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The Susquehanna Chapter of the Sierra Club meets at 7:30 p.m. on Tues., December 17 at
Central United Methodist Church, 17 Nanticoke Ave., Endicott
The topic is: “Relaxing of NYS Regulations on Dairy Farms – Threats to Our Water So We Can Have More Greek Yogurt,” with speaker Erin Riddle.

Recent media attention highlighted Gov. Cuomo’s attempt to change the regulations for CAFOs (Confined Animal Feeding Operations), raising the threshold requirement for a permit from 199 animal units to 299. As a result, the Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter filed a lawsuit challenging NYS’s decision as a violation of the Clean Water Act.

But what are CAFOs, how adequately are they regulated, and what impact do they have on public health, local democracy, local food systems, rural economies, and animals? Riddle will offer some observations in response to these questions and some potential solutions.

Riddle was born on a small dairy farm in Salamanca, Cattaraugus County, NY, and has since lived in several cities across the state. She chairs the Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter (SCAC) Farm & Food Committee, serves on the SCAC Executive Committee and the Susquehanna Group Executive Committee. In addition, she is coordinator of the SCAC campaign to pass a mandatory GMO labeling law in NYS. Currently she is finishing up a Ph.D. program at Binghamton University and teaches at Elmira College.

The public is welcome to attend. For more information, contact Scott Lauffer at: lauffer.scott@gmail.com.

Mark Urban, a local videographer who has been documenting the Dept. of Public Art activities has produced a new video of the second air brush school taught by Bruce Greig. Watch it here:

Bruce Greig airbrushing workshop #2 from Markeee on Vimeo.

A very short video promoting the video competition entitled: “Really…?! Abortion Stigma Busting Video Competiton, deadline Jan. 6, 2014.

When President Bill Clinton vowed to put 100,000 more cops on the streets, it was a very popular program. But did it result in safer streets and towns? Not according to at least one study that looked at the issue:

“Some criminologists find no evidence that the new cops did anything to lower the level of mayhem. A study by John Worrall and Tomislav Kovandzic of the University of Texas at Dallas, published this year in the journal Criminology, concluded that “COPS grants had no discernible effect on serious crime.” A 2005 report by the Government Accountability Office disagreed, but said the effect was very small. About 95 percent of the decline in crime in the 1990s, it said, was attributable to other factors.” (http://reason.com/archives/2007/11/12/do-more-cops-equal-less-crime)

Calling for more police is still popular politics whether there is evidence for it or not. It plays on the fears of voters– fear of outsiders, people different from ourselves. That allows us to be manipulated by politicians who promise a safer Binghamton. But guess what? Crime prevention is more about the economy, jobs, education, people who care about young people.

Funding for Lights Made Possible By New York State Community Capital Grant Secured By Assemblywoman Lupardo

Mayor Ryan: Walnut Street Park Represents What We Can Achieve When Community Partners Come Together For the Common Good

BINGHAMTON, NY—Today, Mayor Ryan, Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo, City Council President Teri Rennia, and community partners unveiled new improvements to Walnut Street Park, which includes the installation of lights. Walnut Street Park is part of the Design Your Own Park project, a collaboration between the Binghamton Neighborhood Project, the City of Binghamton, and the United Way of Broome County to empower neighborhoods and restore outdoor play at a citywide scale.

“I’m proud that we have taken yet another step to provide our community with a safe and thriving city park,” said Mayor Matt Ryan. “This project represents what’s possible when residents, businesses, community groups, and city hall forge a partnership and seize an opportunity to improve our community.”

The most recent improvement to Walnut Street Park includes the installation of lights, which was made possible by Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo, who secured a $100,000 New York State Community Capital grant. Part of that grant has gone towards covering the costs of the lights, as well as providing funding for other DYOP projects. The addition of lights at Walnut Street Park will help enhance safety in and around the park.

Really…?! Abortion Stigma Busting Video Competition
Push back against anti-abortion extremism with your video!

The Abortion Care Network is sponsoring the first-ever video competition to show the world how people feel about the current climate of extreme anti-abortion legislation and societal stigma against abortion. “We are looking for all kinds of videos, from personal stories to pro choice activism, from direct calling out of anti-choice legislators to flashmob actions, as long it busts current stigma against abortion,” according to Peg Johnston, coordinator of the event. “Video is an important tool in changing attitudes and giving voice to those who have been silenced.”

The deadline is January 6th, 2014 and the registration link is http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=rrbrm5cab&oeidk=a07e880uqfe81765aa0. The link is also available on our website at http://www.abortioncarenetwork.org/news/video-competition or www.facebook.com/abortioncarenetwork .

Videos must be no longer than 3 minutes but very short videos using applications such as Vines or Instagram area also eligible. There are three $200 Judge’s Choice awards and three Honorable Mentions. $100 awards will go to the individual and $100 will go to the winner’s abortion fund of choice. Videos will be shown at Abortion Care Network’s conferences, embedded on related websites, and used for promotional purposes by ACN.

We would greatly appreciate your sharing this announcement widely.

DE-PROFESSIONALIZATION OF CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKERS

In the first wave of incendiary downsizing in 2010 Broome County clinical social workers were encouraged to take a $10,000 pay cut and go work for a private non-profit agency who had just been anointed as a certified OMH outpatient clinic. Our local senator approved of this as two clinicians would also move to the state GBHC Children’s Clinic at higher pay. There was a delay in service since the building and psychiatrist were not ready. Three years later OMH proposes to close inpatient children’s services that are a critical continuum of services and waste your tax dollars spent on that refurbished building. There continue to be wait times at the other agencies. There was never a wait at the Clinic.

Clinicians were not involved in any of the planning. There was not a ‘plan on paper’, nor public hearings, nor consultant study, rather there were a lot of smoke and mirrors and vagueness. Is this the way most men seek employment? There is an underlying gender effect since most social workers are women. The new mantra is that a clinician should be able to ‘pay for their position’. Do you hear others with higher salaries being told that? Or to give up their benefits? And to have a defunk union is a worse slap in the face.

About Us:
Triple Cities Makerspace, Inc. is a collective work and collaboration space that aims to bring together hackers, makers, artists, creatives, geeks, and technology enthusiasts. We have a space and are holding weekly meetings. Please feel free to stop by a meeting and check it out; we are looking for new members.
If you are a creative person, regardless of skill set or age, we would be glad to have you.

website at www.tcmakerspace.com and check out facebook page.

Strategies and Ideas, Guided By Public Input, To Be Displayed At First Friday

BINGHAMTON, NY– Today, city officials announce that over the last five months, more than 4,000 city residents have been engaged through Blueprint Binghamton and provided critical feedback and thoughtful input into the city’s future. The successful citizen participation campaign provides city planners a wealth of information to help guide Blueprint Binghamton, the city’s first major update to its Comprehensive Plan in more than ten years.

“We are absolutely thrilled with the enthusiasm and insight we received from the community,” said Tarik Abdelazim,

Seems like everyone wants our opinion about Binghamton and Broome Co. Notably, blueprint binghamton

have been surveying residents for a new 10 year strategic plan. Broome County is also looking to revise its Comprehensive Plan, although they have not yet tried to engage citizens.

But there is a homegrown effort that has sprung up in a few places in the most blight ridden neighborhoods, targeting feedback from children. To see the first round of stickers and chalked messages go to this previous story: I want in binghamton
Later messages included: “A restaurant or art gallery,” “Help Getting Artists Noticed”, and an “excited message from a stage hand union member, ‘I have an incredibly good idea for this building.'” See attached photo with the ideas for a “2nd hand guitar school” and music school for kids.

Previously, some children debated between “an arcade” or “an ice cream store” with some voting for a “Sweet Frog” the new yogurt store on the southside.

The “I want ____in my neighborhood” is an urban planning device that was created by a young planner in New Orleans and shared by a group called Neighborland. See neighborland.com.