Oswego, NY — SUNY Oswego’s presentation of “Urinetown: The Musical” gives its audiences a satire about the legal system, corporate greed, and pay toilets. The college’s spring musical continues to take the stage at 7:30 P.M. Thursday and Friday, April 26 and 27, with a matinee finale at 2 P.M. Saturday, April 28. SUNY Oswego student and assistant director, Wyatt Gilbert, says its a musical that deals with a moral issue of what’s best for society. “It’s about water shortage and what is going on in our government. UGC has decided that in order to control the poor, they are going to charge them to use the public restrooms.” Gilbert said one of the biggest challenges to bringing the script to life is was finding a balance between which characters each actor could play. Many of the actors are double cast, so they may be poor in one scene and a UGC employee in the next. One of the lead roles, Bobby Strong, is played by Seth Prevratil. Prevratil says that the cast has come a long way since their first read through of the script. He says it’s been a challenging but rewarding experience and encourages everyone in the community to come see the show.
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Taco Bell Grand Opening
OSWEGO, NY— The time has finally come. Oswego’s own Taco Bell has finally opened and with promotions to celebrate.
On Wednesday morning, locals attended the grand opening and ribbon cutting for the fast-food chains new location. The new addition to Oswego’s dining options has taken about 6 months to construct, and after numerous delays caused by weather conditions a gas pipe running through the property has finally opened on October 30. The marketing director, Jessica Woodburn has been waiting for this moment.
“So I think that everyone here in Oswego has known that this has been a long time coming we’ve been working diligently to find a location and due to situations out of our control,” said Woodburn. “We had a couple of locations fall through but then we were able to get this fantastic location on George Street. We’re excited we’re finally open people have been very patient and we think that today is just going to be a phenomenal opening day.”
A familiar face was seen at the grand opening, Oswego Mayor Billy Barlow.
“Well it’s great to finally have Taco Bell in Oswego. We had a many years ago and it left Oswego, but now it’s back and it’s finally here and we’re so excited. There’s a huge demand here in the city. Between people in the SUNY community and people who just overall love Taco Bell and are tired of driving to Fulton or North Syracuse to get it. I think they’ll do really well and we’re happy to have them,” said Barlow.
Some of their favorite Taco Bell orders?
“Chicken Quesadilla with a Mountain Dew,” said Woodburn.
As for Mayor Barlow, “I like the box of tacos, the cinnamon twists, and then the Baja Blast which I think you can only get at Taco Bell.”
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City of Oswego, Port Authority officials take construction feud to court
OSWEGO N.Y. — Construction of a storage facility at the port, meant for the transport of pot-ash or salt, is now at a standstill after city officials took the Port Authority to court.
“Their whole attitude should have been one of picking up the phone and talking to us,” the Executive Director of the Port Authority, William Scriber said.
Now, Port Authority officials are trying to prove that the structure will help the city if completed.
“With this project, we’re putting a lot of money into this local economy,” Scriber said.
Scriber explained that the port runs as its own business, creating jobs, and opening opportunities for the local economy without the help of tax money. But Mayor Barlow said they are going about the project in the wrong way – upset that the structure will block the view of the iconic Oswego lighthouse coming into the city.
“What would really be the win is for the port to build what they originally proposed, that being the 55 foot dome..What you can do is completely skirt the entire review process,” Mayor Billy Barlow said.
What stands now is a roughly 68-70 foot tall square structure, something city officials said they never agreed on. But Scriber said the height difference won’t change that view of the lighthouse from the Marina.
Photo of the structure as it stands now from First West St. in Oswego, NY. Photo by reporter Melanie Higgins. “If you’re not changing the holding capacity, or position…It’s not a major change…It’s still going to block that view, which by the way, isn’t a historical registered view,” Scriber said.
But Fort Ontario on the other hand is a historical view of the lighthouse, and Scriber said that was the view that they worked through with the SHPO review – where the State Historic Preservation Office reviewed and eventually approved the initial proposal of the 55 foot dome.
“The view of the Fort is not in the least obstructed by the building,” Scriber added.
City residents are split, some feeling as though the structure isn’t a big deal, and others agreeing with the Mayor. Lee Chetney is a city resident who said the view of the lighthouse is going to be, ”forever changed.”“You used to be able to come into the city…and ‘wow, I made it to Oswego, and look at how beautiful it is’ now they put that thing up and I hope they take it down because it’s just terrible,” city resident Lee Chetney said.
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More Police Patrols In Oswego
OSWEGO, NY— City of Oswego Mayor Billy Barlow has proposed a $90,000 grant to increase police patrols within the Port City. The new patrols will be called “quality-of-life patrols” and will be conducted on foot by Oswego City Police Department every Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening. The proposal for more policing in the city comes after a recent increase in the number of night time disturbances reported to the Oswego City Police.
Some students from the SUNY Oswego fear the new patrols will be specifically targeting students. Julian Martinez, a junior finance major at SUNY Oswego said, “Why now? Why increase the patrols now? After all these years of having the college involved in the community what debauchery is occurring to make them increase the patrols?”
Martinez believed the patrols will be mainly focusing on student activity. He noted many Oswego State students are most active in the city on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night. The same nights the quality of life patrols will be conducted.
Other students feel the patrols will help make the city a safer place for students. Senior, business-administration major Az Wilson said, “ It’s going to be better. It’s going to make the city a lot safer. I think it would help protect some of our students who go out on those nights as well.”
Mayor Barlow said the quality-of-life patrols are not meant to target students and he feels having police walking the streets at night will benefit the city, as well as university students. Barlow said he wanted “boots on the ground” to make sure city codes were being enforced and to ensure no large disturbances affected the city on its busiest nights.
Mayor Barlow also hopes the quality-of-life patrols will create a stronger relationship between the city police and the residents of the city.
Barlow said, “We know the relationship between police and public can be strained at times and I believe the best way to improve that relationship is to get the police out of the station, out of the cop car, walking in the parks, walking in the neighborhoods, and collecting data, but also forming relationships with our community members.”
Mayor Barlow said the Oswego City Police Department already has a good relationship with the community it serves, but more outreach can always be done.
The quality-of-life patrols have been funded for the rest of 2019 and all of 2020.
