Money available to help youth

MONTICELLO, NY — The Sullivan County Youth Bureau is now accepting grant applications from organizations that serve children and youth within Sullivan County. Applications can be found at bit.ly/sullivan-youth. Organizations that would like to apply and be considered for funding are requested to submit completed applications by Monday, May 23. All applications must be submitted electronically to SullivanOFA@sullivanny.us.

BESIDE Cabins withdraws plans for Bethel

BETHEL, NY — At an April 25 meeting of the Bethel Town Board, supervisor Daniel Sturm confirmed reports in the Sullivan County Democrat that the Canadian company BESIDE Cabins announced it was withdrawing plans to develop a subdivision on 800 acres adjacent to the hamlet of Smallwood. The subdivision was planned to include 57 single-family residential lots and 45 “pods” suitable for year round camping.

Clay Ruede, member of the steering committee for the Smallwood Aware Residents Team (an advocacy group that raised concerns about the project) released a statement on social media stating, “SmART is pleased with the decision by BESIDE Cabins to pursue their plans for development elsewhere and thanks everyone who supported our advocacy and the proposition that the environmentally sensitive land at Hemp Meadow Estates was the wrong place for the wrong project in the wrong part of town.”

Contaminated raw milk

ORANGE COUNTY, NY — New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard A. Ball warned consumers not to consume unpasteurized raw milk from Miller Dairy Farm due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Miller Dairy Farm is located at 51 Transport Ln., Pine Island, NY in Orange County.

A sample of the milk collected by an inspector from the department was discovered to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Listeria monocytogenes causes listeriosis, which can be a serious and sometimes fatal infection in young children, cancer patients, elderly people and others with weakened immune systems.

Fracking research released

NEW YORK STATE — Concerned Health Professionals of New York (CHPoNY), which is now a program of the Science and Environmental Health Network, and the Physicians for Social Responsibility have released the eighth edition of the Compendium of Scientific, Medical, and Media Findings Demonstrating Risks and Harms of Fracking and Associated Gas and Oil Infrastructure, a fully referenced compilation of the evidence outlining the risks and harms of fracking and associated oil and gas infrastructure.

According to CHPoNY, “Our examination uncovered no evidence that fracking can be practiced in a manner that does not threaten human health directly or without imperiling climate stability upon which human health depends.” The compendium is available online at concernedhealthny.org/compendium.

New Hudson Valley food bank facility received $10.7 million

HUDSON VALLEY REGION — The Food Bank of the Hudson Valley has received a $10.7 million award through the Community Development Block Grant CARES program to construct a new food distribution warehouse in the Town of Montgomery in Orange County.  The new 40,000-square-foot distribution warehouse will provide increased capacity to obtain, store, and distribute food donations to 400 member agencies in six counties—Orange, Ulster, Dutchess, Sullivan and Putnam—in the lower Hudson Valley. It is estimated that nearly 179,000 Hudson Valley residents with low to moderate incomes are currently receiving food assistance.

Over $100,000 in grants available to greater Pike community

MILFORD, PA — Approximately $118,000 is available this year to nonprofit organization through Greater Pike Community Foundation’s Richard L. Snyder fund grants. Applications will be accepted from May 15 to June 15. Eligible organizations are encouraged to apply online at greaterpike.org/1-grant-application.

The substantial grant amount to be dispersed is nearly 50 percent more than recent years. New this year will be one $7,500 grant in each of the three categories. Other grants will be capped at $5,000. Organizations working in the areas of beautification, cultural events and medical-related projects are encouraged to apply. Interested parties are asked to contact Greater Pike for clarification if they are unsure if their application will qualify under one of the areas specified.

New York redistricting maps struck down

NEW YORK STATE — On April 27, the State of New York Court of Appeals ruled in the matter of Harkenrider v. Hochul, striking down the state’s previously decided congressional and state senate maps. Chief Judge Janet DiFiore wrote for the majority, “The primary questions before us are whether this failure to follow the prescribed constitutional procedure warrants invalidation of the legislature’s congressional and state senate maps and whether there is record support for the determination of both courts below that the district lines for congressional races were drawn with an unconstitutional partisan intent. We answer both questions in the affirmative and therefore declare the congressional and senate maps void.” The court remitted the case to the Supreme Court to adopt congressional maps for the 2022 election.

Pennsylvania heating assistance extended

HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania Department of Human Services announced the extension of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Due to excess funding, LIHEAP will remain open until May 20. LIHEAP is an emergency and seasonal program designed to assist low-income families pay their heating bills through cash grants, crisis grants and crisis interface, meaning LIHEAP-sponsored repair or replacement of heating systems. Consumers may apply for LIHEAP by visiting Pennsylvania’s COMPASS website or filling out a paper application at their local county assistance office.

Wear your life jacket to work

BEACH LAKE, PA — The National Park Service invites the public to help save lives by showing their support for water safety on “Wear Your Life Jacket to Work Day” on Friday, May 20. Since 1980, there have been 74 drownings on the Upper Delaware River. But no one has ever drowned wearing a properly fitted and fastened life jacket.  No matter if you are an avid river user, a local business or community organization, everyone can play a role and help spread the word that wearing a life jacket can save your life.