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Your go-to podcast for inspiring stories, uplifting news, and positive vibes from across New York State!
Whether it’s groundbreaking innovations, community heroes, or businesses making a difference, we bring you the stories that remind us all of the good happening around us.
Join us as we highlight the changemakers, dreamers, and everyday folks bringing positivity to the Empire State.
From local businesses thriving in Syracuse to heartwarming tales from Buffalo, Albany, and beyond—this is the news you’ll actually want to hear. Because good news deserves to be heard.
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Good News York: GiGi’s Playhouse Syracuse Expands Free Programs, Seeks $50K to Sustain Growth Host Noah Chrysler interviews Alyssa Johnston, Executive Director of GiGi’s Playhouse Syracuse, and Ruthann Raposo of ProNexus and interim board president. They explain GiGi’s mission to provide free educational and therapeutic programs for people with Down syndrome and other intellectual disabilities, including math and literacy tutoring, speech therapy, kitchen skills, and GiGiFit from ages 0 through adulthood, largely run by volunteers. They describe the Playhouse layout that fosters family connection, text groups that extend peer support, and tangible impact such as a child told he might never read who began reading and empowered his mom and school with tutoring methods. GiGi’s programming has grown 40% year-over-year to over 1,000 hours monthly, prompting a $50,000 fundraising campaign. ProNexus supports nonprofits via retained search, interim leadership, and finance/accounting services. Website: gigisplayhouse.org/syracuse. 00:00 Reading Breakthrough Story 00:33 Welcome to Good News York 00:59 What Is GiGis Playhouse 02:25 Inside the Playhouse Tour 06:24 Community Impact and Growth 08:13 How ProNexus Supports GiGis 12:36 GiGis Origin and National Reach 14:08 Success Stories Across Ages 17:01 How to Interact Respectfully 19:29 Alyssas Personal Journey 21:06 How to Help and Donate 22:53 ProNexus Services and Hiring Fit 25:11 Final Thanks and Sponsor Plugs
GiGi’s Playhouse was not built by a corporation or a committee — it was built by a mom. In this clip from Good News York, Ruth Ann Riposa, interim board president of GiGi’s Playhouse Syracuse, shares the origin of the organization and what makes it unlike anything else. GiGi’s was founded by a mother who […] More
Alyssa Johnston, Executive Director of GiGi’s Playhouse Syracuse, offers a simple but powerful reminder about how to interact with people with disabilities. They are individuals — with their own likes, dislikes, and strengths — and the best approach is the same one used with anyone else: lead with respect, treat them with dignity, and let […] More
Alyssa Johnston, Executive Director of GiGi’s Playhouse Syracuse, shares what makes the organization truly special. GiGi’s Playhouse is more than a place to receive services — it is a judgment-free zone where individuals with Down syndrome and other intellectual disabilities can practice being their best, build confidence, and form real connections within their community. As […] More
GNY EP.179 | feat. Ruth Ann Riposa from ProNexus & Alyssa Johnston from GiGi’s Playhouse Welcome back to Good News York! In this episode, host Noah Chrysler sits down with Ruth Ann Riposa, interim board president of GiGi’s Playhouse Syracuse and founder of ProNexus, and Alyssa Johnston, Executive Director of GiGi’s Playhouse Syracuse, to talk […] More
For Nathan Grant and the Retro Game Con team, this is not just an event they put on — it is something they pour themselves into year after year. Nathan admits that when he is there on the day of the convention, surrounded by the crowd and the energy, he forgets he helped build it. […] More
Nathan Grant of RetroGameCon shares why free play has always been at the heart of their events. It is not just about buying and collecting — it is about actually sitting down and playing. Some of the best moments at Retro Game Con happen when parents introduce their kids to the games they grew up […] More
Nathan Grant of Retro Game Con breaks down what makes their special guests truly special — it is not just a quick signature and a photo. The voice actors take their time, connect with fans, and make every interaction feel personal. Whether someone is getting a childhood game signed or sitting down for a few […] More
GNY EP.178 | feat. Nathan Grant from RetroGameCon Welcome back to Good News York! In this episode, host Noah Chrysler sits down with Nathan Grant, Event Coordinator at Retro Game Con, to talk all about the exciting growth of Retro Game Con Spring Edition — now a two-day event for the first time ever! Nathan […] More
This new sushi spot in Syracuse might’ve just ruined every other sushi place for me. Check out Tokyo Fusion Revolving Sushi! #syracusesushi #tokyofusion #sushifordays #conveyorbeltsushi #syracuse More
Gary Simons has a simple message for the street racing crowd: bring it to the track. He has no issue with car culture or the street scene, but Esta Safety Park Dragstrip is ready to give anyone — Honda, Charger, Camaro, you name it — a safe place to find out what their car can […] More
Gary Simons breaks down the real cost of drag racing — and it is not cheap. From $100 fill-ups for his truck to race fuel running over $10 a gallon, and a five-gallon drum of M12 going for $150, the expenses add up fast. With fewer tracks around, longer drives, and mechanical parts harder to […] More
Gary Simons hears it all the time: "Wait, there’s a drag strip in my neighborhood?" Esta Safety Park Dragstrip has been a family-friendly destination since 1960, and Gary wants everyone to know the doors are open. You do not have to be a car enthusiast to enjoy it. Bring the family, walk the pits, and […] More
Good News York EP.177 | Gary Simons from Esta Safety Park Dragstrip Welcome back to Good News York, the show that shines a light on the amazing people, places, and stories right here in Central New York! In this episode, host Noah Chrysler sits down with Gary Simons, manager of Esta Safety Park Dragstrip in […] More
Front, back, or middle — does it actually matter where you sit on a rollercoaster? In this clip from Good News York, host Noah Chrysler puts the age-old debate to Allen La Venture of Main Event Amusements, a guy who practically grew up at Darien Lake and rode the same coasters enough times to have […] More
The Tilt-A-Whirl turns 100 this year, and Allen La Venture of Main Event Amusements thinks that deserves some recognition. In this clip from Good News York, Allen and host Noah Chrysler dig into the surprising history of one of the most enduring rides in American carnival culture — invented by a Minnesota farmer, powered by […] More
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