Oswego County TodayPoliticsFREE Independent News for Oswego County

Amend New York’s ATV Law to Increase Tourism

October 9, 2017 Contributor

New York’s tourism industry is alive and showing signs of growth. According to a recent study of the state’s tourism industry, it is estimated that 239 million visitors traveled to New York State in 2016. These visitors had an estimated economic impact of $104.8 billion and $64.8 billion in direct spending. While the number of visitors and spending is up from 2015, the state can do more to help increase tourism.

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The Road To Recovery – Flood Hearing Set

October 3, 2017 Contributor

After seeing firsthand, the devastation along the shorelines of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River, it is impossible not to think of those who are still picking up the pieces. My heart goes out to each and every person affected by this historic flooding. It is now critically important to provide our region’s struggling homeowners and business owners with the resources they need to start down the path of recovery.

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Commission for the Blind Assists with Independence, Employment

October 2, 2017 Contributor

For more than 100 years, the New York State Commission for the Blind has assisted people in achieving their personal and vocational goals. The commission was established by law in 1913 to maintain a “census of the blind” in New York State and to help individuals who are legally blind find suitable employment. Today as a division of the Office of Children and Family Services, one of its primary objectives is to assist people of all ages to achieve full integration into society and economic self-sufficiency.

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Apples: The ‘Core’ Of Fall

September 26, 2017 Contributor

It won’t be long before we put on our walking shoes, or even pack up the car, and head outside to see the colorful works-of-art that trees become in the fall. Those bright colors and that crisp air are what make autumn such a wonderful time of the year in our region. Speaking of crisp, fall is also a great time to head to our local apple orchards to handpick some of the freshest – and best-tasting – apples the nation has to offer.

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Allowing Youth Firsthand Experience in Government Empowers Future Leaders

September 25, 2017 Contributor

I am often invited to speak to school-aged kids and during these visits a common question kids have for me is what does it means to be a good citizen. The question itself is inspiring because it means they are searching for ways to be good citizens. What is even more inspiring is without realizing, many kids already know the answer and work to make an impact on our communities each day.

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Kids Are Back To School – Drive Safely

September 19, 2017 Contributor

The bell has rung and students all over Central and Northern New York are getting back into the swing of things at school. As a mother and grandmother, I know that “back-to-school” isn’t just exciting, it is also a time when we need to take extra steps to make sure children stay safe in the coming months, especially when they are traveling to and from school.

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Youth Big Game Weekend Provides Guided, Hands-on Learning Opportunity

September 18, 2017 Contributor

Upstate New York has some of the best hunting, trapping and fishing in the country with thousands of lakes, ponds, rivers, streams and millions of acres of forest and open space that are rich in wildlife. Those who venture out to hunt and fish tend to appreciate and often help conserve our areas’ natural resources. About 2 million people hunt, fish and trap in the state ranking New York third in the nation for the number of sportsmen obtaining licenses and permits. Locally, Oswego, Onondaga and Jefferson counties are among the top 10 counties in the state for total hunting and fishing license sales.

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Working To Rebuild Our Shoreline Communities

September 12, 2017 Contributor

In an effort to lend a helping hand in the recovery process, I was pleased to cosponsor legislation that established the Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence Seaway Flood Relief and Recovery Grant Program, which provides $45 million in funding to impacted homeowners, including seasonal homeowners, farms, not-for-profits, small businesses and municipalitie

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Report Shows Shrinking Labor Force in Upstate; More Business Friendly Policies Needed

September 11, 2017 Contributor

Unemployment rates are often viewed as an indicator of how the economy is doing. While these rates provide valuable insight on economic activity, because of how the unemployment rates are calculated, they should not be the sole assessment in determining the health of the economy. The current unemployment rate in New York State is 4.9%. From a statewide perspective, this is good because it shows a measure of economic growth since the recession when the rate was almost 9%.

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Help For Those Impacted By Hurricane Harvey

September 5, 2017 Contributor

President Ronald Reagan once said, “We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone.” Right now, each of us has the ability, in some way, to help those in Texas who have been impacted by the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey. Torrential rain, high winds and widespread flooding have caused what many are calling the most powerful storm ever to touch down in the United States. In its wake, Hurricane Harvey, which has now set a record for the greatest amount of measured single-storm rainfall in the continental United States, has taken lives and left tens of thousands of people homeless.

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