Politics

From waterways where you can land your next big catch and trails for hiking to places perfect for camping and beautiful beaches, the State Parks across New York offer a little something for everyone. This month, across the country we celebrate National Parks and Recreation Month, a time when we make a special point to get outdoors and enjoy all the beautiful nature New York has to offer.

It’s summertime, and that means getting outdoors. And, for more than 100,000 people statewide, getting outdoors means hitting the trail on your ATV. Recently, I proposed plan that would encourage more people to take advantage of all our region, and our state, has to offer.

When you’re looking for a job or trying to make a career change, connections matter. In fact, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, 70 percent of all jobs are found through networking. Helping people make connections with businesses and organizations looking to hire is main goal of my job fairs, held annually in St. Lawrence and Oswego counties.

While eating nutritious food is important for everyone, it’s especially important for senior citizens. That’s why I’m pleased to report that included in the most recent state budget was funding I helped secure that will help New York’s aging population get the fresh foods they need to stay healthy.

Five, that’s the number of books experts say students need to read over the summer to prevent what’s known as “summer learning loss,” the loss of knowledge and skills that occurs during summer vacation. Preventing learning loss is key to ensuring students are able to build upon what they’ve already been taught and be successful when they head back to the classroom in the fall. That’s why I’m once again partnering with local libraries and taking part in the New York State Senate’s 2015 Summer Reading Program.