The Oct. 1 shutdown resulted from disagreements over healthcare funding, with Democratic legislators wanting to extend tax credits provided to low-income Americans through the Affordable Care Act. Republican lawmakers prefer instead to pass a funding bill first and then discuss healthcare negotiations. Democrats were also opposed to the planned Medicaid cuts that passed as part of the Trump administration’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” act in July, which Republicans argue were necessary to reduce federal deficits and cut waste.

Ultimately, with no funding bill or continuing resolution passed, the federal government entered a shutdown.

“The GOP shutdown will have devastating effects on workers, small businesses and families throughout our state,” said Gov. Kathy Hochul last week in a press release. “Washington Republicans need to do their damn jobs, actually stand up for the people they serve, and come to the table to end this shutdown.”

Initiatives like the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that provide food to low-income families will have their funding paused, with WIC projected to quickly deplete its remaining funds. WIC provides 450,000 infants, children and pregnant mothers in New York with nutrition services and healthy food. (4) The suspension of this program may result in the loss of necessary aid for these people, according to Rep. Josh Riley, who represents New York’s 19th congressional district.

Applicants for federal housing and small business loans could also face delays, while those in rural areas eligible for mortgages through the U.S. Department of Agriculture will be unable to access loans during the shutdown. If the shutdown persists, Riley warned about delays in the development, rehabilitation and refinancing of homes.

Mayor Jared Kraham said that this shutdown has instilled a sense of uneasiness within the local community.

“You have agencies that can’t respond to emails, you have funding requests and grant programs that are going to be slowed down, and it sends a terrible message for our local economy, for confidence in people making investments,” said Kraham. “And then, practically speaking, things like federal Income Housing Tax Credits, which are really critical to funding affordable housing in Binghamton, get delayed.”

“Governments need to work for the people,” he continued. “These U.S. agencies and our federal tax dollars should not be used as political pawns and should not be used in service of one party over the other.”

Some Binghamton University students have also expressed discontent over the shutdown and concern over the negative impacts many Americans may face.

“This is not a time for lawmakers to play political games,” wrote the BU College Democrats in a statement to Pipe Dream. “Americans, including those living in Binghamton and across New York, rely on measures like the healthcare subsidies provided by the Affordable Care Act to receive critical medical care. Republicans must stop refusing to fund healthcare that Americans need and instead help Democrats pass a bill that will actually help their constituents.”

The College Democrats also emphasized the importance of students staying informed about their congressional representatives’ actions leading up to the 2026 midterm elections.

The shutdown has gone on for over a week, with the solution to the deadlock remaining unclear. The White House website has a stopwatch currently posted to keep track of how long the shutdown has lasted, claiming that “Democrats have shut down the government.”

“We’ve seen gridlock in Washington,” said Kraham. “What we have never seen before is the White House use government agencies that are supposed to represent all of the American people as a political weapon against their opponents. The White House is doing that.”

The checks are intended to provide relief to New Yorkers who now pay more in sales taxes due to inflation. From the end of September to November, qualifying New Yorkers will automatically begin receiving checks. The policy has faced disapproval from some progressive state lawmakers, who claim the initiative is misguided due to the Trump administration’s expected cuts to Medicaid and other social services that increase next year’s state budget deficit.

The amount taxpayers receive will depend on how they filed their taxes and the income they received in 2023. The highest check is $400, which will be awarded to married individuals who filed jointly and to qualifying surviving spouses who earned $150,000 or less. Single individuals, married couples filing separately and heads of households who made between $75,000 and $150,000 will receive $150.

To qualify for the checks, full-year residents must have filed a New York State Resident Income Tax Return, reported an income of less than $300,000 a year and must not have been claimed as a dependent on another taxpayer’s return.

Since full-time undergraduate students can be claimed as dependents on their parents’ tax returns if they are under 24 years old and receive over a majority of their financial support from their parents, many will not receive a check. Still, some graduate students meet the qualifications.

Viktorya Erdogu, president of the Graduate Student Employees Union chapter at Binghamton University and a third-year Ph.D. student studying political science, spoke with Pipe Dream about the economic concerns of graduate student workers and how the rebates might impact them. She addressed how the base stipend for doctoral students at the University, which they bargained to increase to $25,000 per year starting January 2026, still lags behind the minimum annual living wage needed in Broome County of about $40,000, according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s living wage calculator.

“We do appreciate that [Hochul’s] trying to help, but this one-time payment isn’t a solution, and we’re advocating for fair wages, for better benefits, including health insurance, for all TAs and GAs, all grad student workers across the SUNY system,” Erdogu said.

Hochul has argued these inflation rebate checks will put money back in the pockets of New Yorkers, who now pay a higher price for many household items due to inflation.

According to ABC’s price tracker, overall grocery prices in the Northeast are 27.3 percent higher than they were in January 2015. The cost of living in New York in 2025 is 27 percent higher than the national average.

As prices rise, New Yorkers are paying more for purchased items and sales taxes on those goods. According to Hochul, the rise in sales taxes increased state revenue by over $2 billion, which will directly finance refund checks.

“It dawned on me instantly — this doesn’t belong to us,” Hochul said at a press conference, referring to New York’s surplus sales tax revenue. “This is because hard-working New Yorkers got slammed with higher costs of everything.”

Hochul, State Sen. Lea Webb ‘04 and Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

Some progressive state lawmakers believe the money would be better spent on closing the state’s projected $10.5 billion deficit gap to thwart deep cuts to social services. According to Blake Washington, the state’s budget director, federal funding cuts contribute at least $3 billion to the shortfall.

In August, some state lawmakers held a rally in Manhattan and criticized the rebates, calling on Hochul to convene a special state legislative session to raise taxes on the wealthy to fund social services like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Medicaid that were cut by the Trump administration’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” act.

“We have a responsibility to actually tax the ultra-wealthy and big corporations,” said Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado at the rally. “ Two billion dollars — that could be very useful right now.”

Additionally, since the program sends out checks instead of acting as a tax credit, the checks will be subject to federal income tax, providing hundreds of millions of dollars to the federal government. New Yorkers will have to report the rebates on their income tax returns next year.

Hochul has been criticized for a comment she made in September at the True Bethel Baptist Church, a predominantly Black congregation in Buffalo, New York, regarding inflation refunds.

“Don’t spend it all in one day,” she told the congregation. “Get something you really need, OK? Don’t stop by the liquor store, OK? Buy something for the kids — buy them some food.”

Following the remarks, she stated, “Sometimes I have to stop by the liquor store too. I understand. It’s alright. It’s alright.”

Sarafina Chitika, Hochul’s campaign spokesperson, claimed the moment was not racist and instead was intended to be lighthearted and self-deprecating.

Republicans in the state legislature condemned the policy as insignificant and not doing enough to help New Yorkers.

“I never say no to giving money back to our taxpayers, but it’s a gimmick,” said Edward Ra, a Republican assemblyman from Nassau County. “It’s a one-shot initiative.”

The Network for a Sustainable Tomorrow is a nonprofit that conducts outreach and promotes education on sustainability and clean energy. As part of its mission to promote environmental justice, the organization has adopted the Energy Corps internship program for undergraduate and high school students interested in the renewable and clean energy sectors.

However, after its funding is cut off at the end of this year, NeST does not have a concrete backup plan to support many of these internships, leaving students at a loss.

The Energy Corps internship runs three times a year, with programs in the fall, spring and summer. Energy Corps interns assist in facilitating community outreach related to energy efficiency, including solar and geothermal energy, and support community efforts to increase environmental awareness. Groups of three to six eligible undergraduate and high school students are chosen to participate in this paid internship.

Running for over 10 years, the internship has graduated about 120 interns, most of whom have been Binghamton University students. Many of them have gone on to pursue careers in clean energy and related fields, with nearly a third working in the energy not-for-profit and environmental fields.

“About 13 or 14 percent of our alums have gone into the clean energy industry in various different ways, and there’s no question at all that our internship has facilitated many careers,” Adam Flint, BA ‘88, MA ‘98, Ph.D. ‘08, the organization’s director of clean energy programs, said in an interview. “It’s facilitated careers outside of the industry as well — people have gone into nonprofits and so forth.”

To adequately fund these paid internships, NeST has looked to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, an agency that runs the New York State Clean Energy internship program. According to NYSERDA’s website, this program “provides funding to eligible clean energy businesses, organizations, and local municipalities hiring interns to perform meaningful work in the clean energy sector.”

Earlier this year, NYSERDA proposed discontinuing this funding in a May 15 order issued by the state’s Public Service Commission. The order declared that NYSERDA would discontinue its Climate Justice Fellowship after June 30, 2026 and that funding would be cut for the Clean Energy Internship program. NYSERDA is currently seeking other funding sources for the internship.

Flint told Pipe Dream these cuts would affect NeST’s internship offerings, which would negatively impact students. According to Flint, NeST received around 90 resumes from University students alone, before a Watson College career fair boosted applications even further. The program offers a total of only eight positions between their last summer and fall program cycles.

“There’s huge demand for this because we deliver value, and people get paid, people get jobs,” said Flint. “It’s a proven program. If we do not have money, come January, I think we’ll be able to offer our spring internship, but we probably can’t offer our summer internship. And frankly, we’re having other problems attracting money as well.”

Flint noted that despite its involvement with BU, NeST has never received direct funding from the University. He highlighted the benefits that the NeST program has provided for the University and its students, including work on faculty research projects and being a key partner in the Binghamton 2 Degrees project, which works to solve problems that result from living under two degrees of global warming.

“I will say this, that I am a double alumni of this university, and we have benefited 120 of the University’s students, it would be nice to get some support from the University,” Flint said. “Not simply the existing funding that they have for some students to get paid less than we pay them for the summer, but to actually support the organization that is necessary for this internship to exist.”

Editor’s Note (10/10): A previous version of this article said the Climate Justice Fellowship and Clean Energy Internship would end on Dec. 31, 2025. The fellowship will end June 30, 2026, and there is no planned closure of the internship.

Dozens of community members attended the “Meet the Mayoral Candidates” event, held downtown at the Koffman Southern Tier Incubator. Hosted by the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce, the debate focused on issues ranging from local economic development to infrastructure and public safety.

Stacey Duncan, the CEO of the Leadership Alliance, a group that partners with the Chamber of Commerce and the Broome County Industrial Development Agency to promote local business activity, thanked both candidates for agreeing to come and discuss their vision for the city’s future.

“I want to thank both of you for stepping and staying into this arena, because in the world we live in today, with intense public scrutiny, it’s not an easy thing to do, and I don’t think anybody takes this kind of work lightly,” Duncan said.

The debate was moderated by Brooke Warpus, a news anchor on FOX 40 News. A student from Vestal High School kept time. Both candidates were given three minutes for opening and closing statements, two minutes to answer questions and one minute for rebuttal if requested.
Burnett told the audience he entered the race in February because he was “fed up” at seeing the city face continued challenges, citing its high poverty rate and challenges with homelessness and vacant properties.

A South Side native, Burnett served as deputy chief of staff to State Sen. Lea Webb ‘04 from 2023 to 2024. He also worked as an aide to a former New York City councilman and the executive director of a nonprofit advancing economic development projects.

Kraham said the city undoubtedly faces “great challenges” and that he spent his first term in office working to tackle some of these problems.

Alluding to the current federal government shutdown, Kraham said he wants to be a “problem solver” who will ensure that “we keep our services up and running and our government open,” adding that shutdowns are “not an option for local leaders.”

When both candidates were asked about their biggest achievements, Burnett pointed to his time advancing new development projects and “revitalizing commercial corridors.” He added that as mayor, building new housing units would be a major focus of his.

Kraham said his public safety record is what he has “been most proud of” and highlighted that both the Binghamton Police Benevolent Association Local 2737 and the Binghamton Professional Firefighter Association Local 729 endorsed his reelection campaign. Burnett responded by saying he would implement a “team of mental health experts” to help address some nonviolent incidents and tackle a mental health crisis.

When asked about attracting new investment to the region, Burnett voiced his plan to create a local council of small business owners. Kraham pointed to a Sept. 24 article by the Albany Times Union that found the Binghamton metropolitan area to be the only region in the state that increased its share of 18 to 34-year-olds since 2019.

Turning to infrastructure, Kraham highlighted his work to get Norfolk Southern to begin repairs on decaying railroad bridges across the city. In August 2023, Kraham’s office released an over-900-page report that found a majority of surveyed bridges were in “poor” or “severe” condition. Norfolk Southern announced that it would begin repairs on seven of its bridges that October.

Both candidates were also asked about their plans to tackle poverty and rising housing costs.

“Thirty-three percent of our community lives in poverty because they cannot find a safe, affordable place to live,” Burnett said. “That’s three times the national average right here in Binghamton. And I know my opponent is talking about childhood poverty not growing, but it’s at 42 percent in our community, we have almost 400 Binghamton city school kids that are homeless.”

Kraham pointed out that several housing projects were currently under construction, including the Town and Country project in the city’s North Side.

When the debate shifted back to public safety, Kraham directly asked Burnett about his plans for police staffing. Burnett responded by saying the department should be “fully staffed.”

Asked about how they envision the city over the next decade, Kraham said he would continue to facilitate partnerships with Binghamton University to drive more local investment in the healthcare and technology sectors.

In closing statements, Burnett stressed that the community should “stop pretending that the problems don’t exist” and the changes he would make to Binghamton’s economic development. Kraham said that while there is “a lot of work to do,” his track record demonstrates how he would address the city’s most pressing issues.

“If we’re going to rebuild this city, we’re going to face the challenges we have and really have a bright future,” Kraham said in his closing statement. “It’s going to take experienced leadership that knows how to get stuff done — that represents my candidacy.”

Binghamton Police Chief Joseph Zikuski will step down following over two months of paid administrative leave and an ongoing investigation, according to an announcement from Mayor Jared Kraham.

Zikuski was placed on administrative leave after his girlfriend was involved in an altercation with two teenagers on July 18. According to a video that circulated on social media, Susan Rice, 44, reportedly approached two teenage boys on the front porch of a Johnson City home.

After arguing with the teenagers and making inflammatory comments like “What do you do, Section 8?” Rice walked onto the porch and punched both teens. The younger, 16-year-old boy, then struck her in the face, causing her to fall to the ground before being led away by Zikuski.

Rice received medical attention, while neither teen was injured. She was later arrested and charged by Johnson City police with trespass, harassment and endangering the welfare of a child.

“Yesterday, I accepted the resignation of Binghamton Police Chief Joseph T. Zikuski,” Kraham said in Tuesday’s press release. “He will step down from the Police Department and retire, effective Oct. 6. This comes as the independent investigation into factors surrounding a July 18 incident in Johnson City involving Zikuski and his girlfriend is concluding.”

In a July 23 press release, Kraham announced that an independent third-party investigation into Zikuski would take place, led by attorney Karl Sleight. A report from the investigation will be released shortly, according to Kraham.

Assistant Chief John C. Ryan served as acting police chief following the suspension. He will continue to stay in the role while the city appoints a permanent police chief in accordance with New York state civil service law.

Miles Burnett, the Democratic candidate for Binghamton’s upcoming mayoral race, called for community involvement and transparency in selecting the next chief.

“As the City moves forward, I believe it is vital that the process of choosing a new Chief includes meaningful community input,” Burnett said in a Sept. 30 press release. “Town halls, public hearings, and opportunities for residents to ask questions and share concerns should be central to this process. A transparent approach will ensure that whoever is chosen has the credibility and respect needed to lead effectively.”

“Decisions about public safety must always be made with the public’s voice at the center,” he continued. “Binghamton has an opportunity to set a higher standard of openness and accountability, and we cannot afford to fall short.”

In a Sept. 18 press release, Burnett criticized the delay in issuing an update and report. The investigation, which began late July, was initially expected to take 30 days, according to WSKG.

Zikuski has served as Binghamton’s police chief since 2008. In 2015, he was placed on administrative leave for over three months after sexual harassment allegations.

“As BPD makes this transition, the investments and changes we’ve made in the department to build a strong foundation are more important than ever,” Kraham said in the Sept. 30 press release. “As Mayor, I’m confident in the men and women who serve in our Police Department, and remain committed to the future of public safety in Binghamton.”

Garnar prepared the budget amid extensive federal funding cuts and an ongoing cost of living crisis, calling it “one of the most challenging budgets we’ve ever had to prepare.” The cost of living across the United States continues to rise, with the annual inflation rate reaching to 2.9 percent in August — the highest rate so far this year. As part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the U.S. House of Representatives also voted to cut $7.5 billion in annual funding for New York State’s Essential Plan, which offers health care for lower-income individuals, and eventually decrease funding for social service programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

“Federal cuts to Medicaid and SNAP will shift major costs from Washington to states and counties,” Garnar wrote in a statement to Pipe Dream. “For Broome County, that means higher expenses, more administrative work, and greater strain on health and social services just as demand remains high.”

Garnar said the new budget would reduce the county’s discretionary spending by $3.5 million. He emphasized that these cuts would not impact public services and programs, but instead focus on items like office supplies and software purchases.

He also announced that his budget includes a 0.1 percent property tax cut for county residents, made possible by local property values increasing by 10.5 percent over the past year. The budget would also expand the senior citizen property tax exemption for the first time in over 20 years.

“Our seniors are the heart of Broome County,” said Garnar. “They’re the teachers, veterans, nurses, small business owners and parents who raised families here and stayed. They gave their energy and talent to build the neighborhoods and institutions we all benefit from today.”

Turning to housing, Garnar said over 1,000 housing units are currently under construction in the county. Last year, the county executive office launched a $5 million Housing and Economic Development Fund to support quality housing projects. Part of the funding was invested in transforming the Riverside Gardens site in Johnson City, the former site of Davis College, an evangelical Christian institute.

The lot will be transformed into 67 new apartments and more than 22,000 square feet of commercial space.

“The County Executive’s proposed budget makes it clear that housing and economic development remain top priorities for Broome County,” Anthony Fiala, the county’s commissioner of the Department of Planning and Economic Development, said in a statement to Pipe Dream. “Projects like Riverside Gardens and the Oakdale Commons are central to our efforts to revitalize neighborhoods, create jobs, and expand housing opportunities for local families, while also advancing Governor Hochul’s commitment to pro-housing communities.”

The large-scale renovation of Oakdale Commons will include a 125-unit workforce housing project, a new medical campus for Guthrie Lourdes and a child care facility.

The new budget will also increase operating funding to GiGi’s Playhouse, an organization dedicated to providing education and therapeutic services for people with Down syndrome. The expansion will include a workforce training program, increased classroom space and new storefronts to give trainees hands-on practice with customer service and work experience.

Katie Whaley, the site manager for GiGi’s Playhouse, told Pipe Dream there was a community need for a post-high school program.

“We have seen and heard firsthand from our families with adult individuals with Down syndrome that there is a need for continuing education and career development opportunities once our individuals graduate from high school,” Whaley wrote to Pipe Dream. “This kind of programming would equip our participants to continue to work on important skills that will carry them throughout the stages of their life that follows graduating from high school!”

The expansion was funded through the county’s Small Community Grant Program, which provides funding for local organizations to launch community projects. The budget includes an additional $500,000 for the program to “launch innovative, community-driven projects.”

“Budgets aren’t just numbers on a page,” Garnar concluded. “They’re a reflection of our values. This one says we believe in our young people. We believe in safe, quality housing. We believe in strong neighborhoods and good jobs. We believe in taking care of our seniors, our veterans, and our families. And we believe that even when times are tough, Broome County can keep moving forward together.”

The video shows Burnett in front of a webcam discussing the lyrics to “Smell Yo Dick,” a rap song by Riskay. In the nearly minute-long clip obtained by Pipe Dream, Burnett, who is white, repeated the N-word twice when analyzing one of the song’s verses.

When quoting one lyric of the song that uses the N-word, Burnett said, “He’s Black, it’s just a word for individual.” Later, while explaining a line from the song’s chorus that talks about a man coming home at “Five in the morn’,” Burnett said, “That’s ‘morning’ for you people who do not speak ‘ethnic.’”

Earlier this week, Burnett apologized and expressed regret for the video, which he said was recorded while he was “an adolescent child.” In a Sept. 24 Facebook post, Burnett claimed he was 14 when the video was posted and added that he would not do the same now as an adult.

“Those words were not appropriate then, and they are not appropriate now,” he said. “I got into this race to fight for a better Binghamton for everyone and that’s what I will continue to do.”

Mayor Jared Kraham, who faces reelection for a second term, condemned the video and said it should disqualify Burnett from the race. He also claimed Burnett was nearly 17 when he uploaded the video, not 14.

On Sept. 25, in response to Kraham’s comments, the Binghamton City Democratic Committee released a press statement with a link to a 2007 article about standardized testing that Kraham wrote while in high school.

The City Democratic Committee accused Kraham of “demeaning the intelligence of the black community” in the article, which was focused on standardized testing and its potential limitations. After describing his experience taking the SAT, Kraham said in the article that tests and quizzes have become a major metric that high schools use to evaluate how much students “learned” about a subject.

“Schools have to use tests to ‘standardize’ their teaching practices, even though it’s believed more and more today that tests might not be the best tool to judge the amount of material learned by a single student,” Kraham wrote in the article. “One good thing that standardized tests have done is to tell us that white, suburban, American kids are smarter than black, inner-city, American kids year after year.”

“Did you miss it?” he continued. “Let’s review that sentence: ‘One good thing that standardized tests have done is to tell us that white, suburban, American kids are smarter than black, inner-city, American kids year after year.’”

On Friday, Kraham told Pipe Dream that he was “mocking and criticizing” the idea that standardized test scores accurately reflect how much students really learn through satire.

In a post on X, the Broome County Republicans called Burnett’s video “abhorrent” and called on all elected Democrats in the county to condemn it. Benji Federman, the party’s chairman, told The New York Post that Burnett’s “hateful language and nonstop lies make him utterly unfit for public office.”

Comment requests have been sent to the Binghamton University College Democrats and College Republicans.

Karen Beebe, chair of the Broome County Democrats, said in a statement that there was “no excuse” for the video and commended Burnett for apologizing.

“I believe that children grow up and learn to be better adults,” Beebe said. “Miles is a strong and thoughtful leader who has made a deep impact on our community. He is the only candidate in this race committed to making Binghamton better for ALL residents.”

The partnership with Owego Free Academy will last throughout the 2025-2026 academic year. Around 86 students from the Ernst & Young Student Leaders Program, which helps develop students into future business leaders, will lead one-on-one mentoring sessions with the high schoolers.

College mentors and OFA students will be divided into four cohorts: first-year students will mentor Owego seniors through the college admissions process; sophomores will lead sessions on resume building, mock interviews and LinkedIn profile editing; juniors will help students consult with Hawkeye Graphics, a “student-led graphic design and print shop” at OFA; and seniors will serve as program advisors.

Phil Schofield ‘09, MAT ‘10, OFA’s principal, told Pipe Dream that he believes the new program will help students explore their future career paths and build key soft skills.

“In today’s rapidly changing world, academic knowledge alone is no longer enough to prepare students for long-term success,” Schofield wrote in an email. “Building communication, teamwork, adaptability, and problem-solving is just as critical. These skills form the foundation for thriving in both higher education and the workforce. They influence how individuals interact with others, navigate challenges, and contribute meaningfully to any team or organization.”

“I believe this partnership could benefit the EY students just as much as our students at Owego,” he continued.

The idea for the partnership was first proposed by Olivia Pasquale ‘12, MPA ’17, director of the EY Student Leaders Program. Pasquale, who is also the director of career services at SOM, told Pipe Dream her role is to ensure the OFA partnership provides “high-quality mentorship” to students and aligns with the broader objectives of the leadership program.

The project is co-led by Hailey Chin, the EY social impact chair and a sophomore majoring in business administration, and Matthew Qu, the vice president of social impact and a junior majoring in accounting.

In an interview with Pipe Dream, Qu stressed the importance of students developing networking and communication skills early on, even before entering the workforce.

“With the way that the job market currently is, the earlier you can start, the better,” Qu said. “And so getting exposure to these sorts of things, regardless of what field you’re in, eventually everyone probably is going to have to get a job. And so, by learning even anything now, is a little head start above the rest of the people around you. So, that’s our incentive there.”

Last Thursday, Chin and Qu officially launched the project at OFA’s career center. Over three class periods, they taught students from eighth to 12th grade how to network and make elevator pitches.

To participate in the EY program, first or second-year students can apply in the spring semester for admission in the fall. Some prospective SOM students can also be invited before their freshman year begins.

If successful, the project, funded with support from EY alumni, will run annually at OFA and potentially other high schools in the region. Qu wrote that the EY program was also coordinating a trip with OFA students to the University toward the end of the semester.

“It’s been rewarding to see how this program not only supports Owego students in reaching their goals but also strengthens our university students’ leadership and sense of community,” Pasquale wrote. “I’m proud of the impact we’re making together.”

Kraham’s plan would have reallocated Community Development Block Grant money for two emergency response vehicles and new firefighting gear. On Aug. 27, the council deadlocked 3-3 on the plan, as Councilwoman Kinya Middleton, who represents the second district, was not present at the meeting.

At a Sept. 8 work session, Councilwoman Rebecca Rathmell, who represents the sixth district, offered a new proposal after speaking with community members and the president of the Binghamton Professional Firefighters Association Local 729. Her plan would draw $141,000 from the city’s general fund, which Rathmell believed was the “most appropriate source” of funding.

“The city’s general fund, like every municipal general fund, is designed to cover essential services when unexpected expenditures or budget shortfalls come up,” Rathmell said at the work session. “And one of the most common uses of any general fund is public safety.”

Under this proposal, the fire department would receive almost $217,000 less than Kraham’s initial ask, with the funds to be used only for purchasing the requested gear. Kraham must now approve the funding.

Rathmell told the Press & Sun Bulletin that she encouraged Binghamton City Fire Chief Alan Gardiner to request funding for the emergency vehicles in the 2026 budget and that the council would approve the proposal.

“The turnout gear is a critical need in order to maintain the fire department’s compliance with National Fire Protection Association regulations, but CDBG was not the appropriate source,” Rathmell said at the work session.

Deputy Mayor Megan Heiman told Pipe Dream that the city’s Community Development Advisory Committee met last week and recommended that the originally proposed funding of $357,685 be transferred to the fire department.

In a statement to WBNG, Kraham said the city council’s plan “falls short of meeting the department’s equipment needs” and would risk the public safety of City of Binghamton residents.

“I’m once again asking that Council approve the full funding for the Fire Department, without any further delay,” Kraham said. “Our first responders — and the residents they serve — deserve that.”

Rathmell and other city councilmembers criticized Kraham for proposing to reallocate Community Development Block Grant funds instead of spending them on affordable housing development. In an Aug. 28 press conference, Kraham said the money in question “was not allocated for housing” but was unspent funds for administrative costs and salary lines that cannot be recouped.

Rathmell said the city has over $700,000 in unspent Community Development Block Grant funds. While she acknowledged the city faced “threats of recision” from the federal government, she thought it was “disingenuous” for Kraham to argue that the funds must be spent now.

“[There is a] difference between this funding sitting there for six years and this council having a month-and-a-half to consider, in light of timeliness concerns but also very critical affordable housing needs locally, how to appropriately spend this money,” Rathmell said. “That’s if we had an administration that was committed to collaboration rather than one that just throws resolutions out and hopes we don’t have the time to figure out alternatives.”

At the meeting, Rathmell discussed two bills that would appropriate Community Development Block Grant funding toward two initiatives addressing local housing issues. Her first plan would modernize affordable housing units built before 1985 to address the health and safety concerns of tenants. According to the January 2024 Broome County Housing Needs Assessment, the average age of local affordable housing development buildings is 40 years old.

Rathmell said she felt this issue went unaddressed by the Binghamton Housing Authority. Last month, BHA tenants created a petition and threatened a rent strike in response to unsafe living conditions.

The other bill would establish a “proactive code rehabilitation assistance program” to assist rental property owners in addressing health and safety issues that are identified during the Proactive Rental Housing Inspection program, which is being considered by the council.

The proposals were sent for further review at a later planning committee meeting.

“I will only add that the question remains unsettled, and neither of the presented spending proposals is likely to move forward, which would seem to present the opportunity and need for a compromise solution,” Councilman Robert Cavanaugh II, who represents the third district, wrote in an email.

Last week, ICE officials arrested two men in Johnson City, with an agency spokesperson telling WSKG that they lacked “the proper documents to remain” in the country. Residents on social media platforms have also reported other ICE arrests in the Greater Binghamton area.

In a statement released last week, Mayor Jared Kraham indicated that ICE activity was taking place without any involvement from the Binghamton Police Department.

“I’ll again share my position from weeks ago — the Binghamton Police Department will not partner with ICE on these types of enforcement activities, nor will Binghamton police officers be allowed to serve as task force agents for ICE,” Kraham said. “Further, BPD has not and will not participate in ICE’s 287(g) program, which allows local agencies to partner with ICE on certain enforcement matters.”

ICE did not return Pipe Dream’s request for comment.

On Jan. 20, shortly after his inauguration for a second term, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to “faithfully execute the immigration laws against all inadmissible and removable aliens.” The directive also ordered the secretary of homeland security to legally facilitate partnerships with state and local officials to assist in federal immigration enforcement.

These agreements, known as the 287(g) program, come in three different models and are authorized under the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996.

In March, the Broome County Sheriff’s Office announced it would participate in the Warrant Service Officer program, which allows state and local law enforcement “to serve and execute administrative warrants on aliens in their agency’s jail,” according to the program’s website.

A spokesperson for Sheriff Fred Akshar told Pipe Dream that his office “has not been involved with any immigration enforcement in the community” and that any warrants issued would be for individuals already in the correctional facility.

As of Sept. 19, the facility held 51 ICE detainees and 26 U.S. Marshals Service detainees. The number of detainees “fluctuate[s] frequently,” according to Ashkar’s office, and is not connected to participation in the 287(g) program.

State Sen. Lea Webb ‘04 and Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo MA ‘84 called ICE’s presence “unwelcome” in the community.

“Many of those being targeted have come to our country to provide a better life for their families and are doing jobs few people are interested in,” said Webb and Lupardo in a joint statement last week. “They deserve a pathway to citizenship rather than the unjust, inhumane treatment we are seeing with these raids.”

On Sept. 11, over 150 activists and community members gathered at the United Presbyterian Church of Binghamton to listen to four panelists discuss Akshar’s participation in the 287(g) program and how new arrestees are treated in the county jail.

One of the panelists discussed the “New York for All” act, a proposed bill that would prohibit local and law enforcement officials statewide from signing agreements with ICE. States like California and Washington have enacted laws restricting certain officials from partnering with federal immigration enforcement and asking questions about residents’ citizenship status.

Miles Burnett, a Democrat running for mayor of Binghamton, claimed in a Facebook post that he would support passing a law to officially prohibit the city’s police department from cooperating with ICE if he was elected.

Nationwide, immigrant rights activists have also expressed concern about the possibility of ICE agents using racial profiling tactics. On Sept. 8, the U.S. Supreme Court lifted an injunction placed by a federal district court that prevented immigration agents from stopping people in the Los Angeles area if those stops were based on any of the following factors: an individual’s presence at certain locations like bus stops, agricultural sites and car washes; “the type of work one does;” “speaking Spanish or English with an accent;” and “apparent race or ethnicity.”

The American Civil Liberties Union and the American Immigration Council said the decision allows for racial profiling to be used in immigration raids, while the Department of Homeland Security said the federal government enforces the law “without fear, favor, or prejudice.”

Hussein Adams, executive director and CEO of the American Civic Association, told Pipe Dream that ICE activity nationwide has instilled fear in the local immigrant community. He said that many immigration agents wear face masks and do not have body cameras, which he said creates fear and distrust of law enforcement.

The ACA can provide immigrants with various services, including naturalization assistance, status adjustments and connections with potential employers.

ICE has also reportedly placed U.S. citizens in its custody. Over the summer, immigration officials allegedly arrested several Americans in California, including a 23-year-old pregnant woman.

“As Mayor, I believe Binghamton’s police resources should be focused on neighborhood safety and crime, not civil immigration enforcement, and certainly not performative or incendiary law enforcement activity that erodes trust in our communities,” Kraham said.

“ICE should be transparent, quickly, in what arrests have been made and where they have been operating in our community,” he continued.

The budget seeks to address several issues facing the city, including an affordable housing crisis, aging infrastructure and crime. Robert Cavanaugh II, a councilman representing the third district, told Pipe Dream the council will now begin a 45-day-long process to review and amend the budget proposal. They will also hold public hearings with leaders from each city department and solicit feedback from residents about the budget.

“Real change — the hardest kind to deliver — is strategic and deliberate,” Kraham said in his address. “We want to be a City under construction. A city transforming. A city of promise and hope. We have to keep fighting for that change, and the 2026 Budget speaks to those goals.”

After explaining some of the city’s revenue sources and planned expenditures, Kraham addressed funding for public safety. His budget allocates $16.1 million to the Binghamton Police Department to address equipment needs and fund the police force.

He said violent crime has decreased by 30 percent during his tenure and that index crime, which includes offenses like murder and robbery, “is at its lowest levels on record.” Addressing issues with understaffing, Kraham said the police department will be fully staffed by the end of next year.

In line with these goals, Kraham wants to allocate $100,000 to a mobile crisis response program where licensed mental health professionals are dispatched to the scene on police calls. The funding will help provide vehicles, gear, training and upstart support. The budget would also create a new city attorney position to support the police and fire departments by “navigating the legal side of public safety issues.”

“I will be interested to see how their budget aligns with the police reform and reinvention collaborative report that they put out in 2021 to make sure that the budget is aligning with the goals set forward in that,” Councilwoman Hadassah Mativetsky ‘07, MS ‘12 said in an interview with Pipe Dream.

The budget will also allocate $12.3 million to the Binghamton Fire Department to replace an outdated fire truck and purchase new hazmat and utility trucks. Kraham said he is working with Rep. Josh Riley to secure federal grant funding to build a new fire station in the city’s North Side neighborhood.

Last month, the city council failed to approve Kraham’s proposed plan [HYPERLINK: https://www.bupipedream.com/news/binghamton-city-council-fails-to-approve-funding-transfer-to-the-citys-fire-department/169222/] to transfer $357,685 in federal Community Development Block Grant funding to the fire department for the purchase of new vehicles and firefighting equipment. On Sept. 10, the council unanimously voted to transfer $141,000 from the city’s general fund to the fire department, which Kraham said fell “short of meeting the department’s equipment needs” in a statement to 12 News.

Later in the speech, Kraham honored John R. Gaudet, the firefighter who was killed on Feb. 12 while battling a fire on Main Street by the Court Street Bridge, and commended the fire department for its support and courage.

“J.R.’s sacrifice serves as a tragic reminder of the dangers that our first responders face every day,” Kraham said. “In the wake of this tragedy, our Fire Department’s rallying support for J.R.’s family — and each other — will be remembered as one of the finest acts of compassion in the department’s nearly two-century history.”

Moving onto housing, Kraham reported a record-breaking $56.7 million total investment in residential construction last year. The city plans to break ground on new housing projects in the coming months, with more projects awaiting state funding.

To combat unfair landlord practices, the city will hire a second code prosecutor and a new paralegal to prosecute abusive landlords and repeat violators. The budget includes $300,000 to expand efforts to combat urban decay and demolish tax-foreclosed properties that have been in legal limbo since the pandemic.

He also announced a $10 million investment in infrastructure improvements like paving roads, fixing sidewalks and replacing aging water and sewer infrastructure. The city will also spend $3 million to install a whole-plant generator system at the City’s Water Filtration Plant, which would keep clean water flowing even if the plant loses power.

Kraham also highlighted the importance of community development with proposed investments into recreation and parks. After hearing from community members, a splash pad will be installed as a kid-friendly summer attraction in the city’s First Ward. Upgraded basketball courts at Webster Street Park and a new roof at the Recreation Park poolhouse will also be installed.

“Looking toward 2026, the City of Binghamton’s opportunities are endless,” Kraham concluded. “Let’s seize them. This budget provides the resources to do it. Let’s get to work.”

Baci and Ianni’s Trattoria, located at 201 State St., will provide a “fine dining experience” for a lower price, according to head chef Amarissa Scelsi. In 2023, Scelsi met with Mark Yonaty, a local businessman who co-owns several other restaurants in the area, including Station 45 American Chophouse, The Black Sheep Tavern, Garage Taco Bar, Scoopy Dooby’s Ice Cream and Courtside Bar and Grill. The new pasta bar will replace the old Social on State, a popular restaurant and cocktail lounge, also owned by Yonaty, which closed in 2023.

Influenced by her Italian roots, Scelsi crafted the menu and told Pipe Dream she wanted to deliver something beyond more typical, Americanized dishes.

“Our entrees are going to be eight different pasta dishes,” said Scelsi, who attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. “They’re all a different kind of pasta sauce and protein, and then two of those dishes are vegetarian as well. And then pretty much all of the dishes are interchangeable with a gluten-free option of pasta.”

The restaurant’s name combines the Italian word “baci,” which means “kiss” in English and is the name of Yonaty’s dog, and Ianni, which is Scelsi’s grandmother’s maiden name.

The restaurant will also focus on providing a quality dining experience at a reasonable price for local residents and Binghamton University students. Scelsi said none of the plates will be over $40, with the priciest pasta on the menu being a seafood dish. Most of the other courses will be around $30 and come in hearty portions, she added.

“I embrace the University in our community — they are a major part of our community,” said Yonaty. “Even though you’re somewhat guests in our community for four years, it’s important that your experience of Binghamton is wonderful. Coming with that, it can’t only be nightlife like bars, but it should be coffee shops and fun restaurants and arcades. There should be a lot for a college student to do.”

On Aug. 29, Yonaty told the Press & Sun Bulletin that the restaurant will open within 60 days.

“We have very high expectations,” Scelsi said in an interview with the Press & Sun Bulletin. “That’s why it’s just taken a decent amount of time. We’re very excited to be open. I know a lot of people waiting to go to the restaurant, and I’m very excited about it.”

As the restaurant will open in the Downtown Arts District, Yonaty and Scelsi decided to commission three murals inside the restaurant that will feature views into different parts of Italy, including a depiction of the Roman Colosseum.

Scelsi, a Vestal native, has been working in the local restaurant industry since she was 15 years old, when she began working at PS Restaurant, a fine dining establishment owned by her aunt and uncle.

Yonaty and Scelsi hope to distinguish Baci and Ianni’s from other businesses in the area and offer employment for locals and students, creating a space where every generation can enjoy good food.

“I want people to be able to come in when their parents come and visit,” Scelsi said. “They know, ‘Hey, Mom and Dad, we can go to this place. It’s really good. They have great drinks, it’s a great price point and it’s just a fun atmosphere.”

Administrative Judge Eugene Faughnan and District Executive Porter Kirkwood answered questions and talked to residents about the important functions their offices perform within the county legal system. State Sen. Lea Webb ‘04 was initially scheduled to attend but was unable to come.

In addition to serving as a trial judge, Faughnan is in charge of New York’s Sixth Judicial District, which covers Broome County and nine others throughout the Southern Tier. Kirkwood said his office supports the judge in handling administrative matters.

Christina Olevano, the district’s access and equal justice coordinator, led the town hall and began by reading some submitted questions. The first question raised asked how the justice system worked with community organizations outside the courtroom. In response, Kirkwood brought up an October 2020 report commissioned by Jeh Johnson, the U.S. secretary of homeland security from 2013 to 2017, which recommended expanding antibias training and improving diversity and inclusion within hiring.

Kirkwood discussed a recent shift within the courts to prioritize “customer service” and increase visibility within the community, mentioning a recent gathering with local faith leaders and community outreach events across the district.

Faughnan shared how the courts are simplifying certain forms and procedures to improve readability and accessibility. When speaking to new judges, he noted that he often emphasizes the importance of explaining the legal process to underrepresented individuals.

“Just taking that extra time, rather than just saying, ‘You don’t have what you need, case dismissed,’” Faughnan said. “We don’t do that. That’s not our approach at all. That’s not customer service, and that’s why the customer service is for everyone in the court system, including the elected judges.”

Court employees attend mandatory training on cultural consciousness and understanding. They also participated in a poverty simulator to understand the challenges people face when navigating the justice system.

Faughnan added that court employees have gone to high schools and colleges in the Southern Tier to advertise career opportunities, which can create a more diverse and talented workforce. While many jobs in the court system require applicants to take various tests, some do not and rely instead on factors like relevant background experience.

Members of the audience were also allowed to ask questions or make comments. One resident who retired from working in the court system said that recently installed artwork displays in the buildings can help build an inclusive atmosphere within the courts.

A presentation on legal resources followed. Chris Lund, the principal law librarian for the Sixth Judicial District, highlighted some of the legal help services available to residents who contact one of the court system’s help centers.

Next up was a presentation on alternative dispute resolution given by Jamie Smith, the district’s alternative dispute resolution coordinator. Smith said local courts offer several ways for many individuals to resolve legal disputes without going to trial.

Finally, a staff attorney from the Legal Aid Society of Mid-New York shared how the organization can provide free legal resources for people with low incomes.

“In partnering with local agencies and the courts we strive to help close the justice gap experienced by low-income persons and other vulnerable persons within the community,” Arlene Sanders, managing attorney at the Legal Aid Society, wrote to Pipe Dream after the town hall. “Outreaches such as these are a good way to expand our ability to connect with these populations.”

In 2021, the Broome County Department of Health and the Broome County Adult Immunization Coalition created the awards to recognize organizations that have successfully promoted vaccinations in Broome County. The award reflects a clinic’s immunization rate and spotlights its efforts in prioritizing patient health and contributing to community well-being. Clinics that achieve the highest pediatric or adolescent vaccination rate and those nominated for promoting immunizations are eligible to receive an award.

“The goal of recognizing Immunization Champions is to celebrate the hard work they put in to keep Broome County healthy, and to inspire others to take creative approaches to improve immunization coverage,” wrote Chelsea Reome-Nedlik, supervising public health educator at the county’s health department.

The childhood immunization rate is determined by the number of patients who were given their 4:3:1:3:3:1:4 series routine vaccines by their second birthday, Reome-Nedlik wrote. The series includes four doses of the diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis vaccine; three doses of the polio vaccine; one dose of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine; three doses of the Haemophilus influenzae B vaccine; three hepatitis B vaccine doses; one shot to protect against varicella, or chickenpox; and four doses to protect against Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Meanwhile, the adolescent immunization rate measures how many adolescents have received one dose of the Tdap vaccine; a shot of meningitis protecting against serogroups A, C, W and Y; and a vaccine protecting against human papillomavirus by their 13th birthday.

Vaccines protect individuals and communities through a medical phenomenon known as herd immunity, which occurs when most of the population develops immunity to a disease. Herd immunity lessens the possibility of a pathogen infecting vulnerable individuals and spreading within the population Vaccines have played a vital role in reducing or even eradicating a plethora of once-prevalent diseases in the United States, including measles, polio and smallpox.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that childhood immunization, specifically, prevents approximately four million deaths each year. Despite this, approximately 14 million children under the age of 1 remain unvaccinated today.

In recent years, the conversation around vaccinations has become increasingly contentious, as the U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has cut $500 million funding for mRNA vaccine research and directed the CDC to no longer recommend COVID-19 vaccines to healthy children and pregnant women. He also fired the CDC’s entire 17-member Advisory Panel on Immunization Practices.

On Sept. 4, Kennedy defended his decisions at a U.S. Senate Finance Committee hearing. Bill Cassidy, a Republican senator from Louisiana and a medical physician, criticized Kennedy for his recent policies and claimed that they will result in denying people access to vaccines. Some members expressed concerns about Kennedy’s dismissal of Susan Monarez, the CDC’s director, after she spent only a month officially in office. A group of senators serving on the committee, all of whom are Democrats, criticized Kennedy.

The county health department has worked with local healthcare organizations to host vaccine education events for the public. Among these is a “Teddy Bear Clinic” event, held at local libraries for children to understand what to expect when getting a vaccine.

“For most of those who work in public health or healthcare, the incentive to perform well is the well-being of their patients or community,” Reome-Nedlik wrote.

More than 150 people came to the United Presbyterian Church of Binghamton on Thursday to listen to four panelists: Hussein Adams, executive director and CEO of the American Civic Association; Zachary Ahmad, senior policy counsel at the New York Civil Liberties Union; Luna Azcurrain, jail visitation project coordinator at Justice and Unity in the Southern Tier; and Dara Silberstein, attorney, associate research professor and program director of Binghamton University’s department of women, gender and sexuality studies.

The discussion was moderated by Rev. Kimberly Chastain, pastor and head of staff at the church. Panelists and local community members discussed the growing debate in the community over Sheriff Fred Akshar’s participation in ICE’s Warrant Service Officer program and the quality of life for arrestees in the county jail.

“There have been examples of U.S. citizens being profiled or wrongly detained, unlawfully detained, by ICE for periods of time before being released,” Ahmad said, referring to nationwide reports. “We are really seeing an out of control immigration enforcement regime.”

The panel discussed the 287(g) agreement signed by Akshar’s office in March, which allows state and local law enforcement “to serve and execute administrative warrants on aliens in their agency’s jail,” according to the program’s website. Akshar, who signed the agreement on March 10, told Pipe Dream at the time that only the corrections division would serve these warrants to “lawfully detained adult individuals within the correctional facility.”

In a fact sheet, Akshar stated that the correctional facility’s budget would not change due to housing ICE detainees and that the federal government pays the county $110 per detainee per day. He also stated that officers would receive the necessary training to execute these warrants from ICE.

Azcurrain, a senior double-majoring in sociology and Latin American and Caribbean studies, works firsthand with the detainees and raised concerns she had with the program’s implementation.

“This is very financially beneficial to ICE specifically, because they reimburse us half of what it costs to hold somebody at [Broome County Jail], which is $110,” Azcurrain said. “So, they’re only paying $110 and the county is paying the other half. So, not only are we paying to help detain these folks, but we are also now paying to have more staff.”

More staffing is needed because of the increase in detainees since the agreement’s signing, according to Azcurrain. Many of the new detainees arrived elsewhere in northern and central New York. She also claimed that the correctional facility lacks adequate translation resources, making it difficult for detainees to attend court hearings, contact their families, or file grievances with the sheriff’s office.

Adams said the town hall was a “great first step” and encouraged attendees to continue speaking out against ICE activity locally and nationwide.

Ahmad then highlighted the “New York for All” act, a proposed state bill that would ban 287(g) agreements in New York and forbid state, local and law enforcement officials from collaborating with ICE. California and Washington state have enacted laws restricting certain officials from working with ICE and inquiring about residents’ citizenship status. Vermont, Illinois, Oregon and Colorado also placed limits on authorities enforcing federal immigration law.

He encouraged residents to contact their state representatives and urge them to pass the bill.

“New York state and the counties and the cities can all draw a firm line in the sand and say we’re not going to be complicit in what’s going on,” said Ahmad. “We’re not going to share information with ICE. We’re not going to hand people over who are in local custody into ICE custody.”

Both the state assembly and senate versions of the bill, first introduced in January 2021, currently sit in committee. While labor unions and state legislators have voiced support for the measure over the years, it has never made it to the floor.

Akshar’s office pushed back against some of the claims made by Thursday’s panelists.

“Despite these repeated falsehoods, our BCSO team has been crystal-clear with our community from the start,” Akshar said in a statement to Pipe Dream. “The BCSO’s specific participation in the 287(g) program has zero impact on immigration enforcement in Broome County or any other community. Their false claims are easily disproven with even the simplest look at immigration enforcement in communities nationwide.”

The panel came three days after the U.S. Supreme Court lifted an injunction placed by a federal district court that prevented immigration officers from stopping people in the Los Angeles area if those stops were based on any of the following factors: an individual’s presence at certain locations like bus stops, agricultural sites and car washes; “the type of work one does;” “speaking Spanish or English with an accent;” and “apparent race or ethnicity.”

The ACLU argued the court’s decision would allow ICE to investigate individuals on the basis of race or spoken accent. The Department of Homeland Security hailed the ruling as a “major victory” and claimed the federal government enforces immigration law “without fear, favor, or prejudice.”

“Our sheriff’s office is participating in the systemic racism that the Supreme Court has just allowed to continue,” said Silberstein. “It’s really important to understand that many of the kinds of structural inequities that have existed in policing in general are now being extended through ICE.”

The grant money will fund CHOW’s new commercial kitchen and a Mobile Market Bus, which will prepare and deliver SNAP-eligible prepared meals as part of its prepared meal initiative. CHOW distributes free food to over 120 emergency food programs. The organization distributes 2.72 million meals across the county each year.

Les Aylesworth, CHOW’s director since 2019, told Pipe Dream that the initiative began in 2023 after he and a colleague visited Toronto and saw local emergency food programs. He said traditional food pantries stocked with canned and dry goods do not serve the needs of everyone in the community, particularly unhoused individuals or those who lack permanent housing and currently live in hotel rooms.

“The best they have is a microwave, right?” Aylesworth said. “So they, for whatever reasons, are in that situation, but they obviously don’t have kitchens. They probably could cook, but they don’t have the ability to do so.”

A traditional pantry does not adequately meet the food needs of many families, Aylesworth said. To bridge that gap, CHOW began distributing frozen meals, working out of a small teaching kitchen at SUNY Broome’s culinary institute. Despite limitations, the team, with the help of a hired chef, has already made nearly 8,000 meals.

With their new initiative, CHOW aims to deliver “chef-inspired, restaurant-quality meals” to help families in need feel valued.

“Our mission statement at the Council is connecting compassion with needs, inspiring growth with dignity,” Aylesworth. ”That dignity part is very important to us. We want to demonstrate to people that you matter, [we] care, we see you, we love you, we want to help you.”

Beyond addressing hunger, Aylesworth said the frozen meal program will also reduce food waste. CHOW mostly provides locally sourced products from grocery stores and distributors that are past their sell-by dates but still safe to eat. By freezing prepared meals, CHOW can preserve food that otherwise might not reach families in time. Aylesworth said that last year alone, CHOW prevented the equivalent of over 160 garbage trucks’ worth of food from going to waste.

Along with the Broome County Council of Churches, eight other organizations received Food Access Expansion grants as part of Hunger Action Month, recognized every September to boost awareness of food insecurity. These grants are aimed at boosting healthy food access in underserved areas.

Last Friday, Richard A. Ball, the state’s agriculture commissioner, visited the Broome County Council of Churches and toured the facility that will house the new commercial kitchen. He also tried samples of food made by the organization’s executive chef.

“One of our highest priorities here at the Department is making sure that all New Yorkers have access to enough fresh, local foods, and that our farmers can get their products to those who need them most,” Ball said in a press release. “Our Food Access Expansion Grant Program is a great way of connecting those dots and helping us to achieve those goals in real and meaningful ways.”

Additional partnerships are also on the horizon. Through support from the nonprofit Care Compass Network and a partnership with the Junior League, a group seeking to empower women in the Greater Binghamton area, CHOW plans to add a food truck to deliver hot meals directly to underserved neighborhoods.

On Sept. 20, CHOW will host its annual Hunger Walk at Oakdale Commons from noon to 3 p.m. The event, which will feature music and activities, will be held to raise awareness about local hunger and support its food donations.

“We got a lot of things in the pipeline,” says Aylesworth. “Right now, we’re very grateful to get this big grant, and now in many ways, the hard work begins of securing it and building it.”

The town hall was hosted by the Broome Tioga chapter of the NAACP and held in the Recreation Center next to the park. Members of the Binghamton City Council, Associate Dean of Decker College Sharon Bryant, Broome County Historian Roger Luther and former city Mayor Richard Bucci attended the town hall.

The NAACP requested a reexamination of the park’s name after the organization asked residents for their opinion on renaming the park. At a Juneteenth event held in Columbus Park, the NAACP asked attendees to fill out a brief survey. After an organization meeting in July, the organization sent that same survey out via a listserv.

Of the respondents who filled out the survey on Juneteenth, 79 percent expressed support for renaming the park. These findings contrasted with the survey results overall, which showed that 52 percent of all respondents opposed a name change.

At the town hall, Bryant presented the survey’s findings, which included an option for respondents to select a new name for the park. Potential names included Billie Anderson, a local civil rights activist who passed away in 2023; Assata Shakur, an activist and member of the Black Liberation Army; and some location-based names like Binghamton Community Park.

Harold Wheat, a South Side resident, supported a name change. He read a quote by Bartolomé de las Casas, a Dominican friar who, in 1542, described the hardship faced by the indigenous people as the Spanish conquered islands in the Caribbean.

“’The Spaniards still leave nothing save to tear the natives to shreds, burn on them, and inflict upon them untold misery, suffering and distress,’” Wheat quoted. “’Tormenting, harrying and persecuting them mercilessly. By some accounts on the island of Hispaniola, there were several million people when Columbus arrived; he had established several colonial administrations.’”

“By the end of his life, there were less than 1,000 by some accounts,” he continued. “That, by all accounts, is genocide.”

Wheat’s statement elicited strong opposing responses from some community members.

As of 2023, 16 states officially recognize the second Monday in October as Columbus Day. In 1990, South Dakota became the first state to officially recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day. New Mexico, Vermont, Maine and Washington, D.C. renamed the holiday to Indigenous Peoples’ Day in 2019. Two years later, Joe Biden became the first U.S. president to issue a proclamation recognizing Indigenous Peoples’ Day on the same day as Columbus Day, honoring the “immeasurable positive impact” that Indigenous peoples have on American society.

In the early 2000s, only 25 states and the District of Columbia observed Columbus Day. California and Delaware stopped officially recognizing the holiday in 2009.

“Columbus had become synonymous with the Italian American immigrant experience,” Bucci said at the town hall. “The journey was not easy for Italians — they faced hardships, prejudice, discrimination and even exploitation. They were at the bottom of the social scale, and menial jobs were the ones most commonly only available to them.”

“As the son and grandson of Italian immigrants, I learned firsthand of the trials and tribulations of their experience,” he continued. “During these struggles, Christopher Columbus became a symbol of pride and achievement.”

Luther presented his research on the history of the park’s surrounding area and its importance to the Black community. Luther said a 1938 study of the city showed that 55 percent of the African American population lived in the area near what is now Columbus Park. The park was originally named Caroll Street Playground after the site of School No. 8, built in 1845 as the city’s first school for African American students.

The park was expanded in 1926 and renamed to Sherman Place Park before returning to its original name two years later. However, in 1955, the park was expanded and reopened in 1959 as the Christopher Columbus Park. Luther said many residents in surrounding areas were displaced in the 1960s because of urban renewal projects.

In his closing statement, Rev. Damond Wilson, the Broome Tioga NAACP president, said it was important to have the local area reflect the identity of all the people who live there. He emphasized the importance of community and the impact a name truly representative of the area’s residents can have in his closing statement.

“If we take this opportunity to actually work together as a community, I feel like we can do something great,” Wilson said. “I feel like we can change the trajectory of not only history, but having a way of changing the trajectory of young people’s lives.”

The council was deadlocked in a 3-3 vote, as Councilwoman Kinya Middleton, who represents the second district, was not present at the meeting. Kraham said the money, provided by the Community Development Block Grant, came from unspent funding for older projects that would otherwise be “clawed back by the federal government.” He added that his office worked with the city’s fire chief and the Binghamton Professional Firefighters Association Local 729 to identify a funding source.

The money would be used to purchase two emergency response vehicles and turnout gear for firefighters to wear on duty.

“I believe that City Council should do the right thing and should fund this equipment,” Kraham said. “We cannot wait, we cannot let this money go to waste. It will be sitting in a bank account if they do not approve this funding.”

At the Aug. 27 council meeting, the clerk read a statement opposing Kraham’s plan written by Tarik Abdelazim, a Democrat who served as the city’s deputy mayor from 2006 to 2009. He argued that the fire department has received millions of dollars in local, state and federal funding in recent years and that it was “patently absurd” to accuse the legislative body of not supporting the fire department.

Robert Cavanaugh II, a Democrat who represents the third council district, spoke in support of the plan, saying that using the grant funds represents the quickest way to meet the fire department’s equipment needs and that additional Community Development Block Grant funding will still be available for future projects.

By contrast, Councilwoman Rebecca Rathmell, who represents the sixth district, was opposed to transferring the federal funds. She said every council member believes that new fire equipment is a “valid need,” but that the funding “is not an appropriate source” nor the only option for the equipment.

Rathmell also claimed the city is sitting on over $700,000 in unspent Community Development Block Grant funding.

“This is over $700K that — instead of being allocated to support affordable housing development or preservation efforts, which is the intended use of these federal grant dollars — has simply been left to sit,” Rathmell stated last week in a press release. “This missed opportunity to target critical housing assistance to underserved neighborhoods is itself unacceptable, but it also represents a pattern by Mayor Kraham of allowing these funds to accrue in order to plug his broken budget instead of allocating them to address the affordable housing crisis he claims to have made a priority.”

Councilman Nate Hotchkiss ‘12 also criticized the plan, saying it was “no way to manage a budget.”

In the press conference, Kraham said that the money “was not allocated for housing” but was unspent funds for administrative costs and salary lines that cannot be recouped. He also pointed to several ongoing construction projects, frequent public updates and investment into affordable housing under his administration.

The Binghamton Professional Firefighters Association supported Kraham’s proposal. Scott Johnson, the organization’s secretary, spoke at the mayor’s press conference and said using grant money would help in “easing the burden put on the city’s budget.”

Earlier this summer, the firefighters’ union endorsed Kraham’s reelection campaign.

Michael Dundon, the council president, voted in favor of transferring the funds, saying that while the Community Development Block Grant money should ideally be used to fund housing construction, he has a “lifelong track record” of supporting unions. Dundon, a union member himself, is the vice president of the Broome-Tioga Central Labor Council.

Kraham called for the council to call a special meeting and approve the funding plan.

“This funding that we’re providing to the fire department is about public safety,” Kraham said. “It’s about responding to 911 calls, making sure that our firefighters are safe, that their equipment is up to date.”

“I can’t think of a better priority that we have to spend our money and especially funding that will go away if we don’t repurpose it and use it for an eligible purpose,” he continued.

Passed as part of the state’s 2025-2026 fiscal year budget, the distraction-free schools law bans the “unsanctioned use” of internet-connected devices at public, charter and boards of cooperative educational services schools for the entire day, including lunch and study hall hours. The policy comes after Gov. Kathy Hochul and the New York State United Teachers, a labor union representing teachers statewide, saw phone use as an obstacle to learning and a harm to student mental health. Last July, Hochul began a listening tour across the state to gather feedback from teachers, students and parents over the use of electronics in schools.

Initially, Hochul faced skepticism from some state legislators and opposition by local school boards and superintendents before the proposal passed. State Sen. Lea Webb ‘04 and Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo MA ‘84 voted for the policy in the state budget. In a May 12 press release, Webb highlighted the policy as one of several that would promote “access to quality education from early childhood through college.”

Lupardo told Pipe Dream she supported the initiative because it would give schools flexibility to implement distraction-free policies rather than forcing all to adopt “a one-size fits all approach.”

“Schools that were already doing this, and early reports this week, show students more engaged in their classroom work and with one another,” Lupardo wrote. “There is also a hope that this will relieve the pressure to text and check social media accounts, giving students a needed break and a fresh perspective on themselves and others.”

Webb did not immediately return Pipe Dream’s request for comment.

Middle and high schools received a total of $13.5 million in state funding to help purchase lockable pouches, lockers and other secure storage options. Students attending school throughout the Vestal Central School District and the Binghamton City School District will lock their phones, smartwatches and earbuds in pouches until the end of the school day. Students in 10th to 12th grade who leave during their lunch period are allowed to bring their cell phones but must lock them before returning to class.

Last year, both districts implemented a similar policy, but the new state law means Vestal High School students will also have to lock away their devices this year. Previously, high school students had to put their phones in a pocket organizer hung in each classroom.

“There is substantial research indicating that personal electronic devices distract students from learning,” Patrick Clarke III, the assistant superintendent for instruction at the Vestal Central School District, wrote to Pipe Dream. “We also believe there are social and behavioral benefits to pausing device usage during the school day. Last year, Vestal Middle School experienced a reduction in disciplinary infractions associated with cell phone and social media misuse.”

Students face similar restrictions on cell phone usage in 13 other states.

The Vestal Teachers’ Association, a local branch of the NYSUT representing Vestal Central School District teachers,supports the initiative. Joseph Herringshaw, president of the union and a teacher at Vestal Middle School, said that teachers handled fewer social media difficulties as a result of the school district’s policy.

“We’re giving back children seven hours to be a kid again rather than focusing on social media, TikToks, Instagram, wherever the phone takes you,” Herringshaw said. “This is an opportunity to engage in face-to-face conversations, learn to engage with others through verbal discourse, rather than digital.”

The case, first filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York, was litigated for five years before a federal judge ruled in favor of the school district and its staff members in August 2024. The lawsuit alleged that the four girls, all students of color, were apprehended in school by principal Tim Simonds while walking in the hallway. They were then escorted by Simonds and assistant principal Michelle Raleigh to Mary Eggleston, the school nurse, who then searched each girl without notifying the students’ parents or guardians, conducted a sobriety test and searched the girls’ belongings.

In the original complaint, the plaintiffs claimed that the students’ constitutional rights were violated — particularly their Fourth Amendment rights, which protect against unreasonable search and seizure. They also claimed the searches were motivated in part by the fact that all four girls are Black and Latina, which violates the Fourteenth Amendment and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

In 2020, Judge Glenn Suddaby authored an opinion dismissing many of the plaintiffs’ arguments but allowing their Fourth Amendment claims to continue. The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and a multinational law firm filed an amended suit in 2021. In February 2024, the district court once again ruled in favor of the school district, dismissing three of the girls’ Fourth Amendment claims and found insufficient evidence to determine their equal protection rights were violated.

However, Suddaby ruled that Eggleston’s search of one of the students, identified as I.M., “greatly exceed[ed] the scope” of the others and allowed her claim to move forward. That July, I.M. “agreed to dismiss that claim with prejudice but preserved her right to appeal the district court’s summary judgment ruling as to her other claims.”

“The court’s decision confirms what the district has said from the beginning: that the employees acted in accordance with the constitutional rights of students and acted on information to maintain the safety and best interests of its students,” the school district wrote in a press release following the 2024 ruling.

On Aug. 9, 2024, the plaintiffs’ attorney from the NAACP appealed the district court’s summary judgment ruling on their Fourth Amendment claims. Last month, after over a year of litigation, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled that “no reasonable jury could find that the challenged searches were excessively intrusive.”

The appeals court affirmed the district court’s determination that the students’ Fourth Amendment rights were not violated and cited case law supporting the idea that “Fourth Amendment rights are different in public schools than elsewhere.” The court also held that a “standard of reasonable suspicion, rather than probable cause” should be applied in cases involving student searches — any search must be “reasonably related to the objectives of the search and not excessively intrusive.”

The ruling maintained that the Binghamton City School District had reasonable grounds to search the students. According to the court, the school district was concerned about students possibly ingesting a “purple juice,” or lean, consisting of cough syrup, candy and soda that caused various symptoms. On the day of the incident, the plaintiffs allegedly disappeared for several minutes and were found in an “unsettled state,” leading the court to conclude the school district acted reasonably when searching for possession of a prohibited substance.

The appellate decision went on to affirm that the searches were not excessively intrusive. Each student was first given a sobriety test, patted down and then asked to empty their pockets and remove their shoes, which the court found was justified to check for possession of prohibited substances.

Two students, I.M. and A.S., alleged they were illegally strip searched. As I.M. dismissed her case against Eggleston with prejudice and could not prove that the other officials were involved in the search, her claim was rejected by the court. As for A.S., the court maintained that a brief unzipping of her sweatshirt was not “excessively intrusive in light of the age and sex of the student and the nature of the infraction.”

The actions of the school district sparked outcry from the local community. In the weeks following the incident, the Progressive Leaders Of Tomorrow organized a rally outside of the East Middle School, calling for the school officials to resign. The rally drew considerable media attention, leading then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo to order the New York State Education Department to lead an investigation into the matter.

“The ruling further diminishes the rights of students, especially women and students of color in Binghamton schools, by allowing invasive searches that leave young people distressed and feeling powerless against school officials’ authority, while normalizing the invasive treatment of children under the guise of security,” the Thurgood Marshall Pre-Law Society wrote in a statement to Pipe Dream. “While we recognize the important duty that schools hold in ensuring campus safety through adherence to school rules, this ruling grants schools the authority to go beyond searches of outer clothing, creating unchecked power that threatens students’ dignity and bodily autonomy, which is particularly egregious in cases where no violation is ever found.”

The NAACP Legal Defense Fund declined to comment on the ruling. The Binghamton City School District did not return Pipe Dream’s requests for comment.

Unveiled last October, the measure would create a “Unlicensed Cannabis Activity” in the city’s code and allow for the inspection of stores suspected of distributing unregulated cannabis products, especially those located near schools, houses of worship and youth facilities. Those who are cited multiple times or considered an “imminent threat to public safety” could be shut down by the Binghamton Police Department pending a court review.

Those who unlawfully sell cannabis would receive a civil fine between $100 to $10,000 each day the activity continues, with a maximum penalty of $25,000.

Some supporters of the law claim it would bring fairness for taxpayers and legal dispensary owners. Cannabis retailers are required to pay a 13 percent retail tax on the sale or transport of legal cannabis products. Additionally, distributors must pay a 9 percent tax on the sale or transfer of products to a retailer, according to New York’s Department of Taxation and Finance.

Last year, Chris Myers, the owner of Greenery Spot in Johnson City, said in a press statement that illegal cannabis stores, or “sticker shops,” undermine the efforts of legal retailers to “create a level playing field.”

“While we partner with local farmers to support the community and provide regulated, lab-tested products, sticker shops are often bringing in unregulated, out-of-state goods,” Myers said. “By enforcing stricter laws, we can ensure that everyone in this industry is held to the same standards, creating a safer, more trustworthy environment for our consumers.”

Sticker shops refer to businesses that sell items like water bottles or stickers at the same price as a marijuana product and then exchange the item for this cannabis product, representing a covert way to bypass licensing. These shops continue to proliferate in the local area despite attempts in recent years to shut them down.

Nate Hotchkiss ‘12, who represents the fourth council district, previously called the proposed law a “misguided attempt to solve a much deeper problem” but told Pipe Dream,, in April that the spread of sticker shops likely pushed Kraham to seek tougher enforcement measures.

“As mayor, I support the legal cannabis industry,” Kraham said last year in a press release. “However, we must not tolerate the sale of unsafe and illegal cannabis products in our community. These unregulated shops are stealing from taxpayers and putting consumers at risk with unknown, untested and untaxed products.”

Rebecca Rathmell, a Democrat who represents the sixth council district, claimed Kraham’s proposal differs from existing legislation because it gives law enforcement more power to investigate illegal sales. In a statement to Pipe Dream, Rathmell said the New York State Office of Cannabis Management, formed in 2021, already has an enforcement division that can investigate businesses and shut down stores selling illicit products. Under the proposed law, the city’s police department would expand investigative power into civil code enforcement and claims.

“The Office not only acknowledges the decades of disproportionate enforcement and over-criminalization of cannabis prohibition within Black and Brown communities, but is governed by a Control Board tasked with creating and implementing a regulatory framework that prioritizes social equity in enforcement and licensing opportunities,” Rathmell wrote. “We have, alternatively, seen no such acknowledgment regarding disproportionate enforcement or over-criminalization from Binghamton Police Department leadership and no such commitment from the Mayor’s office that he would strengthen oversight to ensure equitable enforcement.”

While illegal cannabis sales did increase after New York first legalized recreational marijuana, Rathmell said these sales are projected to decline as the legal market continues expanding.

Other councilmembers are more supportive of Kraham’s law. Councilwoman Kinya Middleton is seeking ways to advance the law, according to the Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin. In a recent interview with WBNG, Robert Cavanaugh II, who represents the third council district, recently told WBNG that he supports stricter oversight of cannabis sales.

“Since the city of Binghamton voluntarily chose to opt into the legal cannabis market, I feel the city has a responsibility to do its part to ensure that cannabis retailers are following state law,” Cavanaugh said. “The immediate need for supervision can be addressed through legislation, allowing the Binghamton Police to conduct inspections in a similar manner to OCM personnel.”

Protesters stood along Court Street and in front of the Broome County Courthouse, waving handmade signs reading “Workers Unite! Stop Trump” and “We The People Say No Kings.” Hundreds of other “Workers Over Billionaires” protests occurred nationwide on Labor Day in a campaign to mobilize support for labor rights. Activist groups Indivisible Binghamton, Citizen Action of New York and the 50501 Movement were among the rally’s organizers.

Speakers stood at the top of the courthouse steps in front of signs that spelled out “Support Workers.” The first speaker, Linda Quilty, co-lead of Indivisible Binghamton, told the crowd that while the protest focused on Labor Day and labor rights, there were other important issues that people should feel free to speak out about.

Later, Quilty referenced Glennon Doyle, an author and motivational speaker who quoted a metaphor about a flowing river from Michelle Alexander, a civil rights activist and The New York Times opinion columnist. The flowing river symbolizes the march toward obtaining “justice, love, equality and shared humanity,” with each boat sailing on the river representing a different cause. From immigrant rights to universal healthcare, Quilty suggested that it is up to each person to join together and support one another on the journey.

“When we get on those boats, and each one on a different boat, we yell to the other boats, ‘Keep on going, we’re with you. Go, go, go down the river of justice and love,’” Quilty said. “We don’t yell for them to come on our boat — we need all the boats.”

“We don’t just protest, we dance and we love each other so that our boats are irresistible to everyone who wants to join in,” she continued. “We lovingly keep them — the people who join — because everyone wants a loving, vibrant place to live.”

Next to speak was Ravo Root, lead organizer at Citizen Action of New York. A union worker, Root said that organized labor helped create the working class in the United States, as they fought for higher wages, safe working conditions and other protections. Addressing concerns that increasing taxes would cause wealthy people to leave the state, Root denied this and said that the number of millionaires in New York has grown in the past decade. He added that it is a “moral obligation” to ensure that “the wealthiest among us pay their fair share into the system.”

After rally goers joined in a chant calling for an end to corporate greed, Michael Kane, a Citizen Action board member, said Monday’s protest symbolized workers’ solidarity.

“This event isn’t just a celebration,” Kane said. “It’s a statement that we, the workers in the community, are united and we will keep pushing for a world that values labor over greed.”

Quilty then returned to the stage and introduced Philip Shanahan, president of the Broome-Tioga Central Labor Council. He began by detailing the history of Labor Day, telling protestors that it took strikes and “a lot of blood, a lot of pain” to achieve recognition of workers’ rights. He added that Labor Day is not just for Democrats or Republicans, but for all workers.

Addressing rhetoric about returning to America’s “golden days,” Shanahan said the wealthy were taxed at higher rates back then compared to today and that people were able to raise a family without having to work multiple jobs.

“Why can’t we bring semiconductors and the new industries and everything back to this area?” Shanahan asked the crowd. “We had our golden age here before and we can have it again. This is a beautiful area. Who wouldn’t want to live up here in Binghamton, New York?”

Barbara Mullen, another co-lead of Indivisible Binghamton, shared her recent experience traveling to Finland, Denmark and Canada and said “everyone is concerned about the United States of America.”

The final speaker, a representative from the New York Trade Justice Coalition, criticized trade policies by President Donald Trump and his predecessors over the past 35 years and said Trump’s deals contain “big giveaways” to Wall Street and large corporate interests.

After the speeches, protesters marched down Court Street and looped back.

In a press interview, Root called upon elected Democratic officials like Gov. Kathy Hochul to raise taxes on the wealthy and protect the working class. He said Trump appealed to working-class voters by “selling them a false narrative.”

“It’s really important that as working class people, we all band together in this moment because our democracy is under threat, but also the eroding of the working class and the middle class is showing,” Root said.

On Monday, the union held a press conference outside the Binghamton Housing Authority’s Canal Plaza office to demand improvements for tenants’ living conditions. Jesula Saintus, a community activist and union spokesperson, said the union planned to present its petition at a housing authority board meeting that same day. The meeting was cancelled due to alleged threats of violence.

“We are not violent,” Saintus said during the press conference. “We want promises made to our community to be kept, finally. Canceling today’s meeting was nothing more than an attempt to silence tenants, take away our right to speak truth to power and keep us invisible.”

The union threatened to organize a citywide rent strike if the city does not address tenants’ concerns promptly.

Saintus read the petition aloud, which claimed that tenants struggle to live under housing rules and conditions “that increase our financial burden, reduce community resources and diminish our quality of life,” including unsafe living conditions, lack of proper bathroom ventilation, broken locks and large rent increases.

The petition also alleged that tenants repeatedly reported issues like mold growth, insect infestations, plumbing issues and unresolved asbestos removal in units. Elderly and disabled tenants are also affected by inadequate garbage pickup and snow removal, the petition claimed, while rents set to increase by increase next year will disproportionally impact vulnerable, low-income, disabled and elderly populations.

“Our homes are supposed to be comfortable,” Saintus said in an interview with Pipe Dream. “And you’re sitting here, you’re tripling the rent, and it’s like, ‘Why am I paying you so much money and we have so many issues and you’re not doing anything about it?’” Saintus told Pipe Dream in an interview.

“Between the mold and the asbestos, you’re literally killing us off,” she continued.

The union also claimed tenants face a “lack of adequate notice and transparency” for rent increases and utility payments. Residents also have their maintenance requests delayed or even ignored, according to the petition.

“When you make a maintenance request, you call it in or you go physically talk to the people, but there’s no documentation of these requests, at least from our end, that it’s being done,” Saintus said in the interview. “When they do come, they partially fix the issue or they make the issue worse than what it was in the first place.”

The Binghamton Housing Authority did not return Pipe Dream’s request for comment.

The petition called on the board to freeze planned rent increases until federal housing standards are met, create a tenant advisory council to review proposed policy changes and require “clear written communication for all changes in rent, lease terms, utilities or community safety measures.”

“This petition is not just words on a paper,” Saintus said. “It is a collective voice of our community, the truth of our lived experiences and the demands we will not back down from until justice is served.”

The grant was provided through the Strategic Planning and Feasibility Studies Program, a state initiative to increase employment opportunities and economic development in communities. The city plans to create a “detailed roadmap” outlining the redevelopment project and identify potential economic development opportunities after the demolition.

“This study is the next step toward delivering on what North Side residents have spent decades calling for — real change that makes the Binghamton Plaza site a driver of economic development and revitalization,” said Mayor Jared Kraham in a statement.

The battle over redeveloping the site has stretched for over a decade. From 1946 to 1957, the site was used as a municipal solid waste landfill by the city. The land was classified as a “brownfield” site, meaning that contamination could pose challenges to redevelopment. In 2015, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Brownfield Cleanup Program certified that the property had completed all necessary cleanup requirements and allowed the site to be redeveloped.

The city’s next step is demolition of the blighted property, Deputy Mayor Megan Heiman wrote to Pipe Dream, On Aug. 6, the city offered $1.55 million to Galesi Realty Corp., the New Jersey-based owners of the Binghamton Plaza, and gave them 90 days to respond. This comes after the state Supreme Court allowed the city to take control of the property through eminent domain.

The plan will likely involve high community engagement from local businesses, stakeholders and residents. Kraham previously said part of the site would be used to expand the neighboring Cheri A. Lindsey Memorial Park and improve access to the Riverwalk behind the site. New commercial development is also expected after demolition.

While the plaza remains mostly empty, the few businesses there are largely important to North Side residents. New York Pizzeria has been at the site for 10 years, providing catering to the Binghamton University Soccer Team. Leather Corner Shoe Repair has also been at the location for over 50 years, building a loyal customer base. The M&T Bank in the plaza is the only bank present on the North Side of the city.

“The City has been in contact with the handful of businesses that are still operating in the plaza and stands ready to support them in relocation to every extent possible,” Heiman wrote.

Despite the reassurance, some of the businesses were concerned about the plan. The plaza hosts two flea markets, which require large spaces and ample parking that the plaza provides, according to John Tokos, the property manager. Moving locations may be costly for the businesses.

“Like New York Pizzeria, their rent is reasonable,” said Tokos, “They can never get half of what they pay now, if they move. You can’t just move a pizza oven and all your equipment, everything else. It would cost them probably $300,000 or $400,000 just to move the equipment.”

The flea markets and TTJR Oddities, which sell used furniture and merchandise, are important establishments that offer customers a wide variety of affordable items.

“We have a lot of people come here, because if they need something, they can come get it cheaper than if they had to go to, say, a furniture store on Main Street in Binghamton,” said Brian Smith, owner of TTJR Oddities.

About 46 percent of Binghamton’s North Side lives at or below the poverty line, making second-hand stores a more affordable and accessible alternative to retail locations. There is also a shortage of large chain businesses in the area, making the plaza a major shopping center in the neighborhood.

“The only thing left over in the whole side of town is Family Dollar, and they keep threatening to move just because of the problems they have there,” Tokos said. “McDonald’s moved out of there, Burger King moved out of there, [Lupo’s] S&S Char-Pit moved out of there, CVS moved out there and half the Colonial Plaza across the street is empty too.”

“It’s just a big loss for everybody,” he continued.

In addition to the two food chains, a vacant space will also be created at the address.

Crumbl Cookies, which has over 1,000 locations worldwide, was founded in 2017 by two cousins in Logan, Utah. At first, Crumbl served only chocolate chip cookies. Eight years later, stores nationwide roll out a rotating cookie menu every week.

Now known for collaborations like the Benson Boone Moonbeam Ice Cream Cookie, named after the Grammy-nominated pop artist and former “American Idol” contestant, or the Dubai Chocolate Brownie, Crumbl is the subject of reviews from influencers and small accounts who flood the stores every week to try the menu.

“I think as a business, their advertising is very creative to get young people and students to eat there as they have really taken on influencers to try their cookies every single week,” said Bailey Emhoff, a junior majoring in psychology at Binghamton University. “But overall, I think they’re generally a very mid business to come to Binghamton. It’s not very healthy in any way, shape or form.”

Other students are thrilled to potentially have a Crumbl located so close to campus. Mariam Moussa, a junior majoring in biology, used to drive with her friends an hour away to the nearest Crumbl location, located just outside Scranton, Pennsylvania.

“I don’t know if that is true or not but I would be ecstatic,” said Moussa. “We would make one hour drives every couple of weeks to Crumbl just to try the weekly flavors. So, it would be nice to not have to make that drive and have it be here. Although it would not be healthy or good for us at all to have it so close to us.”

Both Moussa and Emhoff cited health concerns about the chain. Crumbl cookies, known for being highly caloric, with some containing more than 800 calories, are sold in packs of four, six or even 12 at a time.

Still, some students are excited about the possibility of Crumbl opening as an alternative to the desserts offered on campus.

“I feel like there’s not very many options for good quality sweet treats here, other than the ice cream in the dining halls,” said Siya Unawane, a freshman majoring in biology. “And I feel like Crumbl is a good change of pace.”

The permit belongs to Flaum Management, a real estate company that owns commercial property across upstate New York, including the Southern Tier. In Vestal, the company manages the Town Square Mall and the Parkway and Campus Plazas.

Flaum Management did not return Pipe Dream’s request for comment.

According to the New York Board of Elections, Democrat Miles Burnett raised $76,340 from 397 individual donors, as of July 11, since he entered the mayoral race in February. Burnett ended with $67,431 after the campaign spent $8,909 on expenses.

After starting with $12,276 in January, incumbent Mayor Jared Kraham received $50,227 over the past six months and ended with $49,257.
In a July 16 press release, the Burnett campaign attributed its fundraising advantage to its community outreach and focus on issues like affordability and youth services.

“Every day, our campaign is out meeting people where they are at, hearing their concerns and ideas for how we can build a better Binghamton for everyone,” Burnett said. “This filing is more than a number: it shows that people are hungry for a new vision for our community and a change to the status quo.”

Benji Federman, chair of the Broome County Republicans, criticized Burnett for accepting a donation from the owner of Maryam’s Taste of Halal, a popular late-night spot for students and community members. In April, state officials issued a violation against the store after several underage individuals reportedly became sick from eating cannabis gummies.

Additionally, Federman said in a statement to Binghamton Homepage that Burnett was “dodging questions on his inexperience and past campaign finance violations.”

Maryam Grocery LLC and the store’s owner made two separate $1,300 donations to the Burnett campaign on June 18.

An individual can make a maximum one-time donation of $1,351 to a candidate running for office in the city of Binghamton, according to the Broome County Board of Elections. Members of a candidate’s family can donate higher amounts. The individual donation limit varies based on the number of registered voters in a jurisdiction.

“Rather than attacking one of our city’s small business owners, who clearly did not violate the contribution limit as stated on page 30 in the NYS Campaign Finance handbook, Kraham should be addressing the serious issues facing Binghamton,” Karen Beebe, chair of the Broome County Democrats, said in a statement responding to Federman.

Burnett also received a $1,300 donation from The Grove LLC, a bar located next to Maryam’s run by the same owner. Another $1,300 came from Yams Grocery LLC, which was established by the same owner as Maryam’s in 2023, though the donation came from a different individual.

Several local organizations also donated to Kraham’s re-election bid. In March, the Binghamton Professional Firefighters Association gave $1,000 to the campaign. The group also endorsed Kraham in a July Facebook post.

The Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce, an organization representing more than 800 businesses and nonprofits in the region, donated $100 to Kraham’s campaign on March 28.

Several labor unions weighed into the mayoral race. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 158 donated $1,000 and $500 toward Kraham’s reelection. The New York State Laborers Political Action Committee, a non-partisan group that supports political candidates who fight for labor rights, gave $100 to Burnett’s campaign.

The next mandatory filing date for both candidates is October 3.

Molinaro, who represented Greater Binghamton in Congress before losing to Democrat Josh Riley last November, will head the agency responsible for supporting the nation’s public transit systems.

“I am grateful to President Trump for placing his trust in me, and to Secretary Duffy for his confidence in my leadership,” Molinaro said in a press release. “I am committed to supporting our nation’s public transportation systems and ensuring a safer, more accessible, and better-connected America.”

Created in 1964, the agency, part of the Department of Transportation, spends billions of dollars annually to maintain the country’s “buses, subways, light rail, commuter rail, trolleys and ferries,” per its website.

Molinaro testified on March 27 before the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

“We are indeed at a great moment of possibility: a golden age,” Molinaro said at the hearing. “Together, we can ensure that transit not only moves Americans but helps to move America forward.”

“And just as our own circulatory system connects every part of the body to sustain life, transit binds our communities together — urban and rural, coastal and heartland — ensuring opportunity access and resilience flows to every corner of our nation,” he continued.

Molinaro received support from a coalition of transit advocates and labor unions, including the Transport Workers Union of America, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO.

On April 3, the committee approved his nomination in a 20-4 vote. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts and the committee’s ranking member, said she appreciated Molinaro’s desire to improve public transportation and support workers but could not support him.

“I have no doubt about it,” Warren said, referring to Molinaro’s commitment. “But it seems clear that the White House and Musk will terminate FTA employees and take other actions that undermine the DOT.”

“I will not vote to confirm these administration officials when co-presidents Trump and Musk are actively destroying these agencies while we just sit here,” she continued.

The confirmation comes as the Trump administration modifies public transit policy nationwide. In April, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that the federal government will take over the Penn Station construction project in Manhattan. Under the new directive, the Federal Railroad Administration, a sister agency in the Department of Transportation, will empower Amtrak to continue the project on a reduced budget.

Molinaro has also strongly opposed New York City’s congestion pricing plan, which requires drivers who enter Manhattan at or below 60th Street to pay $9 during peak hours.

The plan, first approved by the Federal Highway Administration in 2023, was set to be implemented in June 2024. Gov. Kathy Hochul delayed its implementation until after the November election, where Democrats won back several House seats on Long Island, the Hudson Valley and the Syracuse region. Hochul also reduced the fee from $15 to $9.
Revenue from the program is expected to reach $500 million by the end of the year, according to a press release from Hochul’s office.

Duffy revoked the Transportation Department’s approval of congestion pricing in a February letter to Hochul, claiming the program would negatively impact working-class people and was not authorized by federal law. The department initially gave New York until March 21 to comply.
On March 20, Duffy extended the deadline by one month. A new deadline was issued in April, giving New York until May 21 to stop collecting funds or risk the federal government halting construction projects throughout Manhattan.

A federal judge temporarily stopped Duffy from ending congestion pricing on May 27, stating that New York “would suffer irreparable harm” if the federal government withdrew funding from infrastructure projects across the city.

In an X post earlier this year, Molinaro said congestion pricing was a “cash grab” and that the MTA is “in desperate need of reform, transparency & accountability.”

A final decision on the program’s legality is expected in the upcoming months.

“Marc Molinaro’s bipartisan support in the US Senate demonstrates he’s the right person to advance our critical transit systems into the future,” Benji Federman, chair of the Broome County Republicans, said in a statement to Pipe Dream. “We look forward to seeing all he’ll accomplish for the American people.”

A video, taken last Friday, reportedly showed Susan Rice, 44, approach two teenage males on the front porch of a home in Johnson City. In the video, she argued with the group, saying phrases like “We are the police,” despite not working for law enforcement. She also made inflammatory comments to the teenagers and asked, “What do you do, Section 8?”

Rice then walked onto the porch and punched both teenagers. The younger, 16-year-old boy then struck Rice in the face, causing her to fall to the ground. Zikuski, who was off duty, then helped Rice stand and leave the scene. She later received medical treatment, while neither teenager was hurt.

“The female in the video is a private citizen — not employed by the City of Binghamton nor affiliated with the City in any official capacity,” Kraham said in a July 20 statement. “Still, I’m troubled by her language and the implication that she is in any way above the law because of a personal association with a member of law enforcement.”

Johnson City police later arrested and charged Rice with trespass, harassment and endangering the welfare of a child.

On Wednesday, Kraham announced in a press release that the city of Binghamton hired attorney Karl Sleight to conduct an “independent third-party investigation” of the incident to “determine if any violations of police department policy or misconduct occurred.” Sleight served as executive director of the New York State Ethics Commission from 2001 to 2007. Before assuming that role, he was the state’s deputy inspector general, leading investigations into fraud and misconduct in the government.

Zikuski has been police chief since 2008. He was placed on administrative leave in 2015 for over three months after sexual harassment allegations.

Rice, a nurse, was “immediately placed on leave” from her job at the Greater Binghamton Health Center, according to a statement sent to Fox 40 by her employer. The center is operated by the Office of Mental Health, which manages other psychiatric facilities statewide.

“OMH has a zero-tolerance policy for violence, and we expect our employees to conduct themselves in public in a manner that doesn’t negatively reflect on our agency,” the statement read.

A report is expected to be publicly released once the investigation is completed.

The battle for county clerk was the top race in this year’s primary. Former Binghamton city mayor Rich David, who served from 2014 to 2021, faced off against Aaron Martin, a county legislative clerk for the past 14 years.

Martin earned 54.17 percent of the vote while David received 45.44 percent. The next day, David posted a statement on Facebook thanking his supporters.

“While we didn’t get the result we hoped for, I’m proud of the effort we put forward and grateful for the people who stood with me,” David wrote. “It was a hard-fought race and I wish my opponent well.”

In February, David kicked off his campaign at the Old Union Hotel in Binghamton’s First Ward. He received endorsements from several Republican officials, including Joseph Mihalko, the current clerk since 2018, who announced in January that he would not run for reelection.

That week, Martin launched his campaign with fellow supporters and said he felt “confident that I have the experience to take this on.”

The county clerk is responsible for overseeing the Department of Motor Vehicles and maintaining county records.

“Over the months, we’ve knocked on thousands of doors to meet voters face-to-face to introduce ourselves and hear directly from them about what is on their minds,” read a statement on Martin’s campaign Facebook account. “Along the way, we also earned the endorsement of many County, Town and Village officials — those doing the work every day to serve the community.”

“We’re grateful for the support of so many voters yesterday, and look forward to continuing to work hard between now and General Election Day in November,” the statement continued.

In Johnson City, voters also selected two candidates for village trustee. John Walker and Clark Giblin, who currently serve as trustees, both received 207 votes and defeated two other Republicans on the ballot.
The local Democratic, Conservative and Working Families Parties did not hold a primary this year.

The winning candidates will now advance to the Nov. 4 general election. Martin will likely face off against Nick Libous, the son of the late State Sen. Tom Libous, a Republican who represented the Binghamton area from 1989 to 2015.

Binghamton’s mayoral election will also take place in November, where Mayor Jared Kraham is up for reelection. Kraham, elected in 2021 as the city’s youngest-ever mayor, faces a challenge from Democrat Miles Burnett.

“Congratulations to our strong slate of Republican candidates and all of the primary challengers who had the guts to run for office,” Benji Federman, chair of the Broome County Republicans, said in a statement. “We have healthy competition amongst our ranks because the Broome Republicans offer candidates the best chance at victory in November as we continue to over-perform and win tough races.”

“Now it’s time to come together to face our common opponents — reckless local Democrats who’ve already pledged to defund our police, raise our taxes and advance backwards priorities,” the statement concluded.

In New York City, registered Democrats last Tuesday selected their top choices for mayor. Incumbent Democratic Mayor Eric Adams, whose federal corruption case was dismissed in April, pulled out of the party’s primary that month, opting to run for reelection as an independent candidate.
In a notable upset, Zohran Mamdani, a progressive state assemblymember representing a district in Queens, defeated former governor Andrew Cuomo, who resigned in 2021 after an investigation by the state attorney general’s office found he had sexually harassed 11 women. Mamdani won 56 percent of votes after ranked choice tabulation, compared to Cuomo’s 44 percent.

Despite this, Cuomo declined to drop out of the mayoral race altogether, likely ensuring his name will appear next to the “Fight & Deliver” ballot line in the general election.

Primary elections for city council, borough president and district attorney were also held.

In Buffalo, Democrat Sean Ryan, a state senator endorsed by the Erie County Democratic Committee in February, defeated Acting Mayor Chris Scanlon in a primary race. Ryan criticized Scanlon for accepting donations made from a relative of Carl Paladino, a Republican and former congressional candidate who supports President Donald Trump.

Released on May 29, the endorsement list included all seven Binghamton City Council members and three current Broome County legislators. If elected, Burnett would be the city’s first Democratic mayor since Matt Ryan ‘83, who served from 2006 to 2013 and endorsed Burnett.

“I am so proud to have this impressive group of public servants supporting my candidacy,” Burnett said in a press release. “Their knowledge of government and commitment to local democracy are vital resources to Binghamton and the future Burnett administration.”

“To move our city forward, we need strong, dedicated partners like these folks,” he continued. “Each of these current and former elected officials have gained and nurtured the public’s trust and worked hard to deliver for their constituents.”

The campaign officially launched in February. Burnett, a South Side native, served as deputy chief of staff to State Sen. Lea Webb ‘04 from 2023 to 2024. He also worked as an aide to Andrew Cohen, a former New York City councilman, and the executive director of a nonprofit advancing economic development projects.

At a Feb. 25 kickoff party, Burnett listed several issues he wanted to address as mayor, from public safety to affordable housing. He pledged to hold “absentee and out-of-town landlords accountable” and support expanding home ownership opportunities. Touching on public safety concerns, Burnett stressed the importance of investing in violence prevention programs and mental health resources, along with supporting first responders.

He also shared his vision for supporting the city’s young residents, highlighting mentorship programs and job training as ways to encourage students and youth to live in and contribute to the local community.

“Miles Burnett is running the most exciting Mayoral campaign in a generation,” Michael Dundon, a city council member, wrote to Pipe Dream. “I’ve known Miles since well before he declared his candidacy and know him as an energetic leader with a passion for our community.”

“I’m impressed with his ability to bring people together, understand issues from different perspectives, and put forward common sense solutions,” he continued. “I trust Mayor Burnett to take on issues in the bold, forward-thinking ways our city needs, but has lacked for a long time.”

Ten former city council members also signed the endorsement letter, along with John Hutchings and Karen Beebe, both former county legislators. Beebe is now chair of the Broome County Democrats. Burnett previously received endorsements from the Working Families Party, Citizen Action of New York and the Binghamton University College Democrats.

In April, Burnett’s campaign submitted more than 1,000 signatures to qualify for both the Democratic and Working Families Party ballot lines.

His opponent, Jared Kraham, is the city’s incumbent Republican mayor. Elected in 2021, Kraham is Binghamton’s youngest mayor. He formally began his reelection campaign in April.

Speaking to supporters at the Phelps Mansion Museum, Kraham listed a series of accomplishments achieved during his term, ranging from housing construction to promoting economic growth.

One issue raised by both candidates is the Good Cause Eviction law, which the council unanimously passed in February to protect tenants against retaliatory or unjustified evictions and sharp rent increases. Kraham vetoed the legislation in March, writing in a letter that “Binghamton is not New York City” and raising concerns with the measure.

The city council overturned Kraham’s veto a few days later, and the Good Cause Eviction law went into effect on April 2.

Burnett told Pipe Dream in February that he supported Good Cause Eviction but that the city should study its effectiveness. On May 20, a request for legislation proposed by Burnett passed into law, which will “begin a process to study the effectiveness of Binghamton’s newly installed Good Cause Eviction Law,” according to a campaign statement.

“Now more than ever, every Binghamton resident deserves a mayor they can trust, a mayor who will put their needs, their families and their communities first when running this city,” the Broome County Democrats wrote to Pipe Dream. “Miles Burnett is that mayor. With his background supporting small businesses, running a nonprofit, and advancing local and state legislation, Miles has the experience and leadership we need.”