twain Country Travel Guide or for more information, please click HERE, call (607) 734-5137 or e-mail info@chemungchamber.org.

"Twin Tiers Treasures" Highlights Elmira as Twain Scholar Destination

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 16:14:35 GMT

Twin Tiers Treasures: Elmira a Destination for Twain Scholars
By Brian Pappalardo, Correspondent, The Star-Gazette, 3/9/13

Many Twin Tiers residents know about the Mark Twain Study and Quarry Farm, and their connection to Samuel Clemens’ years in Elmira.

But they may not know the popular landmarks are part of the Center for Mark Twain Studies at Elmira College, a destination for Twain scholars from all over the world that’s often overlooked by local residents.

“We are scattered all over campus and Quarry Farm is up on East Hill,” said Barbara Snedecor, the director of the center and an assistant professor of American literature at Elmira College. “There isn’t an actual physical center. It’s easy to see why people locally may not know who we are.”

The center was established in 1983, a year after Jervis and Irene Langdon gave Quarry Farm to the college with the understanding that it would be used only by scholars.

“Once the college had Quarry Farm, they chose to make it the centerpiece of a center that would be devoted to the study of Twain,” Snedecor said.

The college previously received the Mark Twain Study from the Langdons in 1952 so the college could preserve it and people could visit it, Snedecor said.

“The study was on the family’s private property, in the woods and showing visible signs of wear,” she said.

Now in its 30th year, the center also has:

• A Mark Twain archive in the second floor of the Gannett-Tripp Library, including all of the first editions of Twain’s works and the scholarly books written about Twain, said Mark Woodhouse, the college Twain archivist. “We have a really good collection of secondary sources on Twain, which a lot of scholars don’t have in their home libraries,” he said.

• A three-room exhibit about Twain’s 20 summers in Elmira, on the first floor of Hamilton Hall, that includes photos and furniture from Quarry Farm. “We explain how Clemens fell in love with Olivia Langdon and came to Elmira,” Snedecor said.

• A fall and spring public lecture series at the Barn on Quarry Farm that gives visitors the opportunity to see how the farm inspired Twain, who wrote parts or all of seven books there, including “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” and “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.”

“People who come to the lectures learn it’s a very special place,” Snedecor said. “Only scholars are allowed in the house, but just visiting the property is a great draw for the series.”

Special place for scholars
One of the biggest attractions for scholars, Woodhouse said, is staying at Quarry Farm.

“For a scholar to be able to live and work in the house where the object of their study once lived and worked, that’s just unheard of,” Woodhouse said. “It’s an ideal place to work.”

Many scholars come to the archive room to study Twain’s marginalia, his comments written in the margins of books he read at Quarry Farm.

“That’s the strongest original material we have in our collection for scholars,” he said.

The center provides fellowships to pay the expenses of scholars traveling to Elmira, and the scholars stay at the farm for a few days to a few months. The farm has full-time caretakers who live in an apartment on the premises.

“Many scholars go to the University of California, Berkeley, and look at Twain’s papers, then come here to work at Quarry Farm,” Snedecor said. “It’s a very special place for them to write. They can still sense the presence of Clemens.”

Tour season coming soon
The college opens its Twain attractions to the community during the spring and summer, offering tours of the study and the exhibit for bus tours and the Mark Twain Country trolley. Student ambassadors, usually history and English students, are trained to tell Twain’s story to visitors, Snedecor said.

Cutbacks in local school districts have curtailed student bus trips to the college, where teachers can show students the study and exhibit before stopping at the Twain gravesite at Woodlawn Cemetery on the way to lunch at Quarry Farm, Snedecor said.

Instead, she has made herself available to talk about Twain at local schools. “I have brought Quarry Farm to the classroom, but unfortunately, it’s not the same thing,” she said.

Woodhouse says residents interested in learning more about Twain can call or write him about visiting the archive room.

“I make the point whenever I talk to groups that we are open to the public,” he said.

Busy spring and summer
The center is looking forward to its spring lecture series and an international conference it will host in the summer, Snedecor said.

The lecture series starts in May at Quarry Farm, and attendance has been growing steadily, Snedecor said. About 100 people attended each of the four fall lectures, she said.

In August, about 200 scholars and other Twain enthusiasts from around the world are expected to attend the conference, which is held every four years. Some visitors will seek fellowships to stay at the farm before or after the conference, Snedecor said.

The conference will mark the 150th anniversary of the first use of Clemens’ pen name and offer many other presentations over three days, she said.

Interest in the center has grown since 2010, when the nation marked the 100th anniversary of Clemens’ death and the best-selling “Autobiography of Mark Twain” was released, Snedecor said.

“The national news media looked closely at Twain’s life in Elmira for the first time, and helped people understand how important this area was in Twain’s life,” Snedecor said. “It’s a real source of pride for us that this region so influenced Clemens, and by extension, all of American literature.”

(For original story, please visit http://www.stargazette.com/article/20130309/NEWS01/303090055/Twin-Tiers-Treasures-Elmira-destination-Clemens-scholars?odyssey=mod|dnmiss|umbrella|1.)

Guest Viewpoint: Chamber of Commerce Sees Optimism Ahead

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 14:57:55 GMT

Star-Gazette Guest Viewpoint: Chamber of Commerce sees optimism ahead
By Kevin Keeley (2/24/13)

Some things never change. The remarkable resiliency which has characterized the community for generations was called upon in 2012, and the collective response of the community to some hefty challenges is what justifies Chamber of Commerce optimism for the new year.

Make no mistake about it. The challenges are formidable and will not be resolved with papier-mâché prescriptions.

Drilling delays, arena lawsuits, tornado cleanups and helicopter departures test the mettle of economic interests throughout Chemung County and the Southern Tier. On a grander scale, there are unresolved state and federal legislative matters which threaten the economic system’s natural inclination to expand, hire and invest.

Despite all such economic hazards, there is reason to subscribe to the pragmatic positivism of the chamber’s 2012 and 2013 board chairs. At the chamber’s annual meeting of members earlier this year, last year’s leader Ron Bentley and his successor Tom Freeman echoed the promise that in 2013, “Progress will be made.” On virtually all fronts.

As the local economy bemoans the departure of newcomer Sikorsky, other relatively recent additions to the market’s manufacturing base will continue to show signs of increasingly robust health in 2013. Vulcraft, Synthes, DeMet’s and CAF are doing fine. Likewise, veteran industrial leaders like Hilliard, Anchor Glass/Ardagh and Hardinge have good stories to tell.

There are good stories on other fronts as well.

Drilling delays won’t evaporate this month, but progress will be made. Given the years of analysis and the governor’s commitment to let science dictate the decision, New York should announce very soon the rigorous regulations under which high-volume hydraulic fracturing can be employed in horizontal drilling for natural gas. That does not mean actual drilling will be happening any time soon, but finalizing the elusive set of regulations will be a significant step in the right direction.

Another giant step forward for the community in 2013 has already been inked. The First Arena in downtown Elmira has navigated a host of cumbersome legal barriers and reached a court settlement which will enable the facility, finally, to become the community attribute originally envisioned in the late 1990s. Happily, the arena’s finest asset, the feisty and beloved hockey team, will be on the ice to begin pursuit of an ECHL championship next fall. And for many falls to come.

Most of the residue of last summer’s tornado has been cleaned up, repaired or turned into mulch. Although the bizarre storm is not directly economic per se, it did provide a solid demonstration of how well the community responds to a shocking and totally unforeseen and undeserved calamity — such as the loss of a helicopter plant. Sadly, those good paying jobs won’t be replaced so quickly, but progress will be made.

While these items are decidedly anecdotal, they do illustrate the legendary tenacity of the local economy and the good people who make it so. Fortunately, some things never change.

Keeley is president and CEO of the Chemung County Chamber of Commerce.

(For original story, please visit http://www.stargazette.com/article/20130224/VIEWPOINTS02/302240007/Guest-Viewpoint-Chamber-Commerce-sees-optimism-ahead.)

State Sen. Tom O'Mara Column: "From the Capitol"

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 21:24:10 GMT

"Two for two on time, now one early?"
Senator O'Mara's Weekly Column "From the Capitol" (February 4th)

For years and years prior to 2011, the absolute No. 1 shining symbol of Albany dysfunction was the failure of the governor and the Legislature to enact a state budget on time or before the start of New York’s new fiscal year every April 1. Some of you might recall that before 2005 the state went 20 consecutive years – two decades straight – without adopting the budget on time.

The late state budget and all of the political theater that accompanied the process during those years was held up by critics, and rightly so, as Exhibit A for why the public should have no faith whatsoever in New York government. For all intents and purposes, if the budget was late by a few days or even a few weeks, the direct impact was minimal if there was any impact at all. State obligations continued to be met and the world kept turning. But it looked bad when the state couldn’t get its own act together while at the same time, for example, requiring taxpayers to pay their taxes on time – or face a penalty.

Sometimes, however, the budget wasn’t adopted until months after April 1. In 2004, for instance, it wasn’t in place until August 11. Once things get that out of hand it has a significant and negative impact on school districts, not-for-profits, transportation contractors and so many others who depend on the predictable and steady flow of state aid. In short, late budgets trounced the overall confidence and integrity of all of New York government.

Since 2011, we’ve seen the state budget adoption process carried out like it should be: on time, with restraint on state spending and taxing, including some Medicaid and other fiscally responsible reforms, and largely absent of the rancor that lateness produces. This year, though, we’re aiming for the earliest budget adoption since 1983 and one of the earliest in generations. Legislative leaders have just announced a schedule intended to produce the final 2013-14 state budget by Thursday, March 21 – 10 days before April 1.

Between now and then, roughly six weeks from today, there’s a ton of work to get done. The Senate has already established in-house subcommittees to closely examine various portions of the governor’s proposal. I’m serving on the subcommittee focused on taxes and economic development and from there will be renewing the push for the Senate to get behind key proposals to strengthen this state’s business climate and keep everyone focused on the Upstate economy (emphasizing our manufacturers and small businesses). In early March, each house of the Legislature adopts its respective budget resolution and then we’ll immediately convene a public, joint conference committee process to settle differences and hammer out final agreements.

Last week, the fiscal committees began a series of public budget hearings that will continue throughout the next two weeks. Why pay attention to what’s unfolding on a daily basis? Following are some of the early hints coming out of last week’s hearings – most of which are not widely reported, if they’re reported at all – that could have important local impact:

-- testimony from the head of the state’s County Highway Superintendents Association stressed that the largest source of funding for local roads and bridges, the Consolidated Highway Improvement Programs (commonly known as CHIPS), remains frozen at 2008 levels. Strikingly, the local highway superintendents contend that while the current state budget included $1 billion for the NY Works infrastructure improvement initiative, billed by the Cuomo administration as New York’s largest-ever infrastructure enhancement effort, not a penny of the billion went to local roads and bridges. Senate leaders – and I’m fully on board – responded that it’s our intention this year to unfreeze CHIPS or at least secure some additional state aid dedicated to local roads and bridges which, after all, represent key economic lifelines for Upstate communities;

-- on the elementary and secondary education front, you might remember last year that a bipartisan coalition of Upstate legislators called for a more equitable and fair distribution of state education aid to low-wealth, rural, high-need districts. It led to the current budget reallocating $200 million to achieve this goal so that, overall, high-need districts statewide received 71% of last year’s increased aid. A similar effort will be made for the upcoming new state budget; and

-- under questioning, the state health commissioner made clear the Cuomo administration’s willingness to explore the development of a more extensive statewide “telemedicine/telehealth network.” One ongoing focus of the joint, bipartisan Rural Resources Commission on which I serve has been the development of this network. We see it as a potentially groundbreaking achievement for rural health care. As New York keeps expanding broadband capabilities into currently underserved regions, an accompanying emphasis should be a more integrated, statewide telemedicine system. In fact, the development of modern telemedicine capabilities is highlighted by the Southern Tier Regional Economic Development Council’s blueprint. In its final report the council noted that telemedicine-based initiatives “will reduce hospitalizations, create Medicare and Medicaid savings, eliminate transportation issues and disintegration of services for elderly and low-income populations” and provide cost-effective alternatives and reduced health care costs for rural residents.

So while the state budget adoption process can be a drawn-out, mundane affair, every step of the way produces information that points to where the final state budget’s headed on key programs and services impacting lives and communities here at home.

Remember that you can watch each of the fiscal committee hearings – and, in March, the joint conference committees – as they’re taking place through the Senate’s live streaming website at: http://www.nysenate.gov/calendar/live.

Local Housing Market Continues to Rise

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 15:48:10 GMT

House prices climb in Southern Tier counties
By G. Jeffrey Aaron, The Star-Gazette (1/12/13)

Home sales and prices are poised to continue to rise throughout 2013 and extend the recovery that began last year, marking the end of a five-year slump brought on by the burst of the housing bubble.

Fueled by sales growth in the fourth quarter of 2011, home sales across New York state rebounded to finish only 3.9 percent behind 2010, a year when sales were inflated due to federal tax credit programs, the New York State Association of Realtors said. The statewide median sale price in 2011 remained stable through the year, building hope for an improving market in 2012.

But as the recovery continues into 2013, there are unique factors within each individual market — such as housing supply and demand, joblessness, consumer confidence and other economic factors — that could have a direct bearing on the strength and duration of the rebound.

“The fundamentals that we saw in 2012 are continuing, but there’s always concern about the great unknown,” said Sal Prividera, spokesman for the state Realtors’ association. “We avoided the fiscal cliff but things very important to homeowners in New York state are still on the table.”

For example, Prividera said the state association is against any changes to the mortgage interest tax deduction. He also said there needs to be a return to a lending market where qualified borrowers can get financing.

“People with good credit scores still have trouble getting loans, and I’d have to say there are some proposals to tighten up credit even more,” he said. “The positives now are mortgage rates that are at historic lows for those who can get qualified and available inventory.”

Starter house
Stacy Southard was one who qualified for the mortgage on what she calls her starter home — a three-bedroom house located on Elmira’s Southside.

Southard spent about a year taking virtual home tours online to get a feel for what was available in the area. At the same time, she saved money toward her down payment. When Southard felt she was ready, she kicked her search into high gear and closed on her house in August.

“I only looked for a few months,” she said. “I knew it was a good time, as far as interest rates go, because they were dropping. Friends of mine have rates that are a bit higher and it was nice to know I was able to get one that low.”

How low? 31/2 percent fixed.

Southard’s home was among the 1,191 houses in the area that changed hands last year. According to the Elmira-Corning Regional Association of Realtors statistics, the median sale price of those homes — $107,000 at the end of 2011 — closed out 2012 at $114,900. Sellers were also listing their homes at a higher price and buyers were paying closer to that price.

Outside factors
But in order to keep the market moving in the right direction, home sellers say a number of things have to happen. Employment across the area has to remain stable or improve. Interest rates, now at 50-year lows, have to stay there, and the flow of houses into the market has to remain at an even pace.

“It all goes back to supply and demand,” said Faye Guild-Nash, president of the Elmira-Corning Regional Association of Realtors. “I think the recovery will continue because we are not seeing large numbers of houses coming in the market all at once. It’s a steady flow.”

When buyers are active and the housing supply is limited — down in Chemung, Steuben and Schuyler counties by an average of 15 percent through the third quarter, according to state figures — buyers have fewer options and are willing to pay more for a house they’re interested in. Sellers will often have multiple buyers looking at the same house, Nash said, which can also push prices upward.

So far, home sellers say, the closing of Sikorsky’s facility in Big Flats at the end of 2012 and the loss of nearly 600 jobs isn’t having a negative impact on the local housing market.

“The jobs that have been lost will, hopefully, be regained,” said Art Ambrose, of Realty-USA.com. “It will balance out. Sikorsky is a huge hit, but other things will likely happen and the negative employment will be absorbed by other companies.”

Ambrose and Nash both said interest rates need to stay close to their current levels. Low rates make buying a house more affordable, and that rule applies to first-time buyers and homeowners looking to move up. But there are two sides to that coin, Ambrose said.

Interest rates that are consistently low could mean a buyer who feels rates will stay low for the immediate future will put off home-buying plans. But if the rates start to go up, that same buyer may accelerate plans to avoid an even higher rate in the future.

“We’ve been through a couple of tough years,” Ambrose said. “But real estate is cyclical, and usually, the inventory of homes is less in the winter months and increases in the second quarter because that’s when people put more homes on the market.

“But we’re reporting a lot of activity, which is abnormal given the time of the year we are in,” he said. “Things are busy now and this is abnormal. We are starting the year off in the robust way.”

(For original story, please visit http://www.stargazette.com/proart/20130112/news01/301120053/house-prices-climb-southern-tier-counties?odyssey=mod|dnmiss|umbrella|1&pagerestricted=1.)

N.Y.S. Representatives React to "Fiscal Cliff" Legislation

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 14:50:33 GMT

Cliff avoided: Congress staves off tax hikes
By Brian Tumulty, Gannett Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON — The House voted late Tuesday to approve a Senate-passed compromise bill to avert the “fiscal cliff” of tax increases and spending cuts. The vote was 257-167 with all but one of New York's House Republicans voting in favor of the bill.

President Barack Obama was expected to sign the legislation into law before financial markets opened Wednesday.

The moment of truth in the drawn-out battle came shortly before 11 p.m. as the legislation topped the 218-vote majority needed for passage.

Seven of New York’s eight House Republicans joined many Democrats in voting to accept the compromise agreement, which was generally supported by New York Democrats. Lame duck Republican Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle of Onondaga said she voted against the legislation, noting in a press statement that she was listed as not voting due to an electronic error.

The House vote came about 21 hours after the Senate passed the legislation, which renews most of the Bush-era tax cuts. It allows higher rates to kick in for families earning more than $450,000 and phases out many deductions for households earning more than $250,000.

Democratic Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York were among the 89 members of the Senate who voted to pass the measure.

The deal also postpones the fiscal cliff’s spending cuts for two months, averts a spike in milk prices and freezes congressional salaries.

Republican Reps. Chris Gibson of Kinderhook and Richard Hanna of Oneida County said they supported the bipartisan compromise, while Rep. Michael Grimm of Staten Island and Rep. Tom Reed of Corning echoed many other Republicans who complained earlier in the day the deal needed to be accompanied by spending cuts.

“I think that it’s the 11th hour,” Hanna said. “The public needs certainty and this does prevent tax increases for 98 percent of the population. It isn’t everything everyone wants, but I think right now it’s the best option we have and, frankly, it’s the only option.’’

Grimm called the compromise reached by Vice President Joseph Biden and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell “completely one-sided.”

Reed of Corning was noncommittal until Tuesday night shortly before the vote, when he announced he would vote yes.

“My vote tonight secures tax cuts for 99 percent of our district on a permanent basis. Though we didn’t cut spending or deal with the Medicare and Social Security crisis as we had hoped, we acted to protect as many families and small businesses as possible on a permanent basis from the President and Democrats’ desire to raise taxes,” said Rep. Tom Reed, R-Corning. “I still believe the answer lies in cutting spending and reforming Medicare and Social Security to save it for generations to come. Sooner or later, we will have to address these issues and I for one support doing this as soon as possible.”

Republican Rep. Nan Hayworth also planned to vote yes, according to spokesman Terence Michos.

Democratic Rep. Eliot Engel of the Bronx observed: “There are parts of it I don’t like, but I think it’s a compromise that’s better than the alternative. The alternative is to go over the fiscal cliff.”

Rep. Nita Lowey, D-Harrison, urged Republicans to support the Biden-McConnell compromise.

“No compromise is perfect, but failing to pass this deal only ensures higher tax bills and reduced economic growth,” she said.

Democratic Rep. Louise Slaughter of Fairport described the compromise as “far from perfect,” but said she supported it.

“The process that led us here has been an utter disgrace,” Slaughter said as the House opened its floor debate. “Yet in this time of crisis, we must act first and foremost to protect the American economy.”

Slaughter said she would have preferred an income cutoff lower than $450,000 for renewing the Bush tax cuts, but it’s “not a killer” for her support.

Downstate Democrats such as Lowey and Engel support the higher income cutoff because their region of the state has more high income residents who have a higher cost of living.

(For original story, please visit http://www.stargazette.com/article/20130101/NEWS10/301010030/Cliff-avoided-Congress-staves-off-tax-hikes?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE.)

Southern Tier Awarded $91M In Development Funding Through State Initiative

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 15:54:50 GMT

UPDATE (12/19/12): Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that $738 million has been awarded through Round Two of the Regional Economic Development Council initiative.

A centerpiece of the Governor's strategy to jumpstart the economy and create jobs, the Regional Councils were put in place in 2011 to redesign the state's approach to economic development from a top-down model to a community-based, performance-driven approach. The initiative empowers community, business, and academic leaders, as well as members of the public in each region of the state, to develop strategic plans specifically tailored to their region's unique strengths and resources in order create jobs and support economic growth.

SOUTHERN TIER: Best Plan Awardee - $91.1 Million for 62 Projects Including:
•$7 million for the construction of the Southern Tier High Technology Incubator, a collaboration between Binghamton University and the regional economic development community, in downtown Binghamton.
•$3 million for the expansion of Corning Incorporated’s manufacturing facility in the Town of Erwin.
•$2.1 million to support the Next Generation Energy Efficiency Technology, a collaboration with BAE Systems (BAE) and SUNY Binghamton to advance BAE's hybrid-electric propulsion system product lines. BAE will invest $2.9 million and create 40 new jobs.
•$2.5 million for the Southern Tier Telemedicine and Mobile Health Care Technology Fund Initiative.
•$500,000 to Cornell University for the development of a Food Processing and Development Lab, which will provide farmers and other small businesses with access to small scale production area that can transform raw materials into packaged products such as yogurt, beverages, cheese, etc
•$2.5 million for the continuation of Southern Tier Community Revitalization Program.
•$1.8 million for the City of Ithaca to rehabilitate and reconstruct the deteriorated surface of the three-block Ithaca Commons and the replacement and upgrades of all of the underground utilities.
•$1.5 million for the continuation of Southern Tier Infrastructure Fund to support the development of Shovel Ready Sites
•$300,000 for Schuyler County, in partnership with the Schuyler County Partnership for Economic Development, Schuyler County IDA, the Village of Watkins Glen and the Village of Montour Falls, will conduct planning and preliminary engineering and environmental investigation to decommission the Watkins Glen and the Montour Falls Waste Water Treatment Plants and consolidate the two systems into a state-of-the-art “Green” Waste Water Treatment Plants located south of Glen Creek in Watkins Glen.

Southern Tier Economic Council makes pitch for millions in state funds
By Steve Reilly, The Star-Gazette

Population centers driven by collaboration between industry and academia, surrounded by a vibrant rural agricultural sector, will drive the future envisioned by the economic leaders of the Southern Tier.

Following a visit by Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday (December 5th), the Southern Tier Regional Economic Development Council unveiled a proposed $38 million state investment plan encompassing 24 projects ranging from downtown and waterfront renewal efforts to high-tech manufacturing ventures.

“We’re not just funding projects. We’re funding the region’s future,” said Binghamton University President Harvey Stenger, the council’s newly-named co-chairman. “We’re trying to invest in projects in all 10 counties that have strategic impacts within communities.”

Stenger joined Corning Enterprises president and CEO Tom Tranter in a 30-minute pitch to a five-member panel that will judge the Southern Tier’s proposal against those submitted by the state’s nine other regions.

The Southern Tier’s regional council — representing an area spanning from Steuben to Delaware counties — will compete against the others for a larger share of a potential $762 million economic development pie.

The Southern Tier council’s second-year proposal includes a few big-ticket items:

• A $7 million investment in the Southern Tier High Technology Incubator, a project that is estimated to cost $22 million to construct a facility in downtown Binghamton to act as a bridge between Binghamton University research and the commercial marketplace.

• The Elmira Regional City Center Project, which with a $5.2 million investment would leverage $38.4 million in additional funding to redevelop a blighted area of the city.

• In Ithaca Commons, a $4 million investment that would initiate the first phase of the larger planned transportation hub.

• A $3.33 million investment in Endicott Interconnect’s advanced microelectronics manufacturing, a partnership with Binghamton University that would create 20 new jobs.

(For original story, please visit http://www.stargazette.com/article/20121205/NEWS01/312050037/Southern-Tier-Economic-Council-makes-pitch-millions-state-funds?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE.)

U.S. Coins Honoring Twain to Benefit Elmira College's Center for Twain Studies

Mon, 26 Nov 2012 21:03:47 GMT

U.S. coins will honor Mark Twain's legacy
By Bob Jamieson, The Star-Gazette

Mark Twain could coin a phrase. Now, the government is going to coin his legacy.

The House of Representatives voted to create $5 gold coins and $1 silver coins that reflect the life and contributions of the writer and social commentator. The legislation now goes to President Barack Obama.

The U.S. Mint will issue the coins in 2016. There will be no cost to taxpayers.

The coins will be legal tender but are expected to be popular among collectors. A surcharge on their sale will go toward four sites tied to Twain, including Elmira College’s Center for Mark Twain Studies.

“The center is instrumental in providing educational opportunities to individuals, including research fellowships, conferences and tours. Proceeds from the commemorative coin directed toward the center at Elmira College will ensure these programs are able to continue,” said Rep. Tom Reed, R-Corning.

Reed voted for the Mark Twain Commemorative Coin Act, a measure sponsored in the House by Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-Mo., and in the Senate by Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.

Twain, born Samuel Langhorne Clemens, lived from 1835 to 1910. He is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Elmira.

“Like all good literature, (Twain’s) writings raise questions that invite meaningful discussion. His humor makes us laugh, and his insights and aphorisms ring true,” said Barb Snedecor, director of the Center for Mark Twain Studies. “The production and sale of the coins may bring Mark Twain’s writings and life to the forefront of American culture and conscience again.”

The Hartford (Conn.) Courant newspaper reported that 100,000 $5 gold coins and 350,000 $1 silver coins will be minted. It said a $35 surcharge on the gold coin and $10 surcharge on the silver coin will fund nonprofit sites associated with Twain. The bill said surcharge proceeds will go to the nonprofit groups after the government recovers the cost of designing and issuing the coins.

Funds will go to:

• The Center for Mark Twain Studies at Elmira College, for research and education. Twain married an Elmira woman, Olivia Langdon Clemens, who graduated from the college. He spent more than 20 summers in Elmira, writing some of his greatest works here.
• The Mark Twain House & Museum in Hartford, to support the continued restoration of the house and grounds, and ensure continuing growth and innovation in museum programming.
• The Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum in Hannibal, Mo., to preserve historical sites related to Twain and help support study and promotion programs.
• The Mark Twain Papers & Project at the Bancroft Library of the University of California, Berkeley, to support programs to study and promote Twain’s legacy.

“I have been working with Hartford and Hannibal and the Bancroft Library over the past year to advance this bill. It is a credit to all four sites that the bill made its way through Congress this year. We are all delighted,” Snedecor said.

(For original story, please visit http://www.stargazette.com/article/20121116/NEWS01/311160082/U-S-coins-will-honor-Mark-Twain-s-legacy.)

Chemung County Budget Proposal Calls for No Property Tax Rate Increase

Mon, 12 Nov 2012 18:08:53 GMT

2013 Chemung County Budget Once Again Calls For No Tax Rate Increase
Chemung County Press Release

Elmira – Chemung County Executive Tom Santulli unveiled his proposed 2013 Budget which will hold the line on the County property tax rate for the eighth straight year.

Santulli’s 2013 Budget proposal recommends a General Fund Tax Levy of $27,477,282, an increase of 1.7% over the 2012 tax levy of $27,005,000. Further, this Budget proposal recommends total net appropriations of $177,082,893 for the fiscal year that commences on January 1, 2013. This represents a decrease of $133,882 or 0.1% from the $177,216,755 approved by the Legislature for the current fiscal year. The Budget is now subject to review and approval by the County Legislature.

“Despite the continuing fiscal pressures of New York State’s unfunded mandates I am pleased to be able to present to the Chemung County Legislature a budget which continues the previous year’s tax rate of $6.98 per thousand of assessed valuation,” said Santulli. “This is a very lean budget in what will be a very challenging financial environment for Chemung County government. Due to the softening economy we are beginning to see the stresses with a higher unemployment rate, reduced sales and room tax revenues, and job losses at major employers,” added Santulli.

Santulli went on to say, “In 2013, the Executive branch and the Legislature are going to have to work tirelessly together to keep Chemung County from being a victim of the broken promises of State government. Until the Governor and Legislature honor their commitments to do meaningful mandate relief, develop the courage to make a decision on natural gas exploration, and put in place incentive programs that will attract new business to our State, our future is in serious jeopardy. Knowing that we are not going to get any help from the State of New York, it is imperative that we maximize our revenues and continue to reduce our expenditures where possible.”

The County Legislature has scheduled workshop sessions to review the proposed 2013 Budget on November 13th following the regular meeting which begins at 7:00 PM and on November 14th at 7:00 PM in the 5th floor Legislative Chambers of the Hazlett Building. The public is welcome at these sessions, as well as at the formal Public Hearing to be held on the Budget at 7:00 PM on November 19th.

The Proposed Budget is available for viewing in the Legislative Chambers and on the County website.

*NOTE: The “full value tax rate” is the average of the rates of the city of Elmira and the eleven towns within Chemung County. Final rates are contingent upon action by the Legislature in amending the proposed budget, state equalization rates, special district charges, etc.

Click here to view the 2013 Proposed Chemung County Budget.

Click here to view the Budget Press Conference Slide Presentation.

Healthcare Focus of Local Congressional Debate

Fri, 02 Nov 2012 19:30:22 GMT

Reed, Shinagawa spar over healthcare in congressional candidates debate
By Ray Finger, The Star-Gazette

Education, federal spending, jobs, the farm bill, natural gas development and bipartisanship were some of the issues tackled Thursday (November 1st) by the candidates for the newly drawn 23rd Congressional District.

But health care — and the differences in the candidates’ views on that issue — dominated much of the debate between Republican Tom Reed of Corning, who represents the 29th Congressional District, and Democrat Nate Shinagawa of Ithaca, a Tompkins County legislator. The debate was held in the Clemens Center in Elmira.

Under the Affordable Care Act, Medicare will be bankrupt for people who are currently age 53 and younger when they qualify for Medicare at age 65, Reed said.

“That’s what Obamacare does,” he said. “We need to do better, and that’s why we supported Paul Ryan’s budget. Let’s put solutions out there. Let’s put ideas out there.”

A new and improved Medicare system is needed for those younger people that is done in a way that will preserve it for generations, Reed said.

“We’re not talking about destroying Medicare. We’re not talking about destroying Social Security. That is part of our society,” he said.

“The bottom line is my opponent is supportive of not only Obamacare, but he is supportive of single-payer health care for America, which is government-controlled, government-defined health care for everyone. If we go down that path, health care costs are going to go through the roof,” Reed said.

But according to Shinagawa, Reed supported the Ryan bill that does not keep up with costs and actually makes cuts to Medicare.

“I believe that people who have paid their entire lives into the Medicare system, that shouldn’t be tampered with, that it should be there for our senior citizens,” he said.

“We all know in this room that our payments have gone up 10, 15, sometimes 20 percent a year. That’s a lot higher than inflation. So what will happen is that the out-of-pocket expenses for our senior citizens, who are only living on about $22,000 a year on average, is going to go up $6,000. I don’t think that’s right. I think what we need to do is actually invest in the Medicare system in the long run,” Shinagawa said. “I believe that we need to move the health care system that’s focused right now on how many patients you see, how many surgeries you do and how many tests you order into a system that’s an integrated model where all doctors and nurses are part of the same team and are focused on high-quality care, better care,” Shinagawa said. “That’s actually proven to reduce costs.”

Reed said he would vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act because of the threat it represents.

An electronics firm in Hornell that has 48 employees will not hire any more, even it has the opportunity, because that would push it over the 50-employee threshold set by the act that and would saddle the business with new regulations, he said. Reed said he would replace the act with health insurance reforms.

Shinagawa said he would vote against any repeal of the Affordable Care Act. There are provisions in the act protecting people from insurance companies that would deny coverage. Ways to reduce health care costs are needed in the long run, he said.

Democrats and Republicans have focused on health insurance reform, but reform of the health care system is what is needed by moving to a quality-based system, Shinagawa said.

(For full story with photo, please visit http://www.stargazette.com/article/20121101/NEWS01/311010106/Reed-Shinagawa-spar-over-healthcare-in-congressional-candidates-debate?odyssey=tab|mostpopular|text|NJLIFE12.)

Important Chamber Member Notice: Access to Online Directory Available

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 16:05:25 GMT

All main contacts of Chamber member organizations have been e-mailed their personal username and password for updating their business profile via the Chamber's website.

If you did not access this update information, please go to http://www.chemungchamber.org/members-only and click on My Member Profile. Once there, you can reset your password by simply clicking on the "I Can't Login" link.

This access allows you to update your information as necessary and allows us to use the most current information we have to maintain Membership Directory accuracy.

For more information, please contact the Chamber at 734-5137 or info@chemungchamber.org.

Chamber Accepting Annual Award Nominations

Wed, 03 Oct 2012 17:32:39 GMT

The Chemung Chamber's Annual Awards Breakfast has been scheduled for Tuesday, December 4th, 2012. Sponsored by Elmira Savings Bank, the program will begin at 7:30 a.m. at the Elmira Country Club. The Chamber is seeking nominations for a number of distinguished awards this year:

The ATHENA® Award - Recognizes an individual who actively assists women in realizing their full leadership potential. Sponsored by ELM Chevrolet, F.M. Howell and WETM-TV.
Partners in Education Award - An initiative of the Chamber's Business Education Roundtable, this award highlights the outstanding efforts of a teacher or other school system staff member working toward the collaboration of business and education.
Mary E. Kennedy Community Builder Award - Honors the outstanding volunteer efforts of an individual who has helped enhance the quality of life in our community.
New Business of the Year Award - Celebrates a Chamber member firm that has been in business for at least one year but not more than five years, shown evidence of success, and also demonstrated the entrepreneurial spirit necessary for long-term success and economic growth.

The Member Services Council Ambassador of the Year and members marking an anniversary date of 25 years, 50 years, 75 years, and some marking more than 100 years will also be honored for their dedication to the community.

Nomination forms are available by contacting the Chamber at info@chemungchamber.org or (607) 734-5137.

ReCharge NY Program Allows Local Glass Manufacturer to Make $37M Investment

Wed, 26 Sep 2012 13:48:30 GMT

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo recently announced that Anchor Glass Container Corp., a Southern Tier glass container maker, is receiving 6.6 megawatts in low-cost electricity through the ReCharge NY program that will allow the company to retain 340 jobs and invest $37.2 million in its facility.

Representatives of the New York Power Authority and Anchor Glass were joined recently by local elected and economic development officials at the company's 100-year-old glass container production facility in Elmira Heights in Chemung County.

"Electricity costs are an important factor that businesses take into account when looking to expand and make new investments," Governor Cuomo said. "The ReCharge NY program has given businesses and other enterprises across New York long-term certainty of stable electricity rates so they have the confidence they need to retain and create jobs. These new investments at Anchor Glass demonstrate the state's new approach to improve our business climate, create jobs, and grow the economy."

The Governor launched ReCharge NY (RNY) to help businesses and other enterprises lower their operating costs and spur economic development. The RNY program offers up to seven-year contracts for lower-cost power, and reserves at least 350 MW for upstate businesses and institutions, 200 MW for business attraction and expansion, as well as up to 100 MW for not-for-profit organizations.

RNY has allocated low-cost power to more than 40 businesses in the Southern Tier that have committed to retaining more than 33,000 jobs. For a complete list of the RNY recipients in the region, visit: http://www.nypa.gov/RechargeNY/120626/Souther%20Tier.pdf)

John R. Koelmel, NYPA chairman, said, "The ReCharge NY program is a springboard for driving New York State's economy and a clear signal of the Cuomo administration's dedication to helping businesses like Anchor Glass lower their operating costs and improve their competitiveness. Only recently, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce ranked New York among the top 10 states for growth and productivity, so clearly we're making great strides in positioning the Empire State as an effective partner to the private sector. The Power Authority is excited to be contributing to this effort with our allocations of ReCharge NY power."

Southern Tier Regional Economic Development Council Co-Chair Tom Tranter, President and CEO of Corning Enterprises, and Co-Chair David Skorton, President of Cornell University, said, "Anchor Glass has been a staple of the Elmira community and an integral part of the area economy for as long as any of us can remember. Governor Cuomo’s ReCharge NY program is making a difference for our region’s diversified economy by providing lower cost power to key regional industries such as high-tech and military research and development, pharmaceutical manufacturing, agriculture, and food production. The success of these sectors is vital to continued regional economic growth and the allocation to Anchor Glass only furthers the program’s significant impact."

Kenneth Adams, President, CEO, and Commissioner of Empire State Development, said, "It is fitting that we're holding today's ReCharge NY event at Anchor Glass given the company's importance to the community. Anchor Glass is one of a number of Southern Tier companies having a major impact on the area economy—not only in the jobs at their facilities but from their commerce with other businesses in the region and the state. This underscores the secondary effects of the lower-cost power allocations under the ReCharge program, and how the benefits of the program go well beyond the direct recipients."

Mike Sopp, general manager, of the Anchor Glass facility in Elmira Heights, said, "The nature of our business, producing a diverse array of glass-container products, requires a great deal of electricity, running in the millions of dollars a year. The ReCharge NY program provides us with the certainty of long-term economical power supplies, which is essential to our financial bottom line and the profitability of our facility, with an annual payroll of approximately $26 million. The lowering of our production costs affects capital investment decisions, so we're most grateful to Governor Cuomo for responding to the needs of businesses like ours in developing his new statewide power program."

Anchor Glass' Elmira Heights facility, at 151 East McCanns Boulevard, produces 2.9 million glass containers a day for the food, juice, beer and beverage industries. Among the major customers are FX Matt Brewing in Utica and three companies in the Rochester area: Genesee Brewing Co., LiDestri Foods and Mott's. Other widely known companies served by the facility include Mike's Hard Lemonade and Anheuser Busch.

Half of the power under RNY is low-cost hydropower from NYPA's Niagara and St. Lawrence-Franklin D. Roosevelt hydroelectric projects in Lewiston and Massena, respectively. The remaining 455 MW is economical power secured by NYPA from wholesale market sources.

More than 1,000 applications were reviewed by NYPA staff, in consultation with the Governor's 10 Regional Economic Development Councils for the initial allocations. The applications were submitted through a Consolidated Funding Application process that the Governor established for apportioning state financial incentives and resources for spurring economic development.

In addition to jobs and capital investments, the various statutory criteria for considering RNY applications include the extent to which an allocation would be consistent with existing regional economic development strategies; an applicant's risk of closure or curtailing operations; the significance of the applicant's facility to the local economy; and its commitment to energy efficiency.

Senator Thomas O'Mara said, "The ReCharge NY program is a breath of fresh air for our communities. It's a testament to Governor Cuomo's leadership in establishing a lower cost power program that meets needs of businesses for stable and predictable lower cost electricity rates. The utilization of this power at Anchor Glass is emblematic of hundreds of power allocations that the Power Authority has made under the program that are linked to capital investments and jobs in the Southern Tier and across the state."

Assemblyman Christopher Friend said, "Today is a proud day for all of us who've worked hard to make the Governor's ReCharge NY program a reality. I want to thank the Power Authority and its Board of Trustees for the administrative actions that have rewarded the industrial commitment to New York made by Anchor Glass and some 40 other Southern Tier companies. This is great news for boosting our local economy. The success of the ReCharge NY program is proof that lower cost energy needs to be the goal to help all who manufacture, create jobs and reside in the Empire State."

$43M Elmira Regional City Center Project Proposed

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 18:02:58 GMT

Officials upbeat about big downtown Elmira project
By Ray Finger, The Star-Gazette (9/5/12)

Much potential is anticipated in a proposed project that could bring a new hotel, apartments, businesses, a restaurant and a banquet facility/conference center to downtown Elmira.

The sweeping project proposed by developer Michael Elzufon, of Minneapolis, would occupy two city blocks, cost up to $43 million and take several years to complete. It is being called the Elmira Regional City Center.

“I really do believe this project has the potential to be a game-changer for the downtown business district. It could reshape the whole central business district. It’s a project of that magnitude,” Chemung County Executive Tom Santulli said Wednesday, a day after the news of the center was made public during a Southern Tier Regional Economic Development Council meeting in Binghamton.

However, he cautioned the community not to think of the proposal as a done deal.

“There’s just a lot of work to do on this project, and we have to put it in perspective. When you do a project of this magnitude, it doesn’t happen quickly. There are a lot of bumps in the road along the way,” Santulli said.

The developer has to secure financing for a project this extensive, and there is environmental assessment work that has to be done, he said. Also, the city, the Elmira school district and the county all have to sign off on a tax abatement and financing arrangement, he said.

“It certainly is going to provide a great opportunity for the community, a great opportunity especially for the city, to do something that really could be a game-changer,” Santulli said. “It’s just a massive project with a lot of moving parts, and I think we have to be patient and take it day by day.”

Located in a two-block area bordered by Clemens Center Parkway, East Church Street, Baldwin Street and Market Street, the Elmira Regional City Center project potentially involves the redevelopment of the city-owned Federal Building — better known as the old post office — as well as the Star-Gazette building, the Personius-Warne studio and the Yunis building. Construction of a hotel also is planned.

Local businessman Tom Freeman, president and chief executive officer of First AIR and owner/operator of First Arena, looks at the project positively.

“It would be great for downtown and great for the arena,” he said Wednesday. Asked about the potential impact of the conference center on the arena, he said, “I think that we would be very complementary to each other. I don’t view it as competition at all.”

Elmira City Councilman Brent Stermer, D-2nd District, said council members support the project 100 percent.

“This is a wonderful and exciting project for downtown that has great potential,” said Stermer, in whose district the project is located. “It’s really a chance for our downtown to grow again and succeed.”

From a marketing standpoint, the project is important for two particular markets, said Kevin Keeley, president of the Chemung County Chamber of Commerce.

“One is the visitor market. We have a lot of aggressive marketing we do for tourism and visitors. This would dramatically enhance that, the attributes we have to market,” he said Wednesday.

“The second is the image of the community for recruiting employees,” Keeley said. Inquiries are received all the time from engineers, educators, doctors and others in the medical field who are looking into moving into the area and want to know about the lifestyle in the community, he said.

“Having something as cosmopolitan as this project would really dramatically enhance the appeal of the community to those new employees and their families,” Keeley said. “We understand these things really are enormously important to the whole (human resources) initiatives in our economy.”

That was demonstrated by Michael and Gina Mitchell’s Riverside Suites project on West Water Street that includes luxury loft apartments, Keeley said. The market for that kind of housing is growing pretty dramatically, he said.

“The boomers are empty-nesters who don’t want to cut the lawn anymore,” he said. “Young couples are delaying having children longer, and so they really want that urban lifestyle until they get to the point where they want to put a swing set out back. You really have a contraction of a couple of markets that would find this very appealing.”

The project is exciting and good for everybody, Gina Mitchell said Wednesday.

“It’s a great project for Elmira, and it can really help all the businesses down here — the restaurants, the entertainment, my property,” she said. “It will help support other businesses and other service kind of industries — the barber shops, the nail salons, that kind of thing — that we need a little bit more critical mass to support.”

More importantly, it results in property that eventually will be generating taxes, she said.

“You hear people go, ‘Well, hire teachers and pave the roads,’ but how do you do that without tax money?” she said. “You do that by creating properties that have value and are taxable.”

Plans are still moving forward on a hotel planned for vacant land at East Church Street and Judson Street Extension by developer Edger Enterprises near the highway and have not been affected by Elzufon’s proposal, City Manager John Burin said. “One is not impacting the other, as far as I know,” he said.

With the existing Holiday Inn Elmira-Riverview at 760 E. Water St., there is the potential for three major hotels in the city. But as has been seen in Horseheads, multiple hotels in an area can benefit each other, Keeley said.

“One hotel is a hotel. Two hotels become a destination. Once you begin to have several options for lodging in a concentrated area, there is a phenomenon in marketing that exponentially increases the marketability of the site,” he said.

“So everybody benefits from having more than one lodging facility nearby. We’re seeing that up by the mall in Horseheads, and certainly we would anticipate and hope to see that here with (Elzufon’s) development and Jodi Edger’s project on East Church,” he said.

For example, when Elmira College is having freshman orientation, a parents’ weekend or some other event, all lodging facilities in the city can benefit, Keeley said.

“They can go after the business market or the leisure market or other specific niche markets in their advertising and promotions, but what’s good about having them is that they accommodate each other’s overflow. That’s why it becomes a destination,” he said. “In most cases, that overflow becomes very helpful.”

(For original story and photos, please visit http://www.stargazette.com/article/20120905/NEWS01/309050026/Officials-upbeat-about-Elmira-project?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE.)

Proposed Elmira center would bring jobs, tax revenue
By Ray Finger, The Star-Gazette (9/6/12)

Hundreds of jobs and about $1 million in new property tax revenue are anticipated to result from the proposed Elmira Regional City Center project, officials said Thursday.

Elmira City Council chambers were packed Thursday morning as a presentation was made providing an overview of the proposed $43 million project.

“We keep using the term ‘transformational.’ We try to come up with something else because it kind of gets old, but it will be transformational,” City Manager John Burin said of the projected impact of the center.

Developer Michael Elzufon, of Minneapolis, was to fly into Elmira on Thursday morning for the presentation, but his plane was turned back because of foggy weather, Burin said. However, he was able to participate from the Detroit Metro Airport through online meeting software.

The project is to be located in a two-block area bordered by Clemens Center Parkway, East Church Street, Baldwin Street and Market Street. It would include a 127-room Hilton Garden Inn with indoor and outdoor pools and a restaurant with rooftop terrace dining.

The project potentially involves the redevelopment of the city-owned Federal Building — better known as the old post office — as well as the Star-Gazette building, the Personius-Warne studio and the Yunis building.

The section of East Gray Street that currently runs between Clemens Center Parkway and Baldwin Street would be eliminated.

The project is expected to produce 230 construction jobs over two years and as many as 100 permanent jobs through the hotel, restaurant, banquet facility and groundskeeping, said George Miner, president of Southern Tier Economic Growth, who gave the bulk of Thursday’s presentation.

The project features about 120 apartments including studios, lofts, extended-stay suites and condominiums, Miner said.

The project has many contingencies, he said, noting underground storage tanks at one of the properties.

The developer will provide $4.4 million in financing for the project, Miner said. Almost $5.2 million in state funding has been applied for. Elzufon has been working with several banks to obtain about $17 million in private equity funding, he said.

Part of the funding will involve an arrangement similar to what was done to finance construction of the CVS Pharmacy distribution center in the Town of Chemung, Miner said.

Through such an arrangement, $13.4 million in Payment In Lieu Of Taxes increment funding would be applied to debt service for the project.

That PILOT funding would come from the increased property tax revenue expected to result from the project, Miner said.

The two-block project area currently generates $85,000 in property taxes to the city, Chemung County and the Elmira school district, Miner said. After the project is completed, it is projected to generate a total of about $1 million in property taxes, he said.

The PILOT arrangement would take about $640,000 of that for debt service toward buying buildings, infrastructure work, removing the section of Gray Street, environmental work and renovating buildings, Miner said.

About $425,000 of what remains in property tax revenue would be divided among the city, county and school district, he said.

“That’s the way things get done in urban center projects,” Miner said.

An additional $525,000 a year is estimated to be generated in sales tax revenue and another $330,000 in room tax annually, he said. Additionally, 15 condominiums projected to be built in the Federal Building would generate an additional $109,000 in property tax revenue that would be outside the PILOT agreement, Miner said.

“This is what it takes to make a change in the area. I think we have the formula. All the pieces have to fall together, there’s no doubt about it,” Burin said. “But with community support, letting people know that you support something like this is going to go a long way. It’s going to send a message to Albany.”

Elzufon said the Star-Gazette building initially was planned to be razed until he did a walk-through. Currently, 20 residential units are planned for the existing first and second floors, he said.

An additional three floors are to be built in a pyramid shape atop the existing Star-Gazette building. The fourth and fifth floors also will have apartment units, with the roof level to feature such amenities as a fitness center and a lounge area.

Star-Gazette President and Publisher Sherman Bodner said earlier this week that while he cannot comment on the sale of the building, the newspaper plans to remain “a vital part of the downtown Elmira business community.”

Original plans for the Personius-Warne studio were to preserve only the building’s facade, but at this point, the original front portion of building will be kept and the rear section, an add-on, will be removed. The proposed new use for the building will include a wedding planning room, a bridal salon/tuxedo shop and a coffee shop featuring baked goods.

A unique glass fountain-sculpture will be the centerpiece of the development in front of the hotel. The main entrance to the complex would be off Baldwin Street, roughly in the area of Gray Street.

Construction of four floors of micro-lofts and extended-stay suites is planned at the corner of Market Street and Clemens Center Parkway. The Yunis Building is to be converted into three floors of rental apartment units.

“We’ve come a long way, but we still have a long way to go. This certainly is not a done deal, but we feel very good about it,” Burin said. “With support and if the numbers come together, this dream that (Elzufon) has will become a reality for this region.”

(For original story and photos, please visit http://www.stargazette.com/article/20120906/NEWS01/309060028/-43M-Elmira-redevelopment-project-packs-City-Hall?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE.)

Chamber to Activate "Members Only" Login Feature in September

Thu, 23 Aug 2012 20:06:29 GMT

The Chemung County Chamber of Commerce website features a Members Only login that the Chamber is currently preparing to activate.

All main contacts of Chamber member organizations will soon be e-mailed their personal username and password for updating their business profile. This update ensures the accuracy of member information and will be utilized to populate the 2013 Member Directory and Community Profile, which will be published in January.

For more information, please contact the Chamber at info@chemungchamber.org or 734-5137.

Leadership Chemung Program Application Deadline is August 17th

Mon, 06 Aug 2012 17:32:03 GMT

The Chemung County Chamber of Commerce is accepting applications for the 2012-2013 session of its Leadership Chemung program until Friday, August 17th.

Leadership Chemung is designed to develop individuals for future leadership roles in the Chemung County area. Candidates should live or work in the county and be interested in developing their skills and knowledge of community issues, as well as in pursuing leadership roles in their community and career.

The program begins with a mandatory full-day orientation session and continues with 14 two-and-a-half hour classes, followed by a commencement ceremony. To graduate, participants must attend at least 12 full sessions of the 14 offered, along with the orientation.

Classes cover a broad range of subjects including County History, Local Government/Economic Development, Public Safety, Issues in Education, Legal Issues, Role of Culture, Transportation, Healthcare and Volunteerism.

Tuition is $665 for employees of Chemung Chamber member firms, or $850 for employees of non-members. The fee covers the cost of tuition, materials, supplies and refreshments and may be paid by the participant, sponsoring business or a combination of the two.

To request an application, please contact Susan Panetta at the Chamber by calling (607) 734-5137 or e-mailing susan@chemungchamber.org.

Chamber Salutes Local Olympian Molly Huddle With Banner Campaign

Thu, 26 Jul 2012 17:09:22 GMT

The Chemung County Chamber of Commerce, in a show of support for local Olympian Molly Huddle, recently arranged for the creation and distribution of banners that will be on display at area businesses throughout the coming weeks.

Huddle is an Elmira native who captured multiple state championships in cross-country and track during her time as a student at Notre Dame High School, and was a nine-time All-American at the University of Notre Dame. She qualified for the London Games by finishing second in the women’s 5,000-meter run at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon, in June.

The London Games open this Friday, July 27th. Huddle will compete in the Track and Field Qualifying Round on Tuesday, August 7th, which will air between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. EST on NBC. The Track and Field Finals will air during the 8:00 p.m. to 12 a.m. EST time slot on Friday, August 10th. For the most up-to-date broadcast schedule, visit www.nbcolympics.com.

The black-and-white banners – featuring the slogan “Run, Molly, Run!” – were made available in both 20’ x 5’ and 6’ x 2’ sizes, and numerous organizations have purchased them to help express the community’s best wishes to Huddle.

For more information on the campaign, contact the Chamber by calling (607) 734-5137 or e-mailing info@chemungchamber.org.

Elmira Business Owners React to Affordable Care Act

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 14:11:24 GMT

Elmira business owners worry about health care law
By G. Jeffrey Aaron, The Star-Gazette

The day the Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act, Elmira business owner Gina Mitchell got a notice in the mail saying the costs for providing health insurance to her employees next year would increase by 15 percent.

The higher costs weren't a result of the controversial law. But like other small business owners who have been watching the political battle over the 2010 health care reform law, Mitchell finds herself wondering how the new law will affect her business's health insurance premium costs for 2014 and beyond.

"It's getting harder and harder to provide insurance for my employees; it's next to impossible," Mitchell, the owner of Office Equipment Source Inc., said.

Katie Clark, the owner of Katie's Café, another downtown Elmira business, is also worried how the new legislation will affect her bottom line, and her ability to hire workers and purchase new equipment.

"I wear a lot of hats at my business and figuring out how to do the paperwork for my employees will take up too much of my time," she said.

Mitchell, Clark and TruBlu Services owner Joe Tolpa appeared recently with Congressman Tom Reed, R-Corning, at the Chemung County Chamber of Commerce office in Elmira to highlight the uncertainties created for small businesses by President Barack Obama's health care law. The new rules, Reed said, were "jammed through" Congress with little thought on how they would affect small businesses.

"The legislation puts handcuffs on those who create jobs," Reed said. "It means more government and higher taxes. The health insurance reforms need to be done but the legislation doesn't get to the root of what is driving up our health care costs."

Reed also said the new Health Insurance Tax, charged to all health insurance companies based on their net premiums and part of the new rules, was pushed back until 2014 -- after the upcoming elections in November. The new tax will cost businesses and employees $8 billion in 2014, increasing to $14.3 billion in 2018. It's also likely the costs will be passed on to the insured parties and raise health care premiums on an estimated 2 million small businesses, he said.

"Health care reform needs to come from the grass-roots up and not from Washington, D.C., down," said Reed. "Obamacare must be repealed because it hurts small businesses, deepens our national debt, and does not deal with the root problem."

Democrat Nate Shinagawa, who is challenging Reed for New York's newly created 23rd Congressional District, sees the Affordable Care Act in a slightly different light. The legislation, he said, is "a very good first step to reduce health care costs in the long run, but there is more work to do."

He added that the law provides significant subsidies to small businesses to help them offer healthcare to their employees.

"The legislation increases access to health care and protects patients from insurance companies that value profits over patients," Shinagawa said in a statement. "If Congressman Reed focuses on repealing the law, he's playing politics and putting the interests of Republican leadership ahead of residents of New York and the Southern Tier. If Republicans in Congress have their way, insurance companies would be in charge of your healthcare decisions."

Meanwhile, Chemung County Chamber President Kevin Keeley said the concerns expressed by the business owners were consistent with those held by the chamber's membership. Until the legislation's financial impacts are fully known, he said, many member businesses are taking a cautious approach to expanding.

"And in the business world, caution doesn't work because it leads to stagnation," he said. "The legislation was created by the politicians in power and when business owners see that, they become skeptical about it and don't do anything until they see how it settles out."

Trolley into Mark Twain Country Tours Start July 3 from New Location

Mon, 25 Jun 2012 20:34:04 GMT

The Chemung County Chamber of Commerce’s Trolley into Mark Twain Country begins its 2012 summer tours on Tuesday, July 3. The trolley is operated as a joint effort between C TRAN (formerly Chemung County Transit) and the Chemung County Chamber of Commerce, providing tours each summer to promote tourism in our area.

Guided tours aboard “The Elmiran” depart on the hour from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesdays through Saturdays from July 3 through September 1, with the exception of July 4. Riders may board from the lobby of the Chemung Valley History Museum, located at 415 East Water Street in Elmira. Opening Day riders will receive a limited edition Mark Twain poster.

During the tours that depart from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., the trolley offers a 60-minute narrated tour of Elmira and its rich history including the Mark Twain Study, where the author wrote his most famous books; the Civil War Prison Camp site; historic Dunn Field; the Arnot Art Museum; the Chemung Valley History Museum; the Clemens Center; and the beautiful Maple Avenue and Near Westside districts with their lovely “Painted Lady” homes. The last trolley tour of each day (at 2 p.m.) offers a special route including Twain’s gravesite at Woodlawn Cemetery.

Sign-ups for the trolley tour and ticket sales are at the Chemung Valley History Museum information desk, (607) 734-4167. Adults are $4 and children 12 and younger are $2 when accompanied by a parent or guardian. For more information about the trolley, visit www.marktwaincountry.com or call the Chamber at (607) 734-5137.

Direct Delta Flights Between ELM and New York City Begin

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 15:54:46 GMT

Direct flights between NYC and Elmira Corning airport are back
By Jeff Murray, The Star-Gazette

BIG FLATS - For the first time in more than 10 years, a passenger plane from New York City touched down at the Elmira Corning Regional Airport on Thursday, and local officials were in a mood to celebrate.

Delta Airlines recently decided to add flights between Elmira and New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, and Delta Flight 3790 was the first flight on the new route.

The 50-passenger jet was about 20 minutes behind schedule, but that didn't matter much, either to the folks waiting to greet passengers, or to the people happy to see the Elmira-to-New York link restored.

"It's been a long time since we've had New York City travel out of this airport," said Chemung County Executive Tom Santulli. "The plane landed with 33 passengers, and is leaving with 22. We hope it will grow. I believe it will. The Finger Lakes region wins."

"We can grow the tourism industry with this connection between upstate and downstate," he said.

Adding flights to JFK not only connects the Twin Tiers to New York City, but to the West Coast and Europe as well, said airport Manager Ann Crook.

Finger Lakes Wine Country is among the tourist draws that hope to benefit from the new Elmira-New York connection.

Finger Lakes Wine Country President Morgen McLaughlin was among the passengers who flew on the inaugural Delta New York-to-Elmira flight.

"We are tickled to have this new direct link from New York City to Elmira Corning. It's a milestone," McLaughlin said.

(For original story, please visit http://www.stargazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2012206070421&nclick_check=1.)

Flights from Elmira to JFK take off
YNN: Your News Now

ELMIRA - Nonstop flights from Elmira to New York City have officially taken off. Thursday was the first day for the new Delta flights from the Elmira Corning Regional Airport to JFK Airport.

Officials say the flights will make the city more accessible to people upstate, but will also bring tourism to the Finger Lakes region.

There were 33 people on Thursday's first arriving flight and 22 on the outgoing trip, but officials expect those numbers to increase, especially since JFK acts as a large hub for international flights.

"JFK is a wonderful hub to catch connecting flights to the West Coast or to Europe. And we actually have quite a few people here tonight that are getting on this first flight to fly all over the world. So it's pretty exciting," Airport Manager Ann Crook said.

There will be one outgoing and incoming flight to New York each day at the airport. The 50 seat jet can make the trip in less than an hour.

(For video, please visit http://centralny.ynn.com/content/top_stories/587329/flights-from-elmira-to-jfk-take-off/.)

O'Mara: Museum Week is Underway Locally, Statewide

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 18:52:03 GMT

Elmira — State Senator Tom O’Mara (R-C, Big Flats) recently reminded area residents that a number of regional museums and historical societies will be sponsoring special events and activities as part of the inaugural “New York State Museum Week” from May 31 to June 6, 2012.

“We’re fortunate that the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes regions are home to many of New York State’s exciting and finest museums and historical attractions. They’re a foundation of our premiere tourism industry and the first annual ‘New York State Museum Week’ offers a new opportunity to showcase everything they offer,” said O’Mara.

The first-ever promotional event is being sponsored by I Love New York, The Museum Association of New York, New York State Council on the Arts and the New York State Senate. More than 200 museums across the state will take part and offer special events, activities and promotions to give visitors a sample of the exhibitions and programs available at the nearly 2,000 museums located throughout New York.

Participants across O’Mara’s 53rd Senate District include the Corning Museum of Glass, Arnot Art Museum, Chemung County Historical Society, Steuben County Historical Society, National Soaring Museum, Glenn H. Curtiss Museum, Cornell Plantations, and The History Center in Tompkins County.

“Not only do these institutions celebrate and preserve our historic and cultural heritage, museums enrich our communities and play a vital role in the state’s economy.” said Edward Maitino, Director of Tourism for Empire State Development, which administers the I Love New York program.

"We are delighted by the overwhelming enthusiasm the state's museums and heritage organizations are bringing to the inaugural New York State Museum Week," said Anne Ackerson, Director of the Museum Association of New York, "They want New Yorkers to discover them, fall in love with them, and come visit again and again."

For more information about Museum Week, please visit http://iloveny.com/summer/themes/museum-week.aspx.