Dear eNews Reader,
I hope you had a happy holiday season spent doing what you most enjoy. Here’s hoping for a happy and healthy new year! Our new legislative session starts next week with the Governor’s State of the State and budget addresses coming soon after. As always, I will keep you posted on how the state budget and other initiatives will affect the Southern Tier.
Donna
Public Safety Training Center Coming to JC
Earlier this month, I joined Johnson City Mayor Meaney, Police Chief Dodge, Fire Chief McCaffery and others to announce plans for a new Public Safety Training Center for the Village. They will be renovating the former Public Works building on Brown Street with a $250K Assembly grant I secured. The Center will provide a dedicated space for police, fire, and K-9 training, complete with breach simulators, movable walls, and weatherproofing upgrades. Most training materials will be easily movable in the event of a flood.
Ice Rink Opens at Grippen Community Park
A new ice rink at Grippen Community Park officially opened, bringing this tradition back to the park after 20 years. This is the final part of a large renovation effort led by County Executive Garnar and the Broome County Parks Department. The cost will be a $5 admission charge and $5 to rent a pair of skates. A new skate sharpener should be arriving soon for those who want to use their own skates like me. Hours of operation will be: Fridays: 5 p.m. – 9 p.m, and Saturdays & Sundays: 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. Check the County website for additional hours.
Families Receive Holiday Giving Boxes
Thanks to the community’s generosity, the team prepared 425 Holiday Giving Boxes for delivery to local families. Each was packed with the ingredients for a holiday meal. Produce was purchased from Hellers Farm and Carlin Farms, and dessert was purchased from Iced-NY Bakery. This effort is a partnership between my office, Cornell Cooperative Extension, CHOW, Broome-Tioga BOCES School Nutrition Services, and the County Executive Garnar and the Broome County Veterans Resiliency Project. Thank you to our partners, sponsors, volunteers, and donors for making our sixth year a big success.
GFJ Library Receives State Grant
Sen. Webb and I announced that the George F. Johnson Library has been awarded nearly $100K in state aid from the 2024-25 Library Construction Fund. Our libraries are important community resources, providing a welcoming place for residents of all ages. With this funding, the library was able to convert a space on their main floor into two new workspaces including an office for community social services. I’ll be supporting their efforts to create a Teen Space next year to better serve a younger generation of library patrons.
Celebrating 50 Years of Kampai
50 years ago, Richard Matsushima opened Kampai Japanese Steakhouse, introducing Japanese cuisine to our community. On December 19th, 50 years to the day of their opening, Sen. Webb and I joined a room full of friends, family, and staff to celebrate this milestone and honor Richard and the Matsushima family for their dedication to the community. We presented them with a Resolution that passed through both houses of the Legislature, along with other recognitions.