The Debrief Podcast

When Mark Pitifer Jr. left his job at Congressman Tom Reed's office, those close to him knew that it had to be the right opportunity. Now serving as Director of Community Relations at BonaDent, which is headquartered in Seneca Falls, he has been part of the response to COVID-19 locally- and beyond. Today on the show, a conversation with Pitifer, as he talks about transition, new job, and the community he continues to serve.

How did a power plant along the shores of Seneca Lake in rural Upstate New York dramatically change its course of operation? And how has that shift managed to go almost completely unnoticed? Water Front Online Reporter Peter Mantius dug into that question - among several others. He covers the environment in Upstate New York, with a focus on the Finger Lakes and Southern Tier. His reporting is regularly featured on FingerLakes1.com. Today on the show, we dive into Greenidge Generation; a power plant that's operated in Dresden since the 1930s; and after recent approval to continue operating quietly shifted to providing what's called 'blockchain services'.

Remember vinyl records? There are a couple local radio stations on college campuses in the Finger Lakes, which will be putting those old school tracks on the airwaves this weekend, and again over the summer. Both Hobart and William Smith Colleges and Cayuga Community College - representing Geneva and Auburn respectively - will feature events in the coming months dedicated to vinyl. The first one is happening this weekend in Geneva, as Greg Cotterill explains on this edition of The Daily Debrief. Gabe Pietrorazio is also joined by Jeff Szczesniak from Cayuga Community College discussing their event, which will be delayed due to COVID-19.

Phil Bredesen Jr. was born in 1943 and lived most of his childhood years in the small town of Shortsville in Ontario County. He graduated from Red Jacket in 1961, and served as mayor of Nashville, and governor of Tennessee in the 1990s and 2000s. He recently joined Brendan Harrington on his Across the Hall podcast. The full-interview is available here, but during part of that conversation — Bredesen talked frankly about the challenges that government has accounting for low-probability events — like a global pandemic. He also talked about the things people expect out of leadership, as well as the flaws of rural healthcare.

Working on the frontlines comes with challenges. Not just for healthcare workers, to which we are grateful, but for those who work in grocery stores. Today on The Daily Debrief an excerpt of a conversation that will be released in-full on Thursday right here on FingerLakes1.com with Matt Miller. He is running for New York State Assembly in the 131st District. He also works at a store that New York State has deemed essential in Canandaigua. That experience, and so much more highlighted in today's Daily Debrief.

Last month college students across New York and the rest of the U.S. experienced something truly unique. They were sent home. Little warning, no time for debate, and often little more than a letter up-front to explain the situation. But that situation was evolving by the moment.  Here in the Finger Lakes and Upstate New York - colleges shut down campuses one-by-one, as they shifted to confront the Coronavirus pandemic.  It was the middle of the spring semester, and for FingerLakes1.com reporter Gabe Pietrorazio - who is a senior at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva - the entire situation was as much surreal, as it was life-changing. Today on the Daily Debrief, we talk with Gabe about what students are saying, how the colleges in Geneva responded, and consider how the pandemic might change college campuses moving forward. 

How do you feed a city that struggles with food access and insecurity? How do you accomplish that during a pandemic? Today on the show, FingerLakes1.com Reporter Gabriel Pietrorazio talks to a number of individuals on the frontline of the food access fight in Geneva. The Novel Coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic has reminded many how familiar and close to home these issues are.

What does the future of the economy look like? This week we look at reopening, and how it all breaks down as COVID response eases.

While Theresa Parker, a Seneca Falls resident has preexisting conditions, she had no idea that the experience she'd have in our local healthcare system would shape her view of the coronavirus pandemic as much as it did. She was directed to a hospital with coronavirus symptoms - only to be turned away without a test, or diagnosis.