Tuesday August 24, 2021
Chamber Extends Congratulations to New Governor Kathy Hochul
The North Country Chamber of Commerce has extended its congratulations to Kathy Hochul as she begins her first day as Governor of New York.

"Governor Hochul is someone who we know well and who knows us well," says Garry Douglas, Chamber President. "I had the pleasure of working directly with the new Governor through the North Country Regional Economic Development Council where she actively serves as State Chair and I served as regional co-chair. From broadband to our transportation equipment cluster to the modernization of ORDA's sports venues, she has been an accessible, committed partner. And that accessibility and interest has continued to be evident even during this challenging transition."

Douglas adds, "We especially welcome her firsthand understanding of the special importance to New York of our connections with Canada, especially Quebec and Ontario. I have no doubt we will see heightened engagement with us and with our partners on both sides of the border in valuing that relationship and pursuing a range of opportunities. We have said that few Lt. Governors have been as prepared for the governorship as Kathy Hochul. We congratulate her as she begins her new role and look forward to working with her and her team in many new ways." 
 
Garry Douglas
President and CEO
Pfizer's Covid-19 Vaccine Gets Full FDA Approval
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted full approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine Monday in those ages 16 and older.

Pfizer and BioNTech SE's two-dose vaccine is the first to receive the FDA's approval. It and other brands of the vaccine have been available under emergency-use authorization, which provides access to medical products during public health emergencies.
"The public can be very confident that this vaccine meets the high standards for safety, effectiveness and manufacturing quality the FDA requires of an approved product,” Acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock said in a statement. “While millions of people have already safely received Covid-19 vaccines, we recognize that for some, the FDA approval of a vaccine may now instill additional confidence to get vaccinated."

“I am hopeful this approval will help increase confidence in our vaccine, as vaccination remains the best tool we have to help protect lives and achieve herd immunity," Pfizer chairman and CEO Albert Bourla said.

The FDA's approval is based on months of clinical data that found the vaccine was 91% effective in preventing Covid-19.
Why Vaccines Remain Effective in Preventing COVID-19 Hospitalizations in New York
A new report from the New York State Department of Health found vaccinations for COVID-19 remain highly effective against being hospitalized.

This comes as New York officials are trying to push people to get vaccinated as the more contagious version of the virus known as delta spreads quickly this summer. 

Eli Rosenberg, the deputy director of science for the New York State Department of Health, in a Capital Tonight interview, explains why the report underscores the importance of getting vaccinated.
Stefanik Announces USDA Program for Dairy Farmers
Congresswoman Elise Stefanik issued the following statement on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) announcement of a $350 million Pandemic Market Volatility Assistance Program passed by Congress last December to support dairy farmers impacted by COVID-19 and improvements to the Dairy Margin Coverage program.
 
“I am proud to announce USDA’s two updates that will prioritize North Country dairy farmers,” Stefanik said. “Our dairy farmers have worked hard, despite the unforeseen market changes due to the coronavirus pandemic, and their needs deserve to be met. Additionally, I am proud USDA will now better reflect feed prices, which will benefit individual farmers. I will always make the needs of our North Country dairy farmers a top priority of mine and look forward to ensuring these programs work as intended to benefit our farmers.”
 
The Pandemic Market Volatility Assistance Program will provide $350 million in payments to reimburse farmers who received a lower value for their products due to market abnormalities caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. More information from USDA on the program can be found here.
 
Additionally, USDA will make improvements to the Dairy Margin Coverage program to update the feed cost formula to better reflect the actual cost dairy farmers pay for high quality feed. This change will be a permanent part of the dairy safety net and will be retroactive to January 2020. It is expected to provide additional retroactive payments of about $100 million for 2020 and 2021, and provide an added $80 million per year in support to dairy farmers.
WEBINAR: Small Business Recovery Grant
The North Country Chamber of Commerce is hosting a webinar on New York State’s COVID-19 Pandemic Small Business Recovery Grant Program which is now accepting applications. Small businesses, micro businesses and for-profit independent arts and cultural organizations are invited to attend the webinar about this valuable program.

 
Attend this webinar to learn more about the Small Business Recovery Grant Program; items to be discussed include:
  • Eligibility requirements
  • How the grant is calculated
  • Documentation needed and much more!

Date & Time:
  • Date: August 26th
  • Time: 10:00am - 11:00am
  • Cost: FREE

For eligibility requirements and more information regarding the New York State COVID-19 Pandemic Small Business Recovery Program, click here.

If you have questions please call Raechell Conn at 518.563.1000 or email her for further information.
Six Adirondack-Area Counties Join in Broadband Initiative
Representatives of six counties in the Adirondack region are collaborating in an effort to secure a federal grant to provide high-speed broadband access for nearly 3,000 households, businesses and institutions.

Warren, Essex, Clinton, Hamilton, Franklin and Washington counties are applying to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration for money to help fund the North Country Broadband Deployment Program. This initiative’s objective is to obtain broadband access where it’s now lacking, and to establish more reliable and higher-speed connectivity where existing service is inadequate.

Four participating broadband providers — SLIC Network Solutions, Charter/Spectrum, Champlain Technology Group, and Hudson Valley Wireless — have joined the counties in pledging to pay for at least 10% of the project’s cost. Officials of these entities envision that such a financial commitment will increase the chances for funding in a highly competitive nationwide review process, Town of Johnsburg Supervisor Andrea Hogan said. Hogan is chairman of the Warren County Board of Supervisors’ Economic Growth and Development Committee.
Keep Children Up-To-Date on Vaccines & Well-Child Visits
With the start of a new school year around the corner, the Clinton County Health Department (CCHD) is reminding parents to stay on top of vaccination schedules.
“Well-child visits and recommended vaccinations help make sure children stay healthy and are protected from serious diseases,” stated Jaqueline Allan, Registered Professional Nurse at CCHD.

Receiving the required vaccinations on time throughout childhood is essential to providing immunity before children are exposed to potentially life-threatening diseases. Childhood vaccines protect against 14 serious diseases. Children who are not protected by vaccines are more likely to get preventable diseases like measles and whooping cough. Not only are these diseases extremely contagious, they can be very serious for infants and young children.
WEBINAR: Mandating COVID-19 Vaccinations in Your Workplace: Pros and Cons
Join the North Country Chamber of Commerce and Jaci Kelleher, Esq. of Stafford-Owens Law Firm for a discussion on the pros and cons of "Mandating COVID Vaccinations in your Workplace".

The FDA may soon give full approval to one or more of the COVID vaccines. Once that happens, employers may be interested in exploring the option of mandating that their employees be vaccinated. 

Topics will include: 
  • How vaccine mandates may be implemented
  • How mandated vaccination may affect your company
  • Policy manual considerations

Details:
  • Date: Tuesday, August 31st
  • Time: 9:00am - 11:00am
  • Cost: $15 members & partner members | $30 not yet members
  • Proceeds will support the continued work of your Chamber during this time

Speaker: 
  • Jaci Kelleher is an attorney at Stafford, Owens, who regularly practices in the area of employment law and representing employers.

If you have questions or need further information, please contact Alyse Buskey via email or call her at 518.563.1000.



If you have questions or need help registering contact Alyse at 518.563.1000 or email her at alyse@northcountrychamber.com.
North Country Chamber Job Fair - September 15th!
It’s almost time for the Fall Job Fair!

Don’t miss this chance to let prospective employees know about the employment opportunities available in your organization.

Qualified employees are important to every successful business and, now more than ever, the North Country Chamber of Commerce realizes how important it is to give our member businesses the opportunity to showcase their job openings.

Fee for participating employers if registering BEFORE August 25, 2021:

  • Members and Associates: $195.00
  • Non-Members: $345.00
Today's Dose is Generously Supported By:
Divisions and Resources of the North Country Chamber of Commerce
Have Questions? We're here to help!

North Country Chamber of Commerce
518.563.1000