Schuyler chamber of commerce meets today
Chamber and community members and patrons will gather together for casual networking as well as voting for next year's officers from 5-7 p.m. today at Glenora Wine Cellars, Route 14, Dundee. A recap of 2008 as well as a 2009 Strategic Plan will be presented. There will be food, drinks, voting, prizes and raffles. The public welcome, only members may vote.
For more information or for reservations, contact the Schuyler County Chamber of Commerce at 535-3003or events@schuylerny.com. Tickets are $5 for members, $10 for non-members.
Free health screenings offered at Arnot Ogden Medical Center
Arnot Health will provide a host of free health screenings for area residents with little or no insurance during its “Wellness Day” scheduled for 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 20 at the Petrie Conference Center on the ground floor of Arnot Ogden Medical Center.
The screenings are designed for people aged 18-64 with inadequate or no health insurance who are not on Medicare. Interested parties are encouraged to register by calling Health on Demand at 737-4499.
Screenings include the following:
* Blood pressure
* Total cholesterol
* Bone densitometry
* Glucose
* Diabetes risk assessment
* Pulmonary/lung assessment
Also available:
* Information on free pap smears and mammograms for qualified attendees
* Free colorectal screenings for persons aged 50-64 (or younger with higher risk)
* Assistance with diagnosis and treatment if disease or cancer is found
* Wellness information on heart disease and cancer
Relay for Life volunteers, participants sought
Volunteers and participants are being sought for the fourth annual Relay for Life of SUNY Cortland, which will be held from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, in the Lusk Field House.
Relay for Life, a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, unites a community in the fight against cancer. The campus community is encouraged to participate.
Volunteers can earn more than 12 community service hours. The event is sponsored by Colleges Against Cancer and funded by the student activity fee.
Last year, nearly 1,000 students, faculty and staff members and their families and friends raised more than $55,000 for the American Cancer Society.
To register, start a team, join a team or make a donation, visit the Web site at www.events.cancer.org/RFLSUNYCortlandNY.The online site is designed to allow participants to send e-mails to their family and friends asking for donations. Donations can be made online, handed in at the event or sent to the local American Cancer Society.
To volunteer or for more information, contact Cortlandcac@gmail.com, or call Cathy Smith in the Health Promotion Office at 753-2066.
Harlem Wizards to face school staff
The Harlem Wizards will face Watkins Glen School District staff members on the basketball court at 6 p.m. Nov. 22 in the High School Field House.
The Harlem Wizards basketball show team was formed in 1962 and has played more than 6,000 games in the US and abroad. Team members combine athleticism, teamwork, entertainment and community involvement to make each game unique and exciting.
The event was organized by the Watkins Glen Parent-Teacher Association to raise funds to support classroom activities.
Refreshments and souvenirs will be available and a free autograph session will be held after the game.
Advance sale tickets are available at all Watkins Glen school offices and are $8 for students and seniors or $10 for adults. Tickets also will be sold at the door and will be $10 for students and seniors and $12 for adults. Children 4 and under are free.
Program probes popular vote
The Schuyler County League of Women Voters will hold a presentation and meeting on The National Popular Vote Nov. 25 at the Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel, 16 N. Franklin Street, Watkins Glen. Professor Donald Beachler from Ithaca College will speak on the Electoral College, followed by a presentation and discussion on the League's position on the National Popular Vote. This meeting will be of interest to all NYS voters. The luncheon will begin at 11:45 a.m. with a buffet lunch for $13.95. Reservations should be made by Nov. 24 by contacting Shirley and Jerry Kohena at jerry@htva.net or by calling 546-2641.
Pro wrestling show to benefit McDonald Complex
A pro wrestling event put on by East Coast Pro Wrestling Dec. 5 will be a partial benefit for the Jim McDonald Sports Complex.
Gates open at 7 p.m. and bell time for the first match is 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 for general admission and $10 for students with identification.
The JM Mcdonald Sports Complex houses indoor athletic fields, an ice rink, and trade show and meeting spaces. It's at 4292 Fairgrounds Road in Cortland.
More information on the event is at www.ecpw1.com and (973) 402-9599.
Decoration contest coming to town
The East End Community Center has announced a citywide “Christmas/Holiday Decoration Contest.”
Applications are available at the Cortland Youth Bureau, 35 Port Watson St., or the East End Center, 46 Elm St., and online at: www.cortland.org or www.eastendcenter.org. The deadline is 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 12. Applications can be mailed or faxed to 753-3023 to the Youth Bureau. Judging will take place the weekend of Dec. 19. For more information, call the Youth Bureau at 753-3021.
Videophone available for public use
Access to Independence of Cortland County, Inc. is proud to announce that its newest piece of adaptive technology is now available to the public. The Sorenson Videophone (VP-200) makes it possible for individuals who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, and hearing to easily communicate with one-another using videophone technology. The VP-200 is available for use at ATI, 26 N. Main St., Cortland, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, at no cost.
The videophone works in two ways. First, it facilitates direct communication between two American Sign Language users via video. Second, it facilitates communication between one ASL user and one non-ASL user through a video relay service by way of an interpreter.
Sorenson Video Relay Service is a free service provided by Sorenson Communications that enables deaf and hard-of-hearing people to conduct video relay calls with family, friends, and business associates through a certified sign language interpreter, Sorenson videophone, TV, and a high-speed Internet connection. The deaf user sees an interpreter on their TV and signs to the interpreter, who then contacts the hearing user by way of a standard phone line and relays the conversation between the two parties. Hearing customers can also place video relay calls by simply dialing the DirectVP number of the deaf person or by dialing Sorenson's toll free number.
For more information on Sorenson Videophones go to www.sorenson.comor contact them via email at info@aticortland.org.
Salvation Army seeks volunteer bell ringers
The Salvation Army is seeking volunteers for its annual bell ringing effort as it has experienced a dramatic increase in requests for assistance and an extremely busy soup kitchen, local director Captain Scott Dorchak announced.
“With the slowing economy, greater numbers of individuals and families have been coming to The Salvation Army asking for food and assistance,” Dorchak said. “We need groups and individuals to help raise the funds necessary to assist these families in need.”
To ring the bells, volunteers can call the local Salvation Army directly at 753-9363. They can also call The Red Kettle Center, 24/7 at (877) 764-7259 or go on-line to www.redkettles.org.
Salvation Army accepting Christmas applications
The Salvation Army in Cortland is accepting Christmas basket applications from individuals and families in need in Cortland County. Applicants should call 753-9363for an appointment.
Baskets include food for Christmas dinner and toys for children 12 and under.
Applicants need to bring picture ID for head of household, ID for other adults in household, plus proof of income, residency and children's ages (such as pay check stub, utility bill showing name and address, and birth certificates or benefit cards).
For more information call Jennifer Wilson, 753-2232.
Advance Care planning program offered
Schuyler County Office for the Aging is partnering with the Allegany/Western Steuben Rural Health Network to bring the “Sharing Your Wishes, Advance Care Planning” program to Schuyler County. “Sharing Your Wishes” is an initiative to increase the awareness by older adults in regard to the importance of planning in advance for their health care in the event that they experience an illness or condition that prevents them from making or communicating decisions.
It is important that people plan ahead to prepare for complex health issues and dilemmas that may occur in their final years of life. Completing Health Care Proxies and Living Wills not only frees us from worry about how we are going to be treated, it also lifts a burden of responsibility from those we love.
For more information about the program, or to request a presentation for an organization, contact Tammy Waite at the Schuyler County Office for the Aging at 535-7108.
League of Women Voters announces Web site
The Schuyler County League of Women Voters has announced the development of a Web site, www.schuylervotes.com, for the organization.
The site includes information about the League, its history and its work, with information on activities, meetings, the League's monthly newsletter and national and state issues. It also includes information on voter rights, responsibilities and voter registration requirements. Links are provided to both the national and state offices of the League of Women Voters.
The League of Women Voters in Schuyler County is open to both women and men, and seeks support from patrons and donors to continue its non-partisan message of informing and educating the public about candidates, elections, voting and public policy.
Anyone interested in supporting or joining the League should call Helene Chaika Fausold at 535-4641 or e-mail her at hcfausold@stny.rr.com.
Library seeks new volunteers
The Interlaken Public Library is seeking a few enthusiastic volunteers to help staff its small library and to help it better serve the community.
Day, evening and weekend shifts are available. The opportunity involves shelving materials and assisting the public during regular library hours, under the direction of the village librarian.
For more information about this or other volunteer opportunities at the library, contact any of the following library board members:
* Chris Wolff, 532-4852,cwolff1052@yahoo.com;
* Jayne Thompson, 532-8988, lakeviewfrm@zoom-dsl.com;
* Connie Kindig, 532-8988,constance@fltg.net;
* Andrew Herrala, 869-5173;
* Alice Hendrix, 387-6813;
* Joan Getman, 532-8948,jmf4@cornell.edu;
* Kim Foxx, 869-5173, kfxclas@hotmail.com, or;
* Scott Diamond, 532-4417.
AmeriCorps volunteers needed in Cortland
Thirteen AmeriCorps volunteers will be recruited from across the country to spend a year in Cortland County to help with a variety of community revitalization and improvement initiatives.
The volunteers will help 10 agencies that serve Cortland County starting this fall, said the project director Professor Richard Kendrick, who chairs the sociology and anthropology department and directs the SUNY Cortland's Institute for Civic Engagement.
Locally, the volunteers will work in a variety of roles with Cornell Cooperative Extension in Cortland, Cortland City Youth Bureau, Cortland County Convention and Visitors Bureau, Cortland County Youth Bureau, Cortland Downtown Partnership, Cortland County Soil and Water Conservation District, Family Counseling Services, Lime Hollow Center for Environment and Culture, Seven Valleys Health Coalition and the YWCA.
A federal grant awarded to SUNY Cortland and the community from the Corporation for National and Community Service supports the project.
The award includes both a $148,000 federal AmeriCorps grant and a $51,900 Educational Benefit Awards grant, Kendrick said. The funding is renewable for two additional years.
Some AmeriCorps volunteers will begin serving in Cortland County in October, said Manny Lann, who directs the Cortland County Youth Bureau and will serve as the project coordinator for AmeriCorps in Cortland. He is accepting names and numbers from prospective local volunteers who have completed at least a high school education.
To get on Lann's list or for information about volunteering as an AmeriCorps member, call the Youth Bureau at 753-5067 or e-mail Lann at elann@cortland-co.org.
Full-time members who complete their service earn a Segal Education Award of $4,725 to pay for college, graduate school or to pay back qualified student loans. Members who serve part time receive a partial award. AmeriCorps members receive a stipend during their term of service, and full-time members are eligible for benefits such as health care.
Historical Society gift shop seeks volunteers
The Seneca Falls Historical Society is opening the downtown gift shop for the season at 103 Fall St., and are looking for volunteers for a few hours a week.
The shop will be open from 1-4 p.m. Monday and Wednesday to Saturday, April to December for the tourist season. The shop carries local items about the history of Seneca Falls and Seneca County, as well as Victoriana and a large selection of children's books. Volunteers should enjoy meeting people, talking about the community and helping visitors.
For more information, call Philomena Cammuso at (315) 568-8412.
Agencies collect old cell phones
Seneca County's Sheriff Office, Office for the Aging, Mental Health and the 911 Emergency Dispatch Center have teamed up with the 911 Cell Phone Bank to collect old cell phones in support of victims of abuse, the disabled and senior citizens. The county group will collect used cell phones, which will be sent to the 911 Cell Phone Bank. The 911 Cell Phone Bank converts the donated phones to emergency 911 use, at no cost to the county. These cell phones are tested and packaged with an extra battery and a charger. The cell phones are returned to the Seneca County group for distribution to those who need them.
Residents who have used cell phones are encouraged to drop them off at the Records Department at the Seneca County Law Enforcement Center on Route 96 in Romulus, the Office for the Aging at the Seneca County Office Building or one of the four Community Banks located in the villages of Seneca Falls, Waterloo, Ovid and Interlaken.
To learn more about the 911 Cell Phone Bank program in Seneca County, contact Angela Reardon from Office for the Aging at (315) 539-1766, Toni Smith from the 911 Dispatch Center at (315) 539-9241,Sharon Pinckney from Domestic Violence Intervention Services or Undersheriff Wayne Brewer from the Seneca County Sheriff's Office at 220-3402.
Habitat for Humanity opens office
Habitat for Humanity of Tompkins and Cortland counties has opened an office in the East End Community Center, 46 Elm St., Cortland.
The office will serve as a base for informational and recruitment activities. As an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, it is a not-for-profit ecumenical housing ministry dedicated to the elimination of sub-standard housing and homelessness worldwide. Habitat for Humanity counts on volunteers and donations to build and rehab modest homes in partnership with families in need.
Phil Allmendinger, an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer and resident of Dryden, will work from the local office. Allmendinger will recruit local volunteers to help grow the organization so it may build more houses in each county. People are needed who would like to work on family selection and support, development/fundraising/PR, construction and volunteer supervision and site selection.
For more information or to volunteer or make a donation, call Allmendinger at 220-3947or visit www.tchabitat.com.
Agricultural Resource Directory provides information
The Tioga County Agricultural Resource Group will issue Tioga County's first Agricultural Resource Directory, which contains information on the status of agriculture, technical assistance, financial resources and business.
Some of the services and resources offered by agencies identified in the publication are free, while others have costs associated with them. For a copy of the new directory, call Cornell Cooperative Extension at 687-4020or stop by the office at 56 Main St., Owego.
Information available about long-term care options
The Seneca County Office for the Aging, Public Health Department and Division of Human Services provide information services about long-term care options for caregivers.
This New York state initiative aims to present caregivers with adequate information about long-term care options and preferences so that they can make informed decisions.
To speak with Amy Lagana, Seneca County point-of-entry coordinator, call (315) 539-1821 or (800) 688-7188, ext. 1821.
Drivers needed to help with medical appointments
Volunteer drivers are needed to drive community members to their medical appointments around the Schuyler County and surrounding areas.
Tax free reimbursement rate is 48.5 cents per mile. Volunteers must have a clean driver's record, inspected, registered and insured vehicle.
If interested, contact the Transportation Department at 535-8330.
To submit items to Regional Briefs, send information with the name, date and place, phone numbers and e-mail contacts at least one week before publication to: Deb Miller, The Ithaca Journal, 123 W. State St., Ithaca, phone 274-9261; fax 272-4248; or e-mail dsmiller@ithacajournal.com. Visit www.theithacajournal.com to learn about more regional events.
