NCC News Brief: June 24, 2021 NCC News Brief: June 24, 2021

SARAH SALZMAN: THIS IS YOUR NCC NEWSBRIEF. IT’S JUNE, 24TH. I’M SARAH SALZMAN. MORE THAN HALF OF THE NEW YORK STATE POPULATION IS FULLY VACCINATED, BUT IN ONONDAGA COUNTY, ONE DEMOGRAPHIC IS SEVERLY BEHIND. ONLY SEVEN PERCENT OF BLACK ONONDAGA COUNTY RESIDENTS HAVE AT LEAST ONE DOSE OF THE VACCINE. REVERAND BERNARD ALEX OF VICTORY TEMPLE FELLOWSHIP CHURCH EXPLAINS WHY HE THINKS MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY ARE HESITATANT TO GET THE VACCINE.
REV. ALEX BERNARD: “People are afraid of trusting big brother to say ‘this is what you need to do’. You’re okay.”
SALZMAN: THE TOURISM INDUSTRY IS HOPING FOR A REVIVAL AS GOVERNOR ANDREW CUOMO LIFTS THE STATE OF EMERGENCY FOR NEW YORK STATE. PRESIDENT OF VISIT SYRACUSE DANNY LIEDKA SAYS THE TOURISM INDUSTRY WAS HIT HARD DURING THE PANDEMIC, BUT AS RESTRICTIONS LIFT, MORE PEOPLE ARE BEGINNING TO TRAVEL AGAIN.
DANNY LIEDKA: “We had to let go of almost half of our staff. Our funding was completely compromised so we really had to make do with nothing. We’ve seen a great infusion of travelers into the area. Now, with school letting out, I think those numbers are just going to climb.”
SALZMAN: IF YOU ARE TRAVELING TO CENTRAL NEW YORK – THE LOCAL STAPLE SALT POTATO IS BEING RECOGNIZED FOR IT’S HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE. ONONDAGA COUNTY HISTORIAN BOB SEARING SAYS NO MATTER HOW FAR PEOPLE FROM SYRACUSE GO – THE POTATO HOLD A SPECIAL PLACE IN THEIR HEARTS.
BOB SEARING: “Salt potatoes are something that was created here and is sort of a taste of home that the diaspora of Syracusans that are now all over the world and all over the country take with them.”
SALZMAN: YOU CAN FIND FULL NEWS STORIES ON OUR WEBSITE AND FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA AT NCC NEWS ONLINE. I’M SARAH SALZMAN AND UNTIL NEXT WEEK, THIS IS YOUR NCC NEWSBRIEF.