81-85

=81 - 85. Lake Ontario and Counties Adjacent to Onondaga County= =81. Oswego = Oswego County is in Central New York State, just north of Syracuse, on the Eastern Shore of Lake Ontario. The county name is derived from an Iroquois word that makes reference to the Oswego River, meaning "the outpouring." It was established in 1816 through an act of the New York State Legislature as the 48th New York county. It is made up of 1,312 square miles, of which, 953 square miles of it is land and 359 of it is water. There are 22 towns, 10 villages, and two cities (Oswego and Fulton) in the county. The estimated population as of 2014 was estimated at 120,913 people, according to the US Census Bureau. Oswego County is made up of 96.3% white persons according to [|Oswegocounty.org] It is made up of 50.2% women. There are two colleges in Oswego County; State University of New York at Oswego, and the Fulton branch campus of Cayuga County Community College. The county has its own airport (Oswego County Airport) which has more than 25,000 take-offs each year. Auto racing is popular and Oswego County has three different tracks/courses. Among other popular activities include hunting and fishing & boating as Lake Ontario and its tributaries provide ample area for fishing/boating. The County is located in the 23rd U.S. Congressional District and the 48th district of the New York State Senate.

= =

District Attorney - Gregory S. Oakes Legislature Chairman - Kevin Gardner Legislature Vice Chairman - Linda Lockwood Sheriff - Reuel A. Todd County Clerk - Michael C. Backus Treasurer - Fred Beardsley The County Legislature includes 25 members
 * Current Oswego County Government:**

For more information, go to: [] []

=82. Cayuga= = Cayuga County is located in between Rochester and Syracuse and stretches 65 miles long, from Lake Ontario (to the north) all the way into the Finger Lakes Region (to the south). As of 2011, Cayuga County's estimated population was 78,823 according to the US Census Bureau. The county is well known for its pristine lakes (Cayuga, Skaneateles, Cross, and Owasco Lakes). Cayuga County is graced with more picturesque waterfront than any other county in New York State that is not next to the Atlantic Ocean. Historically, Cayuga County was the birth place of Millard Fillmore, the 13th President of the United States. Manufacturing is one of the main sources of employment (manufacturing in: electrical and electronic components, fiber optics, diesel engines, auto parts, glass bottles, plastic products, steel, and machined products. There are 15 districts in its county legislature. Cayuga County is notorious for being a "swing county" in Presidential Elections: Democrat Al Gore won it in the 2000 election, and then in 2004 Republican George W. Bush snagged it. The county flip-flopped political parties again in the 2008 Presidential Election giving Barrack Obama the nod for President. The two main colleges are [|Cayuga County Community College] and [|Wells College-] a liberal arts college. It's county seat is in Auburn. Cayuga County was formed in 1799 by the splitting of Onondaga County. This county w as larger than the present Cayuga County. It then included present Seneca and Tompkins Counties. In 1804, Seneca County was formed by the splitting of Cayuga County. Then in 1817, in turn, a portion of Seneca County was combined with a piece of the remainder of Cayuga county to form Tompkins County. =

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= =** Current Cayuga County Government: **= District Attorney - Jon E. Budelmann Legislature Chairman - Michael Chapman Sheriff - David S. Gould County Clerk - Susan M. Dwyer Treasurer - James H. Orman

For more information on other recreational and governmental facts of Cayuga County, go to: [] and []

=**83. Madison**=



[|Madison County] is a county located in Central New York. It is located east of Syracuse. Oneida Lake and Oneida Creek define part of its northern border. The estimated population as of 2014 is 72,369 people according to the [|US Census Bureau]. It is named after James Madison, fourth President of the United States of America. Madison County is part of the Syracuse, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Madison county was created from Chenango County in 1806. This area was the wilderness of New York State. Madison County was originally composed of five towns- Brookflied, Czenovia, Hamilton, DeRuyter, and Sullivan. Today, it is composed of 15 towns and the city of Oneida as shown in the map.
 * History**


 * Education:**

There are 10 school districts in the county with approximately 12-thousand students enrolled, according to the Madison County Center Economic Development.

The Great Syracuse region has 44 private and state colleges. The higher education institutions in Madison County are: Colgate University, Cazenovia College, State University of New York at Morrisville and Utica School of Commerce.

The Main industries include dairy processing, meat processing, beer and renewable energy. The unemployment rate is 5.7 percent in 2015, according to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics.
 * Economy:**


 * Current Madison County Government:**

District Attorney - William G. Gabor Chair, County Legislature- John M. Becker Sheriff - Allen Riley County Clerk – Denise A. Roe Treasurer - Cindy J. Edick

Additional Information: https://www.madisoncounty.ny.gov/ [|http://www.MadisonCountyNYHistory.com/Welcome.html] [] [] [] []

=84. Cortland=

[|Cortland County] is a county in Central New York State. It was named after Pierre Van Cortlandt, president of the convention at Kingston that store the first New York State Constitution in 1777, and first lieutenant governor of state. The county is located near the Town of Cortlandville, midway between Syracuse and Binghamton. It is also the southeastern gateway to the Finger Lakes Region.

According to the [|US Census Bureau], the estimated population as of 2014 is 49,303 people. The predominant race is White alone with 94.8 percent; there is 1.9 percent black and 2.6 percent Hispanic or Latino.

**History:**
Cortland County was founded on 1808. It was separated from the southern half of Onondaga County. It is composed of 15 towns and one city. Cortland city is known as the “Crown City” because of its location on a plain formed by the convergence of seven valleys and at 1,13 feet above the sea. This makes Cortland the uppermost city to crown the state. Cortland city is also Courtland’s county seat.


 * Economy:**

The main industries in the county are: Manufacturing, distribution, research and development, agriculture and tourism. It is known for its production of Computer numerical control (CNC) milling machines; medical instruments; textiles; electrical components and components for NASA.

Its proximity to the major highways like the Interstate 81 and New York State Route 281 contributes for the County’s Distribution economic activity.

The research and development is done with the expertise at educational institutions like Cornell University and Syracuse University.


 * Interesting Facts:**

1. Cortland County is home of the Courtland Apple. 2. Cortland is placed in the region where more than 100 wineries produce 40 million bottles of wine each year, according to Cortland County Tourism Bureau.




 * Current Cortland County Government:**

District Attorney - Mark D. Suben Chairman of the Legislature – Donnell Boyden Sheriff - Lee A. Price County Clerk - Elizabeth Larkin Treasurer - Cynthia Monroe

Additional Information: [] [] [] https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Cortland_County,_New_York_Genealogy [] [] [] [] []

=85. Lake Ontario=

[|Lake Ontario] is one of the [|five Great Lakes] of North America. The Great Lakes are recognized as a national treasure since 2004, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency.



Ontario’s surface area is the smallest in comparison to the other four Great lakes. Lake Ontario is the 14th largest lake in the world, according to the Great Lakes Information Network. The lake is bounded on the north by the Canadian province Ontario and on the south by the state of New York. Lake Ontario is the last lake of the chain of the Great Lakes: Superior, Huron, Michigan and Erie.

Geography
Lake Ontario is the easternmost of the Great Lakes and the smallest in surface area (7,340 square miles, 18,960 square km), although it exceeds Lake Erie in volume (393 cubic miles, 1639 km3).

Its maximum length is 193 miles (311 km) and its maximum width is 53 miles (85 km). The lake's average depth is 283 feet (86 m), with a maximum depth of 802 feet (244 m).

Niagara River is the primary feeder of the Lake Ontario. On the eastern shore side, the lake is crossed by a chain of five islands. Lake Ontario drains in Lake Erie with St. Lawrence River working as an outlet. The area of the lake’s drainage basin is 24, 720 square miles.

The major rivers draining into Lake Ontario include the Don River; Humber River; Trent River; the Cataraqui River; the Genesee River; the Oswego River; the Black River; and the Salmon River.



Settlements
Golden Horseshoe is an area at the western Ontario Lake’s shores. This Canadian area stretches from Oakville in the east to Niagara falls in the southwest. The American shore is largely rural, with the exception of Rochester and the much smaller ports at Oswego and Sacket's Harbor. The city of Syracuse is 40 miles (65 km) inland, connected to the lake by the New York State Canal System.

Golden Horseshoe

Photo: Thousand Islands
 * Islands **

The Thousand Islands is a popular tourism destination. It is a region composed of 12 communities, six from the U.S and six from Canada. It is located between the Northern New York State and Southeastern Ontario.

Climate


Lake Ontario open waters barely freeze in winter because of its approximate depth of 283 ft. This allows the lake to retain more heat than the other Great Lakes. Also, there are moderate incursions of warm air from the southwest that moderate the weather in winter.

Lake breezes in spring tend to retard fruit bloom until the frost danger is past, and in the autumn delay the onset of fall frost, particularly on the south shore. Cool onshore winds also retard early bloom of plants and flowers until later in the spring season, protecting them from possible frost damage.

Environmental concerns
According to the Great Lakes Environmental Assessment and Mapping Project, Lake Ontario is one of the most affected Great Lakes by environmental issues.

Great Lake Stressors Interactive Map by the Great Lakes Environmental Assessment and Mapping Project (GLEAM)

The environmental problems include invasive species such as zebra and quagga mussels, nitrogen runoff and toxic pollution from PCBs and Mercury, according to the Great Lakes Environmental Assessment and Mapping Project (GLEAM).

Governmental Agencies are taking action about these environmental issues. For example, the Ballast Water Regulation program helped balancing the ballast water where invasive species were introduced. The U.S Coast Guard is in process of developing ballast water discharge standard.

More Information:

http://www.epa.gov/greatlakes/ [] [] [] [] [] []