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From Uw tesemMw How Looking back at the 2009 session Major accomplishments and a continued deficit Page 5 Gouverneur Tribune Press, Thursday July 9,2009 How I spent my summer vacation Hotter than a Texas fireworks display! By Dede Scozzafava The 2009 Legislative Session of the Assembly has come to a close. This was a year marked with several 1 notable accomplishments. While not all of my colleagues in the Assembly agreed on everything, we leached common ground on important' issues such as passing ethics reform, extending the Power for Jobs program that provides local businesses with incentives to keep jobs in the North Country, giving local residents the option of consolidating their governments, and promoting green jobs that help our environment. Unfortunately, the negatives of this year's session far outweigh the positives. Albany foiled to act on issues important to the residents of Upstate. The legislative leaders from New York City proposed a budget in April that increased spending $4.4 billion in the middle of a national economic slowdown. This budget had overly optimistic revenue projections and failed to realistically address the projected deficit and continued decline in revenues. As a result, the Legislature will have to return to Albany to fix this problem with cuts to state programs, or to once again raise taxes on already struggling residents. While the looming budget deficit is certainly a cause for concern, it's a moot point as the power struggle in the state senate continues to be drawn out. Before any law can be delivered to the governor to be signed into law, it has to be passed by the Assembly and Senate. This affects more than the looming budget deficit. Because senators are unable Play time is great fun. By Rev. Connie Seifert Oh playmate, come out and play with me. And bring your dollies three. Climb up my apple tree. Look down my rain barrel. Slide down my cellar door. And we'll be jolly friends forevermore. This song was on a record which I played over and over and over and over. I sang it with or without the record. It can take me right back to childhood and those carefree days when I got to play at Grandma's house - with the wind up Victrola, the playspaces in her flower garden, hunting for kittens in the hayloft and helping Grandpa plant his garden whether he wanted or needed my help or not. 1 consider myself most fortunate that I grew up before televisions and computers could monopolize my time. 1 remember hours and hours of outdoor play - sometimes alone, sometimes with other children; sometimes with toys, .sometimes with just my own imagination. Or any combination of the aforementioned. There were many make- believe villages built in the dirt under the shade of Grandma's snowball bush. Hours and hours spent playing house with cousin jeannie, the number of children depending on the number of dolls we could find that day. Doll clothes and actual baby bottles were optional. Naked dolls always had pretend clothes to wear which Jeannie and 1 could clearly see and fully describe. There was an element of play to chasing the cows from the pastures to the barn come milking time. There were trails to be named and the obvious hazards to be avoided. When herding cows one must watch carefully where one steps. A playful attitude could be stopped in mid-stream when forced to clean cow poop off the bottom of one's shoes. To say nothing of the lectures and turned-up noses of the adults hanging about if they noticed what had happened because we had failed to get it all off and our aroma made our presence an intense annoyance to all for the rest of the night. We climbed across the monkey bars and other playground equipment at school every which way but loose. We wrestled each other to the ground, pushed eacli other into mud puddles on occasion, played endless games of marbles' and/or hopscotch at recess. In the wintertime, there were sledding and toboggan parties, ice skating, along with snow forts and snowball fights. What fun! Little did I know then how important all this playtime was for the development of my character. At least that is the theory of Stuart Brown, M.D. who wrote a book, Play: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination and Invigorates the Soul. I heard him being interviewed on the radio. 1 think I will have to read this book. Sounds like fun! Dr. Brown contends that the timeless, guilt-free and purposeless hours spent in play give us problem- solving skills, enables us to set visionary goals, and gives us the ability to trust and to have empathy for the needs and welfare of others. The murderers he interviewed in prisons had never had the privilege of playtime. Introducing play techniques is actually benefiting these prisoners. They are being changed.for the better. All of us are to reach an operating agreement, many pieces of legislation that have \sunset clauses\ have expired and will force the Assembly to come back to Albany to re- pass new legislation. This will cost even more taxpayer money. All state legislators take an oath of office swearing to uphold the constitution of New York State and to serve the people of New York State to the best of their abilities. It is time for the senators to end this stalemate, and it needs to happen sooner than later. We need real reform in our state Legislature, and we need it now. It is no wonder the people of our state have lost faith in their government with never-ending scandals, failure to address important issues, and now, even a failure for some legislators to do the job they're elected to do. I share in the frustration of people across the state and think enough is enough. We need to fix state government now. The 19 •million residents of our state have waited long enough! at any age! better off for having had time to play as children. And we do our children and grandchildren a favor if we find ways to give them time out to just be kids and play - without benefit of computers, televisions, ipods, cell phones or organized sports programs. Even when we are adults, we still need play time. Lack of play makes one rigid and less open-minded in thinking about people and the world. Lack of play leaves one easy prey for chronic depression and less able to adapt to change. Know anyone like this? I do. Some days it is me. ', We are warned against \helicopter parenting\ - that is, hovering real close, trying to protect our children from all hurt and harm; exercising total control over how they interact and play together. Yes, we need to intervene in case of serious bodily harm, but Dr. Stuart suggests that some degree of rough and tumble actually prevents violence in later life - and if we get hurt now and then, we feel the pain - and when we realize how hurt we are - that's how we gain empathy,'hopefully deciding that we don't want to inflict that kind of pain on anyone else. Combativeness is normal - in girls and boys! We learn how to handle it healthily when we are young, if allowed to experience the school of hard knocks from time to time. Well, it's not that simple but there is a big chunk of truth in Dr. Stuart's observations. I'll talk more about the importance of play next week. I'm on vacation this week. And I foresee some games of miniature golf in my near future! Find some play time of your own. I hear it is good for the soul! By Rachel Hunter K.ILLEEN, TX - A thirty-minute fireworks spectacular at the 2009 Freedom Fest allowed the military and civilian community to enjoy the Independence Day celebration. The Fireworks Spectacular at Fort Hood's Freedom Fest is considered one of the biggest and brightest fireworks displays in Central Texas. Not only are the fireworks spectacular... but so is the entertainment!' Multi-platinum'recording country music artist Dierks Bentley headlined the event, which played host to a crowd of more than 90,000 people. After the concert, hundreds of fireworks were rocketed upwards. Within seconds they exploded into bright colors lighting up the night sky into a see of bright colors accompanied by a chorus of whistles, sizzles and loud bangs. The fireworks were choreographed and synchronized to a musical play list that included a variety of patriotic classics for those gathered to listen to while they were watching the beautiful light show. A sea of the people in attendance were seen taking photos and videos of the display hoping that they could capture just some of the beauty for themselves. The combination of lights from all of these devices together were almost as bright as the fireworks that were displayed above the spectator's heads. Aubertine files lawsuit to protect jobs, taxpayers State Sen. Darrel J. Aubertine filed suit Monday in state Supreme Court to compel the Assembly to deliver bills passed on Tuesday, June 30, including Power For Jobs and home rule legislation, to the Governor for action. \The hundreds of businesses enrolled in the Power for Jobs program with more than a quarter of a million employees across the state need this legislation signed into law. Taxpayers in my district and across the state need these home rule bills enacted,\ Sen. Aubertine said. On June 29, Senate Democrats, using a proposal first put forth by Senator Aubertine, offered to let any Republican preside over the chamber to pass these bills. Though the Espada-led conference turned down this offer to instead continue fighting over leadership, one Republican Senator did provide quorum needed on June 30. This suit contends that the quorum is legal and the Assembly must accept the bills. ' \These bills must be delivered to the Governor,\ the Senator added. \Further delay by the Assembly puts jobs, our school districts and the state's taxpayers at risk.\ \This fight over political power has gone on long enough. Regardless of how that plays out, these important bills were passed legally. The people of my district and the entire state do not deserve to have their issues held' hostage in a power struggle.\ The suit filed Monday contends that the Assembly People tried to exil the stadium quickly after the fireworks display in order to finish their celebration of our national holiday. It was another piece of this summer journey that will live with me for a long, long time! Fireworks...Texas style! (Photo by Rachel Hunter) Professional Janitorial Services ^ /n \ Are your carpets showing the signs of a long hard winter? WELL SPRING IS HERE! The sun is out, the windows are open, now is the best time to have your carpets professionally shampooed. Call Northern State Cleaning To Get Your FREE Estimate & Set Up An Appointment. 2 8 7-1744 An Important Part Of Your Spring Cleaning for over 27 years! Commercial - Residential 4643 Route 58, Gouverneur, NY Special Of The Week 2004 Ford Freestar Auto, Air, Tilt, Cruise, Pwr. 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This lawsuit asks the courts to finally put the people's business ahead of all the political posturing we've seen over the last month.\ \My vote was a vote for jobs in my district and throughout this state and shame on anyone who would contest this lawsuit,\ Sen. Aubertine said. The hearing in State Supreme Court, Albany, has been scheduled for Friday, July 17, at 9:30 a.m. Qvznnasffcs Center LLC 161 w. Main St Qouverneru NY 13642 Classes - Gymnastics, Ballet, Jazz, Tap Hip Hop, Modern, Lyrical, Clogging Email: libertygymnastics@gmail.com Phone: 315-287-4100
