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‘Our Erie Canal moment’
Micron to build $100 billion chip plant in Clay; Project to create 50K jobs By Ashley M. Casey Associate Editor Micron Technology has unveiled plans to build a massive semiconductor chip plant at White Pine Commerce Park in the town of Clay. State and local officials joined Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra in a press conference Oct. 4 at Syracuse University to make the announcement. “We chose this location for many reasons, but most importantly — Central New York offers a rich pool of diverse talent, including communities that traditionally have been underrepresented in technology jobs. This historic leading-edge memory megafab will deliver benefits beyond the semiconductor industry by strengthening U.S. technology leadership, as well as economic and national security, driving American innovation and competitiveness for decades to come,” Mehrotra said. “This is our Erie Canal moment. Just as the original Erie Canal did centuries ago, this 21st century Erie Canal will flow through the heart of Central New York and redefine Upstate New York’s place in the global economy for generations to come,” U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer said. Micron will invest as much as $100 billion over the course of two decades to build the “megafab.” The Micron l Page 3
By Ashley M. Casey Associate Editor
Governor.ny.gov
Gov. Kathy Hochul displays a microchip at the Micron press conference Oct. 4 at Syracuse University.
Clay supervisor reacts to Micron announcement By Ashley M. Casey Associate Editor For as long as Clay Town Supervisor Damian Ulatowski has served on the town board, local leaders have had a vision for White Pine Commerce Park on Route 31. With Micron Technology’s Oct. 4 announcement that the company will build a semiconductor plant on the site, that vision is becoming a reality. “This site, as long as I’ve been on the town board,
has been designated as a chip fab site, so my predecessors had this vision,” Ulatowski told the Star-Review. Ulatowski said the announcement was a welcome October surprise. “To be honest, I was a little bit stunned to have something of that magnitude all of a sudden fall into your lap,” he said. As Micron builds out the site over the next 20 years, the town of Clay likely can expect plenty of new neighClay l Page 2
Dot Foods donates $30K to area food pantries By Ashley M. Casey Associate Editor
Dot Foods, a foodservice distribution center with a warehouse in Liverpool, spent much of September giving back to the communities in which its employees live and work. As part of the company’s Neighbor to Neighbor program, Dot Foods donated $30,000 in food to the following Upstate New York food pantries: • The Salvation Army of Syracuse • Syracuse Northeast Community Center • Catholic Charities of Oswego, Fulton • The Salvation Army of Oswego • Rescue Mission of Utica
• Samaritan Center, Syracuse “The Neighbor to Neighbor program is something that we at the Liverpool distribution center look forward to,” said Adam Smith, general manager of Dot Foods New York. “It’s important to us, it’s important to Dot Foods, and it aligns with our values.” Dot Foods also provided personal hygiene supplies for some of the food pantries’ clients. “Those things were very, very difficult to source and the demand and need for them the last two years have gone up. They were over the moon when we were able to provide at least some of them,” Smith said. The recipient agencies expressed their gratitude to Dot Foods. “We were excited to be chosen Dot Foods l Page 3
Courtesy of Dot Foods
From left are Adam Smith (general manager of Dot Foods New York), Brenda Mimms (kitchen coordinator at Samaritan Center), Keesean Guerrier (driver), Judy Balon (human resources coordinator) and Reggie Cannon (warehouse manager); in the back is Daniel Stoughtenger (warehouse lead).
Visions FCU donates $1,000 toward CanTeen gaga ball pit By Ashley M. Casey Associate Editor
Adolescents who visit the CanTeen in Cicero are going gaga thanks in part to a grant from Visions Federal Credit Union. Visions donated $1,000 toward the construction of a gaga ball pit. The rain held off just long enough Sept. 27 for the CanTeen crew and a representative from Visions to cut the ribbon on the project — and for the teens to play a round of gaga. Gaga is a “kinder, gentler version of dodgeball,” according to GagaCenter.com. The game, said to have originated in Israel and brought to Jewish summer camps in the United States, is played with a foam ball in an octagonal pit. “I would have loved this as a kid,” said Sarah Parton, community development liaison for Visions. “This is a great outlet, and the CanTeen pro-
‘Meet the Candidates’ forum set
vides such great resources for teens in this area. We are proud to support them.” Parton said Visions gives back to local causes in the communities its branches serve. Visions recently donated $1,000 to Rise Above Poverty Syracuse for personal hygiene supplies, and the credit union also contributed a $500 grant to the food pantry at Roxboro Road Elementary School. Since the CanTeen was forced to cancel its annual Gus Macker 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament in August, the center relies on funding from local governments and donations from area businesses like Visions. The CanTeen is always in need of volunteers to continue serving youth. “There is a nonprofit volunteer board that helps organize many events and fundraisers. We are looking to recruit more members. If you have a passion to serve, encourage
Ashley M. Casey
The CanTeen and Visions Federal Credit Union held a ribbon cutting Sept. 27 for a gaga ball pit at the center. and walk alongside our teens, we would love to talk to you,” CanTeen Director Amy Crowley said. The CanTeen is looking for a fundraising coordinator to manage events such as the Banff Film Festival and spaghetti dinners. At the Sept. 22 meeting of the North Syracuse Village Board of Trustees, Crowley offered some sta-
tistics about the center’s attendance. The CanTeen sees an average of 65 to 70 students each afternoon and has had 483 visitors this year. Prepandemic, yearly attendance totaled between 550 and 600 teens. Two CanTeenagers shared their experiences with the trustees. One participant, Rachel, said the compasGaga l Page 2
The Bayberry Community Association’s Meet the Candidates forum returns after a two-year COVID hiatus. Residents of Bayberry, Irongate and the surrounding communities can meet and ask questions of candidates running for county and state offices. “It’s been something that BCA’s done for many, many years,” said Deborah MagaroDolan, BCA volunteer and Clay town councilor. “Usually, it’s pretty full. People look forward to it. I’m hoping that after not having it for two years because of COVID that people will want to come back.” Magaro-Dolan said some voters are unaware of how important it is to vote in every election. “I think a lot of people don’t know … they can vote other years when there’s not a presidential election,” she said. “The more local the race is the more it affects everyone’s daily life.” The BCA has gained new volunteers and a new president, Jordan Curtis, since the last time the candidates’ forum was held. Magaro-Dolan said more seasoned volunteers have stressed the event’s importance to the newcomers. At the BCA forum, people can ask questions or write them down for a volunteer to read if they are not comfortable with public speaking. Each candidate will have the opportunity to respond and there will be a short time for rebuttals. Magaro-Dolan encouraged residents to get involved in their local government and community associations. She also recommended voters seek information from the Onondaga County Board of Elections. “For civic engagement, it’s really important for people to look up their local political associations for information on Forum l Page 10
I-81 exit ramp to parkway reopens By Russ Tarby Contributing Writer After being closed for nearly three months for resurfacing, the I-81 exit ramp onto Onondaga Lake Parkway reopened to traffic late on the afternoon of Wednesday, Oct. 5. The New York State Department of Transportation project began on July11.Atthattime,DOTofficialsestimated that the exit – 24A – would be closed for about two weeks. The project was described as routine maintenance on the exit ramp’s surface. The work was weather dependant, said DOT spokesman Curtis Jetter, so several stormy summer days likely contributed to the project’s delay. Some 16,000 vehicles use that exit daily, but during the last three months thousands of motorists had to detour via Old Liverpool Road. Drivers could also access Onondaga Lake Parkway westbound by getting off at Park Street.
Volume 130, Number 41 The Star-Review is published weekly by Eagle News. Office of Publication: 2501 James St., Suite 100, Syracuse, NY 13206. Periodical Postage Paid at Syracuse, NY 13220, USPS 316060. POSTMASTER: Send change of address to Star-Review, 2501 James St., Suite 100, Syracuse, NY 13206.
community: Uptown Hoedown to benefit local horse rescue.
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sports news: C-NS football beats Liverpool 36-0.
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Calendar �������������������� 5 death notices ����������� 2 Editorial ��������������������� 4 history ���������������������� 10
letters ������������������������ 4 PennySaver ���������������� 6 Sports ����������������������� 11