When we spotlight local businesses on FingerLakes1.com one of the most-common questions we get from readers is "How do they do it?" Then when that feature hits social media, we'll see dozens of comments that read "Gee, I hope they can make it!" People are genuinely very curious about small businesses and their survival for two reason: First, becaus…

On Episode #490 of Inside the FLX we're talking with Auburn Mayor Jimmy Giannettino about the proposed city budget, getting the latest on two key projects happening downtown, and zooming out - taking a look at AIM funding and housing affordability in the state budget. Check it out on YouTube, or listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or the iHeart Radi…

What’s happening at the Montezuma Audubon Center this month? On episode #489 of Inside the FLX we’re talking with Center Director Chris Lajewski. The spring migration is continuing, so we’re getting the latest update on that, as well as a rare sighting at the refuge! We’re also looking back at the solar eclipse, and ahead to some upcoming events at…

On episode #488 of Inside the FLX we're joined by Cayuga County Sheriff Brian Schenck who discusses the recent death of two police officers in Onondaga County over the weekend. He spoke about the grief and emotions officers deal with when an incident like this occurs, as well as the reality that in current climate - 'routine incidents' aren't so ro…

How serious is the mental health crisis here in the Finger Lakes? The National Alliance on Mental Illness reports 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year; and the U.S. has seen its spending on mental healthcare skyrocket over the last decade. On episode #487 of Inside the FLX we get some local perspective from Margaret Morse. She’s t…

Coming up in just a few day the Seneca Housing Coalition will partner with dozens of agencies across the county and region for the third edition of its annual Housing Fair. The event, held during Fair Housing Month, aims to connect people to resources in the region as local, regional, and state leaders take aim at the growing housing crisis. An arr…

What are the biggest issues facing the City of Canandaigua as Council looks ahead to forging a new path for residents? The City Manager's strategic plan for 2024 outlines the most-crucial items - including housing, infrastructure, and attracting quality talent to the community. On this edition of Inside the FLX, we caught up with Mayor Bob Palumbo …

On this episode of Inside the FLX we're joined by Geneva Mayor Steve Valentino to discuss the last month's action. We kicked off with the breaking news about Chief Matthew Colton's resignation, and get the Mayor's take on recent headlines including 5&20 construction, as well as concerns about prominent business closures like the Geneva Movieplex an…

What's being done to address the workforce shortage in the Finger Lakes? Unemployment rates are historically low. Most counties in the region reporting 3.5-4.25% jobless rates. That means employers are competing for a smaller pool of workers than ever before. Making matters worse, population decline has exacerbated the problem. For example, the Nat…

How is the Cayuga County Sheriff's Office preparing for the Total Solar Eclipse in less than two weeks? In our monthly chat with Sheriff Brian Schenck, we dive into the work his team is taking on to get ready for that weekend, as well as other initiatives - including training to keep up with the demands of the region's mental health crisis. --- Sen…

It's the end of the month and that means time for our regular chat with Montezuma Audubon Director Chris Lajewski, who joined us in-studio to talk all things birds. There are several events coming to the Audubon Center in Savannah, Wayne County this month, all of which provide parents, kids, and residents-at-large the opportunity to get involved wi…

Today on Inside the FLX we’re talking with Canandaigua Mayor Bob Palumbo after their March 7, 2024 meeting. While a resolution to move forward with a red light camera proposal won headlines — Mayor Palumbo discussed several other key issues — including a bonding resolution, the onboarding of an important city leader in public works, as well as hous…

Last month Geneva City Council held its regularly scheduled meeting for the month of March. And as part of our continued series connecting residents to local, elected leaders - Mayor Steve Valentino joined us via Zoom to discuss the biggest actions last night - including a unique paddlecraft pilot, reassessments that are due out next month, as well…

It's early-March and that means its time for our monthly chat with Montezuma Audubon Director Chris Lajewski. He's here to talk bird migration, the seasonal changes taking place at the Montezuma Wildlife Refuge, as well as some upcoming events for people of all ages! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/inside-the-fl…

On Episode #477 of Inside the FLX we get an update from Auburn Mayor Jimmy Giannettino on the first two months of his administration. He's taking part in a new series where we talk monthly with elected leaders about legislative action at the local level. Giannettino talks about how state budget issues could have an impact on small cities like Aubur…

Geneva is set to discuss the creation of a ReUse Center aimed at reducing landfill waste during a public meeting on February 26 at the Geneva Community Center. The initiative, a collaboration between the City and Town of Geneva, seeks to repurpose items like electronics, construction materials, and repairable goods, offering them at low costs while…

Yates County Sheriff Frank Ryan is the first new leader of the sheriff's office there in more than three decades. What does it take to lead a department that's been headed by the same person since the early-1990s? We were joined by Sheriff Ryan for an exclusive conversation about his career in law enforcement, what brought him to leading the sherif…

Educating people about the mental health crisis often feels academic. It's been labeled a crisis by experts who work in the field, but a new two-day training opportunity that's open to the public across the Finger Lakes hopes to bring it home. URMC Thompson Health is offering a mental health first aid training program. The goal is to help people id…

Deb Turner has led the Finger Lakes region's 211 Lifeline program for many years. It's a program dedicated to connecting people to services - dozens of them - across the region. She was in-studio this week to discuss the impact of the 211 program, it's evolution over the last decade, and how the pandemic permanently changed the world they serve. --…

Among the most-controversial items inside Governor Kathy Hochul's 2024-25 proposed state budget are massive cuts to school aid. Among the most-staggering cuts in the Finger Lakes - Penn Yan losing $2.2 million, Watkins Glen losing $1.9 million, or South Seneca losing 1.5 million. This week we caught up with Hammondsport Superintendent Kyle Bower, w…

On Wednesday, February 7, Geneva City Council held it's monthly meeting. Mayor Steve Valentino said the agenda looked light from the outside, but explained a couple key actions taken by Council during that session. He also discussed upcoming work on the tunnel under 5&20, which is one of the last components of the city's Downtown Revitalization Ini…

When Summer Johnson ran for Marion Town Supervisor, she did so knowing that the community her family calls home needed someone dedicated. "I was called to action," Johnson said of her decision to run. In November, she was elected, and after being in office for a little more than a month - focus has shifted to finding ways to help better the communi…

After nearly two decades in the Auburn Enlarged City School District, Superintendent Jeff Pirozzolo will retire in January. The announcement came earlier this month at a board of education meeting, in which he said it was time for new leadership. On Tuesday, Pirozzolo was in-studio, reflecting on a lengthy career in education, and the work ahead to…

Today we kick off a new series featuring monthly one-on-one conversations with elected leaders from around the Finger Lakes and Central New York. Aileen McNabb-Coleman was re-elected to a new term last fall, and during the Cayuga County Legislature's reorganizational meeting - chosen by her peers to serve as chairperson through 2024. She joined us …

The Wayne County Board of Elections office has undergone a major change. While most election offices are integrating new technologies and stress is building as the 2024 presidential election looms – this office is feeling better about how it will serve the community. Republican Election Commissioner Mindy Robinson was in-studio discussing the trans…

Today on Inside the FLX we're getting an update from Cayuga County. Sheriff Brian Schenck says the jail population there is down, to a figure he hasn't seen in more than a year. While he's not sure what the data means, it's something that has local law enforcement's attention. He also talks about a new program he hopes local residents will take adv…

On Monday, January 22 we were joined by Chris Lajewski from the Montezuma Audubon Center to discuss winter activities, latest migratory activity at the wetlands, and so much more. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/inside-the-flx/message

What is nonROCaholic? It's an upstart blog and social media guide aimed at showcasing the awesome non-alcoholic craft beverages sprouting up across the Finger Lakes region. While the Finger Lakes will always be known for some of the best wine, craft beer, spirits, and cideries in the world, many are exploring non-alcoholic options as younger genera…

Northeast College in Seneca Falls is growing. Known for over a century as a graduate-level healthcare institution the College recently announced new undergrad degree programs in imaging sciences and healthcare administration. The new programs will be offered this fall and marks a major transition for the College. To discuss the changes we're joined…

In March voters in the village of Wolcott will cast an important ballot about the future of their community. The dissolution process has been started after a petition with 85+ signatures made its way to village hall last month. That petition means voters will cast a ballot on whether the Village should study dissolution, a process that would end vi…

What happens now that WellNow Urgent Care, one of the most-readily available healthcare assets across Upstate New York, is out-of-network for Excellus subscribers? The two sides had been locked in contentious negotiations, and on January 1, 2024 the clock expired. WellNow was forced to stop accepting Excellus health insurance, which means for those…

Aphrodite Jones is a New York Times best selling and prolific true crime author. She's hosted a television series, and more than one of her books has been turned into a movie. We sit down with her upon the release of her new book documenting the crimes of Karl Karlsen, a Seneca County man who killed his first wife and son nearly two decades apart, …

This week in a live episode of Inside the FLX I was joined by Chris Lajewski from the Montezuma Audubon Center. He gave us a rundown on the latest happenings at the Center in Savannah, Wayne County, as well as the 411 on Avian Flu, which made headlines this week after a possible outbreak was identified at a Webster park near the Wayne County border…

Today on Inside the FLX we are talking about anti-smoking and anti-tobacco policy efforts here in the region. Lindsay Kremers, from the Tobacco Action Coalition of the Finger Lakes, joined us this past week to discuss a recent report highlighting higher-than-average smoking rates across most counties here in the region. What does the data mean? How…

The holiday weekend is here and for many across Upstate New York that means travel! Today on Inside the FLX we're taking a closer look at electric vehicles or EVs. Specifically, how folks go about preparing for holiday travel, or travel any time of year. One of the biggest criticisms of EVs is the lack of charging infrastructure in-between populati…

Today on Inside the FLX we get one last update for 2023 from Cayuga County Sheriff Brian Schenck before a new year begins. He talks about a pair of retirements in the sheriff's community here in the Finger Lakes; and also talks about winter weather travel advisories. How do they work? What do they accomplish? Those questions, plus plenty more on th…

Electrifying school buses is going to be a major challenge. In this episode, we sit down with Billy Harvey, who works in bus sales, and talks with districts across Upstate New York about their fleet needs. He says the move to electrifying school bus fleets is one that will be immensely expensive, and one that many communities simply are not ready f…

Historically, there’s been a lot of focus on the decline of traditional media. Newspapers, radio, and television have had to evolved-or-shrink, with many across the U.S. shrinking or disappearing entirely. The health of the news business is something of an interesting debate, though. While digital is attributed to doing the most damage to tradition…

This week we’re taking a deeper look at the Pay Transparency Law, which took effect in New York on September 17, 2023. The law mandates employers with four or more employees disclose the compensation or salary range for every advertised job listing, promotion, or transfer opportunity. The law specifies that the disclosed compensation range must be …

In a matter of hours — longtime local music educator Dan Hacker will march with the Band Directors Marching Band in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. That appearance, nearly six years in the making, will mark a major milestone in his music journey. Hacker says the journey wouldn’t be complete or the same, if not for the impact his students had on…

WellNow Urgent Care has announced that it will stop accepting Excellus BlueCross BlueShield insurance starting January 1, 2024. This decision is due to ongoing dispute regarding what WellNow deems as ‘unfair rates’ offered by Excellus. The urgent care provider has indicated that this change will take effect unless Excellus agrees to pay providers a…

Newark Police Chief Richard Martin says it's been a surreal experience 'coming home' to serve as the community's law enforcement leader. It's been 22 years since Martin worked for the police department in the place he calls home, but the time was right. "It's been surreal," Martin said recently appearing on Inside the FLX. "[I] felt it was time for…

This week on Inside the FLX we take a look at a damning environmental report released by Audubon. It shows just how much enviro-tourism hotspots like the Montezuma Wildlife Refuge could be impacted if climate change is not stopped. Montezuma Audubon Director Chris Lajewski discusses the implications of the report and what's next. --- Send in a voic…

What's up with the fight against HABs in the Finger Lakes? Last month, an announcement about a Nine Element Plan in the Seneca-Keuka Watershed to address phosphorus runoff made headlines. But it isn't the kind of flashy environmental news that gets a lot of attention. Especially in the Finger Lakes, where bitcoin mining, landfilling, and other issu…

On this episode of Inside the FLX it's all about political committees and the work they do. John Hurley from the Ontario County Democratic Committee joined Josh Durso to talk about the work committee members do, and how important it is for voters to be engaged. It's challenging -- connecting voters, candidates, and the issues they care about. But i…

Newark Mayor Jonathan Taylor talks about recent tragedy in village, future of DRI projects, and additional developments in downtown Newark. This is episode #447 of Inside the FLX. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/inside-the-flx/message

Host Ted Baker welcomes Chris Lajewski of the Montezuma Audubon Center into the FL1 studio for his monthly appearance. Fall is here but is still a beautiful time for the Audubon Center in Savannah. Chris informs us of hurricane season and how that impacts flight paths of birds. Also, with school being back in session, Chris informs us about school …

Many people know Ray Ciancaglini from his Second Impact Foundation, devoted to raising awareness of and preventing head injuries in young athletes. Ray knows the issue firsthand, after suffering permanent damage from consecutive blows to the head as a professional boxer. He tours the country, talking to student-athletes about the importance of trea…

In this episode, we talk with Auburn City Clerk Chuck Mason and get our weekly City Council recap. The council finalized the distribution of $1.25 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds for city non-profit organizations: ABC Cayuga $50,000 Booker T. Washington Community Center $84,100 Calvary Food Pantry $50,000 Catholic Charities of the Finger …

In this episode, we talk with Sarah Whiffen, Associate Vice President for Student Affairs. FLCC has introduced a pair of mobile apps to help students get the help and services they need, and to make them aware of services they might not know about. Finger Lakes Community College implemented new mobile-friendly applications to enhance student outrea…