Fulton, NY – The long tradition of chocolate-making in the city of Fulton will continue. A consortium of chocolate makers is taking over the former Nestle plant... bringing hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars to the ailing city.
WRVO's Elizabeth Christensen prepared this report.
Hamilton, NY – Colgate University has launched an institute to serve as a resource for anyone seeking information about upstate New York. Colgate president Rebecca Chopp announced the formation of the Upstate Institute last week. Jane Pinchin is Colgate's Vice President for Academic Advancement and the institute's new director. She told WRVO's Skye Rohde the program is on the cutting edge of university-community relations.
King of Prussia, PA – New rules regarding fire safety at nuclear power plants could affect the three Nine Mile Point Plants in Scriba, as well as the Ginna plant in Ontario.
Oswego, NY – A longtime jazz fixture in Oswego is gearing up for the release of its first CD this week. Freefall, a jazz quartet, and singer Dani Gottuso recorded their album "Well, It's About Time" in August. Keyboard player Stan Gosek, a former SUNY Oswego music professor, tells WRVO's Skye Rohde the more time he spends arranging a song, the more it takes on a life of its own.
Orwell, NY – Most people think of Thanksgiving as a time to gather with family and reflect upon one's blessings. But for the homeless and the down-and-out, it's not always that easy. Shelters are one option, but some men choose instead to join a community called Unity Acres in Orwell, in northern Oswego County. WRVO's Skye Rohde reports.
LaFayette, NY – Despite some controversy, the Haudenosaunee flag, which celebrates the unification of the six Iroquois nations, now flies over LaFayette Junior-Senior High School.
WRVO's Elizabeth Christensen attended the flag raising ceremony and has this report.
Syracuse, NY – One of the few established female conductors in the music world is in Syracuse this weekend. Anne Manson is guest conductor for the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra tonight and tomorrow night. Manson worked extensively in Europe before spending four years as the Kansas City Symphony's music director. She told WRVO's Skye Rohde she began conducting in college, when the head of the professional chorus she sang in asked her to fill in.
Fulton, NY – The alleged molestation of a Fulton, NY Junior High School football player by four of his classmates shocked Central New York. It also has commentator Merilee Witherall thinking about how we call can contribute to improving responsibility in our schools.
Richland, NY – It's a common dispute: developer versus neighbors, business growth versus environmental impact. In the town of Richland, in northern Oswego County, some landowners and environmentalists are arguing that the proper environmental review of a project that includes a nine-hole golf course has not taken place. They say endangered species are at risk as result.
Oswego, NY – Robert O'Connor, an English professor at SUNY Oswego, wrote his novel "Buffalo Soldiers" in 1993. The story was adapted into a movie, which was released by Miramax Films this past July and will be screened in Oswego tonight. O'Connor told WRVO's Skye Rohde that watching his story move from the page to the screen has been a positive experience.
Whitesboro, NY – It's not often that throwing rocks at a house is sanctioned...but it's actually the goal of curling. Of course, "throwing" a curling stone means sliding it along 136 feet of ice toward a bullseye called the "house." This Scottish game has been big in Canada for years and is a tradition in New York's Mohawk Valley. Members of the Utica Curling Club spent much of last week introducing it to new players. As WRVO's Skye Rohde reports, it has a lot to offer.
Pulaski, NY – Lighthouses are often viewed as symbols of America's maritime history, beacons guiding sailors back to terra firma. The Selkirk Lighthouse is no exception. It sits at the mouth of the Salmon River in northern Oswego County, a three-story stone structure with rooms to rent and 165 years of history.
Syracuse, NY – This week's announcement of 1,200 layoffs at the Carrier Corporation is yet another indication of the declining manufacturing sector across central New York and across the country. But it also begs two questions: what are other large local employers thinking about hiring and firing, and what can the laid-off Carrier workers do next?
Syracuse, NY – More than 130 people stopped in Syracuse Tuesday to advocate for immigrants and migrant workers. The activists are part of a nationwide effort to draw attention to the civil rights of immigrants in the U.S. WRVO's Skye Rohde has more.
Watertown, NY – The Chapin Living Waters Foundation in Watertown, New York is helping thousands of hungry people in the landlocked African country of Malawi -- and across the globe -- using little more than buckets, agricultural drip tape and good will. WRVO's Skye Rohde has more.
Canastota, NY – Beekeeping is not for the faint-of-heart. Neither is candlemaking, which requires patience, creativity and the ability to handle seeing Santa Claus from June to December. One 24-year-old Canastota resident has taken on both activities full-time in an effort to educate people about honeybees and the outdoors. WRVO's Skye Rohde has more.