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Despite an announcement on Friday that mask mandates would be lifted for schools across New York State tomorrow, masks will remain mandatory for a while longer due to a conflict of opinion among state agencies. School districts across the state were advised today by the New York State Department of Education that masks must continue to be worn until further direction is released by that agency as well as the New York State Department of Health. As area schools scramble to advise families of this sudden change, some will be taking the high temperatures forecast for tomorrow into consideration and relaxing the mandate for recess and any other outdoor activities. This is a developing situation so watch this site for updates.

Friday afternoon, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that barring any objection from the CDC, mask mandates for all New York schools and camps will be lifted effective Monday, June 7. This comes as the governor also announced that the state's current infection rate remains at a record low level, 0.42% In a letter to the CDC, New York Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker noted an inconsistency in CDC guidance between children who are unvaccinated at summer camps and the current rules for unvaccinated children at schools: Zucker went on to advise the CDC that the minimum state-wide guidance will be: Indoors, mask use will be strongly encouraged but not required for students, campers, and staff/teachers/counselors who are not fully vaccinated. Outdoors, masks are not required; students, campers, and staff/teachers/counselors who are not fully vaccinated are “encouraged” to wear a mask in certain higher-risk circumstances. Both indoors and outdoors, students, campers, and staff who are fully vaccinated do not need to wear masks. Schools and camps may choose to implement stricter standards. Here in Chemung County, while masks are still encouraged by the Department of Health, County officials say schools will adopt the above measures beginning Monday.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Upstate New York Poison Center has seen a drastic increase so far this year in the number of calls to their poison center for children and teens who have been exposed to marijuana products (i.e. edibles, the dried plant). The highest number of calls have been for marijuana edibles. According to a release from the organization, their data shows calls have nearly tripled for children and teens under 19 years old who ingested these so called “Cannabis Candies” from January through May this year over the same time frame last year. The majority of these calls were for kids 5 and under. “We worry about young children and the frightening reaction they can have to marijuana," says Dr. Christine Stork, clinical director of the Upstate New York Poison Center. "These edibles can come in bright colored packaging that look just like popular candy products. Kids can’t always tell the difference, especially for those who don’t read yet." “With the state legalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana for recreational use and coming up with a plan for future retail sales options, we are preparing to handle an even further influx of calls in the coming years.” Many edibles look and taste just like candy, cookies and brownies. One “pot gummy” can be a dose, and many times people don’t stop at one, leading to an easy overdose, especially in children. Edible products have a higher concentration of marijuana. Because of a child’s smaller size and weight, symptoms can be more severe and usually require a trip to a healthcare facility. Marijuana use in children can cause low blood pressure, severe tiredness, trouble breathing, even coma. The center compared data from 2011- 2020 for children six and under who swallowed marijuana (oils, the plant, edibles) and found a sharp increase starting in 2016 and an increase in more children being admitted to a healthcare facility. Another rising concern for the poison center, is the introduction of the Delta-8 THC products which were recently banned in New York State. They can also cause severe problems, particularly in children. The Upstate New York Poison Centeris staffed by trained Registered Nurses and Pharmacists who have completed training on how to handle a poisoning call for marijuana and Delta-8 THC and when to send someone to a healthcare facility. The center urges that if you are over 21 and choose to use these any of these products you: 1. Keep them up, away, and out of sight of children 2. Save our number 1-800-222-1222, just in case 3. If you suspect a child has swallowed any form of marijuana, call us. Symptoms/reactions sometimes are delayed. To learn more about the center, visit their website.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that, based on current COVID trajectory, all New York State schools will reopen for full in-person learning for the 2021-2022 school year beginning in September. "Our children lost so much as COVID struck our state. A year of socialization, a year of memories, and even more," Governor Cuomo said. "While teachers and school administrators did an incredible job pivoting to remote learning with virtually zero notice, there's no denying the discrimination students who did not have the right equipment faced. With the way our COVID numbers are currently trending, there is no reason why our students should not get back to in-person learning as usual and we look forward to welcoming them back. If there is a change in the trajectory of the virus, we will revisit the decision." This comes on the heels of news that the statewide seven day average positivity rate has fallen to 0.90%, the lowest since September 21st.

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Making the series changed Barry Jenkins’ views on how his ancestors should be described and depicted. Atsushi Nishijima/Amazon Studios William Nash, Middlebury Speaking on NPR’s Fresh Air, Barry Jenkins, the director of “The Underground Railroad,” noted that “before making this show … I would have said I’m the descendant of enslaved Africans.” “I think now that answer has evolved,” he continued. “I am the descendant of blacksmiths and midwives and herbalists and spiritualists.” As a scholar interested in how modern representations of enslavement shape our understanding of the past, I am struck by the ways Jenkins seeks to change the way viewers think about – and talk about – Black American history. In doing so, he takes the baton from scholars, activists and artists who have, for decades, attempted to shake up Americans’ understanding of slavery. Much of this work has centered on reimagining slaves not as objects who were acted upon, but as individuals who maintained identities and agency – however limited – despite their status as property. Pushing the boundaries of language In the past three decades there has been a movement among academics to find suitable terms to replace “slave” and “slavery.” In the 1990s, a group of scholars asserted that “slave” was too limited a term – to label someone a “slave,” the argument went, emphasized the “thinghood” of all those held in slavery, rendering personal attributes apart from being owned invisible. Attempting to emphasize that humanity, other scholars substituted “enslavement” for “slavery,” “enslaver” for “slave owner,” and “enslaved person” for “slave.” Following the principles of “people-first language”– such as using “incarcerated people” as opposed to “inmates” – the terminology asserts that the person in question is more than just the state of oppression imposed onto him or her. Not everyone embraced this suggestion. In 2015, renowned slavery and Reconstruction historian Eric Foner wrote, “Slave is a familiar word and if it was good enough for Frederick Douglass and other abolitionists it is good enough for me.” Despite such resistance, more and more academics recognized the limitations of the older, impersonal terminology and started to embrace “enslaved” and its variants. The new language reached another pinnacle with the publication of The New York Times’ 1619 Project. In the opening essay, project editor Nikole Hannah-Jones eschews “slave” and “slavery,” using variants of “enslavement” throughout. However controversial the series may be, it is setting the terms of current discussions about enslavement. “Enslaved person” – at least among people open to the idea that a fresh look at American chattel slavery necessitated new language – became the new normal. What, then, to make of Barry Jenkins’ saying he wants to push past this terminology? In that same NPR interview, Jenkins notes that “right now [Americans] are referring to [Black slaves] as enslaved, which I think is very honorable and worthy, but it takes the onus off of who they were and places it on what was done to them. And I want to get to what they did.” I think that Jenkins is onto something important here. Whichever side you take in the ongoing terminology debate, both “slave” and “enslaved person” erase both personality and agency from the individuals being described. And this is the conundrum: The state of enslavement was, by definition, dehumanizing. Caesar, played by Aaron Pierre, and Cora, played by Thuso Mbedu, escape from the plantation where they were held as slaves in ‘The Underground Railroad.’ Kyle Kaplan/Amazon Studios For artists, writers and thinkers it’s difficult to reflect on the dehumanization of masses of people without diminishing some of the characteristics that make them unique. And once you step onto that path, it’s a short journey to reducing the identity of the collective group – including their ancestors – to one that’s defined by their worst experiences. Seeing slaves on screen In some ways, because of the nature of their medium, filmmakers have fared better than their fellow artists at balancing the challenges of portraying the horrific experiences of enslaved people as a whole and elevating the particular experiences of enslaved individuals. So where does Jenkins fit in the lineage of cinematic depictions of enslavement? From the start, comparisons to “Roots” – the first miniseries about American chattel slavery – abound. “Roots,” which appeared in 1977, was the first miniseries on American television to explore the experiences of slavery on multiple generations of one Black family. It also created powerful opportunities for interracial empathy. As critic Matt Zoller Seitz notes, for “many white viewers, the miniseries amounted to the first prolonged instance of not merely being asked to identify with cultural experiences that were alien to them, but to actually feel them.” Some Americans might remember those eight consecutive nights in January 1977 when “Roots” first aired. It was a collective experience that started and shaped national conversations about slavery and American history. By contrast, “The Underground Railroad” appears in an age replete with representations of enslavement. WGN’s underappreciated series “Underground,” the 2016 remake of “Roots,” 2020’s “The Good Lord Bird,” “Django Unchained,” “12 Years a Slave” and “Harriet” are just a handful of recent innovative portrayals of slavery. The best of these series push viewers toward new ways of seeing enslavement and those who resisted it. “The Good Lord Bird,” for example, used humor to dismantle ossified perceptions of John Brown, the militant 19th-century abolitionist, and opened up new conversations about when using violence to resist oppression is justifiable. A delicate dance between beauty and suffering Looking at “The Underground Railroad,” I can see how and why Jenkins’ vision is so important in this moment. In Jenkins’ films “Moonlight” and “If Beale Street Could Talk,” the director made a name for himself as an artist who can push past narrow, constraining visions of Black identity as one marked solely by suffering. His films are not free from pain, of course. But pain is not their dominant note. His Black worlds are places where beauty abounds, where the characters in the stories he tells experience vibrancy as well as desolation. Jenkins brings that sensibility to “The Underground Railroad” as well. Critics have commented on how Jenkins uses the landscape to achieve this beauty. I was struck by how the sun-soaked fields of an Indiana farm create a perfectly fitting backdrop for the rejuvenating love Cora finds there with Royal. In “The Underground Railroad,” slavery – for all its horrors – exists in an environment nonetheless imbued with beauty. The curtain of Cora’s vacant cabin flapping in the breeze and framed by the rough timbers of the slave quarters evokes the paintings of Jacob Lawrence. Barry Jenkins’ Black worlds are places where beauty abounds. Atsushi Nishijima/Amazon Studios In other scenes, Jenkins juxtaposes radically different landscapes and actions to emphasize the complexity of these characters’ experiences. For example, Cora works as an actor at a museum, where she plays an “African savage” for visitors; in one scene, she changes out of the costume and into an elegant yellow dress. Walking the clean, orderly streets of Griffin, South Carolina, she transforms into a picture of middle-class propriety. Scenes portraying the manners and reading lessons offered by the faculty of the Tuskegee-style institute where Cora and other fugitives find shelter demonstrate the allure of these middle-class values. On first glance, it all appears promising. Only later, when Cora’s pushed by her mentor to undergo forced sterilization, does it become apparent that she’s landed in a horror show. These vignettes are but a few examples of the thoroughgoing power of Jenkins’ aesthetic. Every episode yields moments of beauty. And yet at the flip of a switch, serenity can devolve into savagery. Living with the recognition that calm can instantly and unexpectedly become carnage is part of the human condition. Jenkins reminds viewers that for Black Americans – both then and now – this prospective peril can be particularly pronounced. William Nash, Professor of American Studies and English and American Literatures, Middlebury This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Yesterday Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced a new vaccination program that will provide free NYS lottery scratch-off tickets to individuals 18 and over with a grand prize of $5 million. The program will initially include 10 vaccination sites in the New York City, Long Island, Mid-Hudson, Central New York, Finger Lakes, Mohawk Valley and Western New York regions. The sites will be open from Monday, May 24 to Friday, May 28. All sites will be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. The program will not impact education funding. "We know that vaccinations are the vital piece of the puzzle we need to crush COVID once and for all," Governor Cuomo said. "We're doing everything we can to make getting a vaccine as quick and easy as possible, but as vaccination rates slow across the state, we're going to have to get creative to put even more shots in arms. This new pilot program will offer a greater incentive for New Yorkers to get vaccinated by offering a free scratch-off ticket for a chance to win up to $5 million. The more New Yorkers we can get vaccinated, the better our situation and the faster we can return to a new normal, so I encourage everyone who hasn't been vaccinated yet to go to your nearest site and get the shot." The ticket, which is sold by retailers across the state for $20, will be provided free to individuals 18+ who take their first dose of Pfizer or the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine at one of the sites. Locaions where this program will take place include major cities such as New York as well as cities upstate such as Buffalo, Syracuse, and Rochester.

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In 2011, mainstream music listeners were introduced to Belgian-Australian singer-songwriter Gotye through his cross-genre chart-topper “Somebody That I Used to Know,” featuring Kimbra. Though he’s released plenty of other music since then, he has fallen short of recreating the magic of that one unforgettable indie breakup ballad. This has inspired many people to make the exact same joke about Gotye’s now being somebody that we used to know. As a one-hit wonder, however, he’s among the best. UK-based broadband comparison service broadbandchoices.co.uk compiled a list of the 50 most popular one-hit wonder songs based on the 20 most followed one-hit wonder playlists on Spotify. After ranking the hits by number of Spotify streams, “Somebody That I Used to Know” won the unofficial blue ribbon with more than 810 million plays. You could probably divide the list into three categories: Songs Whose Titles and Artists You Recognize; Songs Whose Titles You Recognize But Whose Artists You Swear You've Never Heard Of; and Song You Don't Recognize By Title or Artist (But Would Definitely Know Them If You Heard Them). For anyone around during the 1990s, “MMMBop” by Hanson—number 31 on the list—likely falls in the first category, and diehard Hanson fans might even claim the band isn’t a one-hit wonder at all. See the rest, including the complete list, here. What's your favorite off that list?

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced over this past weekend that the state has acquired 1,263 acres of land in the Warren County town of Johnsburg in the southern Adirondacks. The parcel includes Huckleberry Mountain, an elongated peak that tops 2,400 feet, with spectacular cliffs on the ridge's south and southwest face. "Through the Environmental Protection Fund, New York State continues to invest in land acquisitions that conserve open space and preserve the natural beauty of this great state for future generations to visit and enjoy," Governor Cuomo said. "Preservation of the spectacular Huckleberry Mountain lands will benefit the region for generations to come, providing new opportunities for visitors to explore the outdoors." The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation purchased this property from the Open Space Institute for $770,000 using resources from the State's Environmental Protection Fund. Permanent conservation of this land will enhance recreational access in the region and offers opportunities to connect New Yorkers with nature, protect crucial watersheds, and improve important wildlife habitat in this part of the Adirondack Park. The newly protected land adjoins Wilcox Lake Wild Forest, which includes Crane Mountain, a popular, publicly accessible mountain peak that also provides access to exceptional cliffs for climbers. The Huckleberry Mountain parcel contains a wide range of wildlife habitats, including a high quality cold-water stream—Crystal Brook—that is excellent for brook trout, cliff faces that are a preferred nesting place for the endangered peregrine falcon, and a wetland complex home to an active heron rookery. The Huckleberry Mountain property was a priority acquisition under the New York State Open Space Conservation Plan and the Wilcox Lake Wild Forest Management Plan. DEC will manage this parcel and is developing a unit management plan to determine the best use for the trails and recreational access for Huckleberry Mountain. Photo credit: Jerry Monkman courtesy of the Open Space Institute

Yesterday Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed an extension of the COVID-19 Emergency Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2020 and the COVID-19 Emergency Protect Our Small Businesses Act. The legislation (S.6362-A/A.7175-A) extends protections prohibiting residential and commercial evictions, foreclosure proceedings, credit discrimination and negative credit reporting related to the COVID-19 pandemic until August 31, 2021. The legislation adds to New York State's efforts to protect tenants and homeowners from the economic hardship incurred as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic at a critical time in the pandemic's trajectory as the State begins to lift restrictions on public gatherings and businesses. "As we approach the light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel, it is critical that we continue to protect both New York's tenants and business owners who have suffered tremendous hardship throughout this entire pandemic," Governor Cuomo said. "Extending this legislation will help to ensure that vulnerable New Yorkers and business owners who are facing eviction through no fault of their own are able to keep their homes and businesses as we continue on the road to recovery and begin to build back our economy better than it was before." The previously enacted legislation helps both residential and commercial tenants facing eviction and mortgagors facing foreclosure proceedings due the pandemic: Residential Evictions The legislation places a moratorium on residential evictions until August 31, 2021 for tenants who have endured COVID-related hardship. Tenants must submit a hardship declaration, or a document explaining the source of the hardship, to prevent evictions. Landlords can evict tenants that are creating safety or health hazards for other tenants, and those tenants who do not submit hardship declarations. Residential Foreclosure Proceedings The legislation also places a moratorium on residential foreclosure proceedings until August 31, 2021. Homeowners and small landlords who own 10 or fewer residential dwellings can file hardship declarations with their mortgage lender, other foreclosing party or a court that would prevent a foreclosure. Commercial Evictions: The legislation places a moratorium on evictions until August 31, 2021 for commercial tenants have endured COVID-related hardship. The legislation applies to small businesses with under 50 employees that demonstrate a financial hardship. Tenants must submit a hardship declaration, or a document explaining the source of the hardship, to prevent evictions. Commercial Foreclosure Proceedings: The legislation places a moratorium on commercial foreclosure proceedings until August 31, 2021. Tax Lien Sales The legislation prevents local governments from engaging in a tax lien sale or a tax foreclosure until at least August 31, 2021. Payments due to the locality are still due. Credit Discrimination and Negative Credit Reporting Lending institutions are prohibited from discriminating against a property owner seeking credit because the property owner has been granted a stay of mortgage foreclosure proceedings, tax foreclosure proceedings or tax lien sales. They are also prohibited from discriminating because the owner is in arrears and has filed a hardship declaration with the lender. Senior Citizens' Homeowner Exemption and Disabled Homeowner Exemption Local governments are required to carry over SCHE and DHC exemptions from the 2020 assessment roll to the 2021 assessment roll at the same levels. They are also required to provide renewal applications for anyone who may be eligible for a larger exemption in 2021. Localities can also set procedures by which assessors can require renewal applications from people who the assessors believe may no longer be eligible for an exemption in 2021. Recipients of the exemption do not have to file renewal applications in person. Governor Cuomo first announced a State moratorium on residential and commercial evictions on March 20 to ensure no tenant was evicted during the height of the public health emergency. The Governor signed the Tenant Safe Harbor Act on June 30 which became effective immediately as well as additional legislation providing financial assistance to residential renters and landlords. Additionally, previous Executive Orders have prohibited charges or fees for late rent payments, and tenants facing financial hardship can still use their security deposit as payment and repay their security deposit over time.

As time has gone on I'm seeing that a lot of the stuff posted doesn't generate a whole lot of interest or conversation. Other stuff does. It's still difficult to compete with social media when it comes to "breaking" news. By the time it's on here it's already been seen by thousands, often posted by the same agencies before it's sent to the media. As you've noticed, I'm running less links to other sites and more complete, legally shared articles here. That seems to help. So what I want to know is, what does everyone want to see more of? What can we do without, or less of? What do you think is best for generating good conversation on here, fun or otherwise?

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Yesterday Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced the 2021 Reimagined New York State Fair, a special end-of-summer celebration at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse from August 20 to September 6. This one-of-a-kind fair will feature New York's best food and drink, live music and entertainment, Midway rides, and agriculture education and awareness in four different, concurrent festivals that will take place exclusively in the outdoor areas of the fairgrounds. Admission is $3 per person, with children under 12 admitted free of charge. "The New York State Fair is one of our biggest and most exciting tourist attractions that celebrates the spirit of New York and generates economic growth for the region and the entire state," Governor Cuomo said. "I've said time and again that no one wants to open the Fair this year more than I do - and we are finally making it happen in a safe, responsible way with the 2021 Reimagined New York State Fair. This celebration is a unique reward for New Yorkers who have made so many sacrifices during this pandemic and will allow visitors from across the state and the country to enjoy some of the best attractions the Fair has to offer with all necessary safety guidelines in place. This is an important step towards the full return of New York's largest events as we continue to reopen and reimagine our state's economy." The 2021 Reimagined New York State Fair will take place in four outdoor areas across the fairgrounds, one representing each of the major elements that make the fair great, including: Exceptional array of food and beverage including some of the Fair's most iconic culinary experiences, such as the Pizze Fritte, sausage sandwiches and wine slushies; Daily concerts from national touring performers in the scenic, spacious New York Experience festival grounds; Thrilling amusement rides, games and attractions for all ages on the Midway; Farm animals on display to introduce the young and young-at-heart to New York's agriculture. Among the acts who will be performing are REO Speedwagon, Dropkick Murphys, Sheena Easton, Great White and Vixen and the Oak Ridge Boys. Last year, the COVID-19 pandemic caused the cancellation of the Great New York State Fair. This year the fair and fairgrounds are being planned and prepared in accordance with the Department of Health's COVID-19 health and safety guidance. As public health conditions and the guidance changes, the fair will adapt and adhere to all applicable health protocols, such as capacity restrictions, social distancing, face coverings, and health screening where necessary. Daily admission is planned to be limited to approximately 50 percent of capacity for the areas available for attendees to allow for social distancing. Capacity limits will be reexamined and adjusted if necessary to comply with health and safety guidelines. The fairground's buildings will not be open to the public, except for bathrooms. Attendees will be required to observe social distancing and wear masks, except when eating or drinking. People buying food and drinks will be asked to sit while they eat and drink, and ample tables and dining spaces will be made available. Midway rides, games and attractions, as well as all surfaces of frequent customer contact will be rigorously and frequently cleaned and sanitized. Tickets will be sold for each of the outdoor areas, so families can decide which areas they want to visit and plan their day accordingly. To ensure capacity limits and social distancing, attendance at concerts and other live performances will be limited.

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