Operation Oswego County presents award to Beacon Hotel owners for entrepreneurial activities

OSWEGO — Operation Oswego County (OOC), at its annual meeting in June, presented its 2016 Dee Heckethorn Entrepreneur Award to Atom and Falecia Avery in recognition and appreciation of “exceptional entrepreneurial spirit, creativity, and dedication to fostering economic, community and tourism growth in Oswego County through diverse real-estate development activities.”

The couple was honored for “transforming” the former historic Knights of Columbus building in the City of Oswego into the Beacon Hotel, a 14-room boutique-style hotel, for redeveloping the former Black Walnut Inn in the town of Scriba into the All Seasons Inn, and for partnering in the conversion of the former Loretto Health and Rehabilitation Center into The Gardens by Morningstar — a 106-bed assisted-living complex in Oswego, according to an OOC news release.

Since 1999, the Averys have operated Avery Rental Properties — providing housing for students, families, and business professionals.

They received the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Small Business Excellence Award in 2014 for their development of the Beacon Hotel.

The Averys have also been “outstanding supporters of community events and programs” such as Habitat for Humanity, Oswego Harborfest, Oswego Youth Hockey, and the Oswego YMCA Skate Park, according to the release.

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