"Helping Kids Get on the Right Track"

Past Messages from the Director 

The Oneida County Youth Bureau presents:

GANG AWARENESS 101

Wednesday December 6, 2006

Presenter: Captain Anthony Farina (ret.)
Rockland County Gang Intelligence Task Force
9:00 am –3:00 pm
Mohawk Valley Community College
Alumni College Center Room 116 

THIS EVENT IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!

To register download this form and follow the instructions. 
For more information contact Ryan Nobles at 798-5027 or rnobles@ocgov.net

8-15-06

SAVE THE DATE!!

The Association of New York State Youth Bureaus is holding its annual conference this October 15-18, 2006.

The conference will feature a variety of workshops on youth development and other child related issues.

It is being held this year at the Conference Center Niagara Falls and will feature keynote speakers Kevin Wanzer, Ed Barlow, John Stevens, Tony Porter, Vicki Baldwin and Janis Whitlock. For more information you can contact the Niagara County Youth Bureau at 716-278-6886 or log on to www.anysyb.org. If you have any questions about the content of the conference catch up with me at 798-5027 or rnobles@ocgov.net

7-18-07

The Youth Bureau/Stop DWI Summer Recreation Workshops are off to a great start! We have already visited three sites with many more to come. Here are a couple of pictures from a few of our stops:

Kids from the Boonville Rec program get ready to learn and have fun

 
Kids from Deerfield learn about making the right decisions

Contact me at rnobles@ocgov.net to find out when the program is coming to your town.

6-30-06

With school out for the summer it is time to gear up for another summer of recreation fun in Oneida County. As usual many of our municipalities have active summer recreation programs. Some are already underway; others will begin right after the holiday. To make things easier for you, we have compiled the list of programs in one spot. Just click on the “activities for kids” link on the tool bar at the top and you’ll find a map of the county. Click on your town or village and you’ll find the information on the program and who to contact for more information.

If for some reason you don’t see your town or village and know of a program that is currently take place, contact me right away at 798-5027 or rnobles@ocgov.net. As soon as we get the information we will post it on the list.

In addition for the first time ever, the Youth Bureau/Oneida County STOP DWI collaboration is offering a free STOP DWI workshop for kids in summer recreation programs. The program is fun and interactive and will teach kids about the dangers of drinking and driving and overall destructive decisions. If you like to bring this program to your community contact me right away.

Have a safe and enjoyable summer!

5-17-06

As I am sure you know last night was school budget vote night in New York and Oneida County. Most local school budgets passed, but one very interesting thing happened in the Utica City School District. The voting public overwhelming approved the concept of appointing a student representative to the school board as a non-voting member. As a proponent of active student involvement in the planning and administrative process I believe this is a terrific development.

It has been proven time and time again, that students and young people are not only capable of participating on boards but they often offer a valuable and unique perspective. Young people can give these decision makers direct insight into what happens day to day in a school or youth program. I hope that other school districts and local agencies take Utica’s lead and investigate the possibility of youth participation on their boards. Congrats to Superintendent Marylin Skermont for her leadership. It is cutting edge decisions like this that will benefit us all.

5-9-06

Oneida County is fortunate today to be hosting Youth Bureau Directors and Staff from all over New York State. From Cattaraugus County in the Southwest to Suffolk County on Long Island they will on converge on Rome for the annual Association of New York State Youth Bureaus Director’s retreat.  The two day event is a wonderful opportunity for us to share the many projects we are working on.

Here in Oneida County we have two Youth Bureaus.  Along with the County YB, we also are fortunate to have a very active municipal youth bureau in the City of Utica. Both the County and City YB’s benefit a great deal from the services and resources that the Association provides.

Check back tomorrow and we’ll have some pictures of day one of the annual ANYSYB Director’s retreat from Rome.

12-23-05 

…..and a happy New Year

From the 
Oneida County Youth Bureau.

2006 is off and running in the Oneida County Youth Bureau and that means that we have number of brand new programs that we are helping to fund. They represent a diverse group of agencies offering terrific youth development options for the kids of Oneida County. You can see all of our programs by clicking on our Who We Serve link.

Here is a capsule of all the new programs that we will help to fund in 2006:

www.thenucc.com
North Utica Senior Citizens/Community Center – 
Teen Recreation/Services – This program provides a caring community hub where teens can engage in supervised recreational , intergenerational and educational activities and receive support in crucial areas of their lives.

For more information contact: YVONNE MCCLUSKEY 724-2430 or info@thenucc.com

Oneida County Youth Bureau- 
Oneida County Youth Court-  This program provides pre-sentencing and adjudication alternatives to youth committing school and first time non-violent offenses. The program’s goal is to combat juvenile delinquency and educate both offenders and the youth court volunteer participants.

For more information contact- KEVIN CRUMB 798-5027 or kcrumb@ocgov.net

Utica Municipal Housing Authority- www.uticamha.org         

Teens & Dreams- This program will assist disadvantaged youth residing in Adrean Terrace , N.D. Peters and Matt Apartments to complete secondary school and enroll in post secondary education; tutoring , mentoring , counseling , career exploration , recreation and college preparation workshops. 

For more information contact- STEVE KAMBIC 735-5246 or skambic@uticamha.org  

Waterville School Foundation- www.watervilleschools.org   

Love & Logic- This is a research based program with demonstrated effectiveness in improving parent/youth communication. It uses small group experience with parents and a separate experience for youth.

For more information contact- KATHY MOON 821-2125

12-13-05

The Children’s Museum in Utica is planning a prehistoric/futuristic Christmas! This Saturday kids can go from the dinosaur days all the way to outer space and see Santa Claus along the way. The event takes place from 10am-4pm. Santa will be there along with his pal Twinkle the Elf.

Along with the everyday terrific displays at the Museum (over 1000), Santa will hear wishes from 10:45am to 1:15pm and Twinkle will be offering face painting and balloons. It costs only $7 to take part and kids can take part in arts and crafts, eat cookies, drink cocoa and receive candy canes as they leave.

For more information e-mail Marlene Brown or call her at 315-724-6129.

12-6-05

Expect things to be a winter wonderland in Utica this holiday season. The Utica Neighborhood Homeownership Center’s Cornhill Yard of the month committee is sponsoring a Holiday Decorating Contest. The will run from December 19 – 31, 2005.   Everyone is encouraged to tour Cornhill and nominate the home they feel best depicts the Holiday Spirit.   The contest is open to homeowners and tenants alike.

The winner of the First Annual - Cornhill Holiday Decoration Contest will be honored on January 17, 2006 at the January Meeting of the Cornhill Neighborhood Association.  As the honoree the winner will receive a special Garden Gift Basket, a Utica/Rome 2006 “Enjoy the City” coupon book, a framed Cornhill Holiday Decoration Contest Award Certificate and a Cornhill Yard of the Month sign for their yard. For more information call 724-4197 or e-mail Gene Allen at gallen@unhs.org.

11-28-05

One of the standards that the State of New York sets for all Youth Bureaus is that each of our Advisory Boards must have youth representation. I believe this is a terrific policy. Youth memberships on boards that make decisions that directly effect kids is not only a learning experience but it allows for better decisions to be made.

We recently lost the services of our two youth members who went away to college in September. However, I am excited to report that we already have a new incoming crop of youth members. These 5 young people come from all parts of the county, offer many different backgrounds and many different experiences. They will get off the ground quickly as they will all be a part of our next meeting on December 6^th. We are excited about their contribution.

It also leads me to another point regarding the role of young people in policy making. I strongly believe we need to offer more opportunities for this to happen. Getting kids involved in the planning process of youth development gives rich insight into what it takes to get kids on the right track. If you have a story about a young person who played an important role in a program that you were a part of let me know. E-mail me at rnobles@ocgov.net or call me at 798-5027.

11-21-05

Now I am not trying to blow past Thanksgiving, which is Thursday. I am very excited about Thanksgiving, but I want to make you aware about a fun event kids this Saturday. Take a break for shopping to take in some holiday cheer at the Children's Museum of Utica. From 10am to 4pm on Saturday they will host their annual Holiday on Main Street.

Here is how museum director Marlene Brown describes the event:

“Santa & Mrs. Claus will be arriving by fire truck from the North Pole at 11:30am and staying until 4:30pm to listen to the children's holiday wishes - bring your cameras! Cookies and cocoa, provided by Wal*Mart, will be available all day in our first floor birthday room. Appearing on our 2nd floor stage area will be Kindermusik interactive holiday song & dance; Joe Angerosa's Elvis Christmas Show; G & G Productions Holiday Music; Sounds of Silver Chorus; New Horizons Chorus, The Players of Utica, and the Sounds of Soloman. Appearing on our 3rd floor will be: Smiley the Clown and helpers doing face painting & balloon making, Arts & Crafts on various holidays celebrated in our community, Andrew Buffington's caricature drawings; Chellah's African art & sharing of African animals; Author Mike Zarnock at his new book signing "Hot Wheels Accessories, The Ultimate Guide". Reduced $6.00 admission also includes interacting with the 100’s of hands-on exhibits on all four floors (special members price for this event only $3.00, children under 1 year of age free).

Following the museum closing, the following free events will occur outside. At 4:30pm, Candy canes will be handed out at the Holiday Sing-A-Long on the City bandstand out on Main Street in front of the museum, to be followed at 5:00pm by the grand lighting ceremony of the Main Street Baggs Square Festival of Lights, with an exciting Fireworks display immediately after.”

Now doesn’t that sound like fun? If you would like more information call: 724-6219 or email Marlene Brown.

11-18-05

There are some exciting things happening in the Cornhill Caring Communities Project. One of those things is an ambitious project by some teens in the area to open a Teen Center/Coffee House run by teens for teens. As you might imagine this is not a project that is easy to get off the ground, but this group is heading in the right direction.

Their biggest standing in their way (as you might guess) is money. However, instead of complaining about not having any resources and quitting, this group is going to find the money through creative means. The first step is tonight. The Cornhill Caring Communities program will present a teen talent show at Proctor High School from 7-9pm . The event only costs $2 and every last cent of the proceeds will go to getting this teen center up and running. In my opinion this event is a win-win. Not only will you be helping a great cause, but you will see some dynamite entertainment for only 2 bucks! You can’t even rent a movie for 2 bucks. If you like more information contact Charley Francis at  (315)-859-4879 or e-mail him by clicking on his name.

You can also learn more about some of the upcoming programs put on by the Cornhill Caring Communities project by clicking on Activities for Kids.

11-14-05

It seems like a simple concept, but it could be the start of something special. For the next three Thursday mornings the Youth Bureau is going to be bustling as we invite the heads of local agencies who work with Youth to discuss some of the issues facing our young people. We’ve dubbed the meetings “Breakfast at the Bureau”. Last Thursday we held the first meeting and learned a great deal. The goal is to find out what we can do to help our agencies and to help our agencies understand what we need to make them successful.

In our first meeting we accomplished that goal very easily and then we gained much more. As we talked about the challenges in our community and we discovered common links and areas where we can work together. I left feeling very encouraged about the potential to streamline our resources to more effectively deliver services to those in need.

Our next meeting is this Thursday November 17 @ 8:30am. All youth service providers are invited, so if you’d like to take part just e-mail me or call 798-5027 to reserve a spot.

11-11-05

Thank You Veterans!

Veterans’ Day means many things to many people.  For many kids it means one thing: a day off from school! That being said many schools do a very job of making sure that kids understand that it is a day where we reflect on those who served our country. If you know of a young person who is more concerned about the day off than the day’s significance, the US Department of Veterans’ Affairs has a website devoted to teaching kids about our veterans and how important they are to our country. Even better, the web site is broke down into age appropriate divisions for kids k-5 and kids 6-12^th. There is even a page that can help teachers explain the history of our veterans’ service to our country. They are all terrific web sites that you can get a great deal of information out of.

 
 
Have a wonderful holiday and a special thank you to everyone, including my grandfathers and my father, who served our country selflessly. It is because of you that we are free.

11-07-05

This weekend I caught myself watching the new NBC reality show Three Wishes. If you have never seen it, the premise is pretty simple. Pop music star Amy Grant and a crew move in on an unsuspecting city and grant three wishes. The wishes could be anything from a new fire truck for a volunteer fire company to teaching a little girl how to write her name. It is definitely cheesy, feel good fun. Anyway in the particular episode that I caught, a small volunteer outfit that makes toys for disadvantaged children made a wish that they could see first hand the results of their hard work. Amy and the Three Wishes crew obliged and sent the founders of the Happy Factory to South America to see children receive the little wood toys they had made. While Charles and Donna Cooley were watching this unfold in front of them, Charles said some thing that struck me: “We shouldn’t be preparing kids for the world, we should be preparing the world for kids.” How incredibly thoughtful! I am not sure if Charles was necessarily the philosopher who came up with that thought but in one sentence he quickly dashed the conventional thinking when it comes to Youth Development.

We prepare kids for the world; we assume that they are ones who are ill-equipped. Could we have our priorities mixed up? Children are innocent, pure and thoughtful; we are preparing them for a world that is many ways, none of those things. Now I am not saying we should abandon helping kids prepare for the world, but I do think Charles is right, if there were more people like he and his wife in the world, the job of youth development might not be so difficult.

11-1-05

I mentioned in a previous post that I was going to share with you some information from the annual Association of New York State Youth Bureaus Conference in Rochester. The event took place October 24-26^th and featured presenters and workshops and on many issues regarding youth development. 

One of the speakers that I was particularly impressed with was James Vollbracht. He has written a book that is a terrific guide for Youth Service Providers. The books is called Stopping at Every Lemonade Stand . It outlines some common sense principles of what we can do to make sure kids get off on the right track. James believes each child should have three “STARS” in their lives: Stable Trusted Adult Resources. For many of us our parents and perhaps a coach or teacher served as our STARS. You may even have dozens of people you could point to who were STARS in your life.  Unfortunately many children right here in Oneida County don’t have three STARS, some don’t have any. We should make it our goal in this community to find as many STARS as we can and connect them with the kids who need them. It is one of the reasons we have made such a commitment to our Mentoring Programs. Kids need positive adult role models.

10-31-05

Today is a fun day and I am sure that everyone will have fun, but it is important to make sure that you stay safe.

Be sure that before you go out tonight that you keep in mind the following safety tips from the NYS Police:

Costume ideas.

• Make sure children's costumes fit and that your children can see clearly. To prevent trips, falls and other bumps in the night, keep costumes short. They should not interfere with a child’s ability to walk safely.
• Apply makeup instead of having your child wear a mask. Masks can be hot and uncomfortable and, more importantly, they can obstruct a child’s vision — a dangerous thing when kids are crossing streets and going up and down steps.
• Make sure costumes are visible at night. If a costume is not light-colored, put reflective tape on the back and front of it.
• Only purchase costumes are that are flame retardant, so the little ones are not in danger near burning jack-o-lanterns and other fire hazards.

Check all treats first!

• Instruct trick-or-treaters not to sample treats until they are home and the treats have been examined by an adult.
• Remind kids not to eat everything at once or they’ll be feeling pretty ghoulish for awhile!

Before eating any treats:

• Check out all treats at home in a well-lit area.
• Throw away anything opened, partially unwrapped or not in its original wrapper. Carefully check all wrappers for signs of tampering.
• Wash, cut and inspect all fruit.
• Inspect homemade goodies for anything suspicious.
• If there are any suspicious treats, call the police.

The NYS Police offer a coloring book that you can download online that helps kids get these important ideas in their heads.

10-27-05

CONGRATS!

The Oneida County Youth Bureau Advisory Board elected a new slate of officers. Please join me in thanking them for their service for the young people in our community. They are as follows:

Lisa Matte- CO-CHAIR

Amy Dickinson- CO-CHAIR

Michael A. Parker- VICE-CHAIR

Each of them has already shown a tremendous commitment to the board and their willingness to step into leadership positions is wonderful.

In addition we must congratulate out co-chair Lisa Matte who was recently named the new director of the Jervis Public Library in Rome. The people in Rome are very fortunate to have such a quality leader running such an important community asset.

Finally, I just got back from the Association of New York State Youth Bureaus Conference in Rochester earlier in the week. Check back to the web site over the next few days and I’ll share with you some of what I learned at this annual gathering.

10-21-05

I was fortunate enough to take part in a terrific conference on a major problem facing kids and people who help kids. The Central Region branch of the Association of New York State Youth Bureaus (ANYSYB) partnered with the Learning Disabilities Association of Central New York to present internationally renowned bullying expert Barbara Coloroso. 

Ms. Coloroso has written a number of books on the topic including The Bully, The Bullied and the Bystander. Her daylong discussion was based on her lengthy research on the topic of bullying. She gave many practical examples of how to change the culture in a situation to prevent bullying. If you’d like me to share some of what I learned at the conference with your agency please e-mail me or call 798-5027 right away.

10-17-05

One of the many programs funded by the Youth Bureau is off to a fast start. 45 students from across Oneida County are taking part in the fall semester of the 4-H Government Intern Program. 

The program is run by the Oneida County branch of Cornell Cooperative Extension. High School Juniors and Seniors who are interested in government and civic activities get a first hand look at the way government works. They are each sponsored by their respective member of the Oneida County Legislature. They attend every meeting of the legislature and will eventually work to mock session of their own legislature where they will pass resolutions on issues that are important to them. Teaching students the important aspects of government is an integral part of youth development. Who knows? Perhaps one of our mock legislators will become the next great member of congress form Oneida County!

It is too late to be a part of the program for this semester, however if you are a Junior or Senior you can sign up for the spring. Contact the program’s coordinator Chris Weber-Mangini at  315-736-3394 or e-mail her at caw24@cornell.edu.

10-7-05

Youth Court Graduation!

Over 30 students from across Oneida County graduated last night from the Oneida County Youth Court Training. This important step means that they will now be able to take an active part in the Youth Court program which teaches kids how law enforcement and the judicial system works. It also helps kids who get into trouble get back on the right track.

See more pictures from the Youth Court Graduation by clicking on the Bureau on the Road icon in the top right corner!

10-4-05

Not every kid is headed for college. That is not necessarily a bad thing. While we should encourage every child to take advantage of every educational opportunity available to them, a college education may not be the right fit for some. That was the thought process behind the Youth Construction Initiative Program. YCIP was an idea hatched by some professors at the University of Albany and has turned into a statewide effort. High school students from the Hudson Valley to Buffalo are given the option of getting hands on training in the field of construction. That training often leads to these students becoming full time construction workers. It is a win-win situation. Students that are very good at working with their hands, but struggle with books and papers find a niche and excel. Construction companies and State Agencies in desperate need of skilled workers, find capable people very quickly.

Utica’s version of YCIP is thriving. It is run locally by Gary Harvey. Students have been involved in cleaning and repairing state bridges, and working on local construction projects. Interestingly enough, signing up for YCIP doesn’t mean a student won’t end up going to college. What it often will do is change the direction of that education. For instance, in Utica a young lady had no plans to go to college, but after going through the program she decided to attend MVCC and is taking courses in construction technology.

It is nice to see another example of our community using creative ways to help get the kids in Oneida County on the right track.

9-28-05

Mentoring workshop number one was a huge success! Many mentoring volunteers were able to take advantage of the free opportunity to learn more about the best way to take advantage of the mentoring relationship. Kids Oneida’s James Scutchins did a tremendous job explaining the positive aspects of mentoring and gave the volunteers tips on how to maximize their opportunity.

The best part about this situation is that it is only the first of what promises to be many more to come!! We are planning at least three more workshops on the following dates.

Saturday, October 15- 9am-11am

Wednesday, October 26 – 5:30pm- 7:30pm

Wednesday, November 15- 5:30pm- 7:30pm

If you are interested in attending, please contact the Youth Bureau at 798-5027 or e-mail me for more information. We will attempt to accommodate anyone who is interested, so please do not hesitate to get involved.

9-22-05

We are only a few days away from the start of a brand new program spurred on by the Youth Bureau that is being run by a collaboration of agencies we help to fund. Next Tuesday September 27^th Compeer in cooperation with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oneida County and Kids Oneida will begin a series of workshops designed to help volunteer mentors make effective use of the volunteer contribution.

Volunteer Mentoring has been proven to be one of the most positive and effective ways to help at risk kids get off on the right track. It can be a rewarding experience, but it is not without its challenges. The goal of these workshops is to give volunteers some tools to help make the process a bit easier. The two hour event will pack in a great deal of information that will match the proper skills with a volunteer’s already driven desire to help.

The best part of this program is that is open to anyone interested and it is free!! No cost whatsoever. The tab will be completely picked up by the Youth Bureau. That means if you are a mentor, if you are thinking about being a mentor or you just want to learn more about the process you have no excuse.

To learn more or to sign up, drop me an e-mail or give me a call at 315-798-5027. There are going to be at least 4 more workshops after the initial offering on the 27^th, so if you can’t make it next Wednesday contact me for the complete schedule.

9-16-05

I have to admit that I am a big fan of television. I worked in television. I think there are a lot of positive aspects to television, but I am also aware that television, if used in excess, can lead to problems. These problems are especially prevalent in kids who watch too much TV. Many studies have shown that problems like childhood obesity, certain forms of social disorders and a variety of other issues can have links back to TV.  Enter kids’ network Nickelodeon.

If you have kids or you are a kid you know how popular Nickelodeon is. Well Nick has been promoting a worthy idea all summer long. It’s called: “Let's Just Play Press - Summer Campaign”. The campaign encourages kids to shut off the tube and get outside, run around and have a good time. But telling kids to go out and play is one thing, taking action is completely another. On Saturday October 1^st Nick is going to shut down its operation. That is right, they are going to go off the air. They are almost forcing kids to get outside and play. A TV network is making sure that kids understand there is more to life than, well TV.

And speaking of Nick, I checked out their series of web sites. They offer kids quite a few educational and fun games. They also encourages kids to do important things like find ways to help the victims of hurricane Katrina. Make no mistake, they are a company, and they are in it to make money so there is a lot of ads and things of that nature, but on the whole it is a worthy site to check out. You can get there directly by clicking on any of the icons above.

9-12-05

Congrats! to a group of hard working people in Cornhill!

This mural was painted by a volunteer group over the weekend on the side of Gerling's market on Steuben Street. It is a spot that is routinely targeted by graffiti artists. This time a new group of artists chose to use this canvas to send a positive message and it worked big time.

If you have an example like this of youth taking positive action in your community please share it with me right away!

9-07-05

There is a great deal happening that I’d like to share with you.

First and foremost, Oneida County is continuing to take in active role in aiding the victims of Hurricane Katrina. County Executive Joseph A. Griffo has met with a coalition of local service providers to determine the next step in his “Adopt a County” program. At some point next week he will announce what Gulf Coast County the county will support and what items are needed to help them. As I am sure you are aware, the challenges are great and whatever you can do to help will get the people of the hard hit areas back to a somewhat normal life.

I am sure you are very aware that school is back up and running. That changes the focus for the Youth Bureau as the focus has changed for the kids we serve. In the coming weeks we will begin announcing plans for this year’s Youth Education Summit or YES Summit. This is a very popular opportunity for schools and students to play an active role in their community. For more information on the YES Summit, contact Chip Bassett in the Oneida County Planning Department.

If you have not been to the Cornhill section of Utica lately, you might not recognize it. The Utica Municipal Housing Authority has been busy implementing the Hope VI grant and the area gets better by the day. There are also a few dedicated people committed to making the place a better place to live. One of them is Charley Francis. Charley is an AmeriCorps*VISTA Volunteer. As part of the AmeriCorps program he works everyday to help the people of that community. Charley is one of these guys who is always moving and always doing something. This weekend is no different. I’d like to share with you a portion of an e-mail he recently sent me about a project he is working on.

“Our mural project at Gerling's Market is off to a great start! We have the design of a cityscape on one side, and a nearly completed American flag on the other. There is still a lot of painting to do and fun to be had, so we will have a 2nd session on Saturday, September 10 (this Saturday),  at 10am. Young and old are welcome, though anything anyone can do to encourage or bring youth volunteers will be very helpful.”

So at Charley’s behest, I am encouraging you to take part. For more info e-mail him by clicking here .

Good luck to everyone starting school this week! Study Hard!

9-1-05

It is no surprise that only hours after the devastation in the Gulf Cost occurred that people in Oneida County were mobilizing prepared to help. Oneida County Executive Joseph A. Griffo has already begun an initiative to "adopt a county" in one of the hard hit areas. Once things begin to settle down and the government leaders in the area can assess the damage, Oneida County will call for donations to be sent to one particular county (or parish as some are called) to help the citizens of the community get their lives back together.

NewsChannel 2 already has plans for a local telethon to raise money for the American Red Cross and Rome Mayor James Brown is taking donations outside of City Hall.

There are many opportunities for you to get involved and help. Here is a list of charities that are in the process of gathering together support for the people in need.

8-29-05

Many of you may be aware that for many years I worked for NewsChannel 2 in Utica. During my time in the media, I took part in a Cornhill event called the “Public Safety & Community Leaders vs. Media Challenge”.  The event, which is a basketball game between community leaders and members of the media, is a celebration of the success made by the Cornhill Hoops Program. Now, I always enjoyed participating in this event except for one thing: We always lost!!! And usually we lost really badly. Well things could change for me this year, as I am no longer a part of the media, but still have been asked to take part. However we shall see, with some very good community leaders on the roster, I may not make the team!

Anyway, this is  a terrific event which you should check out. It takes place on Thursday September 1, 2005 at 6pm @ the Kemble & James St. Basketball Court. The Community leaders are shooting for a 3-0 record against the hapless media. If you’d like more information on the event or Cornhill Hoops in general contact Gene Allen at 724-4197.

8-23-05

Believe it or not it is time to start thinking about going back to school. I am sure that you are already immersed in back to school shopping. While most people in Oneida County will have enough to make sure that their children will be sufficiently equipped to learn when the school year starts, there is a significant portion of our population that could use some help.

Luckily we have some terrific local groups that are organizing efforts to help those who could use some help. One such group is the Compassion Coalition. Compassion Coalition has once again kicked off their Back-to-School Back Pack program. The program has a goal of distributing back packs, filled with back to school necessities to 6,000 needy children in Oneida and Herkimer Counties. If a parent were to buy the back pack for their child it would cost at least $75.

That is where you come in. Compassion Coalition needs people to donate to the effort. They have secured donations for many of the supplies, but there is still a cost of about $3.37 a back pack. For 6,000 back packs the total cost of the project is $25,000. To learn more about how you can help, contact Pastor Dave Nicolette at (315) 266-0039 x11.

The event takes place August 27, 2005 so they need your help right away!

Compassion Coalition
Back-To-School Back Pack Program
WHEN:       August 27, 2005
NEED:         Donations for Back Packs
CONTACT:  Pastor Dave Nicolette at (315) 266-0039 x11

8-16-05



Congrats to the Cosmopolitan Center and their executive director Sam Smith. The center hosted Astronaut Dr. Karen Nyberg who gave a very interesting talk about her life and how she went from very small town in the Northern Mid-West all the way to Johnson Space Center in Texas. Dr. Nyberg spoke about the importance of math and science and how anyone can live their dreams if they work hard. Almost 150 kids from around Oneida County took part and many got to personally ask Dr. Nyberg questions about space and what it takes to be an astronaut. You can learn more about the NASA astronaut program by clicking on www.nasa.gov . 

This event could not have happened without the hard work of many people including Rep. Sherwood Boehlert who as the Chairman of the House Science Committee was able to arrange for Dr. Nyberg to appear. Oneida County Executive Joseph A. Griffo and our Workforce Development Director David Mathis also played an important role in making this event happen.

To see pictures of this special event, click on our 
"Bureau on the Road" link at the top of the page

8-10-05

I am sure that you have seen the many advertisements already warning that the summer is drawing to a close and that school is right around the corner. Even though businesses are wrapping the summer season up there are still many programs in Oneida County that have many opportunities for kids to enjoy themselves. I’ll give you a couple of examples that caught my eye:

Every Tuesday August 2-30 6:30pm- 9:00pm

“Movies in the Park”- This event is sponsored by the HomeOwnership Center & Utica Weed and Seed, Cornhill Caring Community and Communities That Care. It features a movie that the whole family will enjoy outside at Watson-Williams Park (James Street between Steuben & Elm Street). The FREE event also includes an open mic contest and a lot of fun. For more information call 724-4197 or home@unhs.org .

Every Thursday August 4-25 5:30pm-8:00pm

“Cornhill Hoops Basketball League”-  This event is sponsored by the HomeOwnership Center & Utica Weed and Seed, Cornhill Caring Communities, Communities That Care, Utica Safe Schools Healthy Students, City of Utica, Utica PBA & Utica Professional Fire Fighters. This event is also Free and is open to all boys and girls ages 7 and up. This event takes place at the Kemble Street Basketball Court. For more information call 724-4197 or home@unhs.org  

Monday August 15 1pm-3pm

“A View of Space”- This event is presented by the Cosmopolitan Center. Rep. Sherwood Boehlert and NASA Mission Specialist Karen Nyberg as they discuss NASA, space, careers, and education. This free event is open to all kids and takes place at the Cosmopolitan Center in Utica. For more information call 798-5027 or rnobles@ocgov.net .

The weather has been terrific, so don’t give up on summer yet! We still have a few weeks to enjoy the warm sunny weather!

8-5-05

Are you 13? Do you have a child or grandchild who is 13? Do you have a niece, nephew, stepchild, brother, sister, or anyone who you care deeply about that is just entering their teen years? An article in this week’s TIME magazine takes an in depth look at the age of 13.

Professionals have known for years that the adolescent years are a crucial time in a child’s development but this article takes it a step further and specifically looks at the age of 13. It asks important questions about what 13 year old kids think about life, love, religion and their future. It also deals with the challenges that today’s new teenagers have to deal with that their parents or even older siblings did not. Technology like the internet and cell phones have made it easier than ever for 13 year olds to connect, but those connections can sometimes be dangerous. It also tackles a variety of subjects like the pull of pop-culture, the benefits and problems associated with middle schools and it asks 13 year olds directly about what they think about the challenges they are facing.

I highly recommend you read the piece and you can link to it by clicking on the magazine cover above. I thought I’d point out a few of the interesting statistics that came out in their poll of 13 year olds:

*67% of 13 year olds believe being a teenager today is harder than it was for their parents.
*53% of 13 year olds would describe their relationship with their parents as excellent.
*72% of 13 year olds have not started going out or dating anyone.
*60% of 13 year olds think that people should wait until they get married to have sex.

*Time Magazine Poll using a Harris Interactive Online interactive sample. SRBI Public Affairs designed the sample

Again, please take a look at the article. You may find it to be very helpful.

8-1-05

As we get closer to the fall a great deal of activity is happening at the Oneida County Youth Bureau. Currently we are reviewing the many applications we received for funding. Our Allocations Committee, which is part of our Advisory Board, has met a number of times to discuss the applications of the many programs who applied for funding. We are expected to learn how much money we are going to receive from the State Office of Children of Family Services in the next few weeks. Once that information comes in we will then be able to make our award announcements for 2006.

If you have any questions about how we fund programs or if you’d like to learn more about what criteria is used to award funding, please contact me at 798-5027 or e-mail me at rnobles@ocgov.net .

7-26-05

It is the last week in July and that means it is time for the annual Boonville- Oneida County Fair! Thousands of people will take part in the big event including a number of groups connected with the Oneida County Youth Bureau.

We are especially proud