Author: Community Voices

The following is a letter to the editor submitted for publication on FingerLakes1.com. Submissions for consideration can be sent to [email protected] or manually uploaded by clicking here.  Mountain of Trash, Mountain of Lies – By…

Earlier this month, Town Supervisor Michael Ferrara stated that his tentative 2022 budget calls for a 15% increase in taxes. As of this moment, the tentative increase is now closer to 11%; since Budget Workshop #1 is behind us (held on 10/11). Significant $ reductions in both the Assessors and Zoning departments were made; most notably – scratching the $200,000 line item for revaluation of town properties. (4 to 1 vote to delete from budget).

Local government is not for the faint of heart. Local officials are on the front lines answering to their neighbors and tax payers on issues that have a real impact on daily life. The decisions are tough and there is often no easy way out. As a public official serving on the Ontario County Board of Supervisors I know this first hand. In government, somewhere between the rhetoric and the bureaucracy it is easy to get lost and to start looking for the easy way out. But often times the right thing to do is not the easy thing to do. And it takes courage to do the right thing over the easy thing. This fall our cities and towns need local candidates with courage, now more than ever.  

Cayuga County Tourism Office in partnership with Wayne County Tourism has created a new app: “Treasures Along the Erie Canal”! Discover 200 years of history interlocking with nature like you never have…

Currently, the definition and use of the word true or truth is in question. Opposition groups cite wildly different facts or reports as the truth. It has become a national illness, but we have to look no further than local issues to see this played out. When it gets this close, it becomes something that we have to address.

At our facility, we often reinforce the behavior of keeping our minds on our path. Kids rushing from one activity to the next and often with a screen in their gaze, it…

If you are a resident of Seneca Falls, you recently received a letter in the mail from Kyle Black, manager of the Seneca Meadows Landfill. Upon closer inspection, many inaccuracies become apparent: I did not chair the budget committee. It was mistakenly reported that way by the Finger Lakes Times in the article that followed the July 26 budget workshop. The budget committee, its membership, and its recommendations, were primarily the work of Supervisor Mike Ferrara, and Kyle knows that. The committee developed 10 possible scenarios for the board to consider. The purpose of that budget workshop was to discuss these scenarios for the first time. It became immediately apparent that the scenario with the 18% tax increase had only one supporter – Supervisor Ferrara.

Editor’s Note: Safety Moment is a monthly feature written by Kyle Black of Seneca Meadows. Summer road trips whether two hour or two days, fill our heads with the anticipation at the…

Intersection Safety #scanthegreenlight With safety as our number one core value, we are always watching out for each other. We want to make sure that at the end of every work day,…

If your loved one was in a life-threatening accident, you’d want to know that everything possible was being done to save his or her life. Under an arcane law, New York is the only state that does not allow medical flight crews to carry or distribute blood during emergencies. But thanks to legislation I co-sponsored that passed the Senate and Assembly, that will change.

Dear Editor: FingerLakes1 recently reported on struggling local pharmacies, and as a local pharmacist and former lawmaker, I’d like to add my perspective. During the COVID-19 pandemic community pharmacists have been critical…

Editor’s Note: This was submitted by the Finger Lakes Problem Gambling Resource Center. Problem Gambling & Pride Month Happy Pride Month! June is established to recognize the impact that gay, lesbian, bisexual,…

Editor’s Note: The following is a monthly column by Kyle Black, District Manager at Seneca Meadows Inc. With safety as our number one core value, we are always watching out for each…

Editor’s Note: Safety Moment is a monthly feature written by Kyle Black of Seneca Meadows. At Seneca Meadows, wearing PPE is part of our everyday ritualistic behaviors as we head out the…

On February 25, state health commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said he hoped to have updated guidance for school reopening within a week. He called the guidance a “high priority” and said his department was working on it. Yet here we are, more than three weeks later, and local parents, students and schools are still waiting on the state.

– By Evan Williams A grant from the J.M. McDonald Foundation has been enabling Challenge Workforce Solutions to deliver remote job readiness services to participants who are staying at home during the…