By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 July 2022 at 12:37 pm
MEDINA – Claudia Tenney said she is a proven fighter who would be a strong advocate for Orleans County in Congress, pushing for much-needed federal aid to upgrade roads, bridges, water and sewer plants and other infrastructure.
She said she would also be a loud voice against socialism, which she said punished businesses with rising costs, devalues free enterprise and discourages hard work.
Claudia Tenney said upstate New York doesn’t get much help from the state and federal governments.
Tenney currently represents the 22nd Congressional District. With redistricting she now is focused on the newly drawn 24Th Congressional District which includes about a dozen counties, including the southern part of Orleans.
She is based in Utica but has a purchase offer on a house in Canandaigua that would put her in the 24th District. She faces a Republican primary on Aug. 23 against Geneva-area businessman Mario J. Fratto for the Republican nomination to Congress. The two will face off in a primary election scheduled for Aug. 23.
Skip Draper, Orleans County Republican Party chairman, has endorsed Tenney.
“She is a current member of Congress,” Draper said about Tenney, who was first elected to Congress in 2016. “She’s successful and she’s knowledgeable.”
During a presentation to Republican Party members at Medina Theatre, Tenney talked about the need for more security along the southern border. She said illegal immigrants bring drugs, disease and crime into the country, and often overtax the social services system.
Tenney also touts her endorsement by former President Donald Trump in this race. Tenney said Trump shouldn’t be held criminally responsible for the Jan. 6 insurrection. She said the former president has “some baggage” and often creates enemies when he doesn’t need to.
However, Trump was a strong leader for the country, Tenney said.
“He has the courage to stand up,” she said.
Tenney said she would push for more federal funding for upstate communities, and wants more money for mental health resources, which she said would reduce mass shootings. She called those incidents “isolated events.”
Federal funding could be used to train more mental health counselors and specialists, and also reopen psychiatric centers, she said.
The country also continues to be devastated by drug overdoses. Tenney said more enforcement that stops the flow of illegal drugs into the country would reduce the overdoses.
Darlene Hartway, the Chamber of Commerce president in Orleans County, told Tenney local businesses don’t have enough hard-working employees. That is preventing many businesses from being fully open. She sees a work ethic crisis as the top issue in the county.
“Businesses can’t find enough employees,” Hartway said. “They can’t get back to pre-Covid levels. Younger people have a very low participation in the workforce.”
Claudia Tenney is pictured outside the Medina Theatre with, from left: Susan Howard, Mike Male, Orleans County Republican Party Chairman Skip Draper, Bruce Schmidt, Lynne Johnson, Claudia Tenney, Jarred Saj, John Fitzak and Joe Cardone.
Tenney said there are workforce issues across the state and beyond, from restaurants to manufacturers. She faulted former Gov. Andrew Cuomo for a state government that rewarded people to not work during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. Many people received Covid benefits on top of unemployment insurance.
“We gave too many incentives to stay home,” she said. “We did severe, irreparable damage to small businesses during Covid.”
She is critical of President Joe Biden for driving up inflation, not doing enough to address a supply chain that has left store shelves empty. The president isn’t protecting the southern border and he led an abrupt departure from Afghanistan, Tenney said. She has called on impeaching proceedings against Biden for the handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal.
Teneny said she favors legal immigration to the United States. The country needs those immigrants to fill many jobs, and to keep the country growing. Americans have a low birth rate and the population would shrink without immigrants, Tenney said.
The sluggish upstate economy would be helped with tax cuts for residents and businesses. The state can’t compete to keep residents and businsesses because of significantly lower costs in other states, she said.
“Tax cuts are critical for farms and businesses,” she said. “I really care about Upstate New York. I feel like we get short shrift from everyone. New York State will always be hostile to us because New York City dominates.”
Here is the map of the newly drawn NY-24th Congressional District.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 July 2022 at 9:56 am
Photo by Tom Rivers: In addition to being a town assessor, Barry Flansburg for many years served as the emcee for the grease pole competition at the Orleans County 4-H Fair. This photo is from July 25, 2018.
BARRE – Barry Flansburg will be retiring on Sept. 30 as assessor for four towns – Barre in Orleans County, and Byron, Oakfield and Elba in Genesee County.
Flansburg, 65, is eligible to begin collecting his state pension. Before starting as assessor 30 years ago for Barre and Oakfield, he worked five years as deputy Orleans County clerk.
He started working as assessor for Byron in 2006 and Elba in 2012. He has maintained annual updates to 7,000 parcels in the four towns.
Flansburg, a Barre resident, said he has enjoyed the career, working with so many residents and property owners in the rural community.
“It is working with people and numbers,” he said. “It’s how you communicate with the public. You need to explain why.”
Flansburg said the assessor position can be a tough job, but he found data helps people feel comfortable about the assessed value for properties.
Flansburg’s impending retirement will leave a void for the towns where he is assessor.
Sean Pogue, the Barre town supervisor, said Barre is looking for Flansburg’s successor. Pogue has reached out to the Orleans County Department of Real Property Tax Services to see if the county would be open to taking on assessing for Barre. The towns of Albion and Gaines contract with the county for the service.
Orleans Hub is introducing a new feature today that spotlights local businesses that have been long-time advertisers with the Hub.
The Orleans Hub went live on April 1, 2013. We wouldn’t have lasted very long without advertisers. Many have been with us since day 1 and have stayed with us for nearly a decade. In a show of appreciation to them, we will be doing features in the coming weeks and months on our long-time advertising partners. We hope to include more recent advertisers in the future.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 July 2022 at 7:57 pm
The Healing Spot, Simply Elegant Nails and More operate out of Arnold Gregory
The Orleans County Chamber of Commerce celebrated the two with a ribbon cutting. Darlene Hartway, right, is the Chamber director. Barry Flansburg, left, represented Assemblyman Steve Hawley and presented the two with citation for the new endeavors.
ALBION – Two Medina residents have teamed to open businesses at the Arnold Gregory Office Building at 243 South main St.
Violet Sims and Brandy McKinney celebrated with a ribbon-cutting today at Suite 120-122. McKinney owns The Healing Spot, offering manicures, pedicures, hair and sugaring (hair removal). She has worked in the cosmetology field for 20 years.
Sims runs Simply Elegant Nails and More with a focus on nails and waxing. Sims is a nail specialist and esthetician. She was working out of a salon in Medina that shut down during the Covid lockdown and didn’t reopen. She has six years of experience.
The two teamed up and last month opened their businesses together at Arnold Gregory.
“We want to bring some funk and more fun into Albion,” Sims said. “We have clients from all over the place.”
The space is decorated with a feather theme.
“That is to relax and get away from things,” Sims said.
The site is open Tuesday through Saturday. Call 585-283-4206 for more information.
Homesteads for Hope, 55-acre community garden in Rochester, eligible for another $100K
Provided photo: Homesteads for Hope has won one of five $100,000 grants from Kubota and is eligible for another $100,000 through a public vote campaign.
A community farm in Rochester has won one of five $100,000 grants from Kubota. Homesteads for Hope, a 55-acre community farm located along the Erie Canal, also is a customer of Bentley Brothers, which has offices in Albion and Brockport.
Kubota Tractor Corporation is offering the $100,000 grants as part of its 50th anniversary in the United States. The grants are intended to revitalize community projects.
Each of the five winners now go to a public vote, with the top vote-getter receiving another $100,000 grant as the Community Choice Award winner. Every vote cast is entered into a separate sweepstakes for a chance to win a Kubota sub-compact tractor or zero turn mower.
Homesteads for Hope has grown in recent years while many non-profits in the special needs community did not survive the pandemic. Homesteads has been able to take in some of the people who had nowhere else to go.
The farm currently serves over 600 families and hosts over 3,000 visitors each year. This intentional community breaks down barriers with programs that use “nature’s classroom” to teach adults with disabilities important life skills and how to work real jobs.
Kubota’s $100,000 grant will be used to: (1) Expand their Social Garden Program for those with more challenging needs and mobility-based disabilities, (2) Double their 80-plot community garden and the program’s impact, and (3) Renovate the estate home with new doors and windows to weatherproof the main program spaces for year-round use.
If awarded the additional Community Choice Grant, the organization will also be able to: (1) Finish the renovation on their 18th century historic barns to include new siding and electrical upgrades and (2) Pour new concrete pathways to increase accessibility.
These projects would allow Homesteads to triple the amount of people they serve and give them the momentum needed to start their eagerly anticipated inclusive housing village, which will give 250-300 people of all abilities a place to call home.
In the spirit of “Together We Do More,” Kubota is asking for the public’s help in selecting a winner for its Community Choice Award grant. From now until July 25 at 11:59 p.m. CT, the public is invited to visit KubotaHometownProud.com to cast a vote for one of the top five community projects.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 July 2022 at 10:18 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
KENDALL – Jack L. Hall of Brockport waves to the crowd while he drives a 1953 Massey-Harris tractor during Friday’s Kendall Firemen’s Carnival parade.
Hall also participated in the Hilton parade on Thursday. “I have antique tractors and I enjoy showing them,” he said.
Betty Wilson is celebrated as Kendall’s most senior resident at age 102. She gave enthusiastic greetings to the crowd.
She is also known as “Grandma Buttons” and the “Peanut Butterball Queen.”
The Alexander Firemen’s Band makes its way down Kendall Road in Friday night’s Kendall Firemen’s Carnival parade.
People were lined up on both sides of the street for the parade.
A member of the Alexander band focuses on his music while marching and playing the trombone.
A Kendall fire truck makes its way down the parade route. Many children eagerly looked for candy to be tossed their way.
These members of Lone Oak Stables in Kendall ride horses in Friday night’s Kendall Firemen’s Carnival parade.
This boy keeps a smile despite being on the cleanup crew following the horses.
Hamlin firefighters ride on old Ward LaFrance fire truck in the parade.
La’Ron Singletary, a former Rochester police chief, marched in the parade. He is running for Congress as a Republican in a newly drawn 25th Congressional District.
Assemblyman Steve Hawley tosses small frisbees to kids along the parade route.
Raymond McMillion and firefighters in the Murray Joint Fire District make a dignified procession in the parade.
The Gates Police Pipe & Drum Band performed in the parade.
Warren Kruger, the Kendall highway superintendent, rides in his 1929 Ford pickup.
Kendall Town Councilwoman Margaret Lynn Szozda gets a ride in a 1959 Thunderbird with former Town Supervisor Jack Gilman.
Today’s schedule at the carnival includes a corn hole tournament starting at noon, lawn mower pulls at noon, a ride matinee from 1 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 10 p.m., a chicken barbecue at 4 p.m., the community band at 5 p.m., music by Highway 31 at 9 p.m., fireworks at dusk and a $1,500 giveaway after the fireworks. (There is also a car cruise in from 4 to 7 p.m. with best of show award and door prizes for cruise participants.)
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 July 2022 at 8:58 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
HOLLEY – The Who Dats performed on Friday evening by the gazebo at Holley’s Canal Park, playing classic dance rock music.
The band includes Lonnie Froman as the lead singer, John Borello on guitar, Alona Kuhns on guitar, Ed Hilfiker on guitar and Alex DeSmit on drums.
Holley’s concert series started on July 8 with the Ghost Riders and continues through Aug. 26. The concerts are 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and there is no charge to attend.
The events are organized by the Village of Holley with most of the funding from the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council.
Most of the crowd brought their own lawn chairs for the concert on Friday.
The concert lineup for the rest of the season includes:
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 July 2022 at 8:23 am
MEDINA – Four Medina firefighters were among the 36 graduates of a 15-week fire training program at the fire academy in Montour Falls.
Andrew Cheverie, Nicolas Lee, Bailey Schubmehl and Andrew Steel of the Medina Fire Department graduated on Friday in a class of 36 from the State’s Recruit Firefighter Training program. The graduates come from 13 fire departments across the state.
Dalton Major of Clarendon also completed the program for the City of Batavia Fire Department.
The residential program provides extensive fire service training in an environment similar to a full-time fire department. Upon graduation, all the recruits will become career firefighters when they return home to their career departments.
“I am incredibly proud of these graduates’ achievements. They are well-prepared to protect New Yorkers from fires and the emergencies they will respond to during their careers,” said Jackie Bray, commissioner of the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services. “They now embark on a path of public service to keep their communities safe. On behalf of my colleagues from the Office of Fire Prevention and Control, we look forward to supporting New York’s newest firefighters as they carry out their future missions.”
The Office of Fire Prevention and Control’s Recruit Firefighter Training Program provides basic training for recently hired career firefighters, as well as volunteer firefighters. During the 15-week program, recruits participate in more than 600 hours of training in both classroom and practical settings.
Classes focus on areas such as structural, vehicle and flammable liquid firefighting, emergency vehicle operations, hazardous material emergency incident and basic rescue technician operations. Recruits also participate in daily physical fitness training in preparation for the Candidate Physical Ability Test.
Upon completion, graduates will have received national certification from the National Board of Fire Service Professional Qualifications in Firefighter I, Firefighter II and Hazardous Materials Operations.
This is the first class to graduate from the extended training program, which previously ran 11-weeks. Today’s graduates received expanded training in areas such as operating aerial devices; traffic incident management to keep firefighters safe on roadways; health and safety; firefighter rescue; hazardous materials response, and technical rescue.
To support the new curriculum, iPads were issued to students to provide them with greater access and flexibility to testing, as well as study materials available through the use of technology.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 July 2022 at 3:38 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – There is a display in the lower level of the Orleans County highlighting a landmark case in New York that ordered the release of eight enslaved people, including six children.
The display is moving to courthouses throughout the state. It was in Albion this week and will remain at the courthouse through next Friday. It is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 said enslaved people who made it to free states could be arrested and returned to their “owners” in slave states. This panel is among the displays in an exhibit at the Orleans County Courthouse.
The display highlights the Lemmon Case from 1852 to 1860.
The Lemmon family was moving eight enslaved people them from Virginia to Texas. At the time of 1852, it was common to board a ship in New York as part of a trip from Virginia to Texas, according to the display which was researched by the Historical Society of New York Courts.
The Lemmon case began in Nov. 6, 1852 when Louis Napoleon brought a writ of habeas corpus before the New York Superior Court. He asked the court to declare the freedom of eight people the Lemmon family claimed to own.
The enslaved people were being transported by the Lemmon family from one slave state (Virginia) to another (Texas) where the Lemmons planned to settle.
Janet DiFiore, Chief Judge of the State of New York, said the ruling in the case “was in direct conflict with the Supreme Courts infamous Dred Scott decision of 1857 and it represented one of the most unyielding anti-slavery decisions made by any court in the United State prior to the Civil War.”
She encouraged people to take time to learn about the case. The exhibit is planned to be on display at 45 courthouses over a nearly two-year stretch.
“We are grateful to the Historical Society on the New York Courts for creating this excellent exhibit on the Lemmon Slave case featuring a short documentary narrated by James Earl Jones that brings to life the courageous lawyers, judges and citizens including many New Yorkers of color who helped rescue and represent the 8 enslaved people,” DiFiore said.
Some highlights about slavery in America included in the exhibit:
By 1850, enslaved people had been in America for approximately 230 years. Starting as a trickle of enslaved people in 1619 and the 1620s, by 1850 there were more than 4 million enslaved people in the United States.
Despite the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850, more than 1,000 formerly enslaved people passed through New York to freedom, aided by the Underground Railroad.
Louis Napoleon, who pushed to free the eight enslaved people, lived in Staten Island. His mother was an enslaved African-American and his father a white French Jew. Napoleon made helping to free enslaved people his life’s work. His obituary listed his occupation as a conductor on the Underground Railroad.
The people enslaved by the Lemmons lived free in Canada for most of the 1850s. That was a decade when slavery and anti-slavery passions were so intense that it led to the Civil War.
Harriett Beecher Stowe’s anti-slavery novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, also was published and sold 300,000 copies in the first year. The detailed depictions of the brutality of slavery motivated more people to be abolitionists.
Press Release, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation today announced that Beech Leaf Disease (BLD), which affects all species of beech trees, was identified in 35 counties in New York State to date.
DEC began tracking BLD in 2018 after it was confirmed in Chautauqua County. Fourteen of the counties with BLD were confirmed in 2022, and more are likely to be identified. Editor’s note: The DEC reports BLD was first observed in Orleans County in 2020.
“Many American beech trees are already heavily impacted by beech bark disease, but Beech Leaf Disease appears to be an even bigger threat,” said DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos. “The decline of beech in New York could have far-reaching consequences, including significant changes to the composition of our northern hardwood forests and the loss of a valuable food source for wildlife. Beech Leaf Disease affects all beech, so the impacts would also be felt in our urban forests where ornamental beech trees, including the popular copper beech cultivar, are widely used for landscaping and street trees.”
This leaf shows striping caused by Beech Leaf Disease.
Much is still unknown about BLD, including how it spreads, but it can kill mature beech trees in six to 10 years and saplings in as little as two years. There is no known treatment for infected trees.
BLD symptoms are associated with the nematode Litylenchus crenatae mccannii. It is unknown whether the nematode causes all of the damage, or if it is in association with another pathogen such as a virus, bacteria, or fungus.
DEC is working with the Cornell Plant Disease Diagnostic Clinic, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, neighboring states, and New York’s Partnerships for Regional Invasive Species Management to survey for new infections, track disease progression using long-term monitoring plots, and investigate the nematode’s role in the disease. More information is needed to develop an effective treatment.
DEC’s Forest Health Diagnostic Lab is experiencing a recent surge in requests for BLD diagnosis and treatment options as landowners begin to notice a rapid decline in the health of their beech trees. Most of the reports are from Suffolk and Westchester counties where BLD is widespread.
DEC is asking the public to submit reports through NYimapInvasives if they encounter a beech tree showing signs of BLD, especially for counties where BLD has not yet been confirmed.
The main symptom to look for on beech foliage is darkened striping between the veins, which is best seen when looking up through the canopy. Leaves with severe symptoms can be heavily banded and crinkled, with a thickened leathery texture.
At this time there are no specific recommendations for managing trees that are infected with BLD, however, DEC encourages the public to report potential BLD infections using iMapInvasives to help track the disease while research is ongoing.
Governor Kathy Hochul today signed legislation (S.4142/A.5061) prohibiting smoking in all state-owned beaches, boardwalks, marinas, playgrounds, recreation centers and group camps. Smoking in these designated areas will be punishable with a civil fine of $50.
The bill exempts the Adirondacks and Catskills from the ban as well as parking lots, sidewalks adjoining parks, and areas not used for park purposes.
“Smoking is a dangerous habit that affects not only the smoker but everyone around them, including families and children enjoying our state’s great public places,” Governor Hochul said. “I’m proud to sign this legislation that will protect New Yorker’s health and help reduce litter in public parks and beaches across the state.”
Many municipalities and local governments already have restrictions or bans on smoking in public spaces. This additional penalty will enforce a statewide prohibition and includes a fine that will be collected by localities.
In addition to the health risks posed by secondhand smoke, cigarette butts are a major environmental hazard due to the non-biodegradable filters that are discarded. They are the leading item found during cleanup projects. Through this prohibition, parks and beaches will be kept cleaner and safer as will our local ecosystems.
Governor Kathy Hochul announced the successful implementation of 988 in New York State as the new three-digit number to call or text to be connected to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
All 62 counties in New York State will be covered for the launch of the new 988 Lifeline, which will ensure that anyone with a New York area code contacting 988 will be connected to one of New York’s 988 crisis centers.
“Connecting people who are experiencing a mental health crisis or considering suicide to trained counselors can significantly help them through difficulties that seem insurmountable, and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides hope and support to those who need it most,” Hochul said. “By implementing 988, we are providing these individuals, as well as their families and friends, an easy-to-remember number that will give them access to the services they need.”
The FY 2023 Enacted Budget included $35 million to significantly expand 988 crisis call center capacity throughout New York State. This funding will increase to $60 million on a full annual basis starting in FY 2024.
OMH has also allocated one-time funding of $10 million in federal supplemental Community Mental Health Services Block Grant resources to the 988 crisis call centers, allowing them to expand statewide capacity and infrastructure. New York State also received a $7.2 million federal grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to aid in the rollout of the new 988 Lifeline.
Calling 988 provides a direct connection to compassionate, accessible care and support for anyone experiencing mental health or substance abuse related distress. A chat feature will also be available through the Lifeline’s website (988lifeline.org).
The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline will be able to:
Connect people experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis to a trained counselor who can address their immediate needs and help connect them to ongoing care.
Reduce health care spending with more cost-effective early intervention.
Reduce use of law enforcement, public health, and other safety resources.
Meet the growing need for crisis intervention.
Help end stigma toward those seeking or accessing mental healthcare.
The new 988 Lifeline will also help achieve another one of Governor Hochul’s goals – removing obstacles to healthcare and reducing disparities in access, quality, and treatment outcomes for historically marginalized, underserved and unserved populations. This includes people of color, members of the LGBTQ community, older adults, rural New Yorkers, veterans, immigrants, people with disabilities and people who have limited English proficiency.
There are currently 13 operating 988 crisis contact centers in New York State and two in the development stage.
988 History
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) designated 988 as the new three-digit number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, and the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act was signed into law in October 2020, with the requirement for phone service providers to transition to 988 as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by July 16, 2022.
Since then, New York has been working with a large coalition of diverse community stakeholders to plan for the implementation of 988 in the State. The Statewide coalition members represent New York’s diverse population and includes individuals with lived experience, advocates, law enforcement, representatives from state agencies, counties, 911 representatives, emergency services, and more. All have contributed their expertise and commitment to the implementation of 988, and their ongoing collaboration and dedication to this groundbreaking work will benefit all New Yorkers.
About the Lifeline
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline was originally funded by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and has been administered by Vibrant Emotional Health since it began in 2005. It has served as an invaluable resource, helping thousands of people overcome suicidal crisis or mental health-related distress every day. With the transition to 988, these life-saving services will be even easier to reach.
Numerous studies have shown that the Lifeline works—most callers are significantly more likely to feel less depressed, less suicidal, less overwhelmed, and more hopeful after speaking to a Lifeline crisis counselor.
Statistics on New York/National 988 Call Volume
Between 2005 and 2020, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline received a total of 20,478,698 calls.
In 2019, the NSPL received 137,481 calls originating from New York, a 73 percent increase since 2016. In 2020, NYS received 142,827 calls, a 13 percent increase in just one year. New York’s robust investments and advanced planning will ensure that calls originating from New York are answered by a local 988 crisis contact center and that we are prepared for the significant increase in call volume that is expected over the next five years.
New York State Senate Republican Leader Robert Ortt, Assemblyman Angelo J. Morinello and Congressman Brian Higgins sent a letter to the Canadian Ambassador, calling for an end to the “ArriveCAN” app requirements for Americans crossing the northern border.
“Americans and Canadians are frustrated and confused by Canada’s preclearance policy, especially the use of the new ‘ArriveCan’ app. Many Americans and Canadians have realized crossing the border is too difficult due to these policies, and have ultimately decided not to do so. This is evident from the number of border crossings over the Peace Bridge which have dropped precipitously from 171,000 in May of 2019, to a meager 101,000 in May 2022,” said Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt and Assemblyman Morinello in their joint letter.
In conjunction with the Senator and the Assemblyman, Congressman Brian Higgins issued a Federal letter to Canada’s Ambassador to the United States as well, citing how communities along the US-Canada border are struggling economically.
Higgins, Ortt & Morinello argue ArriveCAN – the Canadian government’s system which requires both Americans and Canadians crossing the border into Canada to input mandatory information within 72-hours prior to travel – is a burdensome visa-like prerequisite never-before imposed between the two friendly nations.
The leaders note the impact this has on the Niagara region’s economy: “According to the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, more than 650,000 jobs in New York State depend on trade investment with Canada. This is especially critical in Western New York, where our economy is strongly tied to our strong partnership with our Canadian neighbors. The border restrictions implemented by the Canadian government put that economic activity at risk.”
Each of the five winners now go to a public vote, with the top vote-getter receiving another $100,000 grant as the Community Choice Award winner. Every vote cast is entered into a separate sweepstakes for a chance to win a Kubota sub-compact tractor or zero turn mower.
Governor Kathy Hochul announced the successful implementation of 988 in New York State as the new three-digit number to call or text to be connected to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
