Long-awaited report to address upstate rural cell service issues expected 'very shortly' |
A bipartisan group of upstate lawmakers recently sent Gov. Andrew Cuomo a letter that basically asks “where’s the cell service?"
The group is interested in the work of the Upstate Cellular Coverage Task Force, which last met in September 2019.
New York Assemblyman Billy Jones, of Plattsburgh, sits on the task force and was one of the signatories to the letter.
“I was part of three meetings in Albany,” he said. “It was a good group of people. Good recommendations came out of it.”
The taskforce was created by Gov. Cuomo to study the issue of rural cell service, which in some locations across upstate rural areas remains non-existent. Its mission was to report on where pockets of inadequate cell service are, and come up with a game plan to address the issue.
But because of COVID-19, the report was never issued. Jones and some of his colleagues say the time has come for action.
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Area Employment continues to Outpace State |
Unemployment numbers from the N.Y.S. Labor Dept. for June show that our area is continuing to outperform the statewide figures. The state at large was at 7.7%, down just slightly from 7.8% in May but dramatically from 14.8% a year ago.
In our area, CLINTON COUNTY was at 5.0% in June; ESSEX was at 4.9%; FRANKLIN at 5.1%; HAMILTON at 3.9%; and WARREN at 4.8%.
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New law allows summer camps to hire licensed professionals |
A new law in New York will allow children's overnight camps and day camps to hire licensed professionals, including psychologists, social workers, mental health practitioners and applied behavioral analysts, as well as athletic trainers.
The measure will also allow regulated camps in the state to meet protections put in place for people with special needs for licensed staff to be in place and hire chiropractors, physical therapists and assistants, occupational therapists, speech language pathologists, audiologists, athletic trainers and applied behavior analysts for the season.
The measure will be in effect for the 2022 camp season. The new law was cheered by advocates for summer camps in New York, who have called for the measure for years amid rising mental health problems for young people arriving at camp.
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Battle of Plattsburgh: How can you help? |
1814 Commemoration Inc. has announced the events and activities occurring during the 2021 Battle of Plattsburgh Commemoration, September 9-12.
Four full days of history, music, tours, exhibits, fireworks kid friendly activities AND MORE will be occurring! We encourage you all to head on over to 1814inc.com TODAY to see how you can get involved with this amazing event in our own backyard.
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Older Adults Technology Services |
OATS (Older Adults Technology Services) is embarking on a new initiative to bring Senior Planet programming to more older adults across the country. Senior Planet's new licensing program equips local organizations with the tools to help older adults access technology and use it to enhance their lives.
Through an innovative licensing model, OATS works with community-based organizations to develop and support local trainers in order to bring Senior Planet’s world-class curriculum to seniors in their area.
They are currently accepting applications to participate in the 2021-2022 pilot program, focused on serving rural and low-density communities. Participation in the pilot is being offered completely free of charge. To learn more or to sign up for one of our upcoming informational sessions, visit oats.org/licensing.
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Citizen Advocates CEO named to State Rural Health Council |
James D. Button, Chief Executive Officer of Citizen Advocates, was recently appointed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to the New York State Rural Health Council.
“I am both honored and humbled to be entrusted with this opportunity,” said Mr. Button. “This gives Citizen Advocates and those we support a crucial seat at the table to advocate for the unique and urgent healthcare needs of North Country communities.”
“Citizen Advocates has long been a leader for person-centered, health and human services with a focus on vulnerable populations in underserved communities” said Nicholas Eells, President of the Citizen Advocates Board of Directors. “We are exceptionally proud to add our voice to the important conversations influencing healthcare policy in the rural communities we serve.”
Prior to becoming CEO, Mr. Button served as Chief Operating Officer at Citizen Advocates. In addition, he has held progressive leadership positions as the Director of Corporate Compliance and Quality Assurance, Children’s Residential Coordinator at the Adirondack Youth Lodge and various Community Support Services roles throughout the organization.
He also has a deep passion for public policy, which he pursued as Behavioral Health Initiatives Director for the New York State Conference of Local Mental Hygiene Directors in Albany. During his time in this role, Mr. Button was responsible for overseeing a statewide regional planning initiative aimed at preparing providers for the move to value-based care. He also served as a key liaison between the respective regions and State healthcare executives. This experience provided him with valuable knowledge of the community-based behavioral health industry, which is also an important perspective for his seat on the Rural Health Council.
The state Rural Health Council makes recommendations to the state Department of Health on such issues as the financial viability of rural hospitals, the changing healthcare environment and its impact on rural health delivery; recruitment and retention of healthcare providers in rural communities and rural health networks as contributors to the health of the communities they serve.
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How an Adirondack tourist destination held off the pandemic |
Article by: Tim Rowland
Essex County Supervisors Chair Shaun Gillilland can smile about it now, although it is not a wide smile.
On the 23rd day of March 2020, he penned an emphatic letter to the hundreds of thousands of hikers, vacationers and second-home owners who are driven to the mountainous and sparsely populated county each year in search of fun and relaxation.
But last year they were being driven by something else: fear of their neighbors in the crowded cities to the south that were being ravaged by disease.
Rather than stay put, urbanites would flee to the mountains, setting down the equivalent of a small city in a county where there were scant medical services or, for that matter, services of any kind. It wasn’t just that Gillilland was worried about how people would find a ventilator. He was worried about how they would find a gallon of milk.
“As a vaccine does not exist, we have no capacity to test, our hospitals are small and incapable of handling additional influx and our stores and infrastructure are incapable of providing supplies to a larger population, we are asking that you respect the integrity of our hospitals and infrastructure and not travel to Essex County from any area at this time,” Gillilland wrote then.
He may as well have ordered the Ausable River to flow back up the shoulders of Mount Marcy. Somehow, though, through a sustained public health campaign and a responsive local population, the tourism epicenter of the Adirondack Park would go on to record the lowest rate of infections of any county in the park.
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The North Country Chamber of Commerce has created a comprehensive list of resources to navigate state and local requirements. Check out the home page for details. There is also a series of webinars available for businesses to help educate and provide answers to common questions.
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Today's Dose is Generously Supported By: |
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NYS Vaccination Updates: Official Site for making an appointment to get the COVID-19 Vaccine.
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Forward NY: Official State Website for opening procedures and guidelines.
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NYS Travel Advisory: Stay up to date on the latest NYS Travel Advisory Updates.
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Looking for Supplies: If your business is looking for hard to find protective products, we have created a list of businesses offering hand sanitizer, gloves, wipes, masks and other items.
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SCORE: Small business owners are resilient and can power through this challenging time, with SCORE by their side.
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Have Questions? We're here to help!
North Country Chamber of Commerce
518.563.1000
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