Assemblywoman Russell recognizes Jefferson County Office for the Aging senior honorees

Two Jefferson County senior citizens that earned statewide honors for their volunteer activities in the community and commitment to Office for the Aging programs were also recognized at the recent Jefferson County Office for the Aging annual senior picnic at Westcott Beach in Henderson.

Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell, D-Theresa, honored Deanna Getman, Watertown, and Karen Norton, Rodman, for their good work. They were presented with citations from the New York State Assembly recognizing their commitment and contributions to their communities. Fellow Assembly member Ken Blankenbush was also in attendance at the event.

In April 1963, President John F. Kennedy met with the National Council on Senior Citizens and their meeting was the foundation for an annual observation of May as Senior Citizen's Month. Every President since has issued a formal proclamation asking that the entire nation pay tribute in some way to older persons in their communities during the month of May.

In New York State, Governor Andrew Cuomo wanted to bring attention to the contributions made by older New Yorkers who continue to give of their time and efforts to make their communities better places for residents of all ages. 

Honorees are chosen through a selection process based on their volunteer activities in the community and commitment to Office for the Aging programs and services. The Jefferson County Office for the Aging selected Ms.Getman and Ms. Norton for the honor, and they were invited to Albany for a Senior Citizen’s Day Celebration earlier this year.

Ms. Getman has volunteered at the New York State Zoo at Thompson Park, the 4-H, the local Methodist Church and has been helping staff at the Office for the Aging spread the word about aging services to people in the community since 2012.

"Volunteering is a way of giving back to one's community; it's a commitment to be actively engaged in helping people when they need assistance," she noted.

Ms. Norton has worked closely with Literacy Volunteers of Northern New York, the local AARP chapter and is currently a member of the Office for the Aging Advisory Council.  

She said there are three factors that influenced her decision to volunteer. "The first is simply the fun of interacting with my fellow human beings. The others are a drive to learn new things and a moral obligation to respond the needs of others in the community," she said.

 IN THE PHOTOS:

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Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell joined representatives from the Jefferson County Office for the Aging to recognize two women who earned recognition earlier this year for their contributions to the Office for the Aging and their volunteer work in their communities. Pictured are (l-r): honoree Karen Norton, honoree Deanna Getman, Jefferson County Office for the Aging Deputy Director Louise Haraczka and Jefferson County Office for the Aging Director Peter Fazio.

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Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell presents Deanna Getman, Watertown, a citation from the New York State Assembly, honoring her for her volunteer work in the Watertown area and her active support for Jefferson County Office for the Aging programs and activities.

The Jefferson County Office for the Aging's annual senior citizen picnic once again drew a large crowd to Westcott Beach in Henderson.

Assemblywoman Russell: Funding for PIVOT fills important gap in recovery efforts in North Country

Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell, D-Theresa, says a $1.75 million grant recently awarded to PIVOT (Alcohol & Substance Abuse Council of Jefferson County, Inc.) will play an important role in filling a gap in substance abuse treatment services in the North Country

New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (NYS OASAS) Commissioner Arlene González-Sánchez visited Watertown on Fridayto congratulate PIVOT officials on being awarded the funds to create a Recovery Community and Outreach Center in Watertown. The site was one of six selected through a competitive NYS OASAS request for proposal evaluation and will receive annual funding for five years.

The new centers will provide supports for individuals and families who are recovering from a substance abuse disorder, or are seeking recovery services. Governor Andrew M. Cuomo first announced the funding awards in June. Other new centers will be located on Long Island, Staten Island, Newburgh, Saratoga Springs and Buffalo. These centers will complement recovery programs in Rochester, Brooklyn and Oneonta.

“Recovery from the disease of addiction is possible with community-based supports and a substance-free environment where peers can assist each other in their recovery journey,” Commissioner González-Sánchez said. “ PIVOT will be able to use this funding to continue their good work and help more upstate New Yorkers maintain a healthy lifestyle, right in Jefferson County.”

These recovery centers are the latest addition to Governor Andrew Cuomo’s multi-pronged approach to addressing substance use disorders in New York State.

"I have personally been involved in work to plug holes in treatment and support services available in the North Country. I'd like to thank Gov. Cuomo and Commissioner González-Sánchez for bringing this important funding to the North Country," Assemblywoman Russell said.

"This builds on our effort to train more physicians in the area so they can prescribe specialized medication to people in recovery. I wrote a letter in support of PIVOT's application for this grant. This will bring badly needed long-term recovery support to the North Country," according to the assemblywoman.

"We have a huge addiction problem in our region, and this has been one of the barriers to keeping people clean. One of the biggest areas we had to address was having proper recovery programs to help people stay clean after they have successfully completed detox and in-patient treatment programs," she added.

Assemblywoman Russell noted Friday's event came in the wake of a month when there had been well over a dozen reported overdoses and five deaths connected to drug use.

"Unfortunately in the past several weeks we have seen in our area the death of people who have been in recovery for some time. Tragically they didn't find all the support they needed to stay clean and they fell back into drug use," according to Assemblywoman Russell.

"It's cruel to put all of our energies into detox and treatment if we fall down in the most important part - long-term sobriety and the support needed by those in recovery. We know the likelihood of death is much higher for people who have been clean for a long time and then start using again. It has a chilling effect on efforts to get more users in treatment when people who have been so doing well start using again and die," she said.

The centers will offer information and education to the community on how to access addiction treatment; assist with the navigation of insurance and treatment issues; provide wellness information and activities to foster a lifetime of wellness for individuals, families and community members; and engage peers and volunteers to assist those in recovery on their path toward wellness.

These Recovery Community and Outreach Centers will provide a community-based, non-clinical setting that is safe, welcoming and alcohol/drug-free for any member of the community.

Each recovery center will respond to the local area’s specific needs related to obtaining substance abuse treatment services and addiction recovery supports.

The centers will promote long-term recovery through skill building, recreation, wellness education, employment readiness, civic restoration opportunities, and other social activities.

Services will be accessible not only during the daytime hours, but also during evening and weekends, to meet the needs of individuals and families who may be in need of assistance at varying hours.

New Yorkers struggling with an addiction, or whose loved ones are struggling, can find help and hope by calling the State’s toll-free, 24-hour, seven-day-a-week HOPEline, 1-877-8-HOPENY (1-877-846-7369) or texting HOPENY.

Find an OASAS-certified substance use disorder treatment provider by searching the OASAS Treatment Availability Dashboard or by visiting the Access Treatment page on the NYS OASAS website. For information about combating heroin use and prescription opioid drug abuse, visit New York State’s Combat Heroin website.

IN THE PHOTOS:

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New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (NYS OASAS) Commissioner Arlene González-Sánchez was in Watertown on Friday to meet with local officials after PIVOT was recently awarded $1.75 million to create a Recovery Community and Outreach Center in the community. The site was one of six selected through a competitive NYS OASAS request for proposal evaluation and will receive annual funding for five years. The new centers will provide supports for individuals and families who are recovering from a substance abuse disorder, or are seeking recovery services. Commissioner Gonzalez was welcomed to Watertown by Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell, a host of county and city officials, PIVOT staff and community members. Pictured are (l-r): Jefferson County Deputy Director for Public Health, Alliance for Better Communities Chairman and City Councillor Steve Jennings, Assemblywoman Russell, Tonia Stephenson, Catherine Chipp, Commissioner González-Sánchez, PIVOT Executive Director William Bowman, PIVOT Program Director Anita Seefried-Brown, Jefferson County Community Services Director Roger Ambrose, Jefferson County District Attorney Kristina Mills and Jefferson County Sheriff Colleen O'Neill.

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Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell visits with New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (NYS OASAS) Commissioner Arlene González-Sánchez.

Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell speaks at an event marking PIVOT's successful application for funding to expand substance abuse recovery support services in the region.

Assemblywoman Russell visits with Heuvelton teachers at Constructivist Conference in Canton

Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell, D-Theresa, visited the Institute for Learning Centered Education's 24th Constructivist Conference on Wednesday. The week-long conference is being held at St. Lawrence University. Assemblywoman Russell discusses work Heuvelton Central high school teachers are doing this week in an effort to grow student engagement. She is shown with teachers Bruce Durant, Brad LaPoint, Ginger Coller and Maggie Whalen.

Assemblywoman Russell: Work moving forward to bring local foods into North Country schools this fall

An effort to bring fresh, locally grown foods into North Country school cafeterias this fall continues to move forward.

Joshua Bakelaar, local economies and agriculture director for the Adirondack North Country Association, said a meeting Thursday in Canton will bring together school district officials, farmers, processors and distributors.

"This is the next step in implementing a farm-to-school pilot program so our school districts can buy products from local farmers and producers," Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell said.

"We are moving ahead so we will be able to have this pilot program ready to roll out for the beginning of the 2016-17 school year. The pilot program will help local farmers, producers and school districts in Jefferson and St. Lawrence counties this year while continuing work to be able to roll out the program across the state next year," she added.

Mr. Bakelaar said approximately 15 schools in St. Lawrence and Jefferson counties have expressed an interest in participating in the pilot program. Each school will get an allotment of funds ranging from $2,750 to $40,000 for the school year tied to a formula that includes the number of meals served in each school's cafeteria the previous school year.

Participating schools can use up to 20 percent of their funding to develop a farm to school program, train staff, engage students and families and develop local food related infrastructure.

Mr. Bakelaar said schools also have the option of using up to 100 percent of their funding allocation to purchase New York State food products with the exception of fluid milk.

He noted schools have expressed an interest in purchasing tomatoes, apples, pears, lettuce and carrots.

This year’s state budget allocated $300,000 to the Adirondack North Country Association to oversee the farm-to-school pilot program specifically targeting schools in the North Country to help purchase food from regional farmers."

Assemblywoman Russell’s farm-to-school pilot program is part of her larger “Drive for 25” initiative, which is also supported by the New York School Nutrition Association.

That initiative would provide increased state funding of up to 25 cents more per lunch for schools that meet set goals for expanded usage of local food products.

That initiative would modify the state’s reimbursement formula for school lunches, by increasing reimbursement rates by 5 to 25 cents a meal from the current 6 cents.

The rate would be dependent on the percentage of locally grown and produced products that school districts purchase each year.

This pilot program will provide a nutritional and economic benefit to the community and serve as a template for schools across New York State, Assemblywoman Russell, chair of the Assembly Task Force on Food, Farm and Nutrition Policy, noted.

“This measure affirms our commitment to the state’s farmers and the well-being of our students,” Assemblywoman Russell reiterated. “I continue to fight for policies that provide healthy food to schools and help stimulate the local agricultural community. I am optimistic the success of this pilot program will lead to additional funding for the program in future budgets.”

Assemblywoman Russell discusses issues during visit to Ogdensburg nutrition site

Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell, D-Theresa, said she had an opportunity to discuss a number of issues with seniors earlier this week when she visited a St. Lawrence County Office for the Aging nutrition site.

Assemblywoman Russell was one of a number of state, county and city elected officials that visited the nutrition site in Ogdensburg with Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul.

The assemblywoman spent approximately an hour visiting with seniors following the meal, and the conversations ranged from issues with senior housing to the importance of funding the nutrition site program.

"After housing, food is the most important thing we have to make sure our seniors have access to, and it has to be a priority," Assemblywoman Russell said.

"These seniors truly rely on these meals for nutrition and for a safe place to socialize. Many have concerns about their safety and also need to rely on others for assistance," she said.

"This program helps with both, and I am happy to support these programs and other programs aimed at allowing our neighbors to live as independently as possible," Assemblywoman Russell.

She also had high praise for the chicken, rice and fresh, locally grown garden salad prepared by the Office for the Agency meal program director, Alaina Nelson. "The new meal program director can cook. Lunch was delicious," she noted.

St. Lawrence County Office for the Aging Director Andrea Montgomery said her program had moved its Monday meal sites in Ogdensburg and Morristown to the Dobisky Center this week to allow more seniors to have access to their elected officials.

"It's always important for our seniors to have an opportunity to discuss aging concerns and their needs with their elected officials. It was really nice to have them get that chance this week, and a number of our folks had a vested interest in letting their officials know about issues in their communities," Ms. Montgomery noted.

She said as Lt. Governor Hochul and Assemblywoman Russell worked their way through the room she heard concerns raised about senior housing issues, the need for more senior housing closer to grocery and convenience stores and Medicare issues. She pointed out Assemblywoman Russell had also taken time to meet one-on-one with seniors to discuss individual concerns.

The lieutenant governor, in brief remarks while the meal was being served, told the seniors they have political clout, and their voices are heard by elected officials.

"There are over 3 million senior citizens in New York State, and they are voters," she pointed out.

Lt. Gov. Hochul talked about her tour of the Port of Ogdensburg and also discussed the recently enacted family leave act.

She also pointed out she had long-term relationships with Assemblywoman Russell and State Senator Patricia Ritchie.

Lt. Gov. Hochul said she and Senator Ritchie had both been county clerks at the same time, and their relationship dated back to those days. "Addie is a dear friend of mine and a good partner of our governor," she added.

IN THE PHOTOS:

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Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell discusses paid family leave with Marge Demo over lunch this week during a visit at a St. Lawrence County Office for the Aging nutrition site. The meal site participants from Ogdensburg and Morristown gathered at the Dobisky Center on Monday and had an opportunity to discuss issues with Assemblywoman Russell and Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul. Pictured clockwise from the left are Ms. Demo, Marilyn Luzinski, Wilma Nelson, Ogdensburg City Councillor Jennifer Stevenson and Assemblywoman Russell.

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Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell (r) discusses an issue with St. Lawrence County Office for the Aging Director Andrea Montgomery (l) and Reney Palmateer.

Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell (r) discusses housing issues with Sandra Sanders. Ms. Sanders is a tenant representative on the Ogdensburg Housing Authority Board of Directors.

Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell praises St. Lawrence County Office for the Aging Meals Program Manager Alaina Nelson for the quality of the meal served to senior nutrition site participants and state, county and local officials Monday at the Dobisky Center in Ogdensburg. Pictured clockwise (l-r) are Ms. Nelson and her daughter, Evelyn, Jenna Decker, Carol Nelson and Assemblywoman Russell.

Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell visits with St. Lawrence County legislators Joseph Lightfoot (l) and Donald Hooper (r) after their visit to a St. Lawrence County Office for the Aging nutrition site in Massena.