Tag: hornell ny news

October 10, 2023

FROM UR MEDICINE: St. James Hospital, in partnership with local emergency services, conducted a highly successful mass casualty drill on Wednesday, October 4, to enhance the hospital’s emergency preparedness protocols. The comprehensive simulated drill involved a large multi-vehicle accident on I-86 westbound, outside exit 34B, near Hornell and Arkport, and included a school bus and fertilizer truck collision with various degrees of victim injuries and chemical exposure. The drill allowed St. James Hospital, Hornell Fire and EMS personnel, and other collaborators to practice their emergency operations plan and refine their processes effectively.
During the exercise, thirty-one student victims from the BOCES Wildwood Criminal Justice Program portrayed different injury levels, enabling medical staff and emergency responders to triage and treat them using the SMART tagging system. The system utilized four colors, indicating the severity of injuries – black for deceased victims, red for severe injuries, yellow for non-life-threatening serious injuries, and green for minor injuries.

“The collaboration between St. James Hospital and local EMS groups is essential to prepare for real-life events. Unfortunately, a mass casualty event can happen at any time. Our Emergency Department is equipped and prepared for these events, and our staff is dedicated to providing patients with the best possible outcome,” stated Kaleigh Porcaro, Director of Nursing at St. James Hospital.

Hornell Fire Chief Frank Brzozowski emphasized the significance of such drills, saying, “St. James Hospital has always been a big part of our EMS and Advanced Life Support training. Drills like these allow us to perfect our communication, handoffs, and make sure we are on the same page.”
The involvement of the BOCES Wildwood Criminal Justice Program provided a realistic touch to the simulation, offering valuable insights for future professionals in law enforcement. One student participant, Kahley Stuart, shared, “The drill helped open our eyes to all situations that can happen in the Emergency Department and the protocols that nurses and doctors use. As criminal justice students, it taught us what we can expect working in law enforcement.”

Wendy Disbrow, St. James Hospital President and CEO stated, “This drill prepared us for a real-life disaster in a simulated environment. We can ensure that our care team is ready at a moment’s notice with training like this. I want to especially thank members of our St. James Hospital team Caleb Drake, Director of Facility Operations, Kaleigh Porcaro, RN Director of Nursing, Teri Symonds, RN, and Hornell Fire Chief Frank Brzozowski, for their collaboration and for making this drill possible. We are also pleased to have the involvement of the students and teachers of the BOCES Wildwood Criminal Justice Program.”

St. James Hospital appreciates the collaboration and support from all partners involved in this vital emergency preparedness drill. The hospital remains committed to the safety and well-being of the community and will continue to actively engage in initiatives that enhance its ability to respond effectively to emergencies.

October 9, 2023

FROM STEUBEN COUNTY DEMOCRAT CHAIR SHAWN HOGAN: This is a no brainer and puts small city school districts on par with all other districts in the State of New York. I call upon all voters to support.

FROM THE NEW YORK STATE ASSOCIATION OF SMALL SCHOOL DISTRICTS:
Voters to Decide on Proposal Number One – Constitutional Amendment on Repeal of Debt Ceiling for Small City School Districts That Would Bring Equity to Small City School Districts: Ability to Operate Under the Same Debt Limit as all Other Non-City Districts

Voters throughout New York State will decide on November 7 whether 57 small city school districts can increase the amount they can borrow for capital projects from 5% to 10% of their real property values. If approved, this referendum would level the playing field between large cities, suburban and rural school districts, and allow small cities to improve the quality of their school buildings by borrowing funds for needed capital improvements at the time they are needed instead of parceling out a series of smaller projects over a number of years.
Many of New York’s 57 small city school districts must break up needed construction and improvement projects into a series of small projects, spread over many years to remain under their debt limit. A 10% debt limit will allow projects of a larger scope and scale to be completed sooner with better financial efficiency.

According to Robert Breidenstein, Executive Director of the New York State Association of Small City School Districts, both houses of the legislature passed bills last session to allow for this change upon a successful November vote. “Repeal of the 5% constitutional debt ceiling for small city school districts and replacement of that limit with a 10% statutory limit under the local finance law is essential to the continued integrity of our urban school infrastructure,” said Mr. Breidenstein. “Approval of this referendum will be an important step toward treating small city schools fairly and toward putting them on an equal footing with central school districts.” He added that failure to approve the referendum will impair the quality of small city programs and facilities to the great detriment of their students and communities.

Collectively, small city school districts serve the educational needs of nearly two-thirds of the inner-city children outside New York City and are comprised of districts with an average combined wealth ratio which is approximately 49% below the state average. It is notable that this disparity has more than doubled in twenty years when the small city school districts’ combined wealth ratio was approximately 20 % below the state average.

Small City School Districts in New York State include Albany, Amsterdam, Auburn, Batavia, Beacon, Binghamton, Canandaigua, Cohoes, Corning, Cortland, Dunkirk, Elmira, Fulton, Geneva, Glen Cove, Glens Falls, Gloversville, Hornell, Hudson, Ithaca, Jamestown, Johnstown, Kingston, Lackawanna, Little Falls, Lockport, Long Beach, Mechanicville, Middletown, Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, Newburgh, Niagara Falls, North Tonawanda, Norwich, Ogdensburg, Olean, Oneida, Oneonta, Oswego, Peekskill, Plattsburgh, Port Jervis, Poughkeepsie, Rensselaer, Rome, Rye, Salamanca, Saratoga Springs, Schenectady, Tonawanda, Troy, Utica, Vernon Verona Sherrill, Watertown, Watervliet and White Plains.

October 9, 2023

October 6, 2023

HORNELL, NY – St. Anns Academy in Hornell, announced that their students will be holding their Field of Flags of Honor event this year, in the lawn across from St Anne’s Church, instead of the bank location.

This will be on November 11, at 9am.

October 6, 2023

HORNELL, NY – The Officials with the D.O.T. say that over 200 members of the Department of Transportation, the Thruway Authority, the D.E.C. and Homeland ecurity, were at an interagency flood training event in Hornell recently. They say that the training event lasted several days. “The event spanned multiple days and provided all those involved with vital experience to better address and respond to the challenges our teams face during an actual event,” D.O.T. officials stated in a recent posting.

October 3, 2023
From Deputy Mayor Jessica Cleveland

Hornell Deputy Mayor Jessica Cleveland says the City of Hornell is proud to announce the successful completion of the Ultraviolet disinfection system installation at the Water Pollution Control Plant in September. Cleveland also says that the launch of the UV disinfection system marks the completion of Phase 1a, which is part of over six-million dollars in total upgrades in a two-phase project.

WPCP Chief Operator Richard Dunning reviewed the improvements to the plant, “Previously, the water that entered the Canisteo River was 90% to 95% cleaner than when it arrived at the facility, but some viruses and pathogens remained in the wastewater. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) have mandated that we build and maintain a disinfection system to render any remaining pathogens harmless before they enter the river.”

Dunning further explained the benefits of the UV technology, “The UV light exposure renders pathogens unable to reproduce or infect people or organisms downstream. This will benefit any downstream neighbors by irradiating the remaining bacteria at the end of our treatment process.” The City of Hornell WPCP is part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

In addition to the installation of the UV disinfection system, Phase 1a also included new piping, valves, and improvements to the electrical and process control system. The City of Hornell was grateful to receive a Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) Grant of one million dollars towards the UV disinfection project, with local share funding covering the remaining costs.

Mayor John Buckley expressed his appreciation for the grant funding and touched on the importance of these project investments, “We have been very fortunate to obtain grant money to help offset the costs of these upgrades. We received the WQIP grant for Phase 1a, and were awarded $1.83 million in a WIAA grant, and $1.25 million in CDBG Funding for Phase 1b. Altogether, these grant funds amount to about half of our total investment.”
“While I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: It’s easy to take our Water and Wastewater Systems for granted; they often operate without a second thought, but are essential to our City. It is vital that we continue to invest in our infrastructure, and our water and sewer plants are high on that list. We are continuously working to keep them operational and in compliance with regulations,” continued Mayor Buckley.

Plant operators continue training with developers on the new UV disinfection system. Looking towards the future and gathering information for Phase 1b Chief Operator Dunning noted, “We have traveled all over the state looking at other plants and talking to other operators about the equipment they have chosen for their facilities. We are looking into the newest technologies with an eye toward acquiring equipment that will last over the next 20 to 30 years, and allow the City to continue to maintain the WPCP as economically as possible.”

The City of Hornell has partnered with LaBella Associates for Administration Services on these projects and is hopeful that Phase 1b will go out for bid before the end of the year.

October 2, 2023

HORNELL, NY – From St James Hospital: St. James Hospital welcomes Dr. Joy Hur, DO, to the Primary Care practice in the Medical Office Building, Suite 109. Specializing in Family Medicine, Dr. Hur is currently accepting new patients from newborns to seniors, treats an extensive range of ailments, provides preventative care, and helps patients manage chronic illnesses. When asked about her philosophy of care, Dr. Hur stated, “I promise my patients that I will be a collaborative partner and provide a whole-person approach to care to help attain their health goals.”

Dr. Hur received her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine in Middletown, New York. She then completed her Family Medicine Residency through Brown University at Kent Hospital in Warwick, Rhode Island. Dr. Hur takes a special interest in sports medicine and acute care.

Originally from Toronto, Canada, Dr. Joy Hur now resides in Hornell, NY. She enjoys staying active through saber fencing, snowboarding, and recreational sports leagues like slow-pitch softball. She has also taken a keen interest in learning how to fly a plane and plans to take flight courses in the spring.

Dr. Hur will join the St. James Primary Care practice consisting of Family Medicine Doctors Adrian Ashdown, MD, Rhonda Peterson, MD, Nurse Practitioners Kimberly Betker, NP, Sharon Smith, NP, Catrina Noniewicz, NP, and Certified Physician Assistant Alicia McHale, PA-C.

“Our community’s need for primary care physicians is evident,” stated Wendy Disbrow, St. James Hospital President and CEO. “We are pleased to meet this need. Welcome Dr. Joy Hur to our Primary Care practice, as we continue improving access to necessary care.”

September 28, 2023
By Deputy Mayor Jessica Cleveland

The Hornell Common Council was presented with the annual city audit report at their September meeting. The presentation was provided by Matthew Montalbo from Drescher & Malecki. The comprehensive review and report covered the City’s financial status for the for the 2022-2023 fiscal year.

“Our auditors review a complete financial picture, including compliance with federal and state funding requirements, such as those from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT). There were no concerns and we were issued a clean opinion, which is the best you can do from an audit stand point,” noted Montalbo.

Montalbo delved into the City’s financial health, providing insights and trends from previous years, as well to other municipalities. When examining a five-year trend, the City of Hornell was noted to be following a similar path to many of other municipalities surveyed. “With federal COVID-related funding and better-than-anticipated sales tax revenue, the City’s revenues exceeded expenses,” noted Montalbo. The additional revenues have bolstered the City’s unassigned fund balance, which allows for increased flexibility and use to maintain operations smoothly.

Mayor John Buckley applauded the City’s responsible fiscal management and expressed gratitude to City Chamberlain Michele Smith, City Department Heads, and the Common Council for their financial stewardship. “Michele Smith does an outstanding job managing the City’s finances, and the dedication of our department heads and Council members is evident in these results. This financial stability comes at an opportune time with rising inflation, various capital requirements such as vehicles, and ongoing Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) and infrastructure projects. We have improved our spending flexibility to meet these demands and address further needs. And there is never a shortage of needs,” stated Buckley.
City Chamberlain Michele Smith shared her thoughts on the audit, saying, “The audit process went smoothly with no findings again this year. I am pleased that the City remains in a financially stable position which will allow us to effectively manage the increasing expenses we face.”

Montalbo also reviewed audit findings for the City’s Water Fund and Library Fund, “While slightly different trends were noted for the Water and Library funds, both remain in stable position with modest or break-even fund balance additions. The water fund is balanced and similarly, the Library fund is raising enough revenue to sustain operations.”

Melissa Ponticello, First Ward Alderwoman and Finance Committee Chairwoman, expressed her views on the audit and the City’s financial outlook, stating, “This year, our positive audit shows how dedicated our City is to maintaining focused and controlled spending. We continue to have the best interests of our City in our financial decisions.”

The presentation concluded with Mayor Buckley asking Montalbo to assign a letter grade to the audit’s performance. Montalbo responded, “I would assign an “A” letter grade. Anytime you have an unmodified review, without any findings, that’s an ‘A’. It doesn’t get better than that.”