To the Editor:

(Tow of Sullivan, NY – Feb. 2012) Let’s keep the town of Sullivan and Madison County fire fatality-free. Replace your smoke detector every 10 years, keep the batteries changed at least twice a year, and install one detector on each floor of your house.

Thirty percent of the detectors in our town and county are inoperable. Please take the time now to get these smoke detectors working. The life you save could be your own.

If you don’t have a smoke detector, please call me – (315) 687-7221 or (315) 633-9333, and I will see that you get one.

Bill Pindle, Town of Sullivan Fire Inspector

Think Local

By Chris Hoffman

(Sherburne, NY – Feb. 2012) On Jan. 31 the Associated Press released a story that should make everyone in CNY wake up in the middle of the night screaming.

Despite assurances to the contrary to northern Pennsylvania landowners, Central New York Oil and Gas Company LLC (CNYOG), a subsidiary of Inergy LP of Kansas City, MO, began eminent domain proceedings against about half of the 150 property owners along a 39-mile, $250 million natural gas pipeline that had been approved by the federal government just days earlier.  The high-pressure, 30-inch steel pipeline is intended to connect interstate pipelines with CNYOG’s gas storage facility in southern New York.

Landowners claim in a lawsuit that CNYOG has refused to negotiate in good faith and is avoiding PA’s eminent domain rules after the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) invested CNYOG with eminent domain power, which essentially eviscerates any power the landowners might have had.  CNYOG is also offering significantly less money for properties than another pipeline company had paid to install a gathering line.  In its eminent domain filings, CNYOG has valued 37 targeted properties at less than $311,000 in total – about $8,400 each.

In addition to determining that the pipeline would have no significant impact on the environment, FERC also relied on CNYOG’s assertion that there would be little need to resort to eminent domain because landowners were willingly negotiating with the company.

It turns out that CNYOG had already prepared the eminent domain proceedings paperwork well before FERC granted approval for the pipeline. CNYOG also told landowners that all deals are off if any legal challenge ensued. CNYOG appears to have no interest in negotiating anything with landowners – not the route of the pipeline, not the location of access roads, and not the price they will pay landowners to use their land – $2 a foot.

In the meantime, Josh Fox, producer of the award-winning anti-fracking documentary “Gasland,” was arrested on Feb. 1 in Washington DC for attempting to film a House Science Committee meeting on hydraulic fracturing, and an ABC News film crew was also denied access to the meeting.  Rep. Brad Miller (D-N.C.) moved to suspend the committee rules and allow Fox and ABC to film the hearing, but Republicans voted to table the motion.

So, let’s recap.  We have a federal agency that sees no potential environmental harm from installing a 39-mile pipeline through mountainous pristine waterways, forest ecosystems, and private farmland.  We have a gas company that tells landowners one thing and then does something entirely different behind their backs that will result in loss of property and environmental destruction.  And we have the federal government in the form of the House of Representatives refusing to allow the press access to public business, and even going so far as to have a journalist arrested.  In America this is happening!

The gas companies’ position is becoming increasingly transparent: do not get in our way because you will pay. One way or another, pipelines and drill pads and drill rigs and all the hideous ancillary paraphernalia and devastating ramifications that go hand in hand with this destructive industry shall soon be the new normal if the gas companies get their way.

I cannot think of a more obvious example of what is happening to what used to be known as American democracy.

In 1932, Benito Mussolini wrote, “Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power.”

Eighty years later, it has happened – is happening – again.  Corporate interests have become overwhelmingly enmeshed in government business, and government policy has become myopically geared to corporate mandates.

Will your farm or your home be the next target of eminent domain unleashed by the gas companies?  Will you bankrupt your family trying to fight them, and end up losing anyway?  Will you just roll over and slink away, give it all up, because the fight isn’t worth the cost?

Or will you join the larger fight to end corporate dominion over our lives and thus one day be able to tell your grandchildren that you were part of a grassroots effort that saved CNY from destruction by the gas companies?

We will all make this choice, willingly or begrudgingly.  It begins now.

Chris Hoffman lives in the village of Sherburne in her 150+ year-old house where she caters to the demands of her four cats, attempts to grow heirloom tomatoes and herbs and reads voraciously. She passionately pursues various avenues with like-minded friends to preserve and protect a sustainable rural lifestyle for everyone in Central New York. 

To the Editor:

In 2012, Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) celebrates its centennial and has launched the boldest cause campaign dedicated to girls’ leadership issues in the nation’s history. As we launch this cause, we are asking all members of society to help girls achieve their full leadership potential.

Girl Scouts will use the occasion of its 100th birthday to incite a monumental shift in the way we support girls in this country, and seek to get the issue of girls’ leadership on the national agenda. The cause – ToGetHerThere – will help break down societal barriers that hinder girls from leading and achieving the highest ranks in all fields and industries, from science and technology to business and government.

Both Girl Scouts’ own research, as well as a third-party study by GfK Roper demonstrates that despite advances by women in business, politics, arts, law, and medicine, girls opt out of leading: one in five doesn’t believe she has what it takes to lead, and 61 percent of girls are either deeply ambivalent about leadership or say it’s not important to them at all. If this continues unchecked, millions of our girls may not reach their full potential as leaders in our society. Our cause will seek to alter this pattern.

At the helm of the initiative, which has as its goal the creation of balanced leadership in a single generation, is Girl Scouts’ new CEO, Anna Maria Chavez. Anna Maria, a Yale graduate and the daughter of migrant farm workers in the Southwest, understands that girls need critical support at a young age to become the future leaders of society.

To provide this support, we must start with all girls now – not just girls involved with Girl Scouting – and ask all adults to help girls achieve their full potential, in any way they can. (We will provide resources).

ToGetHerThere kicked off formally Jan. 31 in New York with a panel event at the TimesCenter. Included were Anna Maria Chavez and female and male leaders from a variety of fields – including media, finance, and sports – discussing leadership issues facing girls today and our new research findings.

On Feb. 1, GSUSA took the kick-off to Washington, D.C. where Congressional leadership was asked to get involved with the ToGetHerThere cause and to stand with Girl Scouts in support of girls. These events will serve as just the start of Girl Scouts’ larger cause effort.

We can provide access to local Girl Scouts, leadership members and board members, research findings, ToGetHerThere cause assets, including logos, website, original content, etc., an op ed piece, and historical photos.

We look forward to your thoughts!

Kimberly Dunne

Media Manager

To the Editor:

(Oneida, NY – Feb. 2012) Last year, for the first time, the proposed Oneida Public Library budget did not pass. The library Board of Trustees asked an independent firm to conduct a community survey to help us understand this new phenomenon.

The results revealed three major themes that impacted the vote in a negative way: 1) many voters had no knowledge of the budget process or were unaware of the date of the vote; 2) other responders described misinformation they received from outside sources, or had simply misinterpreted the budget facts or overall purpose for voting; and 3) many potential voters just didn’t vote as the library budget has always passed, and they felt their vote wasn’t needed.

We want to be sure our voters have a better understanding of the library budget, the purpose of the vote and what it means for our community. Here are some important facts about the current Oneida Public Library budget:

The budget totals $360,252.

Two-thirds of the budget is for personnel, including benefits (three full-time and 12 part-time support staff). Support staffers receive little more than minimum wage.

Purchase of books and library materials, building maintenance and utilities are other large items.

The budget vote is for approval of the library’s operating budget. This has NOTHING to do with the exciting building project the Library has been discussing for years. No money from the operating budget is spent on the project.

The library tax appears as a separate item on residents’ property tax bills. This is a small tax – last year, the tax on property valued at $100,000 was about $40.

Any increases or decreases in the library tax do not affect other taxes on the bill. For example, a 1.5-percent increase on the library tax for a $100,000 property would mean an additional 60 cents for the library tax, resulting in a library tax of $40.60 for the year. It would not be applied to the other taxes on the bill.

Voter turnout for the budget vote is historically low. Last year, only 666 people turned out to vote; 241 people voted in favor of the budget, but 425 people voted against it. When the budget is defeated, the library must use the budget of the previous year, and since costs increase this results in cuts in services.

Any registered voter who resides in the library district (the same geographic region as the Oneida City School District) may participate in the budget vote. You need not own property in order to vote.

If you are going to be out of town the day of the vote, pick up an absentee ballot application at the library. A ballot will be sent to you Feb. 10.

The budget vote will be held Tuesday, March 6, from noon to 9 p.m. at the library.

A public hearing on the proposed 2012-13 budget will be held Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. at the library. Attend the hearing and learn the true story of the proposed budget. The Board of Trustees knows the facts regarding the budget, and we will be happy to explain them and answer any questions regarding the operation of the library.

Feel free to call a Board member: Eileen Kinsella, (315) 363-4632; Patricia Albaugh, (315) 761-9701; Pamela Graves, (315) 363-3459; George Miller, (315) 225-2010, Diane Roy, (315) 363-4383; Bob Wilkins, (315) 363-6065 or Kate Myatt, (315) 440-3146.

Above all, mark your calendar for Tuesday, March 6, from noon to 9 p.m. to attend the budget vote, and do your part to keep the intellectual spark alive in Oneida. Your vote DOES count!

Patricia K. Albaugh, Vice President, Oneida Public Library Board of Trustees

Pictured are the Sullivan brothers who died during World War II.

The Musings of A Simple Country Man

By Hobie Morris

(Brookfield, NY – Jan. 2012) The hand -written letter expressing the writer’s sincerest condolences at the death of her five sons”…who have died gloriously on the field of battle” was sent from the Executive Mansion to a Boston widow named Lydia Bixby. The letter was signed “A. Lincoln” and dated Nov. 21, 1864. Four days later the Boston Evening Transcript newspaper reprinted the entire letter.

This letter, the original copy allegedly destroyed by Mrs. Bixby, who was a Confederate sympathizer who disliked Lincoln, has produced tremendous controversy over the years. Did President Lincoln, for example, compose the letter or did John Hay, one of Lincoln’s White House secretaries? (In 1904, Hay said that Lincoln had authored this letter).

Lincoln’s condolence letter had been prompted by information sent to the President by Massachusetts Governor John Andrew.

Recently Lincoln’s famous letter was prominently featured in the award winning World War II blockbuster movie Saving Private Ryan.

Their names were Joseph, Frances, Albert, Madison and George. Five tough Irish brothers, the sons of Thomas and Alleta Sullivan of Waterloo, Iowa. Tom was a hard pressed railroad worker.

When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7,1941 one of the Navy men killed was Bill Ball of Fredericksburg, Iowa. Bill was a close friend of the Sullivan boys. When they heard of Ball’s death all five brothers enlisted (or reenlisted) in the US Navy, determined to avenge Bill’s death. The Sullivans insisted they must serve together. The Navy granted their wish. It was war time and men were desperately needed.

On Nov. 14, 1942 the light cruiser USS Juneau was torpedoed by a Japanese sub. It broke in half and disappeared in a flash. Out of a crew of nearly 700 men only 10 survived. It would be almost two months before Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan got the horrible news that all five sons were missing and presumed death. Four died quickly when the Juneau exploded. George, the oldest, died four or five days later at sea.

The Tom Sullivans and Lydia Bixby had several things in common. They each had sons named George; each had five sons who served in a war and each, according to some accounts, had five sons killed.

The death of the Sullivan brothers in naval action off of Guadalcanal in the South Pacific is irrefutable.

The alleged Civil War death of the five Bixbys needs careful examination.

In November, I923, the Oswego (NY) Palladian newspaper contained a short article entitled “Boston House of Famed Civil War Mother Condemned.” The article goes on to say”…the house…which Abraham Lincoln immortalized during the Civil War…will be razed shortly…the spot once occupied by Mrs. Lydia Bixby…whose five sons died on Civil War battlefields.” (author’s emphasis)

More recently in the 1980s Time/Life published a nearly 30 volume history of World War II. In the volume entitled The Home Front; USA there is reference to the death of the five Sullivans noting “…not since Mrs. Lydia Bixby of Boston lost five sons in the Civil War in 1864 (Author’s emphasis) had any one American family suffered so many deaths in the service of its country.”

Are these accounts accurate?  Some clarification is necessary.

A clerk in the Adjutant General’s office jotted down some information that was passed on to Governor Andrew. The Governor relayed it to President Lincoln who in turn penned the condolence letter to widow Bixby. While Lincoln’s anguish was unquestionably sincere, he had been informed incorrectly; an unintentional mistake about the five Bixby sons. This is what actually happened to them.

Only two were killed in battle.

*Sergeant Charles N. Bixby, 20th MA Inf. killed May 3, 1863 at Fredericksburg, VA

*Private Oliver C. Bixby, 58th MA Inf. killed July 30, 1864 at Petersburg. VA

*Private George Way (Bixby), 56th MA Inf. Enlisted under an assumed name. Captured on July 30, 1864. Imprisoned in Richmond later at Salisbury, NC. He was reported to have deserted to the enemy and to have died in prison. George used his middle name “Way” as his last name so his wife would not know of his enlistment.

*Corp. Henry C. Bixby, 32nd MA Inf. was honorably discharged at Boston Dec. 17, 1864 (died 1871). It was reported that Henry was killed at Gettysburg. He wasn’t. He was captured, spent some time in prison, escaped and made his way to Cuba.

*Private Edward C Arthur Edward) Bixby, 1st MA Heavy Artillery, deserted May 28 or 29, 1862 (died 1909). Edward was erroneously reported as killed in South Carolina (confused with desertion?) He was honorably discharged and moved to Boston

The Sullivans’ tragic record remains intact and unchallenged. Today siblings are prohibited from serving in the same unit. The brothers paid the ultimate price for this seemingly common sense policy. Sometimes we learn too slowly, often with deadly consequences.

Hobie Morris is a Brookfield resident and simple country man.

Life ring at the sewage treatment plant? Yuck.

From Here & Back Again

By Jim Coufal

(Cazenovia, NY – Jan. 2012) Like all my columns, I write this one for a “reason,” which is to be a kind of a break from my usual commentary, as a “pause that refreshes” (me). I’ve also just made a statement in explanation of the column, another way to define “reason.” Finally, I hope what I have said is a rational ground or motive for the column, a significant meaning of the word “reason.”

My intent is to share what others have said about reason, and reasoning, over the years. I chose reason as the subject because I do not think that there is enough use of it in the world today.

To begin, here is what Buddha had to say:

“Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.”

Another great religious and political figure, Mohandas Gandhi said:

“An error does not become truth by reason of multiplied propagation, nor does truth become error because nobody sees it.”

This is reminiscent of the old saw, “The opinion of a thousand fools is still foolish”.

Gandhi also said, “I reject any religious doctrine that does not appeal to reason and is in conflict with morality.”

This can be seen as an acid test of what to believe, whether from tradition, doctrine, theology, common sense or science.

Founding father and major author of the Declaration of Independence and contributor to our Constitution, Thomas Jefferson, said, “Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call to her tribunal every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blindfolded fear. In his own words, he described how he lived this thought; “I was bold in the pursuit of knowledge, never fearing to follow truth and reason to whatever results they led, and bearding every authority which stood in their way.”

Truth and reason do not always lead us to what we want to hear.

Some make their point with humor:

“The reason I talk to myself is that I’m the only one whose answers I accept” (George Carlin).

But the point is still valid.

Some question the reason of things:

“They wrote in the old days that it is sweet and fitting to die for one’s country. But in modern war, there is nothing sweet nor fitting in your dying. You will die like a dog for no good reason” (Ernest Hemingway).

Such people may be called muckrakers, whistle-blowers, skeptics or dissenters. They are often called un-patriotic.

Some see reason as the way to exploring:

“Although nature commences with reason and ends in experience it is necessary for us to do the opposite, that is to commence with experience and from this to proceed to investigate the reason” (Leonardo da Vinci).

Not everyone sees reason as valuable to their interests. Martin Luther warned:

“Faith must trample under foot all reason, sense, and understanding.”

Pope Pius IX in 1846 said, “Unbridled license to think, speak, and write” resulted in a “filthy medley of errors.” Voltaire, who said, “Nothing can be more contrary to religion and the clergy than reason and common sense,” summed up religious worries about the use of reason.

Another great American skeptic, Thomas Paine, said, “Reason obeys itself, and ignorance submits to whatever is dictated to it,” believing that, “The most formidable weapon against errors of every kind is reason.”

Despite the power of and great need for reason, many believe like C.S. Lewis that, “Reason is the natural order of truth; but imagination is the origin of meaning,” or Ralph Waldo Emerson, who said, “Trust your instinct to the end, though you can render no reason.”

Such people think faith, instinct, imagination are higher in authority than reason and sufficient to believe and act upon.

For myself, I agree with the Dalai Lama:

“The ultimate authority must always rest with the individual’s own reason and critical analysis.”

Jim Coufal of Cazenovia is a part-time philosopher and full-time observer of global trends. He can be reached at madnews@m3pmedia.com.

Think Local

By Chris Hoffman

(Sherburne, NY – Jan. 2012) Having lived here for almost 12 years now, I am still amazed at the entrepreneurial ingenuity of the people of CNY.

Yesterday I met with Dan Livingston, Account Manager for a company called Wholeshare.  Wholeshare is an online buying club that makes thousands of organic and natural products available to people who create a group that acts as a wholesale buyer.  Food is delivered directly from the source, so it’s fresher and more affordable, and delivery points and frequency of orders are determined by each group. Products include both made-in-New York items and many gourmet, ethnic and specialty items that are typically difficult to find in local stores.

Wholeshare works with a supplier called Regional Access, based in Ithaca. Founded over 20 years ago by Gary Redmond, a Cornell graduate, organic farmer, and entrepreneur with a passion for nutrition, food, and all things gourmet, Regional Access has been providing ecologically responsible, locally grown food in Upstate New York through its sustainable statewide distribution system.  Their customers still include many of the restaurants, natural food stores and co-ops that started with them in 1990, and today they also serve buying clubs, colleges, grocery stores, local wineries and even the NY Governor’s Mansion on occasion.

Wholeshare currently has 20 distinct buyers groups, and Livingstone tells me his goal is to create 200 groups by the end of 2012.  Anyone can form a group, and a group can be any size that works for you.  Members benefit from cost-saving wholesale prices, especially when products are bought in bulk and then split among the members. The combination of wholesale and bulk pricing makes this a very attractive option.  For example, 25 pounds of organic white flour produced in NYS costs $28.05 or $1.12 a pound – significantly less than what Price Chopper charges for organic flour.

A buying club such as this is particularly good for buying dry goods such as flour and grains, beans, spices and herbs, oils, pasta, nuts and other products that are not available from the local farmers markets and CSA farms.  They currently carry over 800 items produced within New York State.

Each group appoints a local coordinator who meets the delivery truck and communicates with members of the buying club.  Individual members order online through the Wholeshare website and pay for their orders with their own credit cards or electronic checks, so coordinators don’t have to get involved with the financial end of administration.  A minimum order must total $350, which is significantly less than most buyers clubs.  Once the minimum is reached, the order is processed and delivered immediately. Additionally, there is no frequency minimum, so your group can set up deliveries for once a week or once every few months, based on what works best for your group.

The user-friendly website allows groups to set up a variety of automatic communications options, depending on what best serves the group’s needs, so there’s not a lot of work involved other than dividing up an order once it arrives.

In combination with becoming a member of a local CSA and/or shopping at both the summer and winter farmers markets, this is a smart way to support NYS farmers, growers, and producers year-round in a way that saves you money and ensures that you are consuming healthy, safe food.

If you would like more information about starting your own Wholeshare group, Livingstone is more than happy to answer your questions and even make a presentation.  He can be reached by email at dan.livingston@wholeshare.com.

Chris Hoffman lives in the village of Sherburne in her 150+ year-old house where she caters to the demands of her four cats, attempts to grow heirloom tomatoes and herbs and reads voraciously. She passionately pursues various avenues with like-minded friends to preserve and protect a sustainable rural lifestyle for everyone in Central New York. 

To the Editor:

(Chittenango, NY – Jan. 2012) A U.N. Resolution initiated by Jordon’s King Abdulla II has established the first week of February as World Interfaith Harmony Week, a call for all to promote understanding between peoples of different religions where love of God/good and love of neighbor is central and have interfaith discussions and an interfaith breakfast.

A few precepts of this resolution states that we are to be against the actions of misguided followers and that no religion is inherently violent and that all have the right of religious freedom. So I pray that King Abdulla II speaks out against the Islamo-Facism that is the majority of inter-religious killing and terror around our blessed earth; please hear the cries of the Coptic Christians of Egypt.

Islamo-Facism deserves “our anger” and our hearts need to walk the “straight path” of non-violence and human rights of all peoples.

I will be charting religious violence, threats and terror during the World Interfaith Harmony Week, and I will mail these results to King Abdulla II, CAIR and our local imam.

Let’s stop the hate and violence; peace and good will to all.

Have breakfast with me, a stoic philosopher; email –tompvecc@hotmail.com.

(The Monk of Athena) Thomas P. Vecchio, Chittenango

Out of the Dust

By Bob Betz

(Wampsville, NY) The front page of the Lyons Republican for June 20, 1919, had an interesting article on the current advances being made in world transportation.

Fly From New World to Old By Airplane in 16 Hours

Dream of Aviation Realized

The final goal of all the ambitions which flying men have ventured to dream since the Wright brothers’ first rose from the earth in a heavier-than-air machine, was realized Sunday morning when two young British officers, Captain John Alcott and Lieutenant Arthur W. Brown, landed on the Irish coast after the first non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean.

Their voyage was without accident and without unforeseen incident, so far as can be learned. It was a straight away clean-cut flight achieved in sixteen hours and twelve minutes – from Newfoundland to Cliften, Ireland, a distance of more than 1,900 miles.

But the brief and modest description which comes from the airmen at Cliften tells of an adventurous and amazingly hazardous enterprise. Fog and mist hung over the North Atlantic and the Vickers-Viny biplane climbed and dived, struggling to extricate herself from the folds of the airplane’s worst enemies. She rose 13,000 feet, swooped down almost to the surface of the sea and at times the two aviators found themselves flying upside down only ten feet above the water.

In landing, the machine struck heavily and the fuselage plowed itself into the sand. Neither of the occupants was injured.

Enthusiasm over the success of the trip, it is commented, has not been accompanied by any minimizing of the great danger the aviators encountered. Once, the airmen said, they barely escaped being plunged into the sea when the machine went onto a flat spin. Early in the flight the half gale in which they took off from St John’s tore off the propeller that drove the wireless dynamo and made radio communication impossible. At the same time, Lieutenant Brown says, a stay wire had broken, but of this he did not speak of to his companion until they landed. Captain Alcott said he would have turned back had he known this.

The aviators said that they did not feel hungry during the flight, but were extremely thirsty.

The Viny bomber, in its flight across the Atlantic, carried a number of mascots, including a dog and cat, but the real one was an American flag belonging to Lieutenant Brown, the plane’s navigator. It was a symbol of citizenship that is American, despite his birth in Scotland and the fact that he is still on the active duty list of the Royal Air Force. The flight was truly a British-American project, and the colors of both nations were aboard, as well as two gallant representatives of the nations.

It is a report that seems to have a bit of embellishment. I cannot visualize the plane upside down let alone ten feet above the water.

Bob Betz is an independent historian who volunteers in the Madison County Clerk’s Office Archives. While working there, Betz has recaptured stories of Madison County’s past ‘out of the dust.’ His columns are taken from historic documents and written in the language of the era. He can be reached at history@m3pmedia.com.

To the Editor:

(Madison County, NY – Jan. 2012) On behalf of the RSVP Advisory Council, volunteers and staff, I would like to express sincere thanks to everyone who has generously donated to the United Way of Greater Oneida. Your United Way contribution supports so many worthwhile organizations that have a positive impact on our community.

RSVP, as a United Way recipient, works to strengthen our communities through volunteer services. The mission of RSVP is to match adults age 55 and over with Madison County non-profit organizations in need of volunteers to address critical community needs.

As a result, more than 600 volunteers provided more than 60,000 hours of valuable service last year through RSVP-sponsored programs and dedicated non-profit organizations.

RSVP coordinates and sponsors the annual free tax preparation service for residents over age 60, the Bone Builders Exercise Program, and the Ombudsman Program that advocates for residents in nursing homes.

In addition, we provide support for volunteers to 53 non-profits throughout Madison County. Volunteers are active in the Oneida area as literacy tutors, medical appointment drivers, with the Red Cross, Madison County Historical Society, Oneida Healthcare, OFA’s SNACK program, Victims of Violence hotline and help at special events such as the annual Family Fun Day.

Your support helps RSVP and many area non-profits continue making a positive impact on the quality of life in Madison County. Thank you once again to all donors and the Board of Directors of the Greater Oneida United Way campaign for your ongoing support.

Mary Bartlett, Director, Retired Senior Volunteer Program