Wednesday, May 23, 2018

Assemblywoman Jenne honors lives of EMS providers who died in the line of duty in 2017, including North Country trio

Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne, D- Theresa, said she was "honored, but saddened" to have an opportunity to remember the lives of eight emergency medical service providers in the state who lost their lives in the line of duty in 2017.

Three of the men and women honored at Wednesday's EMS Memorial - Rod Cota, Gregg Williams, and Corey Moore - employees of the RB Lawrence Ambulance Service of Canton, died in a motor vehicle accident while returning home from transporting a patient to a Syracuse hospital.

The other five members honored at Wednesday's ceremony were members of the New York City Fire Department EMS.

"It was a very touching ceremony. I was honored to pay tribute to these heroes, three of whom were from the North Country," Assemblywoman Jenne said.

She noted several family members and associates of the three St. Lawrence County men that died in the July 5, 2017 accident were in Albany as stars honoring their lives were added to the 68 markers on the EMS Memorial Wall prior to this week's event.

"I was impressed by the strength shown by their family members. They were proud to be in Albany to be able to honor their loved one," Assemblywoman Jenne said.

"It was obvious these were three good-hearted North Country men who had made many sacrifices throughout their lives to serve their friends and neighbors in need," she added.

"I was able to offer my personal condolences with family members and staff from RB Lawrence Ambulance Service. I hope the honor we gave their loved ones today will play a small role in easing the sorrow of losing their loved ones," she said.

Assemblywoman Jenne, speaking at the ceremony, noted the eight EMS providers recognized at Wednesday's event were heroes.

"In an era when sometimes the names we hear the most are those who have committed atrocious crimes, let us remember the names of real heroes from the state of New York; men and women who gave so much to help others during their lifetimes," she said before naming the eight EMS providers honored at the memorial service.

"Rod Cota, Gregg Williams, Corey Moore, Mario Bastidas, Rose Scott, Yadira Arroyo, Mark Harris, and Edith Torres."

Other speakers at the EMS Memorial ceremony included Megan Baldwin, assistant secretary for Health for Gov. Andrew Cuomo, New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon, New York State Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Roger Parrino, New York State Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan, New York State Department of Health Deputy Executive Commissioner Sally Dreslin and New York State EMS Council Chair Patricia Bashaw.

Rev. Arthur S. Garno, victor of St. Paul's Episocopal Church, Waddington, delivered the invocation and benediction at the memorial service.

Assemblywoman Jenne noted the three RB Lawrence Ambulance Service employees recognized at the ceremony were returning back to Canton after transporting a patient to a Syracuse hospital when their vehicle struck a jackknifed tanker truck blocking both lanes of traffic on Route 81 shortly before midnight on July 5.

Mr. Cota, a critical care technician, and Mr. Williams, the driver, were headed home when their ambulance broke down. Mr. Moore, the company's mechanic, drove to the Pulaski area to bring them home. The fatal accident occurred only about five miles into the second half of their journey home.

"It was an accident that hit close to home for so many of our first responders in the North Country. They transport critically ill patients and patients with serious injuries from hospitals in St. Lawrence and Jefferson counties to major medical facilities in Burlington, Vt., and Syracuse - trips that can take three to four hours one way from some of our local hospitals in good weather - on an almost a daily basis," Assemblywoman Jenne said.

"Sadly, Mr. Cota, Mr. Williams and Mr. Moore are not the first responders from the North Country to lose their lives on one of these transports," she added.

And yet their concern had not been for their own personal safety but simply getting their patients to a hospital so they could get the health care they needed.

"Today, we remember the long-time member of the EMS service in St. Lawrence County, father of five and grandfather of 15; the man who spent five years as a member of the U.S. Navy, another 17 years in the Naval reserves, a retiree from the Department of the Corrections and Community Services and a dad who has just walked his daughter down at the aisle at her wedding; and a jack of all trades who was buried at the private airport in the Adirondacks where he had planned to marry his long-time fiancee in another month, weeks away from earning his pilot's license so he could fly his late dad's plane out of the private airport that carried their name and dad to four daughters and a son," she said, noting Mr. Moore's death struck close to home for the daughter of a mechanic.

"It is those lives we remember today as well as four first responders from the New York City Fire Department who died from illnesses related to their work in the World Trade Center rescue and recovery efforts. We also honor a Bronx EMS provider who died after she was run over by a man who had hijacked her ambulance," the assemblywoman noted.

"I bring condolences and love and respect from my colleagues in the state Assembly as well as a North Country community that watched the bravery of these men and women who responded to the scene on 9/11/2001 and in the days afterward and for a emergency medical services provider, a mom of five, who was the victim of a senseless criminal act," Assemblywoman Jenne said.

"I have had a chance to learn a little about the men and women we are honoring today, men and women whose lives ended too soon and again they are tales of courage," she pointed out.

"Every name we are honoring today has a story. You know those stories, and it is important those stories never be forgotten as we honor the brave men and women who risked their own personal safety to assist in the rescue and recovery effort," according to the assemblywoman.

"It also remains critical that we, as a state and nation, take the steps necessary to protect our first responders and their families whose lives were forever changed by their service in those days," Assemblywoman Jenne said.

IN THE PHOTOS:

TOP PHOTO:

Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne greets family and friends of three St. Lawrence County men honored at Wednesday's New York State EMS Memorial Ceremony Wednesday on the Empire State Plaza in Albany. Rod Cota, Gregg Williams and Corey Moore had their names added to the Tree of Life Memorial. They were three of eight EMS providers in the state who died in the line of duty in 2018 and were added to the memorial as part of the ceremony. State Senator Patty Ritchie, shown in the background, was also on hand for the memorial event.

BOTTOM PHOTOS:

Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne visits with R.B. Lawrence of Morristown and members of his staff Wednesday at the state';s EMS Memorial Ceremony on the Empire State Plaza in Albany. Three members of the R.B. Lawrence Ambulance Service died on July 5, 2017 in a motor vehicle accident on Route 81 between Syracuse and Watertown. Two of the employees were returning home from transporting a patient to a Syracuse hospital. The company's mechanic had travelled to the Pulaski area to pick them up and bring them home after the ambulance had mechanical problems on its return trip to Canton.

Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne addresses the crowd at the EMS Memorial Ceremony Wednesday in Albany. The ceremony honored eight EMS providers on New York State who lost their lives in the line of duty in 2017. Ryan Greenberg, director of the state Department of Health's Bureau of EMS, noted the state's 60,000 EMS providers respond to over 3 million requests for services each year.





Tuesday, May 22, 2018

Statement on appointment of Barbara Underwood as attorney general

Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne issued the following statement after a joint session of the New York State Legislature voted to appoint Barbara Underwood to the attorney general's post through the end of the year.

"She clearly has impeccable qualifications for this post, and I am proud to have had the opportunity to take part in today's historic vote and cast my ballot for the state's first female attorney general.

"The state will be in competent hands until voters have the opportunity to cast their ballots for state's next attorney general.

"Barbara Underwood is very qualified, and I am happy to support her to officially assume the role as the state's attorney general. It is important to note she received bi-partisan support from the members of the state assembly and state senate representing the North Country. It is such an important office, and I looking forward to working with her on issues that impact our North Country communities.

"Providing strong leadership as the election process commences is the right move for all New Yorkers. Her dedication to serving the people of the state of New York is commendable."

Assemblywoman Jenne honors winners of 2018 North Country Historical Writing Contest

Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne, D-Theresa, honored a fifth-grade student at Indian River Intermediate School, a seventh-grade student at Heuvelton Central School and an Alexandria Bay man on Saturday for earning top honors in their respective divisions in the 2018 North Country Historical Writing Contest.

Assemblywoman Jenne said she was once again blown away by the quantity and quality of the submissions across the three age groups.

"The depth of the stories was quite wonderful. The writers, across all age categories, showed great skill at writing in a manner that draws the reader into their stories," according to the assemblywoman.

"Even the youngest writers were able to give the reader a sense of time and space that made their stories come alive," Assemblywoman Jenne added.

"There was a lot of focus in the essays again this year on the military and our veterans. Military service has always been seen as an honorable and patriotic responsibility for people living in the North Country and that comes through in many of the essays," she noted.

"A number of writers also focused on women's rights and the suffragette movement. There were stories dealing with women gaining the right to vote, becoming more independent, and dealing with the challenges of balancing child care with their work schedules," Assemblywoman Jenne added.

"There were also writers who turned their attention to religion. There were some really deep topics wrapped up in the essays that were submitted this year," she pointed out.

Rylee Presley's story, "Amelia: A 15-Year-Old’s Introduction to the Suffragette Movement," was the winner in the Cchildren's Ddivision.

Rylee wrote a fictional account of a teenager who attended a meeting of the suffragettes and listened as women demanded equal rights, including the right to vote.

The fifth-grade author from Indian River Intermediate School wrote the teenager learned that if you feel strongly about something, you need to do something to make change happen.

Amelia discovered there was a way for a young woman to express her beliefs in an effort to try and generate change for future generations, the young author added.

James E. Rainville II, , a fourth-grade student at Morristown Central School, and Aiden Cain, a second-grade student at North Elementary, were also recognized for their award-winning entries in the children's division.

Asa Douglas was recognized for top honors in the young adult division for his submission, "The Battle of the Thousand Islands."

The seventh-grade student in Julie Maslin's social studies class at Heuvelton Central School wrote a fictional account of the Battle of the Thousand Islands, which took place in August 1760.

The narrator of the story is on a ship that attacks Fort Levis, but the vessel ends up sinking after taking cannon fire in a two-day battle. The story ends with the narrator being injured and going down with the ship.

Misty Yarnell, a high school senior at General Brown Central School, finished second in the young adult division.

The judges selected "Benjamin Christian, War of 1812 Hero," a piece written by Lewis P. (Paul) Beers, Jr., of Alexandria Bay, as the top submission in the adult division.

Mr. Beers used military records, census data and newspaper articles to tell the story of Ben Christian, a military hero who lived in the Ogdensburg area for many years.

Known as Black Ben, he was very active in the War of 1812. He suffered serious injuries in three different battles and captured by the British on two separate occasions between 1812 and 1814.

Near the end of the story, the author said Mr. Christian was an indentured servant when he first came to the North Country with an army officer.

Mr. Beers wrote Mr. Christian was believed to be approximately 90 years old when he died at the Poor House in Canton. The military hero's burial spot remains unknown, the author noted.

Morgan Elliott of Canton and Diane Pena of Watertown were also honored for their award-winning submissions in the adult division.

The annual contest, sponsored by Assemblywoman Jenne and NorthCountryNow.com, offers aspiring authors an opportunity to share stories based on the region's rich history.

Stories were judged based on their historical and dramatic content, style and connection to the region.

The contest judges included SUNY Potsdam History Department Chair Thomas Baker, Jefferson County Historical Society Director Jordan Walker, Potsdam Public Library Children's Librarian Rebecca Donnelly, Reading Room Association of Gouverneur Director Linda Adams, and Canton Free Library Director Emily Owen Hastings.

An awards ceremony was held Saturday at the Potsdam Public Library to honor the winners.

IN THE PHOTOS:

TOP PHOTO:

Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne congratulates the winners of the 2018 North Country Historical Writing Contest during an awards ceremony Saturday at the Potsdam Public Library.

BOTTOM PHOTOS:

Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne visits with James E. Rainville II, a student at Morristown Central School, about his essay, "The Combat Experiences of Pvt. E. Howards, 1862." James' submission earned second place in the North Country Historical Writing Contest's Children's Division.

Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne poses for a photograph with winners in the Children's Division and Youth Division of the 2018 North Country Historical Writing Contest. Pictured are (l-r): Asa Douglas, Heuvelton Central School; James Rainville II, Morristown Central School; Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne and Rylee Presley, Indian River Intermediate School. Missing from photo: Aiden Cain, North Elementary School, Watertown; and Misty Yarnell, General Brown Central School.

Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne poses for a photograph with winners in the Adult Division and Youth Division of the 2018 North Country Historical Writing Contest. Pictured are (l-r): Lewis P. "Paul" Beers, Alexandria Bay; Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne; Morgan Elliott, Canton; and Diane Pena, Watertown.


Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne discusses Rylee Presley's first-place entry in the Children's Division of the 2018 North Country Historical Writing Contest with the author.

Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne talks with Asa Douglas about the essay he wrote that earned top honors in the 2018 North Country Historical Writing Contest Youth Division.

Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne and Lewis P. "Paul" Beers' discuss his historical essay about an Ogdensburg area hero's role in the War of 1812. Mr. Beers' submission took top honors in the 2018 North Country Historical Writing Contest Adult Division.

Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne talks to Morgan Elliott of Canton about his award-winning submission, "The Battle of Ogdensburg,: in the 2018 North Country Historical Writing Contest Adult Division.

Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne and Diane Pena of Watertown discuss "A Whisper in the Roses," her award-winning submission in the 2018 North Country Historical Writing Contest Adult Division.








Tuesday, May 8, 2018

Assemblywoman Jenne issues statement on attorney general's resignation

I have issued the following statement in response to the resignation of Attorney General Eric Schneiderman:

"I want to offer my support to the women who courageously stepped out of the shadows to share their experiences that led Attorney General Eric Schneiderman to announce his resignation from his post.

"In his role as the state's top prosecutor, he had seemed a leader in the fight to protect women in the wake of the explosion of sexual abuse and sexual harassment scandals that have surfaced over the past several months. 

"However, the apparent hypocrisy between his public persona and the serious allegations made by several women surrounding his behavior in his personal life made it is clear he would no longer have the trust of the people of the state, nor mine. Continuing to serve would have been incompatible with the office and his resignation was appropriate and necessary.

"The Governor rightly has pushed for an investigation, and I understand that is underway. The legal process will take its course. Those that have been abused deserve justice.

"Mr. Schneiderman's alleged misconduct reflects poorly on all elected officials. The people of the state of New York and our country deserve better, and elected officials have a responsibility to make sure we follow the lead of the women who stand up and speak out when we see wrongdoing. 

"As a mom, I know we owe it to our sons and daughters, the next generation of leaders in our state and nation, to send a strong message of support for victims and accountability for wrongdoers."


Monday, May 7, 2018

Assemblywoman Jenne learns about effort to build Neighborhood Pavilion at Potsdam's elementary school

Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne, D-Theresa, visited the Lawrence Avenue Elementary School Saturday morning to learn more about a proposal to build a pavilion at the site.

She met with Potsdam Central School Superintendent Joann Chambers, Lawrence Avenue Principal Jennifer A. Gray and several committee members.

Ms. Gray said the pre-K and kindergarten teachers started talking about the need for a shaded spot next to the playground many months ago and formed a committee in an effort to move that proposal forward.

"After watching their group of kindergarten students run and chase on the playground, two veteran kindergarten teachers approached me with their wild idea. They expressed an interest in building a covered, shaded area on the playground for all to enjoy. And from there the Neighborhood Pavilion Project began," she noted.

The elementary school principal said the committee's dream has grown from simply adding a spot to offer some shade to children enjoying the playground to providing an outdoor gathering spot for the community.

The pavilion will be an expansive, covered outdoor place out of the elements, where families can gather for picnics or celebrations while enjoying the nearby playground;, community organizations or school clubs can meet or hold public events; and school children can enjoy lessons outside in the fresh air while being sheltered from the sun.

The venue committee envisions the new space will be suitable for concerts of all kinds, yoga and tai chi classes in the open air, and broomball and curlings tournaments in the colder months.

Assemblywoman Jenne, who noted the meeting took place on a beautiful spring day when a number of children were enjoying the playground, said she was impressed by the committee's concept.

"I loved their concept of making yet another connection between the school and the community and building a facility that would be available for community use outside of the school calendar," Assemblywoman Jenne said.

"I know the recent playground improvements were a labor of love with plenty of support from the community, and I'm certain the pavilion project can count on that same support," she added.

Assemblywoman Jenne also discussed other potential outdoor projects on the district's property with school officials and committee members.

"The pavilion could be one of a number of exciting potential projects the district is looking at to encourage our kids and community members to enjoy outdoor opportunities," according to the assemblywoman.

"I have pledged to continue the conversation with district officials over the coming weeks and months to see if there are steps I can take to help this project move forward," Assemblywoman Jenne said.

Ms. Gray said the committee has already raised over $10,000 for the project through a variety of fundraising projects ranging from holding a spaghetti dinner for families to soliciting local businesses for financial support.

Superintendent Chambers thanked Assemblywoman Jenne for meeting with the committee to learn more about the pavilion project.

“The Potsdam Central School District is grateful for the assemblywoman’s continued support of our students. We look forward to discussing ways in which we can work together to make this dream a reality for our school community,” Superintendent Chambers said.

IN THE PHOTOS:

TOP PHOTO:

Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne listen as members of the Potsdam Neighborhood Pavilion Committee share details of their proposal for a covered facility next to the Lawrence Avenue Elementary School playground.

BOTTOM PHOTOS:

Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne poses for a photograph with members of the Potsdam Neighborhood Pavilion Committee and Potsdam Central school administrators following a meeting Saturday morning in Potsdam.

Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne shares some thoughts with members of the Potsdam Neighborhood Pavilion Committee during a meeting Saturday morning in Potsdam.

Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne (r) is joined by Potsdam Central School Superintendent Joann Chambers (l) and Lawrence Avenue Elementary School Principal Jenn Gray as members of the Potsdam Neighborhood Pavilion Committee share details of their proposal for a covered facility next to the Lawrence Avenue Elementary School playground