July 19, 2024 – Urban CNY

Cover Stories

Governor Hochul Announces Award of Fourth Construction Contract for Transformative I-81 Viaduct Project In City of Syracuse

by Urban CNY News
July 19, 2024

Construction Starts on Community Grid, Relieving Congestion to City’s Hospitals, Employment Centers and Educational Institutions Major Upgrades Begin on City and County’s Drainage System, Improving Water Quality and Protecting Onondaga Lake Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the award of the fourth construction contract for the transformative Interstate 81 Viaduct Project. The award of the $313.5 million contract to CNY Alliance will begin construction on the Community Grid along streets on Syracuse’s eastside, in the former 15th Ward neighborhood. The Community Grid will replace the elevated highway in Downtown Syracuse and will relieve existing traffic congestion challenges in the city, while improving access to and from the interstate highway network and key destinations, including the downtown business districts, area hospitals, and higher education institutions. “It is not lost on me that the next focal point in the construction of the Community Grid was once a thriving community of Black and Jewish families, torn apart when I-81 was built through the heart of their neighborhood,” Governor Hochul said. “Although it has taken over 60 years to get to this point, we are righting the wrongs of the past, reconnecting neighborhoods and providing new opportunities for inclusion and equity in Central New York.” Comprised of eight separate contracts, the I-81 Viaduct Project’s contract four focuses on providing a direct connection to University Hill, the busiest employment, medical, and higher education corridor in Syracuse. More than 20,000 employees, patients, and students head to the hill for work, appointments, or classes at one of the city’s hospitals, colleges, or universities. As part of contract four, a new interchange will be constructed along I-690 westbound at Crouse Avenue, creating an additional access point for Central New York commuters destined for Upstate University Hospital, Crouse Hospital, VA Syracuse Healthcare System, SUNY Upstate Medical University, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse University, or the JMA Wireless Dome. To accommodate the increase in traffic, Crouse Avenue will be expanded from two to three lanes, with two lanes headed northbound and one lane headed southbound. To view I-690 westbound at Crouse Avenue map click on the following link I 690 and Erie Boulevard Area Additionally, Irving Avenue will be reconstructed to accommodate traffic headed to University Hill. Currently, Irving Avenue ends at East Fayette Street, but as part of contract four, the street will be extended to Erie Boulevard East. The street will also be expanded from two to three lanes – two lanes headed southbound, and one lane headed northbound. A new interchange along I-690 eastbound to the extended Irving Avenue at Erie Boulevard East will be constructed in future contract six, providing a second access point for suburban commuters headed up the hill. The new interchanges at Crouse and Irving Avenues will relieve traffic congestion currently causing backups along I-81 northbound and southbound at the Harrison/Adams interchanges. Additionally, the new access points will eliminate the bottleneck along Almond Street (future Business Loop 81) caused by an influx of commuters headed to University Hill. To view new I 690 Interchange at Crouse and Irving – click on the following link New I 690 Interchange at Crouse and Irving Avenues Work within contract four also includes the start of major upgrades to Syracuse’s and Onondaga County’s drainage system, separating storm water and sanitary sewer flow. Approximately 2200 linear feet, nearly half a mile, of drainage trunk line will be installed on Erie Boulevard East, between Almond Street and University Avenue, separating the city’s rainwater runoff and sewage flow. The stormwater will run to Onondaga Creek and the sewage will head to Onondaga County’s wastewater treatment facility for chemical treatment. Currently, the city and county storm water runoff and sewage systems are combined, flowing to Onondaga County’s wastewater treatment facility where it is chemically treated and turned into clean water. By separating rainwater from sanitary sewage, it reduces the amount of sewer flow into the system, prevents overloading, and cuts back on the amount of chemicals needed for treatment. A total of 20 to 30 million gallons of combined sewer overflow will be removed from the city’s drainage system as a result of the project, supporting Onondaga County Department of Water Environmental Protection’s continued effort to separate the sewer system, ultimately assisting with the facility’s consent order with the Department of Environmental Conservation to clean up Onondaga Lake and Onondaga Creek. Additional contract four components include: One year ago this month, Governor Hochul, along with federal, state, and local leaders broke ground on the I-81 Viaduct Project. Major construction on contracts one and two is underway and is essential to maintaining a high-speed interstate connection with national and international north-south trade routes from Tennessee to the Canadian border. Together, the first two contracts focus on reconstruction of the existing I-81/I-481 northern and southern interchanges into BL 81 and I-81. Syracuse Mayor Benjamin Walsh said,“I’m thrilled the I-81 Viaduct Project is underway and work is beginning on the Community Grid. The Grid will enhance mobility and access for pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers, and most of all, will reconnect our neighborhoods and residents,” said Mayor Walsh. “The Project will improve quality of life and grow economic opportunity in all Syracuse neighborhoods, especially for people living in the shadow of the viaduct who were harmed by I-81 for more than half a century. I thank Governor Hochul, Commissioner Dominguez and the NYSDOT team for their continued support of this transformative project.” In May of this year, contract three was awarded, with construction ramping up on city streets on the northside and Inner Harbor. Work includes three replacement bridges connecting the northside to the Inner Harbor, a new and improved southbound interchange at North Clinton Street along future Business Loop 81, and a reconstructed North Clinton Street that will include pedestrian and cyclist amenities. Follow the I-81 Viaduct Project on X, formerly known as Twitter: @NYSDOTI81. On Facebook at facebook.com/NYSDOTI81.

Lakefront (northwest) Neighborhoods Syracuse - Central Syracuse - East Syracuse - North Syracuse - South Syracuse - West

Syracuse Nationals Traffic Advisory

by Urban CNY News
July 19, 2024

The Syracuse Nationals will be taking place from Friday, July 19th to Sunday, July 21st, at the New York State Fairgrounds. On Thursday and Friday, over 8,000 cars are expected to be registering for the event. Registration will be taking place in the Solar Street parking lots at Destiny USA from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. both days. During these times, the Syracuse Police Department advises non-participant drivers to avoid the area of Hiawatha Boulevard and Solar Streets and find alternative routes where possible. The 400 block of Solar Street will also be closed beginning on Thursday at 4 p.m., lasting through Saturday night. Out of consideration for the safety of those planning to attend the event, Syracuse Police will be taking additional safety measures and adding more patrols. We would like to remind those who are planning to register that there is a ZERO TOLERANCE policy when it comes to disregarding traffic laws. We warn drivers not to participate in any actions like burnouts, reckless driving, or driving under the influence. All traffic laws will be strictly enforced, and cars will be towed. Drivers will be ticketed as a result of any of these actions. We will be working with New York State Police and the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office throughout the duration of the event. This collaboration will enhance overall safety for those planning to attend the festivities over the weekend.

Entertainment

Grammy Winner Crystal Gayle to Bring Signature Flair to Chevy Court at The 2024 Great New York State Fair

by Urban CNY News
July 19, 2024

The Great New York State Fair will welcome one of country music’s most successful artists as Crystal Gayle joins the list of Grammy winners set to entertain fairgoers this summer. Gayle, renowned for her brilliance in the entertainment industry, will perform at Chevy Court on August 28 at 1:00 PM. Gayle had a meteoric debut after her first single, “I’ve Cried the Blue Right Out of My Eyes,” written by her sister Loretta Lynn, landed a spot on the Top 25 on the national country music charts in the 1970s. Her first album featured hit songs “Wrong Road Again,” and her first number one single “I’ll Get Over You”. Since then, she has authored over twenty number one hits and has been recognized numerous times by various outlets, including The Grammys, The Country Music Association, The Academy of Country Music, The American Music Awards, and The American Music Operators Association. Gayle’s success and impact on country music was further solidified in 2017 after she was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry by Lynn. In 2019, Gayle won a Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award from The Academy of Country Music for her lifetime achievements in country music. To top it off, in 2009, Gayle received her own star on the legendary Hollywood Walk of Fame. Gayle introduced country music to new audiences throughout the world with her warm and captivating voice and her signature long hair. She has repeatedly toured in the United States, Japan, England, Canada, Ireland, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Finland, Holland, Australia, and eastern Asia. Putting her music aside, in the late 70s Gayle was also the star of her very own one-hour prime time special on CBS television, hosted a concert special on HBO, and starred in her own Christmas special from Sweden. She has made many guest appearances on specials and talk shows, including Bob Hope’s “On the Road to China,” that similarly solidified her stardom. In 1988, Crystal Gayle was awarded the “Celebration of Light Award”, recognizing her generous and charitable dedication to special causes. She recorded the official theme song for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and served as co-host for the Arthritis Foundation’s telethon for three years. She has recorded two inspirational albums, which led her to be inducted into the Christian Music Hall of Fame in 2009 and a Grammy nomination for her album “Someday.” Gayle’s album, “In My Arms”, a collection of children’s lullabies, her visit to Sesame Street to sing with Big Bird, and her performance of “Did You Know” on the tribute album to Mr. Rogers won a Grammy and exemplified her love for children. “We’re so excited to have someone of the caliber of Crystal Gayle perform as part of Women’s Day at The Fair this summer. Her impact within the music industry and pop culture has been enormous and she continues to pave the way for the up-and-coming artists,” said Fair Director, Julie LaFave. “With a handful of acts left to announce, we’re really looking forward to the entertainment lineup that we’ve put together and can’t wait to feel the energy this summer in Chevy Court and Suburban Park.” The Fair starts Wednesday, August 21, and runs through Labor Day, Monday, September 2. All concerts and grounds entertainment are included in the price of admission, making The Great New York State Fair one of the most affordable state fairs in the country. Admission tickets, parking, and passes for The Fair’s famous Midway are set to go on sale at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, July 16 and can be purchased by visiting The Great New York State Fair’s website. Admission tickets are $8 for adults while admission is free for children under 12 and senior citizens aged 65 and older. Fairgoers can also purchase a Frequent Fairgoer pass for $25, which provides admission to all 13-days of The Fair’s run. Parking is $12 per vehicle. In total, The Fair’s Chevrolet Music Series will feature 39 national recording acts. There will be a daily 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. concert at Chevy Court(located near Gate 1), and a daily 8 p.m. concert at Suburban Park (located on the western end of the Fairgrounds, beyond the Midway). All concerts announced thus far are provided in the charts below. Fair staff will continue to update schedules on The Fair’s website at pages dedicated to Chevy Court and Suburban Park. Chevy Court Wednesday, August 21 1:00 p.m. Chubby Checker Wednesday, August 21 6:00 p.m. 90s Rewind Thursday, August 22 1:00 p.m. RVSHVD Thursday, August 22 6:00 p.m. Ace Frehley Friday, August 23 1:00 p.m. Sophie B. Hawkins Friday, August 23 6:00 p.m. Sister Sledge Saturday, August 24 1:00 p.m. Kidz Bop Saturday, August 24 6:00 p.m. Ying Yang Twins Sunday, August 25 1:00 p.m. The Elders Sunday, August 25 6:00 p.m. Dax Monday, August 26 1:00 p.m. Herman’s Hermits Starring Peter Noone Monday, August 26 6:00 p.m. CAIN Tuesday, August 27 1:00 p.m. Little Anthony and the Imperials Tuesday, August 27 6:00 p.m. Blue Öyster Cult Wednesday, August 28 1:00 p.m. Crystal Gayle Wednesday, August 28 6:00 p.m. Danielle Ponder Thursday, August 29 1:00 p.m. Tom Nitti Thursday, August 29 6:00 p.m. Chapel Hart Friday, August 30 1:00 p.m. The Cleverlys Friday, August 30 6:00 p.m. Josh Ross Friday, August 30 9:00 p.m. DJ Swiftie Saturday, August 31 12:00-10 p.m. JAMS Funk Fest (with headliners Raydio, TMF, and C.P. Lacey) Sunday, September 1 1:00 p.m. Blippi: The Wonderful World Tour Sunday, September 1 6:00 p.m. Snow Tha Product Monday, September 2 12:00/4:00 p.m. Journey From the Heart Suburban Park Wednesday, August 21 8:00 p.m. Joey Fatone and AJ McLean Thursday, August 22 8:00 p.m. Warren Zeiders Friday, August 23 8:00 p.m. TLC Saturday, August 24 8:00 p.m. Chevelle Sunday, August 25 8:00 p.m. Dropkick Murphys Monday, August 26 8:00 p.m. Megan Moroney Tuesday, August 27 8:00 p.m. Stephen Sanchez Wednesday, August 28 8:00 p.m. Joan Jett and The Blackhearts Thursday, August 29 8:00 p.m. Flo Rida Friday, August 30 8:00 p.m. Big Boi Saturday, August 31

Cover Stories

Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on Global Computer System Outages Impacting The State

by Urban CNY News
July 19, 2024

Governor Hochul: “The outage is having impacts here in New York for private sector businesses that rely on CrowdStrike, and for systems even within the New York State Government. I want to be very clear, at this time, we have no indication that this is a hack or a cyber security threat. It is more of a technical issue.” Hochul: “Our top priority is emergency services. We’re working with localities to ensure that 911 systems are operational. Multiple counties have notified our Office of Emergency Management that their internal computer systems have been impacted, and thankfully, all of them have backup systems for situations like this. New Yorkers in all 62 counties are able to call 911 at this time.” Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul updated New Yorkers on the global computer system outages that are impacting New York State. VIDEO of the event is available below from YouTube A rush transcript of the Governor’s remarks is available below: Before we get started with today’s event, I want to acknowledge that we are in an unprecedented situation. At approximately 12:45 a.m. this morning, the cyber security company, CrowdStrike, sent a software update to their clients. Many systems received this update that literally shut down following this downloading due to a problem with the software. The outage is having impacts here in New York for private sector businesses that rely on CrowdStrike, and for systems even within the New York State Government. I want to be very clear, at this time, we have no indication that this is a hack or a cyber security threat. It is more of a technical issue. There is no risk to personal, sensitive information that we are aware of; although, we are continuing to monitor the environment very closely. Nonetheless, this has caused huge disruptions across the State of New York, around the country, and indeed the globe. CrowdStrike has publicly said that they’re aware of the issue, and they’re working to resolve it. And they have shared a fix to the problem, and our teams are working as quickly as possible to implement the fix. They have also rolled back the update that caused the problem, but they do not have a timeline as to when this will be fully resolved. As soon as this problem was identified, in the middle of the night, I deployed my team of experts to address it. Chief Cyber Officer, Colin Ahern, one of the best in the nation, I just got off the phone with him again, we’ll continue to be speaking with him throughout the day. Our Commissioner of Homeland Security, Commissioner Jackie Bray, and the entire team at the Office of Technology Services who have been working through the night. I want to give New Yorkers a brief update on our emergency response and our efforts to fix this problem. Our top priority is emergency services. We’re working with localities to ensure that 911 systems are operational. Multiple counties have notified our Office of Emergency Management that their internal computer systems have been impacted, and thankfully, all of them have backup systems for situations like this. New Yorkers in all 62 counties are able to call 911 at this time. Non-emergency services are being impacted as well. Major disruptions have been reported at DMVs across the State of New York. And while the Port Authority isn’t impacted itself, the individual airlines are. So, everyone should certainly be checking flight information before they head to the airport. The MTA – fully operational, but certain tech features like countdown clocks and the MTA app are unavailable at this moment. This is an obviously incredibly disruptive event caused by a third party vendor. We’ll continue working around the clock to restore services as soon as possible, and we’ll continue to keep New Yorkers updated on our progress. Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Far Westside (west) Neighborhoods News Syracuse - West

Fire on Far West Side Displaces Five

by Urban CNY News
July 19, 2024

Syracuse, NY-On Thursday, July 18, 2024, at 4:22 p.m., Syracuse Firefighters were alerted by the Onondaga County 911 Center to a possible fire at 1310 Willis Avenue. Firefighters from Station 5, on North Geddes Street, arrived on the scene moments later to find heavy smoke and fire showing from windows on the first floor of the two-story, multiple-family home. A signal ‘99’ was transmitted, indicating a working fire. The first arriving units began to stretch hoses to the structure, while teams of firefighters prepared to search the building for any trapped occupants. As additional units arrived at the scene, more hoses were stretched to the building and additional searches were started. Crews entering through the front door of the first-floor apartment encountered heavy flames and intense heat as they began the firefight. Crews moved through the first floor extinguishing the fire as they moved toward the back of the house. Other hose teams extinguished fire that had begun to spread to other parts of the first and second floor. All searches were negative, the occupants of the home were able to escape prior to the Fire Department’s arrival. Firefighters rescued one cat from an apartment adjacent to the fire apartment. “Click” on image to enlarge. The first-floor apartment where the fire began suffered extensive fire, smoke, and water damage. Another apartment on the first floor, as well as both second-floor apartments also suffered smoke and water damage. A hole was cut in the roof to help release trapped smoke and heat. The main body of the fire was knocked down in approximately 10 minutes. Crews remained on the scene for over an hour, checking for hidden fire spread, and assisting investigators. Syracuse Fire Investigators were at the scene working to determine the origin and cause of the fire. That investigation is ongoing. At least five occupants were displaced by this fire. They were being assisted by the Red Cross. There were no injuries reported to civilians or to Fire Department personnel. A total of 42 Fire Department personnel responded to this incident, including command and support staff. Syracuse Fire Department Ambulance, Syracuse Police, American Medical Response, National Grid, and the American Red Cross also responded to the scene. SFD Photos

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