eNews: July 2025

Dear eNews Reader,

Summer is flying by. Between the heat and the rain, I’m not sure what happened to July. We finally got a break for a perfect Spiedie Fest weekend. I took a few days off this month and spent time visiting NY’s beautiful Hudson Valley. NYS has so many great destinations; this website has a lot of suggestions: https://www.iloveny.com/places-to-go/. We’re located in the Central NY tourist region.

Donna

Renovations Completed at Greater Binghamton Airport

NYSDOT Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez was in town to cut the ribbon on the newly renovated Greater Binghamton Airport. Thanks to the Upstate Airport Revitalization grant we received, the main terminal has a great view with floor-to-ceiling windows, comfortable furniture, and other amenities. Thank you to the hundreds of people who made this happen. I know we all want to see more flights at BGM now so we can fly local.

Read more here.

Binghamton University Starts Construction on New Lecture Hall

We officially broke ground on Binghamton University’s new Lecture Hall last week. The current Lecture Hall dates back to the 1960s, when BU had less than 2,500 students enrolled. A modern, state-of-the-art facility will be a great addition to the campus, marking another exceptional moment in the history of Binghamton University, one of the country’s best public ivies. Thank you to the SUNY Construction Fund, the design team, and everyone who played a role. And a special thank you to Harvey Stenger who will be retiring this year; his leadership and vision has made a huge impact.

Read more here.

Former JC High School Coming Back to Life

After years of decline, the restoration of the old Johnson City HS is finally underway; Secretary of State Walter Mosley helped us with the groundbreaking. The main building will be turned into 55 energy-efficient apartments and the former gymnasium will become BOCES’ training center for nursing students, increasing the number of graduates from 30 to 90 per year. Some of the funds came from the Downtown Revitalization Initiative awarded to JC. We have watched this beautiful historic building for many years, hoping to see this type of adaptive reuse. Thank you to everyone involved for their vision and commitment to bringing this historic structure back to life, especially Lane Construction who purchased the property.

Read more here.

Broome County Fair Celebrates 150 Years

The Broome County Fair celebrated its 150th anniversary last month. The Broome County Agricultural Society has organized the Fair since 1871 (when Ulysses S. Grant was President). To mark the occasion, Senator Lea Webb, Assemblyman Joe Angelino, Senator Peter Oberacker and I presented Legislative Resolutions to the Society. We also spent time enjoying 4-H activities, and visiting with fair organizers.

Read more here.

Civil Air Patrol Cadets in Training

Earlier this month, I had the chance to visit the NY Wing of the Civil Air Patrol’s encampment at Hancock Field in Syracuse. This is an annual week-long intensive program for CAP cadets. I was invited see equipment that was purchased and renovations made to the CAP Training Building, paid for with grants I have helped them secure. As the Leader of the Legislative Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol, I am a strong advocate for them in the Legislature, as they play a critical role in emergency response, aerospace education, and youth development. For more information on the NY Wing, visit https://nyw.cap.gov/.