By Lou Sorendo

Teacher. Actress. Singer. Consultant. Broadcast journalist. Humanitarian. Volunteer. Motivational speaker.If you put all that together, what do you get?

Karin Franklin-King.

She is all that. And more.

Franklin-King is certainly a self-made success story in Central New York. She has carved a niche in the region through her work as an adjunct professor at Syracuse University, her broadcast journalism career, her skills as a stage performer, and her knack for business consulting and motivational speaking.
Franklin is originally from Brooklyn and came to Upstate New York in the late 1960s to attend Onondaga Community College.

She is now a resident of Central Square.

Franklin-King accomplished much of her major requirements at OCC through its concentrated drama program.

After two years at OCC, she had hoped to transfer back to New York City and attend New York University for theater. “I cried my eyes out when I got my rejection letter,” she recalls. “The next day you couldn’t even see my eyes I was so upset.”

She would go on to apply to SUNY Oswego, where theater then was considered an extra-curricular activity.

From 1969-1971, she was able to do musical comedy and other theater pieces through the State Singers, a group that James Soluri had formed at SUNY Oswego.

“It was a wonderful outlet to be able to do music and theater at the same time while I was there,” Franklin-King said.

A visiting professor from Cornell University appeared on the scene and was impressed with Franklin-King’s work and performance in a play he had produced and directed. She was then given an opportunity to become part of the master’s program at Cornell University.

The entertainer

When Franklin was at OCC, the first musical she did there was a Syracuse Stage production. She played opposite one of her theater professors in “No Strings,” which was on Broadway at the time and featured Diahann Carroll and Richard Kiley.

It was one of the first shows to have a black woman and white man in a relationship.

“That was my introduction to the Syracuse community in terms of that ability,” she said. “I really had to step up my game when playing opposite my theater professor.”

Other memorable roles included “The Taming of the Shrew” at Cornell that had Mexico as its setting.

“I love Spanish. I just love the language and culture,” she said.

She also enjoys opera, and was in the Oswego Opera Theater’s production of “A Little Night Music” several years ago.

This past June, she was part of a two-person performance of “Having Our Say,” which was produced by the local Paul Robeson Performing Arts Company.

“My heart and soul is still in live entertainment and being on stage and performing,” she said. “I love to be on stage and have that live interaction.”
Her top choice is musical comedy, while straight drama comes next.

While in school, Franklin-King participated in auditions while trying to get into touring companies that were featuring off-Broadway shows.

“I didn’t get as far as I wanted to with those and went back to New York City. I just wasn’t making it so I came back to Syracuse, where I could mooch off friends,” she said with smile.

Breakthrough moment

At that time, the Urban League tipped Franklin on job opportunities through WCNY public television. The station was beginning a training program in order to groom staff to be producers, directors and on-air talents.

She learned broadcasting skills through on-the-job training at WCNY and did two shows, one allowing different arts organizations to do excerpts of their shows and the other a public affairs show with a magazine-type format.

She even directed “Bluegrass Ramble” with Bill Knowlton.

Meanwhile, WSYR Channel 9 in Syracuse had a new show with Mike Price called “Open Line.” The live daily show—extremely popular in the 1970s and early ‘80s—asked the audience at home to call in and talk to guests.

Franklin-King left public television to join the “Open Line” team. At the same time, she was doing shows in the community ranging from musicals to straight drama.

“That was still my roots and I thought at any time I was going to have to abandon the TV stuff to do what I really was meant to do,” she said.

“Through TV, I was still in a way living my theater dreams,” she said. “At the time I was doing ‘Open Line’ in 1976, Syracuse Stage was forming and bringing in equity actors to do high-level performances.

“Some of the performers from there came onto the ‘Open Line’ show so I had a chance to rub elbows with some of the greats that I’ve admired.”

“Open Line” also featured people who could help others get through difficult times. “That’s something I found a penchant for,” she said.

Phil Donahue was a popular talk show host at the time and was a guest of Channel 9. Franklin-King teamed with him to do a commercial called “Back to Back with Donahue.” His show was presented prior to “Open Line.”

Franklin-King kiddingly says that “Oprah Winfrey stole my stuff” because “Open Line” introduced the same kind of concept six years prior to the superstar’s rise to fame.

When “Open Line” was taken off the air, she got into doing more news broadcasting and consumer reports.

After working in radio, Franklin went into the corporate world and worked for Mutual of New York. “My mother said, ‘You finally have a real job’, because she thought TV and radio was just an extension of theater.”

Franklin-King’s talent as an entertainer extended beyond acting. She was the lead singer for a local rock ‘n’ roll, rhythm and blues band called Golden Gate in the 1980s and ‘90s. Her husband John King was the drummer.

The co-host

Franklin-King also produces and co-hosts a radio show, “Teen Talk.”

She said “Teen Talk” has been on air for almost 30 years. Two therapists founded the show after discovering a need they saw for teens to have someone to talk to.

The spark for the show came when a young man committed suicide following his father’s death because his dad was the only person he could talk to, Franklin-King noted.

The program was presented on radio stations that teens listen to and provided a forum for teens to talk with their peers. Adults were present “so when teens get into unchartered waters, they can help pull them out,” Franklin-King said.

The 90-minute show allows teens to call about anything they want, such as bullying or sexual preference, or adults will introduce a topic “just to get the wheels turning,” Franklin-King said.

Franklin-King said each year, the show recruits teens from high schools and trains them to be listeners, to ask open-ended questions, to engage with teen callers, and to learn how to trust and get teens to trust them.

Contact Community Services, a human services agency serving Central New York, began producing “Teen Talk” in 1989. In 2001, it began its association with Hot 107.9.

“We go where the kids are,” she said. The show is featured from 9-10:30 p.m. Sundays and also offers podcasts on its website.

The broadcast journalist

Franklin-King has hosted several live weekly call-in television shows, and now is working in commercials.

“My broadcasting links have never ended,” she said.

She also is active in the community in terms of doing workshops and emceeing. “I still have the name that people will call on to make things happen in their particular organizations in different ways,” she said.

Franklin-King characterizes her involvement in broadcast journalism nowadays as “more of a dabble.” She sometimes is asked to substitute for a regular show host who may be on vacation or on maternity leave. “I still keep my hands in it,” she said.

“I want to own my own television station,” Franklin-King said. She said the emergence of broadband and greater bandwidths have resulted in more stations. “I still see opportunity for women and minorities to grow in those areas,” said Franklin-King.

Franklin-King said about a decade ago, the Federal Communications Commission mandated stations to run public affairs programs while paying attention to what was going on in their respective communities.

The FCC, however, relaxed that mandate while depending on stations to take on that initiative themselves. “They didn’t,” Franklin said.

“Stations went to where the money was. I still think there is money to be made and sponsors to be found to do public affairs programs,” she said.

“I think it could be a lot of fun and I think there is really going to be a need for stations in communities to have their signature. I think it is the only way to really make any money because it’s so widespread,” she added.

The consultant

Franklin-King has her own consulting business—KFK Consulting.

Her 13 years in a corporate environment solidified her grasp of corporate social policy. At MONY, she was responsible for corporate giving. She worked her way up to human resources director for MONY and mastered being a point person for training personnel.

Not only is her consulting business buoyed by her media background, but she has gained experience in working with mainly nonprofits “in helping them get unstuck,” she said.

“I’ll sometimes be called in to do a workshop or retreat, and depending on what the issue is, will help them design what the retreat might be or what the course of action might be,” she said.

Franklin-King’s duties as a consultant involve taking a look at an organization’s capacity and “assessing everything.”

She also assists in strategic planning for organizations, involving herself in setting up fundraisers and capital campaigns.

She is also skilled at analyzing an organization’s fundamental set-up and determining weaknesses that need to be addressed, such as lack of committee structure.

As if her stage, business and media engagements are not enough, Franklin-King also excels as a motivational speaker.

“When I started doing it, it wasn’t anything that I really knew how to do,” she said.

As a speaker, Franklin-King determines what type of outcome she wants and what she wants the audience to walk away with.

“I started to think about what bores me to death when someone is speaking. What bores me to death is that they don’t let me say anything or talk, talk, talk and don’t recognize that I may be falling asleep or sitting forward and listening.”

A Hall of Famer

Franklin-King is a Syracuse Press Club Hall of Fame recipient.

“It really is a great achievement,” she said. “Anytime your peers take the time to recognize and applaud what you’ve done and what you continue to do, that is a milestone achievement.”

Franklin-King finds great satisfaction in inspiring young people to reach out for their dreams.

“I’m glad when I have the opportunity to be highlighted and to be able to say, ‘Look, I was turned down. I had to beg my way into college. My high school grades were in the toilet because I didn’t think I was going to college, so I didn’t care about certain subjects. Some I excelled in, others I didn’t,” she said.
After being turned down, her guidance counselor convinced her to ask for time with the dean.

“I convinced them and worked especially hard. When I do a speaking engagement or someone asks me about my roots and how I got to where I am, I love to tell those types of stories. Don’t give up just because someone said to. That’s a motivator,” she added. In terms of significant influences, Franklin-King characterizes her late mother Ethel as being an eternal optimist and having a very forgiving nature.

“I write to her all the time in a journal,” Franklin-King said. “I never realized how those things about her had become so ingrained in me, such as giving back and volunteering all the time.”

“If someone needed something, she would go out of her way to take care of them and find a way,” she said.

Despite her hectic lifestyle, Franklin-King adheres to a diet and exercise regimen to keep in shape.

“I have to be active or I get stressed out,” she said.

Franklin said she reserves a “meditation half hour” in the morning when she prays or reads spiritual books “just to center myself. It kind of starts my day.”

“I don’t turn on the TV until I say, ‘Thank you for allowing me to be here today,’” she said.
Syracuse University

Franklin-King is an adjunct professor at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, a role she has held for about six years.

She teaches broadcast journalism in the spring and fall semesters.

She came in on the ground level of a program that was primarily designed for graduate students and seniors.

“It involved having them come in and do a half-hour public affairs program, noting that hopefully they had the skills to be able to take on various positions such as producer, videographer, reporter, on-air talent, all of those things,” she said.

“We found that we needed to bring everyone in yet still concentrate primarily on students with greater skills,” she said.

The class airs its show on local TV stations such as WSYR Channel 9, the independent station WXTX and the university’s internal channel.

“I was brought on board primarily because of the work I had done as a talk show host and volunteer work,” Franklin-King said. “I produced public affairs programs for about six years while I was on TV and the same in radio. I know just about everyone in the community.”

Meet Karin Franklin-King

Karin Franklin-King has made an indelible mark on the Syracuse community as an adjunct professor, actress, singer, business consultant and broadcast journalist.

Here are several of her candid viewpoints on her life and career:

• On interacting with broadcast journalism students:
“I love being in an environment with young people who are going to shape public opinion and be the ones telling the stories. So when they come up with an idea, it’s important not to be discouraging about it and take time to help them develop it.”

• On today’s television:
“There’s not enough on air in terms of entertainment and cultural types of things and not enough for young people and their families. The ones that you do see are those comedies that really are extreme stereotypes of families and kids.”

• On why she chose her path in life:
“I think the good Lord had a better idea of what I needed to be doing than I did.”

• On her role as a talk show host:
“I really like being able to do something and make a difference and not just talk.”

• On her experience in radio broadcasting:
“I thought it would be a piece of cake, but it was difficult. You have to become the eyes of the listener so I had to talk in a different language.”

• On her personality:
“I consider myself as being an optimist. I like to be funny and engaging. I love conversations with people and I love to learn something new.”

• On working from home:
“I learned to discipline myself, and if that weren’t the case, I’m sure at some point when I’m working I’d switch the TV on and that would be the end of it.”

• On being able to adapt to different situations as a consultant:
“I’m incredibly blessed because things that come at me, I’ll reinvent myself to be able to do them. I’ll say, ‘Tell me what you need and let me get back to you.’ I’ll think about it and do some research, and then say, ‘Yeah, I could do that. It may take me a little bit of work.’ I love it. It comes from theater and improvisation.”

• On Tina Turner as her role model:
“I’ve always admired her in terms of her grit, her legs, voice, ability to reinvent herself, her stick-to-itiveness and just her positive attitude.”

• On her diet regimen:
“Broccoli all the time. I believe in broccoli. I don’t eat fried foods or a lot of red meat. I enjoy poultry and fish primarily and lots of water and herbal teas.”

By Marilyn Pinsky

What do a trombonist, a law professor, a steel worker, a nursing professor, an X-ray technician and a fire coordinator have in common?

They all volunteer for their local fire departments.

When you read their stories and realize that age is not a barrier to performing many needed tasks and that not everyone in a fire department runs into burning buildings wearing heavy equipment, I hope you will consider becoming a volunteer yourself.

Most fire departments in Onondaga County are staffed with volunteers 55 and older, according to Joe Rinefierd, director of the fire bureau for Onondaga County Emergency Management.

“There is such a shortage of volunteers that everyone is needed. And not everyone needs to be a firefighter,” he said. “Many departments are corporations with boards of directors that need people familiar with business and Robert’s Rules of Order to run the organizations.”

Let’s start with the Maroneys.

Thomas J. Maroney’s day job is professor of law at Syracuse University College of Law. For the past two years, he has been a volunteer fire police officer in the Fayetteville Fire Department. Dr. Mary Kay Maroney, director and professor emerita of the department of nursing at Utica College, is an emergency medical technician with the fire department.

“Though I had been a nurse and nurse educator for many years and enjoyed the patient care aspect of nursing, I soon learned that being an EMT is very different from professional nursing care,” said Maroney.

“EMT work is pre-hospital care, basically assessing, stabilizing, treating and transporting,” he said. “As an example, in a dog bite situation, when we reach the scene we are concerned about everyone’s safety, not just the person who has been bitten. We need to ask ‘where is the dog?’, stabilize the patient and transport to the hospital if necessary.”

Having been U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York for five years, and a volunteer with the U.S. Coast Guard auxiliary for 15 years, Maroney knows how law enforcement works.

“The fire police are an adjunct to law enforcement, with very limited law enforcement authority of our own,” he said. “The primary mission is traffic and crowd control. Everything is safety first—for yourself and for the scene. We set up traffic cones to protect the area where the firefighters and EMS are working, and that could be anywhere from a busy road, to a mall, to a residential neighborhood. You get there, assess the situation and block off the area if necessary.”

In tune with volunteering—The fire police captain for the Fayetteville Fire Department is William “Bill” Harris. A charter member of the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, Harris retired as principal trombonist after 48 years.

He is professor emeritus of music at Onondaga Community College and artist affiliate in Syracuse University’s Setnor School of Music. His most recent honor is induction into Nottingham High School’s Wall of Fame.

How does a classical musician become a volunteer firefighter?

“In 1992, the SSO had a money crisis and shut down from March to November,” explains Harris. “A great friend of mine from Syracuse University Marching Band days in the ‘60s, Tom Cook, was the fire police captain in Fayetteville where I’ve lived since 1966. So I knew all the guys socially but never had the time to be involved except to be friends.”

“I was always a fire buff and when the symphony shut down, Tom asked me to be in the fire police. I started taking fire course after fire course and absolutely loved it,” Harris said.

“It’s been a great 20 years. In the fire department, instead of an ‘I-me’ mentality, it’s ‘we-us’; it’s neighbors helping neighbors like our founding fathers intended. If you’re in the ‘we-us’ mode to make America better, this is the place to be. Compared to what I did all my life, I especially like the uniqueness of this whole thing,” Harris noted.

Vital to help others—Paul Whorrall, 58, retired from the U.S. Postal Service, is the volunteer fire chief and administrator of emergency services for the village of Manlius.

What is the main reason why people volunteer?

“It’s the sense of being able to help the community in an activity that is exciting,” said Whorrall. “Not only are you helping your own community, but it is personally fulfilling. True, there is a little of the adrenaline rush, but the main thing is what you can do to help people.”

“We have different levels of activity and allow people to do what they feel they’re capable of doing, from interior firefighting to scene support to fire police. There are people who do emergency medical services, drivers, EMTs and paramedics. We train people for everything. Most classes are held locally at night and on weekends.”

“For instance, to drive trucks and ambulances, all you need is a valid driver’s license, and over a couple of days, we will put you through an emergency vehicle operators course,” Whorrall said. “If you want to be an EMT, we provide the training and if you want to go on to become a paramedic, we’ll pay for that too.”

A volunteer firefighter since 1960, Mike Waters is a member of the Jordan Fire Department. He retired from the U.S. Air Force as public affairs officer with the rank of lieutenant colonel and was the fire coordinator for Onondaga County for over 29 years.

“I had wanted to be a fireman since I was a little kid and that feeling never left,” said Waters. “You build life-long friendships in the fire services, and sure, there’s a certain amount of excitement to it and, if you want, there are mental and physical challenges involved.”

‘Man against nature’—What’s it like to be a firefighter?

“It’s man against nature, it’s teamwork, it’s like a symphony where all the different parts have to be working together for it to be successful,” Waters said. “s a retired military officer, it’s a lot like a military operation. A bond is built with people who have faced the same adverse emergency conditions. You have to rely on them and they on you.”

The Onondaga Nation volunteer fire chief is Ronald Shenandoah, age 62. Shenandoah was a structural iron worker for many years, then an over-the-road truck driver for Jaquith Industries for over 13 years, He now works for the Nation.

“The Onondaga Nation Fire Department has been in existence in its new incarnation for 11 years,” Shenandoah said. “Prior to that, we had our own patrol and when the Nedrow Fire Department got a call that was on the Nation and would respond, I met them and showed them where to go.”

“Then Nedrow Fire Chief Harold Smith asked if volunteers on the Nation would like CPR and First Aid training so we could take care of patients until the Nedrow FD arrived,” said Shenandoah.

“Next, he asked us to join the fire department in Nedrow, so we started working with them,” Shenandoah said. “In 1998, we had a house fire on the reservation where a person died and all the people involved except two were from the Nation. A couple of the chiefs suggested we have our own fire department and that’s how it started.”

Many roles to fill—“Not everyone has to be an interior firefighter and there’s a place for everyone. In our department, the ages run from about 25 to 62 and we have two women firefighters. My youngest brother is an EMT and an interior firefighter, and for me, it is a privilege to have the opportunity to serve with him,” he added.

“From a chief’s point of view, the concern for your members starts whenever the sirens ring; not necessarily for a fire, it could be a sick person. It lasts even after you’ve parked the rig and it occupies your mind all night. You’re either worried that your members might get hurt or you’re feeling good that you know they are home safely,” Shenandoah said.

Bob Milton, 83, of the Jordan Fire Department, is still active after 61 years, 18 as chief and now as a life member. Leaving the Navy after World War II, he retired as a tool and die maker from Welch-Allyn. “I really enjoy helping people in need and working on and operating apparatus,” Milton said.

“Chief Milton” seems to be a family title, as Bob’s son Doug is the present Jordan chief and 13 other family members are also involved.

No gender barrier here—Rosemary Donnelly, 72, is from neighboring Meridian in Cayuga County.

By profession, Donnelly is a medical assistant X-ray technician, and as a volunteer, she is a first responder in the Meridian Fire Department for any emergencies requiring the rescue truck.

“I got involved with the Meridian Fire Department when we moved here from New Jersey 35 years ago. This is a rural community, and as many of the men farmed and were not available during the day, women became involved,” she said.

Because her mother was active in the fire auxiliary, Donnelly is still involved in her fire department auxiliary.

Like the Miltons, Donnelly also has family involved.

Another female firefighter hails from Oswego County. Joni Hinds, 55, was the first woman chief of the Cleveland Fire Department.

“My husband has been a firefighter since he was in high school, and our two sons joined when they each turned 16,” she said. “When the youngest joined  I was left home alone. My son suggested I join too. I was 43 at the time.”

Hinds progressed through the ranks.  She started as treasurer, became engineer of a vehicle, then president and chief engineer overseeing all engineers. She spent several years as a lieutenant, then worked her way up the chief ranks. During this time, she was also in school working on an ALS degree through the Corning/NYS Fire Academy.

“My father taught my brother about machinery but because I was a girl, he didn’t think to teach me, so I loved the opportunity the fire department gave me to do things with vehicles. As a firefighter, you are genderless; it is just respect for the job you do,” she said.

Madison County firefighter James Clark, 55, joined the Lincoln Fire and Rescue Department when he was 51. “I’ve lived in my community for 30 years and when the department was looking for volunteers, I saw this as my chance to give back,” he said. “It keeps me young, keeps me in shape and I’m doing something worthwhile.”

By Lou Sorendo

He’s one man, but he carries the weight of a nation on his shoulders. Ray Halbritter is the Oneida Nation representative and CEO of Nation Enterprises, which includes Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona.

In addition, he has introduced PGA Tour golf to Central New York. He has even strengthened his own golf game to qualify as a PGA-sanctioned apprentice club professional (see related story).

But while running business operations and fine-tuning his golf game are important for Halbritter, it’s being the voice of his people that runs paramount.
Halbritter said his culture and people’s history have taught him to contribute in ways that will help future generations.

He said one of the nation’s foremost accomplishments has been to aid the educational process for its people, many of whom would not otherwise have the opportunity to pursue higher education.

“We are in a position with our resources to enable them to go back to school,” Halbritter said. “We’ve got an incredibly higher percentage of people who have gone back to school.”

Schooling transcends the high school level to include law degrees and doctorates.

Another significant accomplishment for Halbritter has been reacquiring more of the nation’s land.

“Land is something they are not making anymore as we know and is much more important than money,” he said.

Despite a recent court setback regarding a 40-year-old land claim case involving 250,000 acres of land, the Oneidas continue to pursue federal trust to protect these lands and the decision did not affect the trust land process.

The nation in Upstate New York consists of about 1,000 members.

The Oneidas once held 6 million acres in Upstate New York, but sold nearly all of it to the state. Many of the sales were not approved by the federal government, as required by federal law.

“We had treaties and lost a lot of land in spite of those agreements and are trying to recover that and develop a better community the way our ancestors would have liked us to have,” Halbritter said. “It’s a rebuilding process but it’s generational and it’s going to take some time.”

Reviving the nation — It’s no mystery that Halbritter cares deeply for his people.

His inspiration comes from seeing the condition of the nation in Upstate New York in the mid-1970s. His people had only 32 acres of land with no infrastructure: no roads, sewer or water resources.

“I thought about what future generations are going to have and what their existence was,” he said. “I also thought about the elders who were frail and in need of our support and help. I wanted to try to do something to help them have a better future.”

Halbritter said there were deep scars left when a trailer fire in 1976 claimed the lives of his aunt and uncle. The city of Oneida Fire Department reportedly refused to send help, Halbritter noted.

“I just knew we had to do something for ourselves,” he said.

The nation empowered itself to do just that through economic and educational means.

“It was a very difficult time for us back in 1975,” he said.

Halbritter noted that the nation has reacquired 17,000 acres of land.

“All the things we have, the casino and all that, exhibits material progress, but it’s more important that people believe in themselves again. It’s good to have success, but more important to know what to do with it,” he said.

In terms of his legacy, Halbritter said he wants his people to use what they have now as a stepping stone to a better future.

“I like to think they will remember what the tribal council and I have done together to really care about our people and try to do what is right for them,” he said.

‘Politics of things’ — Halbritter said the most significant challenge facing the nation is “the politics of things.”

As a minority living in a democratic system, the nation often gets the short end of the political stick.

“The majority of public opinion can shape the way decisions are made about you regardless of what is right and wrong,” he said.

Halbritter said decisions often originate from a “political mob mentality” that is quite difficult to deal with.

“Every time someone gets elected, they are either for or against you,” he said.

Halbritter said elected officials often ride the wave of public opinion and will “fight you and try to hurt you. That’s the biggest challenge.”

“George Washington signed treaties with our people which we rely on today. State government defies those almost every day and local politicians don’t care about that at all,” he said. “They only care about getting elected and will say what they think at that moment is in their best political interest.”

“They don’t care what’s written or what’s right,” he added.

“If they think it’s good to attack the nation in order to get elected, that’s what happens,” he said.

He said legal entities are also closely intertwined with politics.

“The courts often try not to be political, but they can’t help it. They live in this community,” Halbritter said. He did say there are judges who try to do the right thing by the law, but unfortunately, there are those who don’t.

“There’s an uncertain environment that we live in every day. It’s a struggle to maintain what we have as a people,” he said.

Forging ahead —Halbritter said the nation is guided by tradition and culture and a belief in what’s right.

“We have a history that is intertwined with the United States and we are very proud of helping the U.S. become America.”

Centuries-old agreements and promises have been forgotten, he said.

“People don’t want to think about that. They think about right now and not about history,” he said.

“In spite of that, we still cling to those traditions and they help guide us into the future. That’s our strength,” he added.

Halbritter said it is essential for his people to have the confidence that “we can achieve things in this world like anybody else. It is a land of opportunity.”

“We can do it in a way that is economically viable,” he added.

“It’s a good feeling to not just do it because you want to make money or to become rich, but do it for your ancestors and their legacy and what you have learned from them and do it for the future of your children,” he said.

What we have today we don’t own; we’re just borrowing it for the future of our children,” he said.

Image makeover — Halbritter said the nation’s business endeavors are not done haphazardly. Rather, projects are done because the nation is trying to help correct the impression people have about American Indians, which is often inaccurate.

Typically the impression comes from the media with the focus being on controversy or Hollywood-esque entertainment, he noted.

“That’s not who we are as a people,” he said.

“For example, we do things like the Macy’s Day Parade not just to march in a parade. It’s so people remember the true spirit of Thanksgiving and what it means to be American and the role Native Americans played,” he added.

Halbritter said the nation got involved with the Macy’s Day Parade to get people to start thinking more about America.

Instead of just carving turkeys, the nation wants people to be exposed to something that has real value and meaning, Halbritter said.

It is partnering with a charitable organization called HELP in New York City that feeds the homeless and needy and shows them how to believe in themselves again.

Halbritter draws a parallel to this endeavor with how Native Americans helped the colonists when they first arrived in America. They also were hungry and homeless, and Native Americans helped feed and clothe them and taught them how to live off the land, he added.

Irony apparent — Halbritter said there is irony regarding how the United States is handling the immigration problem and illegal aliens.

“Who were the people who first came to our shores? If there were laws that said they shouldn’t land, they would all be illegal aliens. But there was not law,” Halbritter said. “They were blessed and welcomed and the bounties of America were shared with the colonists when they first came here.”

Halbritter said while rules exist that shouldn’t be broken, there are other ways to help people such as through rehabilitation and guidance.

“Many people have lost their way in life. Many people have made mistakes, but we all think people are deserving of a second chance or a way to try to make their lives better,” he said.

“I really think that’s a stronger part of what America is and what could be and should be,” he said.

Halbritter said through the culture of his native people, he is trying to help bring back that true spirit of welcoming, friendship, working together and becoming brothers.

A common theme that runs through many of the nation’s endeavors is philanthropy. Proceeds from the recent PGA event are donated to worthy causes throughout Central New York.

In the past three years, the Upstate New York Empowerment Fund has raised nearly $750,000 for regional charities through ticket sales to the Turning Stone Resort Championship.

“People don’t see that from the outside,” Halbritter said.

“In New York, what politicians are doing anything to bring economic development to Upstate?” he asked.

He said it’s only during election time when politicians express empty promises.

“After a certain amount of time, though, these guys have been in election after election. My goodness, it ought to dawn on someone sooner or later that if this doesn’t work, try something else,” he noted.

The PGA estimates that an event such as the Turning Stone Resort Championship brings upwards of $50 million into a community in which it is hosted.

“We bring millions into the region, and hardly get recognized for it,” Halbritter said.

He said publicity is presented superficially, while the donation of hundreds of thousands of dollars goes relatively unnoticed.

“We’re looking for the media to hopefully represent what’s really happening here and what the basis is behind it. But it won’t do it,” he said.

Halbritter said that local news outlets simply do not print “good news” stories that relate to the nation.

“What we are doing here is not just political. We’re doing things for the community and trying to make this a better place for all who live in Upstate New York,” he added.

The Canastota resident earned a business degree from Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management and his law degree from Harvard.

He is a board member with the Environmental Media Association, which mobilizes the entertainment industry in a global effort to educate people about environmental issues and inspire them into action.

He is also affiliated with the National Congress of American Indians.

He also likes to go to movies, and said “It’s a Wonderful Life” is his favorite flick.

Keeping fit — Halbritter, who turned 60 on July 17, said he exercises every other day. He has access to a treadmill and also does stretching exercises.

“I sometimes punch a heavy bag, just for fun,” said Halbritter, a native Syracusan.

“I try to mix it up a little bit, but sometimes it’s easier to get in a routine,” he said.

He is an advocate of muscle confusion workouts, which operate under the theory that by constantly changing movements, the body will be forced to respond.

Halbritter said exercise is one of the best things anyone can do to relieve stress.

“Without question, it makes you feel alive,” he said.

He also said it’s important to enjoy recreational activities, such as taking in a movie or golfing.

Halbritter said he has thought about retirement, but still really enjoys what he does in the work-a-day world.

“Health is a critically important issue as you get older, and of course, you need something to do as well,” he said. “I don’t want to go from work to absolutely nothing.”

“I just want to stay involved with the work I am doing with my people in some way,” he added.

“I like the idea of having a little more time to enjoy my grandchildren, but at the same time, you need to do something for yourself,” he added.

Halbritter is divorced and has six grown children.

Given his love for golf, he wants to be associated with the sport while carrying on a role with the nation in his retirement years.

By Lou Sorendo

How can taking a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and a marathon run of 26.1 miles be fun?

Throw in the fact that you are 58 years old.

For even the youngest and most athletic, it’s a challenge of a lifetime.

Chris Read of Baldwinsville is 58 and has done “Iron Man” competitions that involve those daunting distances.

And get this: He does them for fun.

Read said his only challenge is to “go out there and make sure I have fun.”

“My only goal is keep doing it as long as I can and as long as I enjoy it. When I get to the point when it is not fun, I wouldn’t do it anymore,” he said.
Read started doing triathlons in the late 1990s, and has done all the different distances that are featured, from “sprint” versions to full “Iron Man” competitions that stretch the boundaries of human endurance.

Read averages about five triathlons per year.

While he is having “fun,” he’s also competitive. He is no stranger to placing high in his age group, which is now 55–59. In the last Ithaca-based Cayuga Lake Triathlon he competed in, he placed second in his age group.

“I had been a runner for many years and come from a running background,” he said. “I wanted to try something different. A couple of friends were doing them, and back then they were not as popular as they are now. They are really popular today. I thought I’d give it a try and went from there.”

Read is 5-foot-8 and weighs 172 pounds. When he is training hard for a big race, he will get down to 167.

He considers running his strongest suit. In triathlons, the swimming segment is first and running is last.

“Even though I’m weaker in the other two, I tend to gain and pick up on people and do better,” he said. “Psychologically it helps me out because at that point in time, you are gaining steam whereas others are losing steam.”

Read does not see age as a barrier to competing. “As far as training, whether you are 25 or 55, you get out of it what you put into it.”

He said younger people in their 20s are the ones most impressed when they find out he is a tri-athlete.

“They say, ‘Wow, that is cool, I could never do that,’” he said.

Read does training sessions solo as well as with other tri-athletes.

He tries to do all three components during the week. He will swim a couple of times and run three or four times a week. During good weather, he will bike outside three days a week and rely on an indoor trainer during the winter months.

He is also a spinning instructor at the downtown Syracuse YMCA, which helps his own conditioning.

“Spinning” is exercising on a stationary bike.

Off and running — Read didn’t begin running until 1991.

He said running helps him stay in shape, keep his weight down and resting heart rate low.

Read has also done about 14 marathon runs, which consist of the same 26.1 mile jaunts that “Iron Man” triathlons end with.

He also participated in a Green Lakes’ trail run last year that was 31 miles.

He derives enjoyment from getting his body in shape, the social networking that takes place while participating in training groups, and challenging his body and himself.

Read said rest is critical as part of the training regimen. “I hate to say it, but it’s more important as you get older,” he noted.

He said the rule of thumb for younger people is work hard for a week, harder the next week, and hardest the third week before backing off for a week.

“As you get older, you have to learn to back off a little bit more,” he said. “Your body just doesn’t repair itself as fast as when you were younger.”

Read said many people have special diets for training, but he keeps the same diet whether he is training or not.

“The important thing is to eat balanced throughout the day. Just don’t eat once a day. Have breakfast, lunch and dinner. Metabolism is big. Once you change your dietary habits, it can mess you up a little bit,” he said.

He said some people are “really into diets” but he tries to simply eat nutritionally. He credits his wife Susan with helping him achieve that. Susan is an athlete herself and is into rowing.

Read said half of training and participating in triathlons is mental.

“Once you are in shape, you can do it,” he said.

Originally from Little Falls, Read has resided in Baldwinsville since 1978. He retired recently from National Grid.

He is a member of the Onondaga Cycling Club, the CNY Triathlon Club, and the Syracuse Track Club, of which he is on the board of directors.

He is a former board member of the CNY Triathlon Club as well.

He and Susan have two children, Matthew and Kerry.

He has also been involved in the Boy Scouts as a scoutmaster.

“I like to set a good example for younger people. When they see older people doing things, they say, ‘Hey, I can do that for the rest of my life,’” he said.
‘More for the fun’ — Joan Deyle, 65, of Central Square, did a few triathlons in the mid-1980s, than backed off after not being very successful at a sport that was new at that time.

In the late 1990s, Joan and her husband Bill began volunteering at the “Iron Man” in Lake Placid.

“We got the bug again and decided to try it,” she said. “We’ve been doing it every year since.”

Bill is also a tri-athlete at 69.

She does two or three triathlons every year.

Deyle oftentimes wins because she is the only female in her age group.

“Not so much lately though because there’s more people coming out to do it,” she said. “But at least I’m out there doing it.”

“I’m really there for the fun of it and to change up my activity so I don’t get shin splints from doing just one activity like running all the time,” she noted.

“It’s really more for the fun then accomplishing first place.”

“My personal goal is to get through it and not freak out in the water, quite frankly,” she said. Deyle resides on Oneida Lake and takes the opportunity to swim a lot. “But when I get around those other people, I kind of freak out,” she said.

“If I can get through the swim, then I feel pretty good on the bike and run,” she said.

Deyle competes in the 65‑70 age group.

She looks for people in front of her with their age group posted on the back of their legs.

“If they are my age or older, I try to get by them. That doesn’t always work,” she said.

Deyle was a physical education teacher for 33 years and also teaches fitness classes at the North Area YMCA on Wetzel Road in Clay.

“I’ve always done a lot of activities to some extent; just a lot of different things, nothing spectacular. I like to play. That’s what it’s all about,” she said.

Deyle said her most enjoyable component of the triathlon is running “probably because I’m on solid ground.”

“When you look around and don’t see a lot of people my age doing stuff, and I’m still able to do it, that’s a pretty good accomplishment,” she said.

“If you put your mind to it, you can do almost anything,” she said.

Train, train, train — Deyle said people are surprised when they discover she is a tri-athlete.

“They are somewhat excited for me,” she said. “They say, ‘Oh, I wish I could do that,’ and I tell them to just get out there and start training.”

Deyle said she generally trains alone, although sometimes she will join her husband on a bike ride together.

“I train right from the house,” she said. “I just kind of go out when I have time.”

In her college days, there were not specific sports for women. In her high school years, there were “play days” where anyone could participate on any given team.

“I did what I felt was fun. I also was a cheerleader through high school and college,” she said.

It’s open water swimming that presents the greatest challenge for Deyle.

“I’ve heard of people getting their goggles kicked off. But if you stop and look around, you probably won’t get injured,” she said.

Deyle said she is not a big meat eater and goes heavy on fruits and vegetables.

“I think for the most part I eat fairly healthy,” she said.

Deyle said if she were training for a longer triathlon, she would be more serious with her diet.

Her training schedule depends on the weather, but she generally tries to get three to four runs and the same amount of bike rides in per week. She also swims as much as possible. She said there is a mental aspect to being a tri-athlete.

“Like any race you go into, you can over-psyche yourself up,” she said. “It’s all in what you are looking for and have to prepare for.”

Energy plus — Even at 65, Deyle maintains a high energy level.

“My husband tells me I’m hyper, so maybe that’s it,” she said.

“I just seem to have a lot of energy. I’m always doing something physical. My body is in tune with it,” said Deyle, who is 5-foot-5 and weighs about 118

pounds.
Deyle enjoys trying to better her time if competing in a triathlon she has done before. She does have a time in mind when competing, but doesn’t approach it on a serious basis.

“I try to do it to the best of my ability on that particular day,” she said. “Wind or something can come up to make it not as enjoyable as other times.”
Deyle has participated in the North Area YMCA’s triathlon program, taking in talks and activities that she finds helpful.

Originally from Cicero, Deyle and her husband have a son Greg who is renown as an athlete. He was a ski racer in college and a tri-athlete today in Utah.
She teaches yoga and Pilates, but also works with active older adults.

“I let them know that you are never too old to start exercising and feeling better and healthier, both physically and mentally,” she said.

Going the Distance

66-year-old North Syracuse woman taking on challenges as she trains for first triathlon

She is arthritic, and has a profound fear of water. So why is 66-year-old Waynetta Donzella training for her first triathlon?

Because she can, that’s why.

Donzella, of North Syracuse, will take her first shot at the Aflac Iron Girl Triathlon competition to be held at Oneida Shores Park on Aug. 7.

The “sprint” triathlon is the least demanding of the various types of triathlons. The run segment is five kilometers (3.1 miles) while the swim is a half-mile and the biking segment is 18 miles.

Nonetheless, the experience will be a challenging one for a woman who started to work out at the age of 50. She was well over 200 pounds at that stage in her life.

“I’ve worked myself into a much stronger person,” the native of northeast Maine said.

“It’s harder and harder as I get older and older to maintain,” she said.

“I think from year to year if I can still do what I did before, I’m doing very well,” she said. “But I’m still trying to get better.”

Her family has a history of arthritis, and her father and aunt with crippled with the malady.

“I realized as we get older, our muscles are depleted by the lack of estrogen and the aging process,” she said.

She was determined to stave off deterioration, and started step aerobics. However, the arthritis in her knees made that unbearable, so she overcame her fear of water and started swimming.

She was up to swimming a mile per outing when she broke her wrist while roller skating outside.

Her husband Ben and daughter Bonny, both veteran bicyclists, then advised her to “spin” at the North Area Family YMCA on Wetzel Road in Clay so as not to lose her aerobic conditioning. Spinning is a form of high-intensity exercise that involves using a stationary exercise bicycle indoors.

She kept spinning once out of her cast and then purchased her own bike for outside enjoyment. Donzella would also participate in time trials on Tuesday nights at the YMCA.

Donzella revealed her fiery disposition when asked if she sought physician approval to train for a triathlon.

“I don’t care if anyone approves of it or not,” she said.

New fad — Donzella said training and participating in triathlons has become a fad in the Syracuse area.

Women considerably younger began talking up training for triathlons, and “went from pretending to work hard to really working hard,” Donzella said.
“I asked myself, ‘Wouldn’t that motivate me?’ so I signed up,” she said.

Donzella has been practicing race walking instead of running because of the pain from arthritis in her right knee. “It’s deteriorated to the point of being bone on bone,” she said.

Donzella does not look for medical relief regarding her knee. “I’m kind of opposed to pumping a bunch of that stuff into my body,” she said.

Triathlons normally set “time out” parameters that limit each competitor to a specified amount of time per component. That will hardly discourage Donzella.

“I have my own time and equipment and there’s no timing out on my time and equipment,” she quipped. “However long it takes me, I will finish.”

Her biggest fear is open water, and she has only swum in a pool. She didn’t learn how to swim until she was 50.

“That’s a big hurdle for me to cross,” she said. She got herself a wet suit and intends on joining and practicing with the CNY Triathlon Club.

“I have to get over that ‘Oh my God, there might be something alive in the water’ thing,” she said.

She does not see her age as a barrier to training. “I wish I had started sooner, but I didn’t,” she said.

“I don’t see it as a barrier. I see it as an incentive,” she said. “Each year, it gets harder to be able to maintain the pace I did last year. That motivates me to try harder and to keep my conditioning.”

“A lot of people have asked, ‘Are you really training (to be a tri-athlete) at your age’?” she said.

“Age doesn’t have anything to do with it. It’s more about determination,” she said.

Donzella rubs elbows with several tri-athletes who train with the Onondaga Cycling Club and time trials with others affiliated with the CNY Triathlon Club.

Sam Sampere, who runs the time trials, has offered his encouragement.

Spinning instructor Kelly Colvert, a tri-athlete who Donzella watched compete in a triathlon in Geneva last summer, has also been a source of inspiration.

Colvert is a USAT Level 1 triathlon coach and a YMCA employee who oversees its triathlon program. Sampere is president of the CNY Triathlon Club.
“I don’t think you can make yourself do something that hard unless you know you can,” she said.

Adrenaline junkie — Donzella said there is nothing like “getting hooked on adrenaline.”

“It gives you such a great feeling of being tired and depleted and having accomplished a goal you set out to do, whether it’s biking 30 miles, doing a triathlon or swimming a mile,” she said.

“When you do it, it makes your body feel tired and exhausted in a way that the stress of normal life doesn’t make you do,” she said. “You gain satisfaction that you can accomplish a goal you set for yourself. It’s such a private thing, this kind of goal.”

“This is just you,” she noted.

Donzella’s career was as an office worker.

“I skied in my 20s and 30s and was a really good roller skater. I always did something physical but not in an athletic kind of way. It was just a fun, social thing to do,” she said.

Now that Donzella has successfully raised her child and is retired from work, she doesn’t have the type of pressures that other competitors do.

“All the other people doing this from the Y are younger and have families, husbands, kids, school, work, and a house,” she said. “My life is so simple now that I can concentrate on me.”

“Anytime you can alter your movement in space and time, to me that’s an enjoyable thing,” she said.

“I can get to quite a fast pace on that bike and go a long way, and it feels like I’m moving through space and time at a speed that is supernatural,” she said.

Her arthritis prevents her from going out when it is below 72 degrees and damp, conditions that make her joints ache after riding through it.

Earlier in the season, she would stay indoors and spin and swim on alternate days.

“Now I prefer to ride outside. It’s so much more real,” she said.

Donzella hasn’t changed her eating habits for the triathlon, but did when she started to work out. “I try to put fuel in my body, not junk,” she said.

She places an emphasis on vegetables, meat, and granola and protein bars.

By Mary Beth Roach

The Baby Boomer generation is revving up the sport of motorcycling. Whether they call it a sport or a hobby, all biking enthusiasts would call motorcycling fun.

Often referred to Baby Boomer Bikers, they are the fastest-growing segment of America’s 6 million-member motorcycling population, and their numbers are increasing 10 percent a year, according to an article which appeared recently on Time.com.

This increase is due, in part, to the fact that the Baby Boomers make up such a large segment of the overall population, and many in that age group have the financial means now to afford a motorcycle.

Many of them are returning to the sport after years spent raising families and building their careers. They might have ridden when they were younger, but got married and traded their motorcycles for sedans.
However, now their children have grown, they have reached some financial security, and the open road is calling them.

Their heart is still in the motorcycle, said Bill Novak, 63, of Manlius, who has been hooked on bikes since he was about 12. He is the proud owner of a Honda Gold Wing, a touring motorcycle, sometimes referred to as a “road sofa, a big-boy easy chair,” he said, laughing. His bike, for example, has air ride suspension, cruise control, a seat with armrests for his wife, a sound system that is piped through the helmets, allowing rider and passenger to talk, and an interlocking brake system and air vents, to name just a few of the features.

The price range for motorcycles is vast, and then, of course, there’s the “farkles,” or the accessories to customize the bikes; the apparel; and the collectibles.

Steve Evans, 55, of North Syracuse, returned to riding in 1999, and bikes with his wife, Mary, and the Salt City Riders, of which he is the president. The club has approximately 100 members, many of whom are 55-plus, and there are several couples, including Phil and Sue La Barge of Fulton and Sunny and Dave Van Auken, of Moyers Corners.

Most of those in the club, Evans noted, are 55-plus, and many are couples, including Phil and Sue La Barge of Fulton and Sunny and Dave Van Auken, of Moyers Corners.

Regardless of their club affiliation or their bike brand of choice, the riders all commented on the camaraderie they have found and the friendships they have forged through motorcycling.

One for all—Novak tells of the Gold Wing Road Rider Association and “The Gold Book,” which lists GWRRA members by state and town who offer their fellow drivers assistance, from the use of a phone to the use of some tools to lodging.

“You’ve always got a friend wherever you are,” he said.

And a few have even found romance. Two members of the Salt City Riders found romance through the club and are now married.

In contrast to the counterculture image so often associated with bikers, Evans joked that their group is a little more sedate, with their Wednesday night rides being to ice cream shops. After the Blessing of the Bikes Ceremony in early May, the group was planning an ice cream social. The club also organizes longer rides and is planning a tour to New Hampshire in August.

Ice cream and romance aside, bikers agree that the open road, the smells, and the camaraderie fuel the love of motorcycling.

The smells of the seasons are part of the joy that Toni Gary, director of community relations for the Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital, has found while riding with her husband, local radio personality Rick Gary.
“You can tell whether or not they’re fertilizing,” she chuckled.

“I think it’s the freedom of the open road, the smells, the air blowing by you, and on rare occasions, the sun shining here in Syracuse,” said Bill Hanna, 57, of Syracuse, while chatting on a cloudy Saturday afternoon in April.

A former deputy chief for the Syracuse Police Department, Hanna has been motorcycling for 40 years. A few years ago, before retiring, he joined friends, among them some Syracuse firefighters, for an extended road trip. While recapping the day’s ride in a place called Hog Heaven in Indianapolis, he decided that that the group should have a name.

Hence, the Guns ’n Hoses Motorcycle Club was born.

The license on Hanna’s 2005 BMW bike reads “GUNS” while the license on the 2010 Harley Ultra Limited owned by Mike Dineen, 52, a lieutenant with the Syracuse Fire Department, reads—yes, you guessed it—“HOSES.”

Today, the club numbers about 45 to 50 members—many of who are neither police officers nor firefighters—and they range in age from 20s to mid-70s.

Long, winding road—Hanna has logged thousands of miles, and almost as many memories—some emotional, some humorous.

He has attended the Rolling Thunder Ride in Washington, D.C., as both a participant and a spectator, and found the experiences moving.

Another favorite was the ride to The Tail of the Dragon, located between North Carolina and Tennessee. The Tail is actually a section of U.S. 129, and legend has it that there are 318 curves in the 11-mile stretch.

Along the Tail is the famous (or infamous) Tree of Shame, from which hang parts of motorcycles that didn’t fare too well at the Dragon.

A photo from the website—www.dealsgap.com—shows the tree, decorated with motorcycle parts and a placard that seems to sum it all up: “No Gain & a lot of PAIN!!!!”

One ride Hanna’s still got planned for himself is the Four Corners Tour, which involves traveling to the four corner cities of the United States: Key West, Fla.; San Ysidro, Calif., Blaine, Wash., and Madawaska, Maine, in 21 days.

“It’s given me a lot of good miles,” he said of the bike, while proudly pointing out some of its many features, including a GPS system, loaded with satellite radio, CB, cruise control, heated seats and hand grips and adjustable windshield, and a six-disc CD player.

It’s not so much the destination, it’s the “getting there,” according to Stu Cavuto, 52, one of Hanna’s fellow Guns ‘n Hoses members and a deputy chief with the Syracuse Fire Department.

Bill Novak has logged an estimated half-million miles, and he shows off a vest adorned with various pins and badges from his biking associations. On the back of the vest is a map of the contiguous 48 states, with all but three states colored in. He still needs to get to the Arizona, New Mexico and the state of Washington, to complete the map. And although he’s biked through Ireland and Scotland, one of his ultimate goals is to do the Centopassi in the Alps, especially geared for those who love the challenge of mountain roads.

For a good cause—Many bikers throughout the area put their hearts—and their bikes—into charity rides, for example Bikers for Babies, the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s Ride for Life, the Miracle Ride to benefit the Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital, and the Ride for Research for the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund of CNY, to name just a few.

“The bikers throughout the whole community are generally pretty generous,” Evans said. “They’ll put their differences in bike brands aside and participate.”

The SRC doesn’t limit its philanthropic ways to the riding season.

In February, the club hosted a Valentine’s Toy Party, with six tables filled with gifts and toys for the MDA and Vera House.

The VanAukens have also ridden in support of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. Their daughter, Sunny explained, was born with kidney problems. “Her illness led us in the right direction,” she said.

Novak has also ridden for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, as well.

“It gives us a sense of good,” he said.

And not only do the Garys ride for enjoyment, with Toni’s position with the Golisano Children’s Hospital, she is involved in the Miracle Ride, which was held on May 22, and benefits that facility.

It started out with just a handful of participants, she said, but in its 16 years, it has grown to where it can attract as many as 800 to 1,000 riders.

The monies raised from the 60-mile ride through parts of Onondaga and Madison counties stay in this area, benefiting the care and programs at the children’s hospital, which helps up to 100,000 children a year, Toni said.

The riders “are committed to doing good in their community,” she noted. The rides bring in a different segment of the population, in addition to those people who take part in the runs, the bike rides and the walks.

Beth Baldwin, executive director for the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund of CNY, said funds raised from the local Ride for Research also stay in Upstate.

This event, which can draw as many as 600 to 800 motorcyclists, is slated for Sept. 19 at the Dinosaur Barbecue in downtown Syracuse.

The fund is named for Beth’s mother, Carol Baldwin, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1990. She is also mom to the Baldwin brothers of Hollywood fame, but some might contend, good-naturedly, that Carol’s prominence has eclipsed that of her sons.

Beth explained that her husband and a couple of her brothers are bikers and they were enthusiastic about a fundraising ride.

She tapped into local riders like Hanna to develop a ride that is, first and foremost, safe and also enjoyable for the participants.

An added feature to drive the excitement at this year’s ride will be the raffle of a $35,000 bike, called “Twist Out Cancer,” custom built by Pat Briggs of County Line Choppers.

The monies garnered from the ride, along with other fundraisers the organization has, help to underwrite three research grants of $50,000 each, which are awarded annually and presented to the recipients in honor of someone who has passed from breast cancer.

Another program sponsored by the foundation is a lectureship, and each year it is named for a survivor.

Safety first—Many news accounts speak to the issue of increased safety risks for older bikers.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration offers some somber statistics on its website.
According to reports in 2004, the number of rider fatalities aged 40 or over has increased steadily since 1993.

Some might maintain that because Baby Boomers make up a large proportion of the overall population, and that more and more are taking up motorcycling, it would stand to reason that the statistics play out in this way.

Regardless, safety is paramount.

Long road trips can challenging the endurance and strength of older riders. With some bikes weighing 800 pounds or more, that’s a lot of machine to maneuver as well as pick up should it get dumped.

A strong advocate for biker safety, Novak offered some insight and advice for those returning to motorcycling after a few years’ break from the hobby: Know your limitations and re-establish yourself.

If you rode a bigger bike in earlier days, he suggested that you start back with a mid-sized one for a year and then trade up, if you wish, and take safety instruction and classes.

Bikes have changed a great deal over the years, as well.

“There’s no substitute for training,” he said.

Of all the accessories on Novak’s Gold Wing, he says that his best investment is the flashing headlight, which helps make him more visible to oncoming traffic.

Numerous motorcycle organizations have websites with links on safety and education programs, such as the Motorcycle Safety Foundation—www.msf-usa.org—and the Motorcycle Association of New York State’s websites (MANYS)—www.manys.org.

“Now, go out and get your toy,” Novak said, grinning.

By Lou Sorendo

Sunny 102 not only plays classic hits. It also has a classic radio personality spinning the tunes. Classic Hits Sunny 102 (WZUN-FM 102.1), headquartered in Syracuse, is anchored by “Big” Mike Fiss. It is 106.1 FM in Oswego.

Fiss is big in stature, and larger than life when it comes to local radio broadcasting. Since 1980, Fiss has been satisfying the listening needs of several generations of rock ‘n’ rollers in the Syracuse area, ranging from the heavy metal riffs of the early ‘80s to the more subdued soft rock sounds of today.

“Our generation grew up with radio, this is what we love. I think young people appreciate it very much too, but our generation loves it,” Fiss said.

For over three decades, radio listeners throughout Central New York have been living on a diet of coffee and “Big” Mike in the morning.

He has been affectionately referred to as “The Morning Mayor”, “The Duke Of Dawn”, “The Sultan Of Sunrise”, “The Earl Of Early” and “The Superintendent Of School Closings” since joining the Sunny 102 team in 2001.

“Big” Mike has already left an indelible imprint on the world of local radio. He has been nationally honored four times as Billboard Magazine’s Personality of the Year and is in the Syracuse New Times’ Syracuse Area Music Awards’ Hall of Fame.

“All day, I’m thinking and noting stuff to talk about on the air,” Fiss said.

Fiss said he gets his material from the Internet, magazines, TV, newspapers, “gossip, rumors, and stealing from other shows. But the kidding around is spontaneous.”

Waking up at 2:45 a.m. can be a challenge, but “Big” Mike says he loves morning radio.

“Traditionally, morning radio has been the place for current events, weather, listener phone calls, contests, guests, and team shows. Usually the rest of the day is focused more on music, though there are some great personalities outside morning drive, like Rick Gary and Steve Kelley on Sunny 102.”

“I like starting the day, getting people going in a good mood,” he said.

Fiss handles the daily dawn patrol from 5:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. along with Melissa Midgley, who is also an elementary school teacher in Solvay.

“It’s always been fun and it’s great that every now and then I get to emcee at a community event, fundraiser, or help out a person in need,” Fiss said. “It’s the best job I’ve ever had and I’ve had a ton of other jobs.
Fiss has worked as a teacher, state labor standards investigator, unemployment insurance claims examiner, Department of Motor Vehicles investigator, cab driver, and also in Chinese food delivery and sales.

The evolution of rock— Fiss, who is 60 years of age, has seen rock ‘n’ roll evolve through several decades.
“Basically, rock music hasn’t changed all that much in the past 40 years. It’s the same basic instruments, same basic sound,” he said. “There are some fine indie (independent) bands and musicians out there today, but again not revolutionary. Yes, today we have younger, fresher performers, occasional hip-hop influence, new songs, but when I listen to modern rock, I don’t hear a sound that’s totally different from the hard rock and metal bands of a few decades ago,” he said.

Fiss has a diverse taste in music. “I appreciate and listen to all kinds of music, from classical to Broadway to cabaret to jazz to folk to Americana to modern rock and hip-hop,” he said. “I listen to as much diversity as possible. That being said, my favorite music is my generation’s; our music from the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s.”

“Our generation tried to expand popular music, raising the levels of folk (Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, Donovan), rhythm and blues (Motown, Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding), rock (Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Eagles, Grateful Dead), singer/songwriters (James Taylor, Laura Nyro, Paul Simon, Elton John, Billy Joel, Carole King, Dan Fogelberg), dance (disco, Michael Jackson), jazz-rock (Chicago, Steely Dan, Blood, Sweat and Tears), and using orchestrations (Moody Blues, Electric Light Orchestra),” Fiss said. “And of course, there were The Beatles, who experimented with so many different approaches. Every Beatles album was a true event. “And let’s not forget The Beach Boys. Ours is a pretty amazing generation, huh?”

The state of radio— The radio industry has certainly changed since Fiss took to the microphone. “First, I must tell you how fortunate I am that I work at Galaxy Communications, locally owned and programmed with our Central New York community in mind. Ed and Pam Levine started Galaxy 20 years ago, and we just had a lavish party to celebrate this,” he said. “Ed and Pam both went to Syracuse University, and now their daughter is an SU student and they still live here and work here. That’s why Galaxy is so locally involved with SU sports and great events like ‘Taste Of Syracuse.’”

But elsewhere, he said, radio has changed a lot over the past 30 years.

“Deregulation has allowed for the greedy, irresponsible growth of enormous radio companies, with no concern for the public interest,” he said.

Fiss said some of these larger companies are in serious financial trouble now, like Clear Channel, Citadel, and Regent. “They have reduced costs by taking it out on their radio product, cut local programming and fired local staff,” he said.

As an example, Fiss pointed to WSYR, which was “once a real asset to our community,” he said. “Around 80 percent of WSYR’s programming is not local anymore. That’s a shame,” he added.

When Fiss arrived on the Syracuse scene, Ed Levine was the nighttime disc jockey on 95X. “He’s worked for everything he has,” Fiss said.

Levine took a gamble 20 years ago and purchased his first radio station, K-Rock in Utica.

“He’s worked it from there. It hasn’t been easy. Everyone here at Galaxy is rooting for him. There is tremendous morale here. You don’t see that at the big corporate radio stations,” he added.

Fiss noted that “big corporate entities” have “swallowed up” smaller radio stations in the industry over the past several years.

Fiss characterized the Levines as being “hands-on” owners. They have acquired the “Taste of Syracuse” as an event and have turned it into a smashing success.

“It’s a big difference,” Fiss said. “The guys at Clear Channel haven’t even visited Syracuse and don’t even know where the town is.”

When Fiss first came to Syracuse in 1979, he worked for Newhouse Broadcasting and was the first voice heard on 94Rock, the first voice on Y94 and helped develop both stations to become highly successful. In 2001, he had the opportunity to work at Galaxy Communications.

“For me, it was an exciting challenge, the chance to help grow a new radio station, Sunny 102, locally owned and operated and community focused,” he said.

The holiday ‘guru’— Fiss has traditionally emphasized holiday programming during the Christmas season. “As for my love of Christmas, there is nothing during the year as beautiful,” he said. “For many, it’s an important holy time, sure. But for all, it’s a time to think about peace, love, family, community, mankind and all the wonderful things that are possible.”

“It’s a time for giving, sharing, coming together. And Christmas music is a beautiful part of all this. Do we start Christmas music too early? Probably, but the Christmas season is so short and goes by so quickly, what’s so wrong with trying to enjoy it more?” he asked.

As producer for “Big Mike’s Christmastime In Syracuse” albums, he has been to all the recording and mixing sessions at Hobin’s studio.

“Todd’s a great friend. Over the years we’ve managed to raise some money when possible for different charities, but the best part of the project has been working with and helping to promote many of our area’s finest musicians,” Fiss said. “And the music community we have in this area is as good as it gets anywhere. Great people and great talent.”

“To show my gratitude, I had been a member of the Syracuse Area Music Awards’ executive board for eight years, and helped organize the annual awards show to recognize the excellence we have in our music community,” Fiss added.

Fiss said his biggest hobby is being a record producer.

“I’ve had the pleasure of producing around 20 albums over the years, mostly music and a couple comedy,” he said.

Some of his most memorable moments on the airwaves involve the live Sunny 102 Christmas broadcasts. To date, Fiss has done 28 of them during his career.

It involves four hours of live music featuring the best musicians and choruses from the Syracuse community.
“Altogether, we have around 100 performers every year and it’s amazing how well it all goes. It’s very exciting,” Fiss said.

The CDs produced from the live shows are sold to local music fans. Proceeds from the CDs have helped secure more than $100,000 over the years, all of which has benefited either the Ronald McDonald House or the Elmcrest Children’s Center, which operates Casey’s Place, a short-term home for children with disabilities and serious medical problems.

Fiss has helped generate tens of thousands of dollars over the years for worthy causes.

“There’s a saying around here, ‘What goes around comes around.’ I have received much from so many, I’m just happy to be able to give back,” he said.

Sunny forecast— Sunny 102’s format is classic hits, which encompasses several different genres of music, including classic rock, pop and soft rock.

Fiss also hosts “Smooth Jazz Sunday” from 7 a.m. to noon.

“We have the most diverse and longest play list in town,” Fiss said. “That’s our advantage.”

He pointed to a sequence of music that was lined up to play in his broadcast booth, ranging from Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band to Sly and the Family Stone to George Benson.

Sunny 102 also pledges never to repeat songs from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. during the workday. “Some stations repeat songs every couple of hours,” he noted.

Galaxy Communications is a locally owned and operated radio company covering the airwaves from Syracuse to Albany with formats that include classic rock, new rock, soft rock, sports, and adult standards.

Galaxy-owned Syracuse-based stations are TK99/TK105, K-Rock 100.9-106.5, Sunny 102 and WTLA 1200. Utica-based stations include WOUR 96.9, K-Rock 94.9, Mix 102.5 and The Game 1310 AM.

“In a small way we are competing (against one another), but the bigger prize is how well the company does,” he said. “If I lose a listener to Gomez and Dave, that’s fine. We want the company to do well,” he said.
Gomez and Dave host the morning show on TK99/TK105.

Beyond trying to appeal strictly from a musical perspective, Sunny 102 looks for a particular lifestyle and demographic as well.

Competitors would include WSEN 92.1, Y94, B104.7 and even WSYR Newsradio 570. “We don’t have a talk format, but certainly if some of those people want to hear music, hopefully they will come to us,” Fiss said.
From a demographics standpoint, Sunny 102 tries to reach listeners in the 35- to 48-age bracket. “If you went to college in the late 1970s, this is your music,” Fiss said.

Staying competitive— In terms of being and staying competitive, Fiss said the No. 1 way is being topical and current. He said this holds true in virtually any field, but especially in the entertainment industry.

“It’s about trying to follow things that are happening,” he said. “I make it my business to find out what shows are new on TV and what movies are coming out. I don’t just live in the ‘70s and ‘80s, I live in today.”
Fiss said he is a huge fan of blockbuster hits such as “American Idol” and “Lost.”

“There are some folks my age that basically, all they know is what they used to know,” he said.

“I’m very much into what’s happening, trying to know who’s what,” he said.

“I try to keep on top of what’s coming out. If there is a movie with a lot of buzz or TV show that is hot, I’ll watch it whether I want to or not just to keep current,” he noted.

“That’s the only way to stay competitive. Other than that, there’s nothing else I can do,” he said.

Laid-back guy

‘Big’ Mike Fiss not your typical ‘party animal’

While radio disc jockeys may be stereotyped as “party animals,” “Big” Mike Fiss does not fit that mold.

“This might surprise the many thousands of fans who think I’m the ultimate party animal, but the real me is in bed every night by 9 p.m.,” he said. “Most of my life outside of radio has been doing stuff with my family.”
“I’ve been married to a beautiful woman, Willie, for 38 years. We met in college. She is a teaching assistant at Eagle Hill Middle School in Manlius, union president and she volunteers in a few projects, including The ABC (A Better Chance) House,” Fiss said.

What does he attribute their longevity to? “First of all, she is terrific. Not only do I like her as a friend, but I really respect her. She’s a wonderful, quality human being,” Fiss said. “On the other hand, it’s always a series of compromises. It’s rare that I always get my way or she always gets her way,” he said. “It’s compromising all the time. It’s making your point and then stepping back.”

“The bottom line, and I’ve said this about so many things, is you have to have a sense of humor,” he said. “If somehow you can continually find humor and fun in things, you’ll get through whatever.”

“If you can share a laugh together, whether it’s about how stupid things are or how foolish you can be, it really makes a big difference,” he said.

“The best friendships are based on a similar sense of humor. It’s how people look at the world,” he said. “A sense of humor is based on perspective. If you can share that perspective with someone else, you share a sense of humor.”

Their newly married son Andy is in graduate school. He teaches and is going for a doctorate in the history and philosophy of science and math at Indiana University.

Their daughter Julianna is a senior at Vassar College and works at the museum there.

Fiss exudes pride when talking about his two children.

“My son was voted most likely to become a Quaker,” said Fiss, referring to his son’s peace-loving ways.
He characterizes his daughter as being very funny, outgoing, with a lot of personality and quick wit.
“Most of our time is spent doing family things, and that has enhanced my life tremendously,” he said.
He and his family reside in Manlius.

“Also, I have good friends to hang with every now and then,” he said. His “crew” consists of musicians Todd Hobin, Joe Whiting, Freddy Crittela, Dave Hanlon, and Ronnie Leigh.

“We try to get together often, maybe once a month, to smoke a cigar and talk about politics, history, movies, books, and food,” Fiss said. “It really is important for a guy to have some guy friends outside of work to hang with once in a while.”

Now that Fiss is 60, does he intend on placing more emphasis on maintaining a healthy lifestyle?

“I’m happy you asked. I am planning to start exercising as soon as I’m done eating,” he said.

“Have you ever seen a ‘before and after’ poster? I’m the ‘before’ guy. Still haven’t become the ‘after.’ I admit I haven’t been very good. Over the past 20 years I have hiked around Green Lakes twice. Does that count?” he asked.

“This year I plan to do a lot more walking. Though I don’t exercise much, I try to maintain a healthy lifestyle by not drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes or eating foods after the expiration date,” he said.

The wisdom of ‘Big’ Mike

By Lou Sorendo

Here are some thoughts and perspectives from the sometimes-serious “Big” Mike Fiss, the longtime morning host at Sunny 102. In Oswego, it’s 106.1 on the FM dial.

Q.: What is it about your personality that has endeared you to listeners for so many years?
A.: People have good taste.

Q.: How did you get the nickname, “Big Mike?”
A.: When I first started in radio, I was just Mike Fiss, but no one seemed to know what I was saying. I always thought having a nickname on the radio was easy to remember. There was a guy on the air I liked called Big Wilson, with a warm, friendly voice, so I took the “Big” part and added it to my name.

Q.: How do you manage to stay so upbeat from broadcast to broadcast? Is that one of the tougher aspects of your job?
A.: The only tough part of the job is waking up at 2:45 a.m. After that, it’s an easy day. It’s true that I’ve been tired since 1979!

Q.: Do you do anything special to prepare for the morning show? Do you have a particular routine that you follow?
A.: Shower, brush teeth, and drink coffee. Lots of coffee.

Q.: What are your all-time favorite rock albums?
A.: They are as follows:
1) Bruce Springsteen, “Born To Run”
2) Beatles, “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”
3) Simon & Garfunkel, “Bookends”
4) Otis Redding, “Live In Europe”
5) Chicago Transit Authority
6) Steely Dan, “Aja”
7) Bob Dylan, “Greatest Hits Volumes 1,2,3”
8) Time Peace: The Rascals’ Greatest Hits
9) Blood, Sweat and Tears (second album)
10) Jimmy Buffet, “Son Of A Son Of A Sailor”

Q.: What do you think are the keys to being an entertaining radio personality?
A.: For me, it’s keeping a sense of humor. My mom told me, “If you can’t say something nice about somebody, then it better be funny!”

aggressive, proactive approach to managing

By Lou Sorendo

“Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” …

That popular 1960s rhythm and blues song could very well be the mantra for David R. Smith, a pediatrician by training and the president of SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse.

Smith, despite being faced with many seemingly insurmountable obstacles, is slowly but surely maintaining SUNY Upstate’s role as a key player on Central New York’s economic and healthcare scene.

And he is using moxie to do it.

Combining courage with inventiveness, the sixth president of Upstate is in his fourth year of steering Upstate through a maze of problematic issues.

SUNY Upstate is the only academic medical university in the Central New York region, with about 7,200 employees, four colleges, its own University Hospital, and close to a $1 billion operating budget. It’s the area’s largest employer.

Beyond today’s complex problems such as recession, a looming physician and nursing shortage, and much needed healthcare reform, Smith has the background and drive to deal with each problem in a successful manner.

He wouldn’t have it any other way.

The trigger—Smith characterizes his healthcare career as a calling.

He said one of the most compelling events in his life that galvanized him in that direction was his maternal grandfather’s struggle with laryngeal cancer.

“It was particularly difficult because we were very close,” said Smith, noting his grandfather worked in a steel mill in eastern Ohio.

He was a pipe smoker, and developed cancer in the 1960s. “It was a very traumatic event for the entire family to see him go through that,” he said.

He eventually lost his voice box and was unable to communicate.

“He used to slap me on the back and call me ‘partner,’” Smith recalls. “I remember the last time I saw in the hospital, I came up to him, slapped him on the back and called him ‘partner.’”

“At that time it really began to cause me to think about what my career was about,” he said.

In addition, Smith volunteered extensively at a hospital during high school, which further solidified his interest in health care.

“I think later on, your career gets ratified by a number of things, which is unique in my case being that we were National Health Service Corps doctors in Brownsville, Texas,” he said.

His mom was a nutritionist. “There was a clear appreciation for the healing arts and health care in general in our home,” he said.

Smith said that while he is a top administrator, he is also a pediatrician. He enjoys the day-to-day interaction with people, and applying insights of individuals that become part of a broader strategy moving forward.

“It’s exciting to be a student of people,” he said.

He also enjoys the relevance of what Upstate accomplishes.

“It can be the ambulance that pulls up, the diabetic patient going to the Joslin Center, or taking an elderly person at the Oasis Center and keeping them engaged in life and activities, and it changes every day. There is nothing boring or dull about this job. It’s different every day and I learn from it,” he said.

“I can sit in at a lecture of a Nobel laureate or hear one of our incredible alum talk about the latest intervention in cardiac disease, or students talking about transformations in their lives. I get so fulfilled in so many ways because we are so diverse,” he said.

“Then I can run up to Fort Drum, where we are doing more work including mental health [care] and traumatic brain injuries, and see the impact our psychiatrists are having at Good Samaritan Hospital,” he said. “It gives you goose bumps.”

“Here we are reaching out to a dedicated group of individuals—almost 20,000 soldiers and 18,000 dependents—and making a difference in the North Country. That’s exciting,” he added.

Dealing with stress—Taking on a job that has the magnitude of his certainly carries with it a dose of stress.
“You try not to over-personalize the challenges, but you do have to intercalate them,” he said.

Smith said he would be worried about himself if he “weren’t concerned about things” or if he “didn’t wake up in the middle of the night to either break something down or pace the hallways.”

“I can’t say it’s healthy, but I would be worried about a CEO that didn’t do that,” he said.

He said in medicine, it’s imperative to place prevention first and put systems and people in a position to prevent challenges.

“You can’t anticipate everything,” he concedes.

Smith said most of his stress comes from the personal side of management.

“It isn’t about a problem in a building or a lab, we get those all the time,” he said. “I think invariably, it’s either the personal need of a patient, student of faculty member. It’s not having quite the right number of faculty to meet the incredible shortage of nurses in the state.”

People ask, “What are you going to do about it, Dr. Smith?’ That does create stress.”

“A big stress is the budget. I’ve been in public higher education and commissioner of health for a state, but it’s different because of the relentless nature of the cuts,” he said.

Smith said Upstate is also going to absorb cuts from Washington, including slashed Medicare reimbursements.

“What has helped me is doing it a while and having a really strong team,” Smith said.

“You can quickly sit down in a room and get the best ideas from some incredibly bright people and diffuse the challenges and opportunities of stress,” he said.

“If you are solely relying on yourself, which is obviously a little bit too egocentric, you’re going to feel all of that and probably won’t make the right decisions,” he noted.

How does Smith de-stress?—Smith said family time is a “great way” to de-stress. His children are in the area and his wife Donna Bacchia takes on several roles at SUNY Upstate, including being a fellow pediatrician.
Much of his family time is spent in the great outdoors.

“The No. 1 stress relief for me is water, fishing and outdoors,” said Smith, who is not afraid to strap on water skis.

The Smiths have a camp near the Thousand Islands. “It’s a good way to allow your mind to wander,” he said.
“Even when you are not there, it’s sometimes good to let your mind wander there,” he said.

One of Smith’s colleagues on the lake has a Web cam. “For some strange reason, it’s pointed to my island,” he said.

“At any time during the day, I can actually see my island at any given moment,” he said. “That’s sort of an interesting diversion.”

“I love to fish and hunt and like the outdoors,” he said.

Prior to his appointment at SUNY Upstate, Smith served as chancellor of Texas Tech University from 2001 to 2006.

In fact, basketball coaching great Bobby Knight—known for his fiery demeanor—had a highly publicized argument with Smith in 2004 at a Lubbock grocery store. Knight coached the Texas Tech men’s basketball team at that time.

Smith said he enjoyed coming back to Central New York with its natural beauty, water and distinct seasons.
“I’m a Northern guy,” he said.

“I knew this job and the geography of this area were going to be a better alignment,” he said. “I selected this position as much because of the area and people. Generally, these positions select you and you have to move.”

“This was the first time where I saw alignment between some of the things I value very much—family time, outdoors, water, lakes, boats, water skiing,” he said.

Smith said he also works out, but not as much during the summer as he seeks opportunities to get to the water.

While he is swimming or water skiing in the warmer months, he takes to the snowshoes and downhill skis in the winter.

‘Foodie’ at heart—Smith also characterizes himself as a “foodie.”

He, along with his wife, join Syracuse University Chancellor Nancy Cantor and her husband Steve and visit different restaurants every two or three months.

“We try to get out and pick a new restaurant and do a little foodie thing,” he said.

“I tell people on the health side that when you’ve been in senior management for a while, your DNA doesn’t repair quite as quickly as it used to. You had better figure out what you’re going to do to flex some of that,” he said.

After his summer camp closes for the season, Smith heads back to Fitness Forum.

He is a hockey player as well, and participates in a three-day annual hockey tournament in Canada along with several of his cousins and friends from Quebec.

Smith lived in Toronto—a hockey hot bed—for 10 years, and former Boston Bruins hockey great Bobby Orr is a close friend of the family.

He works out at the Fitness Forum to aerobicize and develop muscle tone for his skiing and hockey endeavors.

He’ll hit the stationary bike for about 30 minutes, and then work the Stairmaster for another 10. He then lifts weights, working on various muscle groups on alternating days.

“It’s got to a point where I’m doing more reps than heavy weight because of my age,” he said.

Smith was diagnosed about a year ago as being allergic to wheat and gluten.

“I’m pretty good about avoiding wheat products. It’s challenging,” he said.

He noted that more restaurants are cognizant of the fact that about 6 million people face the same circumstance.

His daughter, Jocelyn, is a chef who graduated from The Culinary Institute of America and is presently enrolled at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration.

“She’s also gluten intolerant, and we love it when she visits and cooks,” he said.

Smith has discovered ways to deal with his allergy.

He has discovered as a lover of pasta, there are many types that are made with different kinds of flour other than wheat.

“You can even do neat things like marinara sauce on spaghetti squash, which is an incredibly healthy meal,” he said.

He also opts for soy milk and watches his lactose intake, a measure which has resulted in Smith dropping 12 pounds over the past year.

The family also enjoys game meat, but often opts for lean products such as chicken and fish.

The Smiths have also formed a co-op with an Amish farmer and enjoy the wide variety of vegetables that are offered on a seasonal basis.

Smith said his energy level and mental status both benefit from adhering to a diet and workout regimen.
“I believe in a holistic approach to healthcare,” Smith said.

Smith was involved in a project that resulted in Bill Moyers’ book, “Healing and the Mind.”

“There’s very much an incredible mind-body connection and obviously nutrition and exercise are a part of that,” he said.

Smith conceded that he is a “little more negligent than his wife, who is phenomenally committed in this area. She is a pediatrician and nutritionist, which is a good combination to have.”

His wife is also director of the Central New York Master of Public Health program.

“It’s good to have her as an influence, because she walks the talk every day,” he said.

Healthy marriage—The Smiths met at Cornell University while they were undergraduates there. They have been married for 32 years.

“We actually knew each other before either of us were physicians,” he said. “I was heading that way, while she was doing a master’s in nutrition and applied to medical school after that.”

“It’s a great balance in life. We have a diversity of interests as well,” he said.

“She’s really incredibly astute and brings a different set of talents to the table than I do,” he noted.

“She brings all those assets and a lot of energy and commitment, and I think that’s been great,” he said.
“We’re both pediatricians, but our kids didn’t have a chance,” he said with a chuckle.

If there was any downside to being married to a fellow physician, it was that the Smith’s first child, Chris, got to watch his parents experience residency.

“He occasionally had to sleep at someone else’s house,” he said.

Chris, however, has become “incredibly connected” to the area, his dad remarked, and wanted to come back to be closer to family.

“That’s a great ratification of it,” he said.

Despite sharing a profession for many years, the couple avoids talking shop.

“The big benefit for me relative to this job is we don’t talk business very much,” he said.

Bacchia has also artfully guided Smith through his dietary restrictions experienced in the last year.

“I’d be better off at home very night cooking dinner together,” said Smith, who notes that his activities often force him to eat out.

“She’s a good therapeutic counselor for me in that regard,” he said.

What’s down the line?—Retirement is certainly many moons away for Smith, and he is unsure as to how he will spend his golden years.

“I’ll be doing this for a while. I really don’t have any other plans. People often ask if there is another rodeo somewhere because I was in Texas a lot,” he said. “I don’t see that.”

“Because of the alignment of the area, this is as close to home as I’ve ever been. That feels good,” he said.
“More likely, I’ll be engaged in academic higher education, probably here,” he said. “I’ll probably be moving to some of the advocacy and broader health policy issues that we continue to face.”

Smith said he can foresee making a transition from direct management to some of the other policy arena issues that Albany and Washington tackle, particularly in the areas of child and public health.

“My other passion, having been a commissioner of health, is probably getting back and even doing some teaching and things in that regard. That is another significant part of what gets me jazzed at the end of the day,” he said.

By Lou Sorendo

Being a pediatric surgeon is far from child’s play. For Michael Ratner, a pediatric surgeon who directs the new surgery center at the Golisano Children Hospital, it’s been his lifelong calling.

And he knew it right from the start.

Ratner earned his medical degree in 1968 at SUNY Health Science Center at Syracuse after pulling down his bachelor’s at Johns Hopkins. It was not until his first year of residency, however, that he decided he would focus on pediatric surgery.

“Two fellows who were here at the time got me interested, and I knew from day one that this was what I was going to do,” he said.

Ratner was then called into the Air Force during the Vietnam War, and came back and finished his residency in Syracuse.

He then went to Philadelphia for pediatric surgery training, and later would receive a job offer from SUNY Upstate Medical Center.

“I really liked it here and definitely wanted to come back. It worked out great,” he said.

“It’s funny, but I can never go back to taking care of adults. Kids are just fantastic,” he said. “People ask, ‘How can you take care of those little kids?’ But they are fantastic. They listen to you and do everything you tell them to do. They get better amazingly fast.”

He said children also tolerate a tremendous amount of setbacks but still bounce back. “It’s striking,” Ratner said as to their resiliency as patients.

Ratner added that another gratifying aspect of working in pediatrics is attending events such as weddings and graduations involving people he has related to in his practice.

“The lifelong relationships you build with these families is terrific,” he said.

However, the job is not without its downsides, such as dealing with high levels of stress.

“We see a lot of fairly sick kids, and you know sometimes it’s hard to take care of them.

“You do the best you can, but I think occasionally your outcome is not as good as you would like surgically. That certainly causes a significant amount of stress.

“I think over time as a surgeon and as you get more experienced, the stress level goes down a little bit, but it never goes away. That’s not a bad thing, because you always need to be on your toes and thinking ahead. Sometimes in the middle of the night, you have to make some decisions and you’ve got to stick by them. From that standpoint, it can be pretty stressful.”

Bond with Salt City — “I really love it up here. When I retire, we are not going anywhere,” he said.

An avid hiker, Ratner has always been drawn to the challenges that the Adirondacks pose.

“I’m big into outdoor sports, and that’s one of the things that has kept us here,” he said. “I’m also a big sports fan and enjoy going over to the dome to see Syracuse University games.”

Ratner did require a knee replacement about nine years ago, so he is limited in what he can do physically. However, he does enjoy golf and even shelves the cell phone and beeper when he does so. He also goes for walks with his wife Rissa. The couple have two grown children, Beth and Todd.

“Physical activity is an advantage for anybody,” he said. He characterized himself at one point as being an “inveterate gym rat,” working out three days a week.

However, an exodus of pediatric surgeons at University Hospital several years ago meant Ratner’s recreational time was severely restricted.

In fact, Ratner is one of a very few pediatric surgeons in the Central New York area and has delayed his retirement as a result.

“When I retire, I assure you I will be right back in the gym. I’ll be walking until my last breath,” he said.
Ratner grew up in Brooklyn, and recalls when his father would spend 90 minutes commuting one way to work.

“Here, 10 to 12 minutes and I’m at work,” said Ratner, who resides in Manlius.

Ratner also said cultural amenities such as the symphony and theater are sufficient for his tastes. He also noted the centralized location of Syracuse and its proximity to major cities as another advantage.

Much Needed Upgrade — Ratner, 66, said his legacy is having played a significant role in the development of the new $50 million Golisano Children’s Hospital.

Ratner said the Syracuse community has always had a strong pediatric medical community, but facilities became dated.

Prior to the Golisano Children’s Hospital, the most recent pediatric facility was constructed in 1965.
“At times, we had to have parents sleep on a mattress under the crib,” he said. “We were able to provide good care, but the facilities for patients and their families were miserable.” Besides poor lighting, double rooms were small compared to standard sizes and some rooms housed four or five young patients.

Ratner also noted that poor bathroom and shower facilities existed for parents, who oftentimes wanted to stay with their children.

In addition, pediatric care at the hospital grew to the extent that beds were spread out throughout the entire hospital, he noted.

“We basically stole beds from other services that didn’t need so many beds,” he said.

By the time the move was made to the new hospital, Ratner said pediatrics was spread out over five locations at University Hospital from the original one floor.

“It was just untenable,” he said.

“We couldn’t duplicate play rooms and all the other things that you need to take care of children,” he said.

“The experience for the kids and their families was terrible and the facilities certainly hampered the physicians.”

On top of that, Ratner said, the former facilities served as a “big recruiting liability.”

“When you had a new physician come that you would like to recruit, it was very difficult showing that person around,” Ratner said. “You tried to stay away from certain areas.”

“This new facility really gives us a leg up in that it’s a brand new, state-of-the-art facility, but also basically puts us on a level playing field with almost every other city in the United States that has a children’s hospital,” he said.

“At least now we can recruit and say, ‘Listen, Central New York really values taking care of children,’” he said.

Ratner said it would be difficult to find a community the size of Syracuse that would be capable of drumming up the necessary funds to make the new children’s hospital a reality.

The facility was paid for primarily through private sources scattered throughout the 17-county region that Upstate serves, Ratner said.

The children’s hospital is the product of more than 8,000 big and small donors.

“It was fantastic,” he said.

Ratner directs the pediatric surgery center, which is basically an operating room with facilities specifically designed for children and their parents.

“This is a family centered institution,” he said.

Ratner said entire families are taken into account when care is provided to children.

The hospital features a child life specialist in the operating room to assist with the needs of youngsters.
“When kids come in there, they are really nervous. And I can assure you, their parents are probably more nervous,” Ratner said. “We have trained specialists to help families get through this.”

The new hospital features 71 spacious rooms, each with a private bath, pullout bed for family sleepovers, PlayStation video game console and a flat-screen television.

“It’s a big difference in taking care of the children and families in that situation vs. the way we used to,” he added.

Future Concerns — Ratner said he believes the new children’s hospital will be in need of more space.
University Hospital was only allotted a specific amount of beds for the new children’s hospital based on state-generated population projections.

“My feeling is those projections are not going to play out in the long run,” Ratner said. “We’re going to fill up that hospital and we’re going to have no open beds very shortly.”

The reason, Ratner said, is because surrounding communities are having difficulty with certain specialties, including general surgeons.

“As general surgeons age, a lot of young general surgeons don’t feel comfortable seeing an 8-year-old with appendicitis,” Ratner said. “That patient is going to come here from a city like Auburn, which has trouble covering its emergency room as far as general surgeons are concerned.”

Many Upstate communities are suffering the same consequence, and more young patients end up at University Hospital as a result, he noted.

“I think it’s going to put pressure on the facility very quickly,” Ratner said. “I think we all tried to get some more beds, but we were not successful. That’s going to be a challenge.”

He said recruitment is a challenge, not only for University Hospital, but for every institution across the state and Northeast.

Looming physician shortage has top doc concerned

Syracuse pediatric surgeon Michael Ratner is scared to retire.

It’s not because of the standard reasons, like those related to financial need or a stinginess to hang up the stethoscope.

It’s because there is a shortage of pediatric surgeons at SUNY Upstate Medical Hospital.

Ratner, 66, originally planned to retire once the Golisano Children’s Hospital opened.

However, a lack of qualified physicians has delayed that process.

“I just can’t because we don’t have the people. It scares me to think of retiring now,” he added.

The first patients moved into the $50 million hospital on Sept. 23.

One of Ratner’s foremost challenges is recruiting needed specialists.

“We are still short on several surgical specialists, including general pediatric surgery, which is my own specialty,” he noted.

Ratner characterized the push to recruit much-needed pediatric surgeons to SUNY Upstate.

“As far as the administration at University, I don’t know whether it’s the No. 1 priority, but it is way, way up there as a priority for Upstate Medical University,” he said. “A lot more has been done than people realize,” Ratner said.

He said many administrators—including doctors David Smith, SUNY Upstate president,  and Paul Kronenberg, president and CEO of Crouse Hospital—are all heavily involved in addressing the issue.
Efforts at using two recruiting agencies have gone for naught, Ratner said.

At present, SUNY Upstate is working on an affiliation agreement with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.

The affiliation will hopefully help University in terms of recruitment, student education, having the availability of surgeons to transfer back and forth, and residency training.

“Right now, it’s just in pediatric general surgery,” Ratner said. He noted that additional help may come in other areas, including urology, an area that SUNY Upstate is also shallow in.

“We actually signed an agreement recently to help us,” he said.

Ratner characterized the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital as being “fantastic.”

SUNY Upstate is the largest employer in Onondaga County, employing approximately 6,600 employees. Meanwhile, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, a not-for-profit freestanding institution, employs 11,000 workers.

Ratner noted that Cincinnati’s human resource department features eight people who focus solely on recruiting.

“They think of everything, including the spouse and family,” he said. “They are very professional.”
“I was really blown away when I spoke with them,” he noted.

Despite media reports to the contrary, Ratner said he wants to assure the public that SUNY Upstate is “really working hard on this.”

The lack of help on the pediatric surgery end extends beyond University Hospital. In fact, the Buffalo Children’s Hospital, which has one of the few fellowship training programs in pediatric surgery, has gone from five to two pediatric surgeons.

Ratner said his Buffalo colleagues have called SUNY Upstate looking for temporary people to work there.
“People should realize there are some issues common to a lot of other places,” he said.

Poor calculations—Ratner said the root of the looming physician shortage began in the early 1970s. That’s when the government along with major surgical organizations such as the American College of Surgeons made a prediction that would have far-reaching repercussions.

The study done indicated that by the year 2000, there would be anywhere from 100,000 to 200,000 excess surgical specialists in the country.

As a result, a number of surgical residency programs were shut down and restrictions went into place for many years.

By the time 2000 rolled around, it was evident that a projected shortage of physicians would exist at the same 100,000 to 200,000 level.

“The population in the United States has grown significantly,” Ratner said.

This costly miscalculation is now sending tremors rippling through the healthcare industry.

Another costly oversight involved the gender breakdown in medical school classes. Today, the ratio of male to female medical students is about 1:1, Ratner said.

“Many less women choose surgical specialties,” Ratner said.

He noted that University Hospital has always featured some women in surgical specialties, but there are other facilities that don’t.

“In my day, it was like 10 percent” women in medical class, Ratner said.

“Since that has happened, there is a big difference in the number of people choosing surgical specialties,” Ratner said. “Now we are struggling.”

Ratner said the country has become dependent on foreign medical graduates who fortunately come to the U.S. to practice.

Surgeon reflects on healthcare, career

Michael Ratner is certainly an “honorary” Syracusan after having resided in the Salt City since 1964.
The renowned pediatric surgeon, instrumental in the creation of the Golisano Children’s Hospital at SUNY Upstate Medical University, recently shared some thoughts on the state of healthcare as well as himself.

• On whether high malpractice insurance premiums in New York state discourage physicians from choosing pediatric surgery as a specialty:

“High malpractice insurance premiums are not the reason why doctors are not choosing pediatric surgery as a specialty.

“We are about in the same category as general surgeons. It’s expensive in New York state; it’s certainly high. It’s twice as high in the New York City area as it is up here.

“But I don’t believe that is a deterrent because a lot of other states have the same issues. We need (healthcare) reform, there’s no question, but I don’t believe that is a deciding issue.”

• On the need to accommodate the needs of parents as well as young patients at Golisano Children’s Hospital:

“We allow one parent to come with the child right into the operating room until they are asleep. The child can stay on a stretcher with a parent holding their hand, or if the child is smaller, he or she can sit on their parent’s lap.

“However they feel comfortable, we’re going to do it. “It’s much easier for the kids, particularly when you have a child there 10 to 15 times. This is a big thing.”

• On personnel being the key to running the pediatric surgery center successfully:

“Even our housekeepers interact with the kids in a way you would want them to interact with your own children.

“Everybody who works here wants to work here. We have a waiting list for all different fields, from surgical technicians to nurses. Everybody is very focused on taking care of those kids. That makes a difference.”

• On a personality trait that aids him in his role as leader of the pediatric surgery center:

“I’m a very good listener, and I tend not to shoot from the hip. Before I stick my foot in my mouth, I think about things first.”

• In terms of his legacy:

“I would like to be remembered for playing a significant role in making the children’s hospital happen.

“Furthermore, I have been working diligently on forming a firm bond with Crouse Hospital’s neonatal intensive care nursery.”