Ritchie

With summer vacation approaching for students, more and more teens are taking to the roads. In fact, the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day marks the busiest time of the year for teen drivers, not to mention the most dangerous. It’s known as the “100 Deadliest Days,” a time frame when we see a spike in the number of crashes involving teens.

Did you know that every 19 minutes, someone falls victim to identity theft? Today, identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America, affecting more than 12.7 million people last year alone. Identity theft has the power to ruin credit and wreak havoc on reputations, and it costs victims roughly $16 billion annually.

While the fresh air certainly has its perks, it’s important to be extra vigilant to stay protected from ticks and the diseases they carry, namely Lyme disease. May marks Lyme disease Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness and spread information about this terrible disease. A potentially debilitating and life-threatening illness, it’s estimated by the state Department of Health that more than 95,000 cases of Lyme have been confirmed in New York State since 1986.

There are certain things that let us know summer is right around the corner. One of my favorites? The opening of farmers markets across our region. From fresh fruits and vegetables to flowers and handcrafted items, local farmers market offer something for everyone. To make it easier for you to find the fresh, healthy foods and unique locally-crafted items you’re looking for, I have once again put together my “2015 Farmers’ Market Guide.”

According to the most recent numbers available from the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, in 2013, there were more than 5,100 motorcycle crashes statewide. Those crashes resulted in 171 deaths and more than 5,000 injuries. This month, we make an extra effort to increase the safety of our roadways through “Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month,” a time when those who travel our roadways are encouraged not only to be extra alert, but also to make an extra effort to learn how to more safely share the road with others.

It’s hard to believe, that in many places across the county, many women are still being paid less than their male counterparts for the same work. In fact, repeated studies have shown that despite a 50-year-old federal law aimed at prohibiting paycheck discrimination, women continue to earn just 78 cents for every dollar paid to men doing the exact same job.

As we’ve seen on the news and in the media, these substances, which are sold as alternatives to cocaine, heroin, marijuana and other illegal drugs, have the power to cause such side effects as hallucinations, kidney failure, extreme paranoia, violent behavior and even death.

Visit any library throughout Central and Northern New York, and you’ll see things have changed. Today, our libraries are so much more than books. They’re offering, and doing, so much more for those who utilize them, and continuing to evolve to keep up with the demands of today’s consumers.

Fresh air, clean water and unpolluted land. These are things that often times, we take for granted. Keeping the air we breathe, the water we drink and the land we live on free from pollution is a team effort, and on Earth Day, we celebrate our planet and make an extra push to keep it clean, as well as preserve it for future generations.