The Center is open Monday through Saturday with walk-in hours each of those days. The staff there can help you with Facebook, blogs, basic computer maintenance visit the PCC website or visit the Library’s information desk.

What worries me the most is that come this winter, we are going to be in really bad shape and our cars and wallets will feel every bump. But should they? I would argue that the tax rates are so high in our local areas that there is no reason for anyone to need to feel like they should worry about these types of problems. Yet we do worry about them and they seem to always be there, never getting resolved and never seeming to be a priority. What these systemic problems in infrastructure point to are the inefficiencies within our local, county and state governments. Since the local governments dont ever seem to work together, they all compete against each other rather than pooling resources for things like education and infrastructure to recognize economies of scale. In almost every business today, we are doing more with less and while that may not be a popular topic in the job market, it is the truth and a concept that our local governments havent gotten the hang of yet.

If the southern tier is ever going to improve our prospects and attract any investment, we must get out of our own way first. Without solid infrastructure, no business will ever move here, nor will any people. In turn this will mean fewer tax dollars will be raised and thus they cycle will repeat itself, dragging us further and further into the economic recession that has gripped this area since the early 1990s. How do we break the cycle? Move to a county centric government structure and get rid of this antiquated concept of every town having to fund its own police departments, schools, transportation departments, water departments, etc. The way we run things now is about the least efficient system that I can think of and it must change before things will get better. I look forward to the day that we start working together rather than simply perpetuating the vicious cycle that we have been in for decades.

• Building an entrepreneurship center
• Investing further in the rail infrastructure

But the 1st item is really the most important. This area has great schools, is naturally beautiful, has three major highways running through it and is only a few hours from New York City and Albany. People can ditch their long city commutes, come out to the Southern Tier and build their technology driven businesses here. After all why not? We are the birth place of IBM, we have a lot of talented workers that can help start high-tech businesses and if we offer an incentive to stay in the area we have a fresh supply of smart young college graduates to continue to supply business with skilled workers. If we can generate enough of this type of activity then we might also be able to attract the one thing that is a major factor in growth which is a larger, more capable airport.

I think the area’s colleges and universities should also issue a challenge to their students to make a difference in their local communities during the four years they are here. We need these institutions to act like incubators that will grow ideas for business and fuel the economic growth that is so desperately needed. I’m sure this is all possible and all it will take is some time and effort from our educators, business leaders and chambers of commerce. So how about it? What can we do to grow this region? I challenge you our reader to put your best put forward to secure the Southern Tier’s economic future.

The basics

Location / Contact Information

The Galley Tavern
409 Hooper Rd.
Endwell, NY 13760
Phone: (607) 748-6544

Hours

• Monday: 3:00 PM – 1:00 AM
• Tuesday: 11:00 AM – 1:00 AM
• Wednesday: 11:00 AM – 1:00 AM
• Thursday: 11:00 AM – 1:00 AM
• Friday: 11:00 AM – 3:00 AM
• Saturday: 11:00 AM – 3:00 AM
• Sunday: 4:00 PM – 1:00 AM

The kitchen closes about an hour before our bar nightly

Amenities

• HDTV
• Quickdraw

Atmosphere

• Sports Bar
• Casual Dining

Attire

• Casual

Food

The Galley is known for their burgers and sandwiches and they have been recognized by the Press & Sun Bulletin as one of the best places to get a burger in the area. Their Turkey, Swiss and Bacon on Rye sandwich is likely one of their best known menu items and it never fails to satisfy. Their salads are also a good choice for those looking for a bit healthier option and they have a large variety so you should be able to find something that suits your appetite. Portions tend to be on the larger side although sometimes the sandwiches can be sized slightly smaller but the burgers almost always are more than large enough for even the most hungry of patrons. It should be noted that most of the food is relatively greasy that you will find at The Galley which is great if that is what you are in the mood for but if you are trying to watch your cholesterol, you may want to steer clear of anything but the salads or wraps.

Environment

In general the restaurant is clean and inviting where the wait staff tend to know the regulars and are very friendly. Occasionally you may find some popcorn on the floor but that is to be expected since The Galley offers all of their guests popcorn as an appetizer. I would recommend sitting in the front dining area if you are looking for a little more light as the back room tends to be fairly dark with subdued lighting. The furniture tends to show its age a bit and you can tell it has been heavily used but The Galley has added a lot of unique touches to it over the years with pieces of sports memorabilia and local history. The addition of these small design touches adds to the overall inviting atmosphere of the venue and makes it something everyone in the area should experience at least once.

Service

The service at The Galley tends to be good so long as there is not a large crowd during the normal lunch hours as they tend to staff lightly during this time. If you do happen to be eating at the restaurant during one of these higher volume lunch hours be prepared to wait a little bit longer as often there is only one or two wait staff on duty. During the evening and late night hours, service tends to be quicker due to more staff being on duty to handle the bar crowd. Overall The service level is adequate during most operating hours but could be improved during high traffic lunch times.

Overall Rating

The Galley is certainly a staple of the local community and residents and visitors should stop in if they have a chance. Overall The Galley scores a solid B rating and is one of the better casual dining establishments in the area.

As our communities try and recover from this latest disaster, the question of the sustainability of some parts of our community comes to mind. Are there areas around the Susquehanna and Chenango rivers that should not be used for residential or commercial development? Should the county and towns enact ordinances that forcibly bar this development to ensure when flooding happens it does not have such a severe impact on the area’s economic prospects? Certainly I would be very hesitant to rebuild the neighborhoods that seem to be prone to constant flooding and devastation each time the rivers and creeks in this area overflow their banks. I think that rather than providing funds to rebuild in these areas, we should be helping businesses and citizens relocate to safer locations within the area where they don’t have to live with this constant threat. Once we get people away from the most flood prone areas, turn them into parks, wildlife conservancies or some other natural use where flooding doesn’t have as great an impact.

Of course the resistance to these type of relocation assistance programs is predictable given that peoples’ lives are wrapped around their homes and the memories they have from being in them. But many people having lived through these disasters twice now must ask themselves if the suffering is truly worth it. Is it worth losing everything each time the river floods or is it better to move to a safer area and start new traditions and establish new memories. From what I have seen here over the past week, I think I would choose to move if someone were willing to help with the relocation.

General Resources:

• FEMA Assistance and disaster page
• NYSERDA disaster appliance rebate program
• Red Cross Disaster Recovery
• Dealing with hazardous waste [PDF]
• Cleaning up after a disaster
• Repairing a flooded home [PDF]
• Getting power and gas restored from NYSEG

Community Organizations:

For Farmers:

Thanks!

The Endicott Enquirer Team