OSWEGO, NY – At its meeting Thursday, the Oswego County Legislature set a public hearing regarding the tentative tax agreement with Nine Mile I.
The hearing will be held at 7 p.m. June 10, prior to next month’s legislature meeting.
Two other public hearings on the matter will be held by the school district on May 18 and by the town of Scriba on May 19.
Thursday’s meeting was Youth Government Day. More than 30 students from across the county participated in the program, and were “legislators†for the day.
One of the events during Government Day is the mock debate.
Students are divided into groups and they tackle an issue as if they were legislators.
This year, the 33 students were broken into three groups to debate whether wind turbines should be allowed in Lake Ontario, an issue the legislature actually debated and defeated not too long ago.
One group of students was for the turbines and one group was opposed. The other 11 were undecided, according to Legislator Jack Proud.
“During the debate, the exercise was for the ayes to convince the undecideds and any of the nays that they could to join them,†he explained. “Opposite wise, the task of the nays was to convince the undecideds and of the ayes that they could convince to join their way of thinking.â€
There was “a very spirited debate,†he said.
The result was 10 people in favor of the wind turbines and 23 against.
Legislators Amy Tresidder and Linda Lockwood assisted the ayes group while Terry Wilbur and Milferd Potter worked with the nays team. Proud worked with the undecided team.
The students were selected by their teachers, according to Paul Forestiere II, director of Cooperative Extension, which facilitated the program.
Now, he said, they have to go back and talk with their teachers and fellow students and tell them what they learned during the program.
He thanked the legislators for hosting the students.
“We really appreciate the opportunity to come here,†he said. “This group of students was wonderful to work with. I am one of the most fortunate managers on the face of the Earth. I work with the best people, they are extremely dedicated.”
