Madison County Tourism, the county s official tourism promotion agency, is participating in a statewide partnership to encourage New Yorkers to “Roam the Empire” and enjoy all there is to see and do in-state while also helping to bolster the state’s hard-hit tourism economy.
“In any given year, New York State s diverse destinations and attractions provide great reasons for our fellow New Yorkers to plan their getaways within our borders,” said Bob Provost, president of the New York State Tourism Industry Association (NYSTIA). “But this year is different. This year, New Yorkers choosing to vacation in New York will make a huge impact. They will help reemploy over 300,000 of their fellow New Yorkers who lost tourism-related jobs during the pandemic in 2020. They will help revitalize local businesses and communities. And they will restore sorely needed state and local tax revenue to help fund our state s economic recovery.”
How can a musician make a difference to pets in need? One Man. The Band drummer Logan Chesebro saw a need and organized the upcoming Catstock fundraiser to benefit Finnland s Fosters cat adoption shelter in Oneida.
“I had the idea the day I saw Finnland’s posted their Go Fund Me page,” he said. “I thought, ‘How can a broke musician help this place get the money it needs?’ And I immediately thought ‘benefit concert.’”
Chesebro contacted Finnland s Fosters co-founder Michele Finn, she got him in touch with the folks at Nothin’ Fancy Country Rock Saloon in Vernon and the rest is history, Chesebro said.
Oneida Board of Education announces superintendent finalists
Sapna Kollali
The Oneida City School District Board of Education will take the next steps in its search for a new superintendent of schools when its three finalists visit the district on May 3-5.
During the course of the visits, the candidates will meet with representatives of various stakeholder groups, including administrative leaders, instructional and non-instructional staff, students, parents and community representatives. They will also tour some of the district’s facilities and learn more about the culture of the community.
Following the visits, the Board of Education will select a final candidate for further consideration. The board anticipates appointing a new superintendent around June 1.
Guitarist Desiree Ragoza has been jamming with the greats of rock music since she was just a teen.
A YouTube search finds the young Ashford, Connecticut, native performing on stage with the likes of Fran Cosmo and Barry Goudreau from Boston, Sammy Hagar, Ted Nugent, Marshall Tucker Band, Vinny Moore and Tony MacAlpine. In every single video, Ragoza looks like she is having the time of her life, jamming out with a big smile on her face.
“It’s hard not to smile,” she admitted. “I just get caught up in the moment of playing and forgetting about everything else around me - it just naturally resonates with me.”