In the first quarter of the century technology was everywhere; it’s advancing more dramatically in the second quarter
By Stefan Yablonski
New Year’s Eve, 1999. I’m not celebrating.
I’m working for an online newspaper, surveying the global news to ascertain whether the Y2K will destroy civilization as we know it.
As I hear cheers from the other room from people watching the ball drop, I glance at my wrist watch. It’s midnight, a new year, a new millennium. Outside of a glitch at a Turkish oil refinery, everything is the same.
I make a note to watch the ball drop the following day — good thing I remembered to program the VCR.
My electric typewriter sits beside my huge computer monitor. My manual typewriter languishes on the floor; I brought it out just in case the power went out. I shut down the dial up connection on the computer so I can use the phone to call in my story. The phone cord isn’t long enough and I have to put the receiver down to go across the room to see if anything came across the fax machine. One fax — Blockbuster sent a note reminding me I haven’t returned a couple VHS tapes.
I checked my equipment for the next day — camera, extra rolls of film, triple A rechargeable batteries, tape recorder and tape. Laid them out next to my car keys, one for the engine and one for the trunk … almost forgot my pens and reporter’s notebook!
Grabbed a handful of quarters. We could stay in contact with people wherever we went; there were pay phones on just about every corner.
Top employers
Looking back, Niagara Mohawk with 1,330 employees was the top employer in Oswego County as 2000 dawned.
It was followed by Alcan (750), Oswego Health (700), Sealright (650) and Nestle (600).
Now, on the threshold of 2025, only Oswego Health remains. The others have been “replaced” by National Grid, Novelis, Huhtamaki and Aldi’s.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
OCO (459), Metal Transportation Systems (427), Oswego Industries (406), Felix Schoeller Technical Paper (392) and A.L. Lee Memorial Hospital (383) rounded out the top 10 employers in Oswego County.
Some other top employers in 2000:
Ames (#35 – 115), International Paper (#38 – 91), K-Mart (#45 – 85), Pulaski Health Center (#50 – 80 – the business would become Northern Oswego County Health Services Inc. and then ConnextCare), JC Penney (#58 – 63), Eckerd (#60 – 61), Oswego County Savings Bank (#65 – 57), Oswego County Weeklies (#69 – 45 the Backus family), Fulton Newspapers (#84 – 37), Wiltsie Construction (#98 – 28), Oswego Cranberry (#99 – 27), ALPS Professional Services/Carpet & upholstery (#100 – 27), LeRoi (#105 – 25) and Grandma Brown Beans (#111 – 21).
By 2015, Oswego Health claimed the top spot with 1,177. Exelon Generation was next with 1,025 followed by Novelis – 928, Walmart – 925 and Entergy Nuclear – 620.
Northern Oswego County Health Services (#14 – 206) in 2015. National Grid (Oswego County) (#31 – 110), Rite Aid replaced Eckerd (#34 – 101).
Some business people have stuck around for the first quarter of the new century. Among them are Terry Leroy (LeRoi), George Joyce (Laser Transit), Dennis Ouellette (Ontario Orchards) and Dan Dorsey (Eagle Beverage).
Not to mention Wagner Dotto and Stefan Yablonski at Oswego County Business Magazine.
There have been several new businesses opening up. Splash Indoor Water Park and Resort in 2024, Irby in 2023, Riverwalk in 2021 and Aqua Spa in 2020. Many have called Oswego County home for 100 years or more — The Palladium-Times (1845), Oswego YMCA (1855), Pathfinder Bank (1859), Davis Standard (1867) and Huhtamaki (1883).
Second quarter of century
As we embark on the next quarter century, technology is exploding all over.
“The biggest thing has been the advancement of computer technology,” according to Rich Bush, chairman of the department of technology at SUNY Oswego. “Machining things, how we make stuff — the amazing transformation of I can think about it, I can draw it within moments and I can 3D print it and I can have the object in my hand within a few hours in solid form. That has really been a transformation. Now you don’t actually put your hands on these parts until it is done — all the work is done by machines. The advancements through computer technology are amazing.”
We’re all being affected by advancement in technology in different ways, he said.
“The communications class was learning about AI Photoshop, a photo editing software. You can now ask Photoshop what’s wrong with the photo and then it will give you suggestions on how to fix it. Then when you select how you want it fixed — it fixes it!” he added. “You’re not pulling down any menus, you’re just responding to prompts. It is absolutely crazy.”
Another example with AI is asking it for design ideas.
“You can make kind of a cryptic sketch, you actually draw into the A I program, then it gives you ideas back of a finished product,” he said. “You can then change the color of surfaces … ‘I like it but it’s too small, make it bigger’ It’s bouncing ahead at unbelievable speeds.
“When you say AI, the first thing a lot of academics think about is cheating; like people having papers written for them. But there is so much beyond that and also so many ways to benefit humanity. Trying to learn about what options are available so it can be proper use — it’s like chasing a Super Ball that’s bouncing around a room.”
National Grid is now using “smart meters.”
“You have a computer hanging on your house,” he said. “You can see how much power are you using, when are you using it. You can get so much more information.
“I don’t want to use the word scary — but the change is so continuous that sometimes people are just ‘I was happy with how it was.’ LED lights are saving energy now. Twenty-five years ago you’d be scared to have a lot of lights on — the electric meter would be spinning! Now it doesn’t spin anymore and secondly you’re using less energy even though you have more lights on. Major savings all over the place from street lights to other usages.”
The city of Oswego, for example, is embracing LED streetlights.
