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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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%.
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.
Agricultural tourism is a growing component within New York’s $6.36 billion agriculture industry. More and more farms are inviting the public to have a firsthand experience on the farm and hosting farm tours where visitors can learn about farm operations. Agri-tourism businesses, many of which can be found in our backyards, have increased in recent years.
Given the recent wet weather, it’s important that we take steps that help prevent mosquitoes from breeding in places like old waste tires and barrels of water. These common items can serve as an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes, which can carry sometimes deadly diseases like West Nile and Eastern Equine Encephalitis, commonly known as “EEE.”
A few years ago I had the opportunity to chair the Assembly Republican Hunting and Fishing Task Force. During that time, the task force held forums and listened to outdoor enthusiast throughout the state. A primary objective of the task force was to examine how the state could encourage new opportunities for hunting, fishing and outdoor sports and it was determined that engaging youth was key to its growth. One solution that came out of this task force was to lower the hunting age, which we were successful in doing.
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