Included among the tens of thousands of service men and women from our region are dozens of veterans across Oswego, St. Lawrence and Jefferson counties, who have defended our freedoms from wars and conflicts, many making the ultimate sacrifice and each with their own personal story of valor, bravery and heroism.
This month, community residents and organizations are working to raise awareness about suicide, to educate people about the signs and symptoms, and encourage people to reach out before it’s too late. Many of us have been personally affected by suicide and know a close family member or friend that has been lost to suicide. The stories are heartbreaking and often loved ones are left feeling confused, guilty, angry, hurt and deeply saddened by the loss.
As we get older our health needs change, but often times our habits, some good and some bad, remain the same. That’s why we all need to recognize the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including eating the right foods, exercising and keeping our minds active and alert
Each school day, approximately 2.3 million students ride to school on some 50,000 school buses across the state. With the start of school this week in most Central and Northern New York communities, drivers are encouraged to slow down and to be on the lookout for children crossing near school buses, in neighborhoods, and around school zones. Taking a few extra moments and driving more cautiously can prevent a tragedy from occurring.
From beautiful scenery to close knit communities, there are so many great things about living in a rural area. However, as someone who has spent her entire life living in Northern New York, I know that the rural regions of our state face a number of challenges, too.
Recently, my office was contacted by a family member of a decorated soldier who had retired after serving 20 years in the Army at Fort Drum. In addition to serving the Army with distinction, he found the time to take college courses, earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management and raise a family. Armed with the leadership experience from the military and his college degree, it seemed that transitioning into civilian life and finding his next career would be easy.
Earlier this month, crews began conducting rabies “bait drops.” This unique effort, which is conducted by Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, utilizes low-flying planes to drop small packets containing a rabies vaccine, surrounded by a mixture of sugar, vegetable fat and other flavors, that are then consumed by animals, namely raccoons.
During the last week of session, the State Legislature passed a resolution to amend the State Constitution to permit the forfeiture of state pensions for those public officials convicted of a felony related to their public duties (e.g. bribery). This is a commonsense measure that should have passed last year. Unlike most other bills the State Legislature passes, in order for this reform to be enacted the State Constitution must be amended due to the fact that pension benefits are protected by the New York State Constitution.
Today, our region is home to a number of wineries that boast some of the most refreshing, tastiest local beverages in the country, many of which have earned local, state and national awards. Our region is lucky enough to be home to two wine trails, the Thousands Islands-Seaway Wine Trail and the St. Lawrence County Wine Trail, which was created through legislation I sponsored in the Senate.
New York State’s “Move Over Law” was recently expanded to better protect volunteer emergency responders attending to distressed or disabled vehicles along roads and highways. I was pleased to vote in support of the expansion which was signed into law last month and will become effective in 2017. The expanded law requires drivers to exercise ‘due care’ and, where possible, to move over when approaching a parked or stopped vehicle displaying blue or green lights.
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