Op Eds

Connections Women's Conference recently made a $375 contribution to Oswego County Opportunities, Inc. (OCO) Services to Aid Families (SAF) Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Program. The unrestricted donation will be utilized to assist with fees that specified funding does not cover, such as the costs associated with the serving of court documents, payment of medical fees and replacement of legal documents (ie: birth certificates). Pictured, from left, are Evelyn LiVoti, Connections co-chair, Stacie France, Victim Services Program Manager for OCO and Sharon Deland, Transitional Housing Specialist for OCO.

November is National Adoption Month--a time dedicated to raising awareness about the need for families to adopt children in foster care.

Our Nature Inspires series at the Amboy 4-H Environmental Education Center continues on Sunday November 29th at 2:00 pm, when Audrey Scruton, Oswego County artist, will instruct a class on the Art of Quilling.

The old cliché “there is no such thing as a free lunch” sadly rang true when it was announced that Health Republic of New York, one of the most popular insurance choices on NY’s health exchange, was being forced to shut down due to substantial financial losses. The carrier first began to enroll members in 2014 and quickly obtained the largest share of new business under the exchange with more than 200,000 customers or approximately 20% of the exchange enrollees and 35% of small businesses.

With the support of Rep. John Katko (NY-24), the U.S. House of Representatives this evening passed H.R. 5, The Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015. This bipartisan, bicameral legislation represents the first education reform bill in over fourteen years. The bill, which is a product of the House and Senate conference committee empowers local educators and replaces the fundamentally flawed No Child Left Behind law.

U.S. Representative John Katko (NY-24) spoke on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives on December 8th in support of H.R. 158, the Visa Waiver Program Improvement Act of 2015, bipartisan legislation which overwhelmingly passed the House by a 407-19 margin.

An issue that is sure to be in the forefront during the upcoming legislative session is increasing the state’s mandated minimum wage. At the beginning of the year, New York state’s minimum wage will increase to $9 an hour.

According to the Alzheimer's Association, an estimated 5.3 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease. Of the 5.3 million Americans with Alzheimer's, an estimated 5.1 million people are age 65 and older and approximately 200,000 individuals are under age 65. Research shows that almost two-thirds of Americans with Alzheimer's are women.

Students, staff members and the local community of Altmar-Parish-Williamstown Central School District came together during the holiday season, donating gifts that will bring joy to close to 200 students in the District.