August 18, 2021 – Urban CNY

Mayor Walsh and Assembly Transportation Chair Magnarelli Announce 14 Miles of City Roads to be Repaved with New State Touring Routes Funds

by Urban CNY News
August 18, 2021

Syracuse, N.Y. – The City of Syracuse will more than double the miles of roads it will repave this construction season. The major increase in road work is made possible by an infusion of $7.25 million in New York State Touring Routes funding to the City, according to Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh and New York State Assembly Transportation Chair William Magnarelli. The increase means, weather permitting, an additional 14 miles of repaving work in neighborhoods across the City. The Department of Public Works initially targeted ten miles of road reconstruction this year. “Our road reconstruction team is rolling again this summer. They’re repaving major roads and neighborhood streets all over the City,” said Mayor Walsh. “This additional state support means we will be able to complete about two seasons of work in one year. I thank Assemblyman Magnarelli and all of the members of our state delegation for making this funding available. The impact of Touring Routes funds will be felt for many years to come across the City.” The State Legislature authorized $100 million in Touring Routes funds in the state’s 2021-22 fiscal year budget. The funds go to cities, towns and villages to enhance the physical condition of roadways, create jobs and enhance local economic competitiveness. “Bad road conditions are not just an annoyance. They are a safety issue that can cause personal injuries and property damage, deterring residents from their daily routes and making life in general more difficult. Investing in our local infrastructure is an excellent way of helping our localities and increasing the flow of goods and people safely,” said Assemblyman Magnarelli, who represents the 128th Asembly District. “New York State has invested $100 million in the Touring Routes Program that will fund reconstruction on our cities, towns and village roads, not just state routes, but for any roads throughout the state to serve the residents better.” The Department of Public Works is recommending the following city streets for reconstruction using Touring Routes funding to the Syracuse Common Council at its Aug. 18 study session: Road From To Ballard Ave. MLK Cortland Ave. Bellevue Ave. Velasko Rd. City Line Brattle Rd. Sedgwick Dr. Dewitt St. Butternut St. State St. Grant Blvd. Clarendon St. Westcott St. Ackerman Ave. Clarendon St. Ackerman Ave. Ostrom Ave. Cleveland Ave. Grant Blvd First North St. Court St. Sunset Ave. 7th North St. Crawford Ave. Meadowbrook Dr. Scottholm Blvd. Croly St. East Fayette St. East Genesee St. Cumberland Ave. East Genesee St. Dead End Dearborn Pl. MLK Blaine St. East Beard Ave. State St. South Salina St. Genant Dr. Spencer St. Kirkpatrick St. Genant Dr. Court St. Bear St. Helen St. Park St. Sidney St. Hurlburt Rd. Brookford Rd. East Gennesee St. Kirk Ave. Midland Ave. South Salina St. Lancaster Ave. Euclid Ave. Hertford St. Lodi St. Butternut St. North Salina St. Madison St. South Beech St. Irving Ave. Matty Ave. Park Ave. Wilkinson Ave. Park St. Butternut Street Washington Square Shuart Ave. Teall Ave. Sedgwick St. South Ave. Rockland Ave. East Bissell St. South Salina St. West Newell St. West Lynhurst Ave. South Salina St. West Lynhurst Ave. House 3800 South Salina St. East Seneca Trpk. City Line Seymour St. Oswego St. West St. West Lafayette Ave. Midland Ave. SouthSalina St. Warner Ave. South Salina St. Cannon St. West St. West Fayette St. Midblock

City Scuffle Neighborhoods

Mayor Walsh Appoints Denise Moore to Oversee Quality of Life Service Requests as New Cityline Coordinator

by Urban CNY News
August 18, 2021

Syracuse, N.Y. — Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh announced the appointment of Denise Moore as the new Cityline Coordinator. In her new role, Moore will be responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of SYRCityline’s customer service call center. Her work will include oversight of the hiring, training, and monitoring of the SYRCityline team, in addition to providing constituents with timely responses submitted through the mobile app and web portal. “Denise is a beloved City of Syracuse employee. Her work within the Parks Department over the years has shown that her heart has been set on serving residents in our community,” said Mayor Walsh. “Having Denise in this position will continue the work she has done to meet the needs of constituents after coming to City Hall to help during the pandemic. We are happy to have her leading the SYRCityline team as we strive to deliver quality constituent services.” For more than 15 years, Moore has invested in youth and their family members in her previous role as the director of the Seals Community Center at Kirk Park. Her work involved supervision of center staff, implementation of program activities, acquisition of grants, interfacing with community agencies, and garnering support from local businesses. Prior to working for the Department of Parks, Recreation & Youth Programs, Moore worked with youth for 11 years as the Substance Abuse Prevention Educator for Syracuse Model Neighborhood Facility, Inc., facilitating group meetings and programming for participants. In addition to being a community advocate and problem-solver, Moore has received numerous leadership awards including being named the recipient of the 2013 Program Leader Award by the Central New York Recreation and Parks Society. She began her new position in early August and will report directly to Corey Driscoll Dunham, the City’s Chief Operating Officer.

Business News News

Empire State Development Announces Genius NY Round Five Finalists

by Urban CNY News
August 18, 2021

Selected Teams from Around the World Will Compete for a Total of $3 Million in Investments and Participate in yearlong Accelerator in CNY Program is supported by “CNY Rising” the region’s comprehensive strategy to revitalize the community and grow the economy Empire State Development (ESD) today announced the five teams selected to take part in round five of the innovative GENIUS NY business accelerator program. Supported by the CNY Rising Upstate Revitalization Initiative and administered by CenterState CEO at the Tech Garden in downtown Syracuse, these startup, unmanned systems industry companies will participate in a yearlong program. The five finalists include teams with international and New York state representation and were selected from a pool of more than 600 submissions. They will compete for $3 million in direct investment, with one grand prize of up to $1 million and four $500,000 awards. The competition is the largest business accelerator competition for the UAS industry in the world. GENIUS NY participants are required to commit to operating their business in Central New York for at least one year. “The GENIUS NY competition has helped to establish Central New York as a hub for unmanned aerial systems by attracting the next generation of innovative entrepreneurs,” saidEmpire State Development Chief Operating Officer and Executive Deputy Commissioner Kevin Younis.”New York’s ongoing UAS investment will ensure that continued industry leadership, bringing top quality jobs and growth to the region and beyond. This month, those five companies will move into The Tech Garden, in downtown Syracuse, and will begin to refine work on their business cases which they present at the Pitch Finals event which will be held Thursday, October 21, 2021 at the Marriott Syracuse Downtown. “We look forward to welcoming these teams from around the world to our community so we can support their growth and integrate them into the thriving ecosystem we have developed for the unmanned systems industry,” said Kara Jones, director of GENIUS NY. “Over the next year, they will receive targeted business development resources and mentoring that, coupled with the state’s high-value investment, will ensure their success. It has been incredibly rewarding to see the growth of the teams from previous rounds of the competition and I know this new cohort will join them to further establish The Tech Garden as the leading place to grow your UAS company.” The five selected finalists are: Airial Robotics (Hamburg, Germany): Airial Robotics develops commercial UAVs for surveillance, logistics and agriculture modeled after gyrocopter/helicopter hybrid that are challenging industry performance limits for safety, payload, range and speed. Airtonomy (Grand Forks, North Dakota): Airtonomy’s push-button software automates uniform collection, packaging and analysis of data acquired by autonomous vehicles and sensors, specifically targeting critical energy infrastructure. CarScanner (Krakow, Poland): CarScanner develops a used car inspection robot that autonomously navigates around a car and automatically detects scratches, dents, repainted body surfaces, and other damages with structured light, thermography and machine-learning algorithms. Circle Optics (Rochester, New York): Circle Optics develops high-resolution, wide field-of-view imaging systems that enable real-time capture without the time and expense of post-processing required by other multicamera systems. Paired to a UAS, this technology can enable immersive telepresence, better autonomy and a platform to run edge applications such as self-localization, object recognition/tracking, and volumetric data capture. WindShape (Geneva, Switzerland): WindShape develops indoor weather simulation technology to test and certify drones under controllable and repeatable flight conditions to enable autonomous and scalable drone applications. Throughout the program, teams will engage with community leaders, mentors, and advisers from leading companies in Central New York while also participating in tourism activities. The goal is to encourage all participants to put down roots and stay in the region following the conclusion of the program. “These companies were selected from the most competitive pool of applications we have ever seen,” said Jeff Fuchsberg, vice president of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at CenterState CEO. “This year’s applicant pool and high-growth finalists highlight the program’s ability to drive success and impact the rapid growth of participating teams. As these teams join our innovation ecosystem, they will also benefit from a network of resources we’ve established to support startup companies at The Tech Garden.” “The success of this program can be seen in the companies from prior rounds that continue to grow and create jobs in our community,” said Rob Simpson, president of CenterState CEO. “Their continued success supports regional efforts to be a global leader in the unmanned systems industry.” Since 2017, GENIUS NY has invested $12 million in 22 companies from around the world and brought them to Central New York to participate in the yearlong in-residence accelerator where they receive assistance with product development, business development, and networking opportunities with investors and business leaders. Participants are also integrated into the larger regional effort to grow unmanned aerial systems in Central New York and the Mohawk Valley, and will have access to world-leading infrastructure and testing assets. Participants also have opportunities to connect with investors for follow on funding. Since 2017, GENIUS NY companies have raised more than $40 million in follow-on funding and have created over 50 jobs in New York. Local elected representatives praised the program: State Senator Rachel May, “I applaud all of the finalists and participants in the GENIUS NY competition and look forward to the investments they will make in our region and economy. The energy and innovation they represent is vital to continuing to build a thriving entrepreneurship economy in Central New York. By funding business incubators and nourishing the best talent in our region, we are building a platform from which our local economy can prosper as we retain the talent we need to make our region stronger.” State Senator John W. Mannion, “I’ve lived in Central New York my entire life, and I watched as friends and family lost their jobs when manufacturing plants closed during bad times. Projects like CNY rising are building the economy of the future – I’m so excited to welcome these companies to my hometown and I hope

News

Governor Cuomo Grants Clemency to Ten Individuals

by Urban CNY News
August 18, 2021

Commutations Granted to Individuals Demonstrating Remorse, Rehabilitation and Commitment to Their Communities On August 17th Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, granted clemency to ten individuals who have demonstrated substantial evidence of rehabilitation and a commitment to their communities. “One of the foundational promises of New York State is that of equal justice, and equal compassion, for all under the law,” Governor Cuomo said. “Today I’m proud to help fulfill government’s unique responsibility to harness the power of redemption, encourage those who have made mistakes to engage in meaningful rehabilitation, and empower everyone to work toward a better future for themselves and their families. These ten clemencies are another step on the long march towards a more fair, more just, more equitable, and more empathetic New York. I thank all the volunteer attorneys representing clemency applicants for their dedication and service to the cause of justice and rehabilitation.” The Governor commuted the sentences of five individuals, and fully pardoned five individuals. Commutations Nehru Gumbs, 36, was convicted of first-degree Manslaughter, and second-degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon and Assault in 2005, crimes he committed at 18 years old. He has served 17-and-a-half years out of a 25-year sentence. While in custody, Mr. Gumbs has served as the Youth Counselor at Sing Sing’s Youth Assistance Program, earned his Associates Degree in Science (cum laude) from Mercy College, and is enrolled in plumbing & heating vocational programs and a 4-year college program with Mercy College. Upon release, Mr. Gumbs will live with his family, and pursue employment in the plumbing and heating field. Jon-Adrian Velasquez, 45, was convicted of second-degree Murder and Attempted Murder, three counts of first-degree Robbery, and first-degree Attempted Robbery, in 1999. He has served 23-and-a-half years out of a 25-year-to-life sentence. After entering the prison system in 1998, he enrolled in a college program through Hudson Link and earned an Associate’s Degree in 2012 and a Bachelor’s Degree in 2014, graduating with honors from both programs, and was recognized at graduation with an award for outstanding academic achievement and community service. He continues to work with Hudson Link, helping run their college program at Sing Sing, and since his graduation has worked as a teaching fellow for a Columbia University professor. In 2013, Mr. Velazquez helped establish “Voices From Within,” an educational initiative combating gun violence through the voices of incarcerated people. The program has been used by the NYC Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, the Department of Probation, and NYPD as an educational tool. Mr. Velazquez also founded Forgotten Voices, an initiative to bridge the policymaking gap between incarcerated people, DOCCS administrators, and the public. The program has resulted in policy proposals, fundraisers for community youth groups, the establishment of a gun buyback program in Brooklyn, a youth mentorship program, and more. Upon release, Mr. Velasquez will live with his mother, and work to expand programs like “Voices From Within” that he has developed while incarcerated. George Martinez, 60, was convicted of second-degree Burglary and Attempted Burglary, and fourth-degree Criminal Possession of Stolen Property and Attempted Criminal Possession of a Weapon in 1992, 1995, and 2007. He has served 15 years out of a 17-and-a-half-year-to-life sentence. While in custody, Mr. Martinez has worked towards earning his GED, and has become a well-regarded cook, provided voluntary cooking services for various events, including cooking meals for 200 guests at a ceremony for the New York Theological Seminary. Upon release, Mr. Martinez will live with his son, and continue his work in food services. Dontie Mitchell, 41, was convicted of first-degree Robbery, Criminal Use of a Firearm, and Attempt to Knowingly Make/Possess Dangerous Contraband in Prison, two counts of first-degree Attempted Robbery, two counts of second-degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon, and fourth-degree Grand Larceny in 1997 and 2003, including crimes he committed at 17 years old and while homeless. He has served 24-and-a-half years out of a 27-to-54-year sentence. While incarcerated, Mr. Mitchell has focused on mentoring other young men who grew up without role models. He has completed coursework for his Associate’s Degree through Bennington College, served as a GED tutor, and mentored young men in the Mentoring and Nurturing (MAN) Program. He has served as Youth Chairman of Sing Sing Chapter of NAACP, and as Education Chairman of the Auburn Chapter of the National Trust for the Development of African American Men. Upon release, Mr. Mitchell will live with his mother and stepfather. Richard “Lee” Chalk, 63, was convicted of two counts of second-degree Murder, two counts of first-degree Robbery, two counts of first-degree Burglary, and second-degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon in 1988, related to an incident in which he was the driver, not the gunman. He has served 33 years out of a 50-years-to-life sentence. While in custody, Mr. Chalk has earned training certificates in various fields, including legal research, food service, sighted guide training, and the Fatherhood & Family Law Program. He has also volunteered with Project Care and the American Cancer Society. Upon release, Mr. Chalk plans to live with family, and plans to obtain a commercial drivers license and resume work as a truck driver. Pardons James Pamphile, 44, was convicted of first-degree Bail Jumping and first-degree Attempted Assault in 2013, and third-degree Assault in 2011. After a childhood in Haiti marred by physical and mental abuse at the hands of family and community members due to his sexual orientation, Mr. Pamphile, an accomplished dancer, has remained crime-free for eight years. A pardon will help allow Mr. Pamphile to remain in the United States. Ivelisse Castillo, 60, was convicted of third-degree Attempted Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in 2001. A regular volunteer at a community garden, a local rehabilitation and nursing home, and her church, Ms. Castillo has remained crime-free for 19 years and is an integral part of her community. A pardon will help Ms. Castillo remain in the United States with her extended family, including her son, mother, sister, and grandchildren. Jorge Quinones, 47, was convicted of third-degree Attempted Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in 1996. Since his conviction, Mr. Quinones has earned a Master’s Certificate from Boston University’s computer engineering program, and launched a successful career working with various companies in the cybersecurity industry, including building communication helmets for the U.S. military. Crime-free for 25 years, a pardon will help Mr. Quinones remain in the United States with his family, including his wife. Miriam Ordonez, 40, was convicted of third-degree Attempted Criminal Sale of a

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Black Voices