Ritchie

As summer continues, it’s great to be able to enjoy the outdoors and all this beautiful region we call home has to offer. However, wild animals stay increasingly active this time of the year and it’s important that we all take steps to protect ourselves and our pets against hazards, like rabies. Over the last few days, crews began conducting rabies “bait drops” in parts of the North Country.

New York’s farmers work hard to bring the best quality products to their neighbors, tables and kitchens around the state and world. As chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, I know it’s important to get feedback from hardworking farmers to identify ways the state can assist in helping to provide them with new opportunities to expand their businesses. In an effort to help support farmers and their operations, I recently launched a “Farm Family Survey” that seeks input on a number of issues,

Bees, both wild and managed, play a key role in our state’s agriculture industry, helping crops of all kinds thrive. However, these powerful pollinators are under attack by parasitic mites. The varroa mite, a tiny parasite that attacks honey bees, has infected 90 percent of the bee colonies surveyed this year.

For this month’s “Community Spotlight” I am showcasing an event that countless people across our region and beyond look forward to each and every year – the city of Oswego’s Harborfest, which runs from July 27 to 30. Every year, more than 100,000 attend this free festival, which has featured hundreds of national, regional and local performing artists since it began in 1988. In addition to live music, Harborfest also boasts activities for children, including a children’s parade, a midway, vendors, local food and so much more.

For the past several months, I have heard from hundreds of property owners, small businesses and communities throughout our region who have been struggling to recover from this year’s crippling flooding. I am pleased to report that help is finally here. Legislation, which I was proud to cosponsor, that establishes the Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence Seaway Flood Relief and Recovery Program was just signed into law and provides $45 million in funding for recovery efforts.

As chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, I am always working to find new ways to support our state’s and especially our region’s hardworking farmers. One of the easiest ways you can join me in the effort to boost our local agriculture industry is by visiting the many farmers’ markets across Jefferson, St. Lawrence and Oswego counties.

As a mother and a grandmother, I know how important it is to safeguard our children from harm and to deter them from picking up habits that could negatively affect their health. That’s why I’m pleased to report that legislation that I sponsor that bans the use of electronic cigarettes, commonly known as e-cigarettes, on school property is now headed to the Governor’s desk to be signed into law.

With the summer season in full swing, many people are seeking out new and exciting things to add to their warm weather to-do-list. For this month’s “Community Spotlight,” I am showcasing the upcoming Bassmaster Elite Series Fishing Tournament, which will take place in Waddington from July 20 to 23.

With schools across Central and Northern New York wrapping up classes for the summer, kids and their parents are always looking for something fun and exciting to do. To help families make reading a part of their summer vacations, I am encouraging students to participate in the New York State Senate’s Summer Reading Program. This special initiative helps children have fun, prevents learning loss and allows students to strengthen the skills they have already learned throughout the school year.