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Image provided by: Yates County History Center & Museums
4A | WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2020 | THE CHRONICLE-EXPRESS OPINION EDITORIAL How to avoid problem gambling-related issues The holidays can be a great time to connect with family and friends. There ’ s a reason why many dub this as the most wonderful time of the year. However, anticipation and preparations for the holidays can bring stress. Some individuals may choose to gamble to cope with stress. Increased gambling activity as a coping strategy can lead to gambling problems. Addi tionally, these unprecedented times can prompt more gambling at home due to increase in isolation. Here are some ways to avoid gambling-related is sues: — Know what activities are gambling. Gambling activities include the state lottery, slot machines, online gambling websites, betting on sporting events, betting on card games, or any other activity where someone can win or lose valued items, like money. — Develop a budget and stick to it. Decide how much you can afford to spend. If you overspend, turn your finances over to a trusted friend or family member, ending the opportunity to over spend. You can also set spending limits on your credit cards and bank accounts. Consumer Credit Counsel ing Services of Rochester is a free resource to help you budget your money: https://www.cccsofroches- ter.org/ — Before attending events, decide if they are safe. If friends and family .gather for sporting events or card games, visit before or after these games occur. Talk to loved ones about what could trigger you. Trig gers can include gambling visuals, language and au ditory stimulation. — Remain mindful when giving gifts. Avoid gifting gambling-related items such as lot tery tickets, especially to youth. About 39.5% of youth have gambled at least once in the past year (OASAS, 2014-2015). Underage gambling can spark gambling addiction later in life. Additionally, these gifts could cause someone struggling with gambling to have increased gambling-related problems. If you or a loved one is struggling with a gambling- related issue, the Finger Lakes Problem Gambling Re source Center (FL-PGRC) is here to help. Call us at (585) 351-2262 or email FingerLakesPGRC@nypro- blemgambling.org . We wish you and yours a happy and healthy holi day season! This essay was presented by the Finger Lakes Prob lem Gambling Resource Center. I I I Avoid scams that invoke DMV, DOT Your Turn Lois E. Hall Guest Columnist There have been a number of scams popping up lately with the Department of Motor Vehicles and just wanted to let you know about them. People are receiving these through their e-mails and through text messages. One is asking for verification of the license (client ID) number and Social Security number. DMV does not ask these questions with an email or text mes sage. Please do not answer these. Also, there is another scam involving bills received about Department of Transportation payments due for heavy trucks. DOT does not charge in this man ner. A number of people have contacted me and said they have received bills for vehicles that they haven ’ t had in years. Please do not send any payments or information to these folks. These documents look official. I have contacted the state office to look into this. If anyone receives these types of messages, please contact our local DMV office or the County Clerk ’ s of- See HALL, Page 7B Approaching the New Year with hope Your Turn Sen. Tom O’ Mara Guest columnist Finally. Heading toward the beginning of a new year, the ongoing distribution of more widespread COVID-19 vaccinations appears to be the long-awaited mile marker on this incredibly long and hard road back to public health and economic renewal^ First and foremost, make no mistake that reaching this point of potential renewal is the product of per sonal responsibility; and enormous perseverance and sacrifice on the part of so many. Every single one of you who have heard the public health guidelines, and thenJhonored them, made the difference. This public health emergency has called for all hands on deck and you have responded. Keep holding the line and listening to our local public health departments. Public health has been and remains the top priori ty because it is paramount to being able to fully at tack the economic crisis that has and is inflicting enormous pain and upheaval. A true reopening will be the product of strong re gional teamwork on public outreach and care. This teamwork will remain fundamental to our success throughout the weeks and months ahead. The expe rience gained and the bonds cemented over the past ten months will continue to serve us well. Now we need to keep pushing forward, reopening more sectors of local economies, and getting more workers back on the job as soon as possible. On the economic front of this battle to reclaim and regain solid ground in our lives, we will need the Cuo mo administration to better recognize that our re gional reopening can and must move forward with greater clarity, common sense, and fairness. Many of us here in the region - government offi LETTER TO THE EDITOR Yates Christmas Project thanks community Generosity shown by bell-ringers, organizers, and donors allowed the Yates Christmas Project to pro vide gift cards in a Covid-safe drive-through setting this year. A $25 gift was given to each of 308 families, in addition to a $25 gift card for each of the 903 chil cials, business owners, and workers alike — believe this reopening process can be accomplished more ef fectively and rapidly without jeopardizing public health. Guidelines that may be absolutely necessary in downstate regions, for example, shouldn ’ t be unrea sonably applied upstate. We will need to redouble our emphasis on this need for fairness. I ’ ve had this discussion with many local leaders and citizens. We will continue pushing the ad ministration to recognize specific regional concerns and suggestions - and the need for sensible compro mises and effective, safe resolutions. There is enormous work facing us to fix what ’ s bro ken and keep providing fundamental assistance. On the legislative front, we must continue to hear the voices of small business, farming, tourism, manufac turing and other foundations of local economies. e Coming out of this COVID-19 response and shut down, these ongoing discussions, on a bipartisan ba sis, will become increasingly critical. ■ s M Since the beginning of the state shutdown in mid March, a “ One-Stop ” webpage on omara.nysenate.gov has provided, in one place, access to a wide range of information and resources from across the spectrum of federal, state, and local agencies and organizations. This page will remain available as new guidelines, rec ommendations, and updates are continually issued. Pay attention to them. As I have said repeatedly throughout these long months, one way we stay to gether is by staying informed. Finally, as we begin this week that has traditionally had as its centerpiece a reflection on the year past, we focus on this: Thank You. A single list here can never begin to cover them all, but let ’ s keep foremost in our hearts and minds and prayers the doctors and nurses, all health care workers and first responders, public health departments, food banks, mail carriers, police officers, bus drivers and grocery store workers, transportation and sanitation crews, delivery drivers, long-haul truckers, service or ganizations, business leaders, bank and credit union See O ’ MARA, Page 7B dren represented. That’ s a whopping $30,275 of gen erosity from a caring community. Many thanks. Everyone at YCP hopes next year will see us back in normal mode, providing clothing, toys, games, books, and blankets to families in need of a holiday hug. Dick and Bonnie Barney Yates Christmas Project FIRST AMENDMENT OF THE U.S. CONSTITUTION Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. HOW TO SUBMIT LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Please write to: Letters to the Editor, The Chronicle-Express, 138 Main St., Penn Yan, NY 14527, fax 315-536- 0682 or email News@Chronicle-Express.com . We reserve the right to reject letters, but will do so only on rare occasions, typically when what is written prompts legal or ethical concerns, or when the letter is unusually lengthy. We may contact writers to suggest changes that could make their letter acceptable for print. 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Letters must be under 300 words and typed or neatly printed. Submissions must include the author ’ s name, signature, address and telephone numbers to authenticate the letter. Only the writer ’ s name and hometown will be published. Debate regarding community issues is welcome, but not successive volleys repeating already published viewpoints. Letters thanking individuals or organizations for personal services rendered will not be accepted. Thank you letters must be brief and exclude lengthy lists of individual or business names. We do not publish individual consumer complaints about specific businesses. Letters bringing up a new issue will not be published the week prior to an election. Only letters responding to an issue discussed previously will be published the week before an election. Anonymous or unsigned letters will not be published. 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