Keep Mohawk Valley Beautiful (KMVB) 2023 Clean-Up
Written By Editor on 3/8/23 | 3/8/23
Keep Mohawk Valley Beautiful (KMVB), a six-county NYS affiliate of the national Keep America Beautiful (KAB) program, is preparing for its 22nd annual Great American Cleanup. KMVB is a standing committee of the Mohawk Valley Economic Development District, Inc. (MVEDD).
KAB works to create sustainable communities that are socially connected, environmentally healthy and economically sound. Their annual cleanup effort is the country’s largest community improvement program. Each Spring, KAB affiliates, like KMVB, engage more than 4 million volunteers in more than 20,000 communities nationwide.
Litter is not simply unpleasant to look at; there are environmental and economic costs to litter that negatively impact local wildlife, public drainage systems, road safety and property values. The cleanup and beautification efforts of KMVB have far reaching positive impacts on the environment, our communities, and even the mental wellbeing of our residents.
Last year, over 1,700 volunteers across the Mohawk Valley collectively removed 3,100 bags of litter from parks, roadways, and waterways.
As Spring approaches, KMVB is calling on local businesses, residents, and local leaders to register a team to pick up litter and beautify our parks, neighborhoods, and waterways to surpass last year’s impressive cleanup results. The KMVB cleanup is centered around Earth Day (April 22nd), but groups are encouraged to schedule their cleanup whenever it is convenient between April and July.
Registering your clean up allows KMVB to report the impact of our region’s efforts to the KAB national office. When you register, the KMVB team will coordinate your cleanup efforts and provide you with supplies, such as trash bags and gloves. To register your team, visit www.mvedd.org/kmvb
KMVB is currently supported by the Bank of Utica, BME - Office Solutions made Simple, and Standard Insulating Co., and has received generous in-kind sponsorships from Northern Safety, PJ Green and the Oneida-Herkimer Solid Waste Authority. These sponsors, along with the longstanding support of Positively Rome, the City of Utica, CABVI, the CNY Conservancy, the Utica Rotary, the Genesis Group, as well as the Otsego, Schoharie, Herkimer and Fulton-Montgomery Chamber of Commerce offices, are crucial to the success of this clean-up effort.
Sponsorship support is needed to make an impact throughout the region. KMVB is calling for interested local organizations to sponsor this year’s cleanup event through in-kind donations or financial support. Please visit our website to learn more about sponsorship opportunities or to register your cleanup.
For more information, or to report a site that needs to be cleaned or rehabilitated, email us at info@mvedd.org. You may also follow KMVB on Facebook (Keep Mohawk Valley Beautiful – KMVB) for additional information. To donate funding or materials, register your team, or access our sponsorship package, visit www.mvedd.org/kmvb call (315) 866-4671 or scan the QR code below.
Bushel presents its March Community Film Pick: The Bad Seed
Written By Editor on 3/7/23 | 3/7/23
Moore describes the film as “an allegedly proto-feminist, truly shocking horror film that somehow contains no gore or even on-screen death. The Bad Seed—the 1956 original—famously relays the story of an eight-year-old psychopath whose mother, over the course of the film, comes to understand her own complicity in her daughter’s increasingly violent crimes. Mervyn LeRoy’s translation of a popular stage play by Maxwell Anderson itself adapted from a bestselling novel by William March, The Bad Seed is a film forged by Hollywood censorship and the ravages of World War II that sought to shift public debate about who is to blame for violence and wrong-doing. While the film’s you-go-girl veneer disguises a psychological argument against all women, The Bad Seed is nonetheless charming and hilarious, with an ending you will never forget.”
The Bad Seed was nominated for several Academy and Golden Globe Awards, and winning one of the latter, the film was remade for television in 1985, inspired the Off-Broadway show Ruthless! in 1992, was the basis for the 1993 film The Good Son, and was remade for television again by Rob Lowe in 2017, now for Lifetime. A sequel is in post-production now.
This film is picked by Catskills–based Anne Elizabeth Moore whose recent book Gentrifier: A Memoir was an NPR Best Book of 2021. She teaches at SVA and is currently on assignment for The Guardian. Her 2017 book Body Horror: Capitalism, Fear, Misogyny, Jokes will be updated for the pandemic and rereleased by Feminist Press in April 2023.
Woman Life Freedom: Extending Solidarity and Awareness about the Struggle in Iran
DELHI — Please join us on Saturday March 11, 4:00–6:30 pm for a special fundraising event to raise awareness and support for the ongoing struggle for human rights in Iran, in light of the #womanlifefreedom movement. Featuring a panel discussion, a film screening, and a Q&A, this event is free to attend. Bushel will be collecting donations for nonprofit organizations supporting the current activism and to provide an artist fee to the filmmaker. The event takes place at Bushel located at 106 Main Street, in Delhi. Persian food, tea, and cookies will be served.
The event begins with a panel discussion with Iranian community members—including Delhi’s Tay Tea owner Nini Ordoubadi, architect and fashion designer Azin Valy, and community activist Miriam Nouri—who will share personal experiences as women who have lived in Iran and in the diaspora. “This will be a special opportunity to hear personal accounts from Iranian women, and to better understand the current movement,” says Pareesa Pourian, the event co-organizer.
The panel will be followed by a screening of Dream of Silk (Nahid Rezaei, 2003, 43 minutes), selected from the recent “Films from Iran for Iran” program initiated by Another Gaze and shared with their cooperation. In Dream of Silk, director Nahid Rezaei returns to her all-girls high school twenty-five years later to explore the lives of young girls in contemporary Tehran. In this candid exploration of their dreams and hopes, the girls are at times shockingly open, often sweet, and occasionally sad as they talk about the future.
SUNY COBLESKILL MEN’S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD CLOSES SEASON AT 2023 AARTFC INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
New York, N.Y.: The SUNY Cobleskill men’s indoor track & field team closed the season at the 2023 All-Atlantic Regional Track and Field Conference Indoor Championships hosted by the conference at the Armory New Balance Track Center over the weekend. The Fighting Tigers tied for 43rd overall at the event.
Junior distance runner Nick Logan, Queensbury, N.Y., Queensbury High School, was the team’s top finisher placing ninth overall in the mile run in a time of 4:17.83 while first-year sprinter Charlie Foote, Cobleskill, N.Y., Cobleskill-Richmondville High School, placed 11th overall in the 400-meter dash in 50.16 seconds and 36th overall in the 200-meter dash in 23.27 seconds.
Cobleskill will next be in action on Saturday April 1 when they open the outdoor season at the 2023 Hamilton College Outdoor Invitational hosted by Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y. beginning at 10:00 a.m. and the Muhlenberg Outdoor Invitational hosted by Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pa. beginning at 10:00 a.m.
SUNY COBLESKILL FIGHTING TIGER WEEKLY RECAP
The SUNY Cobleskill baseball team opened the 2023 season by splitting a doubleheader with the host Colonels of Wilkes University on Sunday in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. winning the opener 7-5 then falling in the nightcap 7-6 to open the campaign at 1-1 overall. The Fighting Tigers were led by sophomore shortstop Stephen Tejada, Queens, N.Y., High School for Construction, went 3-for-8 on the day with three RBI and three runs scored.
Fighting Tiger first-year Emily Satterday, Latham, N.Y., Shaker High School, became the first women’s basketball team member in program history to be named the 2023 North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Women’s Basketball Rookie-of-the-Year. The forward/center also earned NAC Third Team honors after 10.5 points, 12.6 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game while finishing the year with 15 double/doubles on the year.
Junior Andre Starks, Rochester, N.Y., Fairport High School/Corning Community College, a member of the men’s basketball team was named to the 2023 Third Team All-NAC Team after leading the Fighting Tigers to an 18-9 overall record on the year and averaging 14.6 points, 3.3 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game.
The Fighting Tiger hunt seat equestrian team opened the 2023 portion of their schedule by posting a team total of 27 points to tie for fourth place in a field of nine teams at an Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) Zone 2 Region 3 event hosted by Skidmore College at the Van Lennep Riding Center in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. on Saturday.
The Fighting Tiger men’s lacrosse team opened the season rank first in the 2023 NCAA Division III National Statistical Rankings of the year in turnovers caused after the season opening 16-7 victory over Cairn University. Cobleskill is currently averaging 26.0 per game on the year.
UPCOMING HOME CONTESTS:
Baseball vs. Castleton University 4/2, SUNY Polytechnic 4/7, SUNY New Paltz 4/12
Softball vs. Russell Sage 3/25, SUNY Potsdam 4/1, St. Lawrence University 4/2
Men’s Lacrosse vs. SUNY Delhi 3/25, Thomas College 4/14, NVU-Lyndon 4/16
Notice of Emergency Meeting Town Board Meeting
Please take notice that the Town Board of the Town of Halcott will hold an emergency meeting for the purpose of hiring a new Attorney for the Town on Wednesday, March 15, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. at the Town of Halcott Grange Hall.
By order of the Town Board
Dated February 24, 2023
Patricia Warfield, Town Clerk
Coffeehouse at the Walton Theatre
Bushel Hosts Lunchtime Documentary Screening of Speaking Grief March 21
DELHI —On Tuesday March 21, 12:30 to 2 pm, Bushel presents a brown-bag lunchtime screening of the documentary film Speaking Grief, followed by a Q&A led by Kristen Jastremski, LCSW, CT, bereavement counselor at Helios Care. This event is free and open to the public. Bushel is located at 106 Main Street, Delhi.
Speaking Grief explores the transformative experience of losing a family member in a death- and grief-avoidant society. "It is so important for us to recognize and be better able to support those experiencing grief,” says Kristen Jastremski. “WPSU and the New York Life Foundation have put together a very moving film that can help us to open the conversation about grief."
The Speaking Grief initiative (speakinggrief.org) is working to normalize the universal yet stigmatized human experience of grieving. This national public media initiative includes a television documentary, media-rich website, social media campaign, and numerous community engagement events, all aimed at starting a national conversation about grief. Produced by WPSU Penn State with philanthropic support and outreach collaboration from The New York Life Foundation, this initiative seeks to normalize grief through candid interviews and help people become more comfortable with the many faces, forms, and personal experiences of grief.
This presentation is organized by Helios Care (helioscare.org), a nonprofit agency that serves the communities of Delaware, Otsego, and Schoharie Counties. The mission of Helios Care is to make life easier for patients and families facing serious illness and end of life by providing choices, dignity, and compassionate care. Helios Care continues to provide support to patient’s families by offering grief counseling, support groups, and community healing programs. Counseling is also available to community bereaved through special programming.
BUSHEL is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit, volunteer-led, mixed-use space dedicated to art, agriculture, ecology, and action. It is located at 106 Main Street in Delhi. For more information, go to www.bushelcollective.org.
Bassett's Dr. Tommy Ibrahim is a Becker's Hospital Review Rural CEO to Know
Cooperstown, NY – Dr. Tommy Ibrahim, President & CEO of Bassett Healthcare Network, has been named to a select list of esteemed healthcare industry professionals within Becker’s Hospital Review’s article, 80 Rural Hospital CEOs to Know 2023.
As noted in the article: “Rural hospitals are critical to the success of the U.S. healthcare system to expand access to care in remote areas. CEOs at the helm of these important community institutions have many responsibilities to make sure their hospitals thrive.”
The Becker’s article continues: “The executives featured on this list have put their heart and soul into ensuring their communities have access to the best healthcare services possible. While rural hospitals across the country have faced closure in recent years, these leaders have developed a model for not only surviving but thriving.”
“The headwinds against us are serious,” says Dr. Ibrahim, who was also recently featured in "Lessons from the C-suite," a podcast series hosted by Advisory Board President Eric Larsen that covers conversations with the most influential leaders in healthcare. “But I also believe that some of the very elements that have conventionally been regarded as disadvantageous to rural systems — like wide geographic areas, scarcity of hospital beds and physicians, geographic maldistribution of doctors, insufficient reimbursement, etc. — may, in fact, turn out to be advantages in a digital health age.”
“At the end of the day, the vision is for Bassett to be the model of care for rural health in the U.S.,” Dr. Ibrahim continued. “We believe we can transform and redesign the care delivery model for rural communities in a way that will reduce persistent healthcare disparities and improve outcomes.”
Dr. Ibrahim’s complete interview with the Advisory Board is available here.
Bassett Healthcare Network based in Cooperstown, New York, is an integrated health system that provides care and services to people living in rural central New York State, a 5,600 square mile area equivalent to the size of Connecticut. The organization includes five corporately affiliated hospitals, over two dozen community-based health centers, more than 20 school-based health centers, two skilled nursing facilities, other health partners in related fields, and employs over 630 practitioners in its medical group.
“I'm grateful for the ability to be a healthcare leader in this environment. As counterintuitive as that may sound – and as complex and exhausting as it is – having the opportunity to shape the future of healthcare in this country and especially in rural America is an enormous privilege,” concluded Dr. Ibrahim.
SUNY Delhi Spring Swimming Lessons 2023
Water Aerobics Session 2 at SUNY Delhi Spring 202
DELHI, NY - The SUNY Delhi Spring Water Aerobics first session will run from
Monday, March 6, 2023 through Friday, April 7, 2023 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays in the Kunsela Hall pool from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. All registration forms must be received by the first day of class. Participants will not be allowed in the water without submitting a registration. There will be a charge of $50 per person for 12 sessions or $10 per person, per session. Please make checks payable to SUNY Delhi Swimming Pool, questions call John Kolodziej at 607-746-4263. Please check in your vehicles at University Police to get a free parking pass for the semester. No class the week of March 13.
For register forms and more information go to DelhiBroncos.com or Bronco Connect.
Second Sunday Snowshoe at Landis
Written By Editor on 3/6/23 | 3/6/23
SECOND SUNDAY SNOWSHOE
March 12
1:00 - 3:00 PM
Meet at the Barn
We invite you to join us from 1:00 - 3:00 for a fun event, the last of the season. If there is no snow, the event leaders will take participants on a winter hike, and everyone ends up back at the Farm House for hot cocoa and good conversation.
This month's event will feature Fred "the Tree Man" Breglia, our executive director, who will provide instruction in dormant tree identification during the snowshoe or hike.
Registration: Members: $5 or member family $15; Non-members: $15, non-member family $25.
Call 518−875−6935 or email info@landisarboretum.org for more information or to register. You can also register online using PayPal (small administrative fee).
NYC Increases Use of Reservoir Water for Two Weeks During Preparations for Work on Delaware Aqueduct
Increased Amount of Water from Croton Watershed from March 6th to 19th May Result in Temporary Taste Difference in NYC’s Drinking Water; Photos of the Delaware Aqueduct Bypass Tunnel are Available here and a Map of the NYC Watershed is Available here
The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) today announced that from March 6th to 19th there will be a significant increase in the amount of water coming from the Croton Watershed, a group of 12 reservoirs in Westchester and Putnam Counties, to feed New York City’s water supply as engineers prepare for planned work on the Delaware Aqueduct this fall. Due to the increase in Croton water, New York City residents may notice a slight taste difference in their tap water due to different characteristics between upstate reservoir systems.
The increased reliance on Croton water is part of DEP’s largest-ever capital repair project, which calls for connecting a bypass tunnel around known leaks in the Delaware Aqueduct, the world’s longest tunnel. As part of the project, engineers will temporarily shut down the aqueduct for two weeks in March, as a planned test, and then for several months starting in October to make the repairs.
“Nearly 10 million New Yorkers count on us to provide them with high-quality water every single day of the year, without fail, and this complex repair of the Delaware Aqueduct will ensure that we can continue to meet that essential mission for generations to come,” said DEP Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala. “The testing being done in March will ensure that all of our equipment and procedures are in place and ready for major work to begin this fall.”
About the Delaware Aqueduct repair project
The 85-mile-long Delaware Aqueduct delivers about half of New York City’s water supply – about 600 million gallons a day – using only gravity, from four Catskill Mountain region reservoirs. The water is held in the Rondout Reservoir in Ulster County, then goes to Hillview Reservoir in Yonkers.
The aqueduct was put into service in 1944 when New York City Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia opened a set of emergency gates to channel the Rondout Creek directly into the new aqueduct.
In 2010, New York City announced a $1 billion plan to repair the aqueduct by connecting a 2.5-mile-long bypass tunnel around known leaks discovered in the 1990s — one in Newburgh, the other in the Ulster County town of Wawarsing. The new bypass, being connected 600 feet beneath the Hudson River, is the first tunnel built under the Hudson River since 1957, when the south tube of the Lincoln Tunnel was completed.
Since 1992, DEP has continuously tested and monitored the leaks, which can release upwards of 35 million gallons per day. Nearly all of the water escaping the leaks happens near the Hudson River in Newburgh.
DEP has been working closely with Hudson Valley municipalities that rely on the Delaware Aqueduct for their water supplies to activate backup plans during the temporary shutdown as well as working with the U.S. Geological Survey to continually monitor groundwater levels in communities where the Delaware Aqueduct leaks are located.
The major repairs are being done in October because demand for water is at its lowest all year. Even during the testing and shutdown, DEP will continue releasing water into Delaware River tributaries pursuant to the Flexible Flow Management Program, a water allocation agreement between the states of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware and the City of New York.
Written By Editor on 3/5/23 | 3/5/23
Women and Retirement: Financial Considerations
As women plan for retirement, they must consider several realities that statistically set them apart from men, including the probability of earning less money and living longer. Of course, every person’s situation is unique, but the fact that women generally spend more years in retirement with fewer assets than their male counterparts can create challenges. Here are some factors women should consider when planning for retirement.
Anticipate a long lifespan
In the United States, on average, women outlive men by five years.1 As a result, in 2022 there were twice as many women aged 85 and above compared to men.2 A longer lifespan means more years in retirement and a need for additional savings.
Overcome the income gap
Women workers generally earn less than their male counterparts, roughly 82 cents or less on average for every dollar a man earns.3 Recent trends show that women are closing this gap by increasing their education level, entering more nontraditional fields, and negotiating their salary when changing jobs. However, the data also shows that as women age, the income disparity widens.4 Women also are more likely to have gaps in their work histories due to caregiving responsibilities that have historically been disproportionally handled by women. These work hiatuses may reduce earnings over their work life, impacting Social Security and retirement benefits.
Take charge of your financial well-being
These strategies can help you be proactive and save toward the retirement you deserve.
Make regular contributions to retirement accounts. Automatic monthly payments make it easy to save every month. Max out any employer matches available to you.
Open an IRA. You can fund a traditional IRA with pre-tax contributions, which may help reduce your tax bill by deferring taxes on those dollars until you are in retirement. Or you can make after-tax contributions to a Roth IRA. Withdrawals from Roth accounts are not taxed, assuming it has been open at least five years and the withdrawals are made after you reach 59½ years of age. Note that there are income limits attached to Roth accounts.
Make catch-up contributions. Annual contribution limits for retirement accounts change when you reach age 50 and beyond. You are allowed to make catch-up contributions to increase your 401(k) and IRA. Check current guidelines at IRS.gov.
Live within your means. This is an obvious one. Overspending creates debt. Interest rates on unpaid balances can grow unmanageable. Get a handle on your expenses and ensure you’re saving more than you spend so you can put excess money away for retirement.
Leverage the power of compounding by investing early and often. Money that is invested can earn interest, which can then earn its own interest. This compound effect leads to optimal growth over time.
Advocate for higher wages. You have the right to be fairly compensated at work. If disparities exist, don’t be afraid to negotiate for the salary you deserve or pursue higher paying work.
Postpone retirement or continue to work part time. Most experts recommend waiting until full retirement age to start receiving Social Security. Once you reach full retirement age, you can choose to delay your benefits in exchange for a larger monthly check down the road. Or you can continue working and earning while receiving monthly Social Security income.
Make sure you’re taking the appropriate amount of risk in your investment portfolio. A conservative investment strategy may backfire if it causes you to miss out on market gains while you still have a long-time horizon until retirement. That said, you may want to take some risk off the table if you’re planning to retire in the next few years and you want to guard against big market swings. A financial advisor can help you create a plan that addresses your unique financial goals within the timeframe you have to invest.
1 – U.S. Centers for Disease Control: Life Expectancy in the U.S.
2 – U.S. Census Data: Women’s History Month: March 2022
3 – U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Women’s Earnings
4 – U.S. Census Data: Gender Pay Gap Widens As Women Age
###
Michael D. Lanuto, CRPC®, AWMA® is a Financial Advisor with S.M. Miller & Associates, a private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC. in Albany, NY. He specializes in fee-based financial planning and asset management strategies and has been in practice for 7 years. To contact him: 518-949-2039; 4 Atrium Drive, Ste 200, Albany, NY, 12205; Michael.Lanuto@ampf.com; https://www.ameripriseadvisors.com/michael.lanuto/lp/request-contact/3/.