2020 census wrapping up with local canvassing

by Dan McClelland

The 2020 census officially concludes September 30 and in the weeks until then enumerators are working diligently in the North Country communities to get everyone counted by the finish line.

“September 30 is the last day that households can either self-respond, either online, over the phone or on paper and that's also the last day we'll knock on doors,” Jeff Behler, census spokesman, explained this week.

He said that when census workers go to anyone's door they always produce a photo identification, with their photo, an expiration date and the U.S. Department of Commerce water mark on it. The census is always conducted by that federal agency.

“Most carry a bag with their paper supplies in it and their smart photo, because that's how we collect the data!”

After interviewing the resident the census-takers then enter the data into their smart phone, he explained.

“They are also required to wear a mask when they are out in the public, regardless of what local restrictions may be!”

Mr. Behler stressed that mask-wearing is a requirement. “Whenever we learn of people not wearing them, we deal with those issues as we hear of them.”

He said things have gone relatively smoothly in this year's census. “There have been some issues like every census where someone points a gun at an enumerator” or makes other threats. “Some of these things typically happen every census!”

There have been some incidents in the North Country where people show up at a door and say they are with the census bureau and they don't produce the required ID.

“Now that we are door-knocking, this is when scams typically start...this is when people say: 'hey, I'm from the census bureau.'”

Mr. Behler said his agency alerts local authorities when that happens.

He said the questions on any census form are very simple. “Name, age, address, date of birth, race and ethnicity, whether or not you are of hispanic origin. We ask for a phone number, the person's sex, whether they own or rent their home and the relationship to the first person that is listed on the census form...mother, father, son, daughter.”

“Important things for people to know is we don't ask for citizenship status, for bank account information, for money, for social security numbers.” Mr. Behler said asking those questions are normally what happen if scams are underway.

“That should always raise a red flag that this is a scam” and the fake enumerator is a scammer.

If anyone feels they have been scammed or they just want to check out the process they can call the regional telephone number at (212) 8827100, he told the press.

“We'll do the leg work. We'll let you know if it's a legitimate survey. -And if it's a scam we immediately notify the local media, local law enforcement and notify all of our partners.” Those people include elected leaders, church officials, business owners, etc.

“We let everyone know there is a scam going on in their area so they can get the word out to everyone in their area,” Mr. Behler stressed.

He noted this is his third census and the numbers this time are better than in the past.

“We finished the 2010 census with a final self-response rate of 66.5%. That's one of our bench marks” of success. “That means that 33% of the people enumerated we had to go out and knock on the door to get their date.”

He explained when all numbers are tabulated, both self-responses and those who were interviewed by a census worker, they will get data from 100% of the addresses they are expected to canvass.

“Going into the 2020 census process several years ago, before we knew anything about COVID 19, we had predicted we would be at 60.5% at the time we would begin knocking on door.”

“We needed to know how many people we needed to recruit and hire and train. So we have to come up with an estimate” of self-responders.

He said that actual self-responders this time hit 63.5%- three points more than there initial estimate. “And this was before COVID.”

Asked if he was content with how everything in the census process has gone this time, Mr. Behler said he was. “I'm extremely pleased, especially with the self-response. I think we overachieved in a lot of areas. “Hiring has been excellent. We were worried after COVID struck. Would a lot of the people who applied eight months ago still be interested?

He noted initial recruiting began in October, 2018. “Some people could have applied that early.”

Mr. Behler said the start of this year's census was pushed back due to the pandemic. “The start of knocking on doors should have been May 13 and concluded July 31. But because of COVID we had to shift the start to August 9 and conclude September 30.

What type of person is a census enumerator? We asked.

Mr. Behler said it depends on the geographic area, but typically they are retired people, housewives, “any and all of the above.

He said many time the people who apply are recently retired. “This is a gig job...an eight-week job!”

“Some people just want to earn extra money. Where there are college campuses, a lot of times students apply because it's short-term employment.”

He said if his agency had been able to stick to its original schedule- May to July would have been perfect for students, since they are out of class then in the college year.

“This time we had student enumerators, but not as many as we typically would have had.”

“We had some people we hired who were no longer interested because of the schedule change or because of the COVID-19 scare itself.”

Some were genuinely concerned about meeting the public during this time and we understand that, he noted.

He said a typical enumerations takes between five and ten minutes, depending upon the number of people in the household who have to be interviewed. “On average it's five minutes for a family of four!”

One person can fill the census form out for their entire family, but everyone must be listed, he said of the process.

“We are basically taking a snap shot of the country,” who is living in America and where they live. “On April 1 2020 that's when we snap the camera.”

He said regardless of when the census form is completed, all questions relate to the April 1 date. “For example where did you live on April 1, 2020?”

Enumerators in the upstate region are paid $20 per hour.

“And the great things about these jobs are you choose the days and hours you work,” Mr. Behler stated.

“-And then we assign you work based up those choices. If you have a full-time job and just want to work for the census on evenings and weekends, you can be very successful!”

A person could easily work 20 hours a week for eight weeks and get the job done? “Absolutely,” he replied.

Why is it important that everyone gets counted in a census?

“It boils down to two things: representation. The number of seats the State of New York will have in the U.S. House of Representatives. The trend has been New York has lost seats because of population declines. While states like Texas and Florida, where populations are growing, gain Congressional seats.”

He said each state will use the census data to do their redistricting for drawing voting precincts, their school districts. He said local governments will use the data to determine boundaries for their legislative districts.

Mr. Behler said businesses typically use census data for the planning and marketing. “They want to grow where they know they will have a customer base and the abilitiy to hire employees.”

“When we talk about the distribution of federal fundings around the nation we are talking about hundreds of millions of dollars each year.”

“Funding things like Medicaid, Medicare, food stamps, WIC but also for fixing the nation's infrastructure: bridges, tunnels, roads, parks, community block development, etc.

Census data also determines, he said, how federal school meal grants are formulated, Title I grants, Headstart, Pel grants for college students. “One of the most things is health care, showing there are enough hospitals in communities, that there are enough beds in the hospitals, supplies they need, that there are enough fire stations, police departments, ambulances- all of those are based on formulas that will use 2020 census data.”

He explained that the 2020 census report will be a living document with statistics to guide the country for the next ten years.

“That's why it's so important to get the message out far and wide that everyone must be counted. The five minutes they take to complete the census is an investment in their futures for the next ten years.”

Mr. Behler directs the U. S. Census Bureau's New York district, one of six in the country. The New York district covers New York, New Jersey and Puerto Rico.

2020 Hammond Fair canceled

by Rachel Hunter

The Hammond Fair Association has decided to cancel the 2020 Hammond Fair amid the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. This year would have been the fair’s 81st anniversary.

The Hammond Fair Association announced the cancellation following considerable discussion, and the results of an interest survey by local 4-H and FFA members and their families. Fair Secretary Joan Hadlock said the Hammond Fair Association through the interest survey received about 50 percent positive and 50 percent negative responses about holding the 2020 Hammond Fair, and so after much discussion, it was decided to cancel the fair.

The Hammond Fair Association has announced that plans are underway for next year’s Hammond Fair which will be held at the fairgrounds in Hammond. Project that 4-H and FFA members were working on the be exhibited this year will be eligible at the 2021 Hammond Fair.

Started by a local agriculture teacher in the early 1900s, the Hammond Fair features the long tradition of developing local youth’s agricultural knowledge during the two-day country fair – featuring skills contests, livestock shows, vegetable and homemaking judging, and so much more. The youth assuredly will take the opportunity to fine-tune their skills and anticipate the Hammond Fair’s return in 2021!

More than 100 North Country students attend First UMC ‘s first drive-thru We’ve Got Your Back 2 School

Volunteers showcase the backpacks available at the Annual We’ve Got Your Back 2 School giveaway event, hosted by the First United Methodist Church of Gouverneur on Sunday, August 30. (Rachel Hunter photo)

Volunteers showcase the backpacks available at the Annual We’ve Got Your Back 2 School giveaway event, hosted by the First United Methodist Church of Gouverneur on Sunday, August 30. (Rachel Hunter photo)

by Rachel Hunter

The First United Methodist Church of Gouverneur hosted the North Country community at its 34 Grove Street location for its annual We’ve Got Your Back To School giveaway event on Sunday, August 30. Over 100 students in the North Country region were served during the event, encompassing the Gouverneur Central School District, Harrisville Central School District, Edwards-Knox Central School District, and Hermon-DeKalb Central School District.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, the annual event was organized by appointment with stations being set up in a drive-up style around the church. The efforts of many volunteers made the event possible. Social distancing was observed. Volunteers wore face masks, and hand sanitizer was available throughout the event.

Volunteers ready the school supply packets for community members at the Annual We’ve Got Your Back 2 School Giveaway at the First United Methodist Church of Gouverneur on Sunday, August 30. (Rachel Hunter photo)

Volunteers ready the school supply packets for community members at the Annual We’ve Got Your Back 2 School Giveaway at the First United Methodist Church of Gouverneur on Sunday, August 30. (Rachel Hunter photo)

School supplies were gathered in individualized packets, and brought to the community members vehicles as they arrived. At the next station, the community members were able to choose from a wide selection of backpacks. Also, toiletries and food was made available to all attendees.

Many contributions from community members and businesses made this event possible to help support local students during the upcoming 2020-21 school year.

Attention was also drawn during the event to the First UMC Blessing Box. This box (cabinet) is meant to provide non-perishable food items and toiletries for folks with an immediate need. Take what you need, give what you can, share the word if you know of someone who needs a little boost. You may add items to the box at any time, if the box is full you may drop items off at the church office (Monday – Friday, 9 AM – 1 PM) to replenish when supplies are low.

For more information on First United Methodist Church of Gouverneur, visit the church Facebook page or website gouverneurumc.org or call (315) 287-2440.

GCS Superintendent answers community’s concerns ahead of 2020-2021 school year

by Jessyca Cardinell

Gouverneur Central School District Superintendent of Schools Lauren French shared information pertaining to the upcoming 2020-2021 school year. Mrs. French stated there were many posts on Facebook concerning the wearing of masks by students. She felt the need to go into detail with what is being expected with mask wearing.

“Gouverneur Central School will be providing three masks,” she said. “These are three cloth masks for each scholar and also for our staff. We had also been encouraged to allow students to wear the gators because there is a higher level of comfort. We do not have a revised guidance on that from the health department but many of you may be aware that the use of gators article was published by a medical study saying they are not an effective control mechanism.

“This is just another example of where we are moving forward with very purposeful action in terms of what we know with the time. Today we find out that they may not be as safe as once understood. We will be providing masks and we will wait on additional guidance on the gaiters.” said Mrs. French, who went on to say, “I do think what’s most important is that we focus on the fact that all our actions are in accordance with our concept of trying to make spaces in our educational environments as safe as possible for our scholars and our employees.” said Mrs. French.

Mrs. French said this priority has brought up another topic that is of concern and importance.

“That is that all of our actions in cleaning of the buses, hallways, classrooms and teachers with masks and cleaning tough surfaces will not be beneficial or helpful if all of us aren’t doing our part,” she said. “All of us have to work in partnership with this and what you do at home and in the community and what our scholars do, any weak link in that chain of events or environment, will weaken what we are able to do here at school. That is something that we are taking as many precautions as we can and as I said to parents all along, I cannot guarantee the safety of your child, but we will most certainly do anything in our power and within our control in terms of cleaning, disinfecting, social distancing and health protocols,” said Mrs. French

The next topic was that many had brought up the Quarantine areas, which are being set up by Head Custodian Harold Simmons and Head Nurse Bev Martin.

“Those are in accordance with Department of Health guidelines. They have to be in a supervised area and isolated to the point we are not placing two, three or four students together and violating social distance. Please be aware of that,” said Mrs. French

Another question that has come in is asking what the protocol is for sending students home and then allowing them to return to school.

“Again, as of today, which is August 12th, the guidance that we have received is that a child that is sent home or that does have an elevated temperature needs to have medical paperwork to be able to return to school and has to have a clear COVID testing, again that’s guidance we have received from the Department of Health. People have asked, what are you going to do in terms of contacting families. We will be working with the Department of Health. I personally am not going to be made aware of Positive case unless a family member tells me or it is confirmed through the Department of Health and that’s the importance of contact tracing is so that I can say well this child was in this classroom and these are the families could have been potentially exposed. Then we will work individually with those families to make sure that all protocols are safely followed,” said Mrs. French.

“Several people asked how come we are doing the hybrid version of school where people are in for a couple of days then they are learning remotely. The reason for that, again, is we have to follow the guidelines for social distancing. When we map out our classrooms, most classrooms are not able to handle more than 12 students. We also have to take into an account a teacher being in a classroom and the potential of an aid or an additional teacher. We are actually maximizing classrooms if we are capable of having 12 students. In most cases, it will be ten and in some cases even fewer,” said Mrs. French.

Many people have also asked how the district is going to be sure about the cleanliness of the room.

“All soft touch items, upholstered furniture, stuffed teddy bears, manipulatives that are shared between and among students are going to have to be removed from the classroom. I am very proud of my teachers for coming up with solutions,” said Mrs. French, who was able to share some of those tremendous jobs done by teachers with this process.

“Mrs. Heather Delity, with our STEM is actually making individual kits for kids. This means instead of sharing gears and Legos back and forth. A student will have his or her own unique kit and be able to work with that,” said Mrs. French.

“We have talked about but I have not been able to confirm this yet with the art department, but we have talked about in the art department, students being given an art bag which would be their own pencil and drawing utensils, their paint brushes, their set of paints, their crayons, those kinds of items that you do not want to be co-mingled between students. A lot of effort has certainly gone into this. I had talked earlier about UV light on cleaning surfaces, only to find out later that schools cannot use ultraviolet radiation or ultraviolet light sources as a mechanism for cleaning these frequently handheld items,” said Mrs. French, who stated another idea of using sanitizing cupboards is not in regulation for public schools.

Mrs. French said the district is open to any other community led ideas which she said were great and had wonderful intentions behind them.

“We’re talking about hybrid learning and that hybrid meaning combination. So we are going to have face to face interactions two days a week for the majority of our scholars. Remote learning opportunities will be for the other three days. Many people have asked what does remote look like,” said Mrs. French.

“This will include a variety of things including reading tasks and writing tasks. Our teachers have actually spoken about making videos that students can observe. Teachers themselves making videos that would explain content, other assignments and things as appropriate to specifically target a standard or learning outcome we want a student to have,” said Mrs. French

She explained that most of the remote learning will be done at a different time from when the classroom learning is happening. This would help to alleviate some of the stress and confusion off of teachers and students.

There will be opportunity where the students and teachers would benefit from a simultaneous remote and classroom learning. This Mrs. French explained would be for older students. It would provide an experience much like college learning with a professor.

Mrs. French explained that there are so many different circumstances and situations which need to be looked at and which will determine the best solution for each family and each learning experience and option this coming school year.

“Our number one focus and most important aspect is to limit the amount of exposure,” she said. “We can do that by controlling the number of scholars in the building at any one time. We do that by controlling how close they are to one another in the building. We do that by controlling the amount of cleaning that takes place. We do that by controlling the presence of a mask and we do that by controlling the exchanges that potentially occur in a hallway. That is our number one task and priority to focus on. The second is to provide equable learning opportunity to all scholars.”

“In looking at our first goal which is limiting contact and limiting exposure, followed by quality instructional programming, we felt we were best able to do that with a smaller number of students with one teacher and then providing access to quality resources online that a student could manage with family at a time that is convenient to the dynamics in the special circumstances in place.

On remote learning days when a scholar is at home, we’re going to be asking scholars to check in with teachers in a variety of ways. We are asking our individual buildings to communicate that check in mechanism with the family. The reason I say this is I have heard some really exciting ideas. At the elementary, teachers mentioned to me they would like to have a group morning meeting to help with the sense of community and family we want to build.

“We’d really like on the remote days for those children to still check in with us at a synced manner. So at one time we are all on the camera seeing each other and checking in. The model at the Elementary might look different at the Middle School, where I know several teachers have spoken about their advisory to have a daily check in during advisory to continue to maintain those relationships which I’m finding right now are more important than the information. It’s the people with whom I get to meet every day. That’s more important right now is the sense of community and family that we can provide our young scholars,” said Mrs. French who stated that each school building has been asked to share those expectations with the scholars.

St. Lawrence County Holstein Club hosts 2020 show at Gouverneur and St. Lawrence County fairgrounds

by Rachel Hunter

Noah MacDonald of Elm-Dell Farm in Richville showing at the 2020 St. Lawrence County Holstein Show. He won the Master Showman award. (Rachel Hunter photo)

Noah MacDonald of Elm-Dell Farm in Richville showing at the 2020 St. Lawrence County Holstein Show. He won the Master Showman award. (Rachel Hunter photo)

The 2020 St. Lawrence County Holstein Club Show was hosted at the Gouverneur and St. Lawrence County Fairgrounds at the Harry Parow Show Ring on Thursday, August 13.

Spectators arrived throughout the day to see the high-quality dairy cattle get evaluated. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, all those gathered were encouraged to wear facial coverings and abide by all local and health recommendations while in attendance.

The 2020 SLC Holstein Club Show judge was Adam Liddle, who owns and operates Liddleholme Farm in Argyle, N.Y., with his wife, Nicole, and children, Anthony, Brock and Hailee. Liddle developed an appreciation for deep pedigrees and show types by working as a herdsman for PamTom Farm, Reid’s Dairy and Ridgedale Farm prior to purchasing his farm and developing his own herd. His 75-cow milking herd has an elite breed age average of 110.7% and a lactation average of 22,000 lb. of milk. Liddleholme cattle have earned numerous All–New York and Junior All–New York awards, as well as nominations for All-American and Junior All-American recognition. Liddle serves on Expo’s Dairy Cattle Show Committee and is a director of the Tri-County Holstein Club. He’s judged many shows, including the Northeast Fall National, All-American Junior Show, Western National Spring Show and Wisconsin State Fair Junior Show. In 2008, he was the associate judge of Expo’s International Holstein Show.

All those in attendance were impressed with the high-quality Holsteins that were entered from dairy cattle farms all around New York State.

Full results will be published once they are made available to the Gouverneur Tribune Press.

First Presbyterian Church of Gouverneur commences Fruit Bags Program with ENF grant funding

The First Presbyterian Church of Gouverneur Fruit Bags Program had its first distribution on Wednesday, July 29. The bags were packed in the basement of the First Presbyterian Church of Gouverneur. From left: Volunteers Susie Spilman, Carol Amberg, …

The First Presbyterian Church of Gouverneur Fruit Bags Program had its first distribution on Wednesday, July 29. The bags were packed in the basement of the First Presbyterian Church of Gouverneur. From left: Volunteers Susie Spilman, Carol Amberg, Terry Streeter are pictured with the packed bags that are tagged and ready for distribution. The bags are resting on the picnic tables that were recently built and made available for the North Country community members to use. (Rachel Hunter photo)

by Rachel Hunter

The First Presbyterian Church of Gouverneur on Wednesday, July 29 distributed the first round of “Fruit Bags” to shut-ins and senior citizens in the Gouverneur community. This was made possible due to the generosity of a $1,700 grant distributed from the Elks National Foundation to the First Presbyterian Church of Gouverneur by the Gouverneur Elks Lodge No. 2035. Its purpose? To serve community members – especially senior citizens – in need during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.

A selection of fruit, including such fruit as peaches, apples, oranges, bananas, plums, nectarines, and clementines, were put in paper bags. A tag with an explanation of the program along with one of four Bible verses was included (I John 4:11, Psalm 133:1, Proverbs 17:17, and Galations 6:2). Volunteers who assisted in putting the bags together included Jim Mosher, Terry Streeter, Carol Amberg, Barb Laidlaw, Joe Laurenza, Judy Brown, and Susie Spilman.

A total of $244.84 was spent on the first round of the Fruit Bag Program, and a total of 70 people throughout the Gouverneur community received the Fruit Bags.

Seniors citizens throughout the Gouverneur community received the Fruit Bags, including those who were shut-in, and those at Cambray Court and Kilkarney Court.

Much gratitude is extended to the Gouverneur Elks Lodge No. 2035 for making this program through the $1,700 ENF grant.

The First Presbyterian Church of Gouverneur also invites the North Country community to enjoy sitting at the picnic tables in front of the church building. Organizer Susie Spilman said the idea to build and position a couple picnic tables under the tree’s shade when church members spotted that several motorists had their cars parked along Church St. and were eating their lunches in their vehicles. She supervised the project, while the pressure treated wooden tables were assembled by Teddy Markwick and Kyle Spilman. The project took a couple hours to complete, but now the First Presbyterian Church of Gouverneur hopes the community will make good use of the tables in the future.

GCSD Board of Education discusses re-opening plan

by Jessyca Cardinell

The Gouverneur Central School District Board of Education met for their monthly meeting at the Gouverneur Central Middle School on the evening of Monday, August 3rd. Everyone was welcomed to watch the meeting via Facebook Live, a safe alternative during this confusing time of COVID-19 Pandemic

A major topic of discussion was the upcoming 2020-2021 school year, which is in the works of becoming a functioning plan to assist the Gouverneur Central School District families, staff and students.

“At this time, we are sharing Gouverneur Central School District’s reopening plan, approximately 80 pages worth of work, this was accomplished by a team of fifty-seven people with over three hundred people in the community providing input. A good thing to note is this is a working document, it’s a live document as we find out more information and collect more questions in the community. We will address those and redesign the plan with the given information we know about,” said Mrs. French

“What is very difficult is it’s like a chicken and the egg type story, do you put the plan out and then get feedback or do you get feedback first and then make the plan. So what we have done is with the 57 individuals that have volunteered to sit on this and with the comments we got from the community we are putting an initial draft and then we will be looking at feedback,” said Mrs. French as she went over the drafted item.

“The survey is basically going to be asking parents to make a commitment and that is, here is the plan we are looking at, here is the commitment we need from you. What is it and where is the disconnect? What is the connection between what your family needs and the school?” said Mrs. French. “Basically what we have done is divide the student population in half with the letters of the alphabet A-K and L-Z. There are 808 students in the first half of the alphabet and 838 students in the second portion of the alphabet. Those students will be placed in their grade appropriate classrooms. What that will enable us to do is to socially distance all of our scholars. The average classroom can hold about ten students. When you look at the elementary, I don’t want to say easy, because none of this will be particularly easy, but it will be easy for us to hold students in groups of about ten in the elementary. This enables them to be socially distanced and they will also be wearing masks during this time. Classrooms will have their encores pushed in so that students will be limited to exposure and there won’t be as many opportunities for our scholars to be mixing with different groups of children. This would mean music would be pushed in, PE will be pushed in, this way our scholars will be pretty much a group of nine or ten other students with their teacher and about one or two other push in teachers,” said Mrs. French.

She shared exciting news that meals can be served in homes, the school is looking into being able to provide meals in bags for students to be take home and enjoy.

“Another thing we’ve looked into is in order to litigate congestion in the hallways, we have designated certain doorways as UPK and Kindergarten doorway, a 1st and 2nd grade doorway and a 3rd and 4th grade doorway,” said Mrs. French.

Mrs. French shared that the bussing situation will also provide social distancing for students, as 61% of the school population uses the bus as transportation to and from school. This amounts to approximately 360, however this will be separated in half to about 160 students and separate doorways.

Mrs. French stated that students with be based in small groups, limited interaction and socially distancing int the classroom, providing a safer atmosphere. The School District will also be looking for ways to help assist families seeking childcare.

“With families coming with by the letter of their last name, the entire family will be coming into school and leaving a 1st or 2nd grader home while an older sibling is at school. That jumps to the next step which indicates we will be going back to a single bus run, students will be picked up on a single trip and they will be taken home on a single trip.” said Mrs. French, who explained why this would be more effective.

“When we looked at how much time it would take to clear a bus and clean a bus and then letting the bus sit in a resting stage while the disinfectant has time to work, which is a good chunk of time, then send that bus back out to get another bus run of students, there’s no way we could get all students into a seven hour day. It will be a single run A-K, what we are looking at is Monday and Tuesday will be A-K, Wednesday will be a remote day and Thursday and Friday will be L-Z,” said Mrs. French.

“Another thing we have indicated is we will certainly work with families who have blended families.” said Mrs. French, this would mean those families with two last names who are not in the same group would still get to attend school at the same time. This would also be helpful as families do not have to social distance on the buses.

This Mrs. French stated is the reason for the second survey, a way to get a closer look at what families need.

Mrs. French went over the various options that they are looking for feedback on, including parents who are interested in remote learning only, meaning their student would acquire attendance through a remote platform.

“We are also looking at a hybrid modeling your student is in two days a week and then three days a week with remote learning included. We are also looking at students who are self-contained and get outside serves including speech and P.T. The things that we cannot send people who provide those services to individual homes. Those students are in classes of eight or less so we can actually meet their needs here at school and again keep the environment as safe as possible,” said Mrs. French.

Mrs. French stated that is the purpose of the survey, to figure out which model of learning parents are most interested in their students receiving. Whether that be the hybrid model which includes in school learning as well as remote learning from home, or if the preferred model would be a completely remote learning experience from home.

When it comes to masks, there has been a great debate and concern about this.

“Right now, the medical opinion is that they wear their mask 100% of the time in school.” said Mrs. French, who expressed more input from the community would be really appreciated on this plan in the works.

The survey will be put out through the GCSD Wildcats Facebook Page. If there is no response from Facebook, there is a team of 20 people who will be calling families in order to ensure that there is 100 percent participation opportunity for the survey.

“I do understand it is very hard to put a survey out on Facebook because you have populations of people who do not have access to quality technology, which is why we will do a check off, the survey will be due by Friday, as it is going Live tomorrow at 11 a.m. On Friday, if we do not have a response then we will start triaging those names between the twenty people who have volunteered to collect the data. Family engagement should be very constant,” said Mrs. French, who gave Nurse Bev Martin and Harold Simmons credit for being substantial in knowledge of health and safety.

The school district is looking at hands free hand sanitizer dispensers to help with controlling and eliminating contamination. The air flow meets the safety concerns and regulations in the Middle School and Elementary, which is wonderful news. The High School needs to a closer look to make some changes.

“There are all sorts of things we are going to have to be doing in terms of taking trainings and so Bev Martin has to do hygiene and respiratory health and mask wearing.” said Mrs. French, who stated that Mrs. Martin is in fact making videos to help with education in these areas.

Parents will be asked to take their child’s temperature every morning before sending them to school as a precaution to ensure that no sick children are sent to school.

“We are purchasing three cloth masks for every teacher and every student. They will be washable so they can go home and be laundered. If a student comes to school and has forgotten their mask, they will be given a disposable mask for the day. The district is looking at ways in providing students with breaks from wearing the masks in safe manner.

Social distancing will require us to be careful of the exchange in the hallways. Students are pretty much going to be delegated to certain areas of the school.

We have no resolved lunch yet. Some of the other schools with whom I’ve spoken are actually taking the extra time and are setting up in the gymnasium and social distancing lunch that way.” said Mrs. French, who again stated these areas really need some feedback from families and staff so the school is prepared with what the community would like to see and what would make them feel comfortable. Gouverneur Elementary is looking at lunches being held in individual classrooms.

Parent pick-up is another avenue that needs to be explored.

“We are working with bussing 61% of students, we are also looking for parent commitment transport because we might actually be able to do bus runs differently,” said Mrs. French.

Mrs. French explained the concern with splitting half days with various running around from parents as they try to keep up with the differing schedules if they have multiple children who all go to different schools in the District. It could cause a lot of chaos, confusion and frustration.

Mrs. French said details like one staircase is for going up and one for going down is being looked at to lessen the possibility of contamination in the High School.

“We’ve set up restricted areas in terms of someone comes to school and doesn’t feel well. That child is set up in an isolation room. That is something we have to set up under certain perimeters. With testing we have different sources available where testing can take place. What we have to do in what order and how long. This is probably going to be one of the biggest areas in Gouverneur as far as compliance. I think it is very important that people understand why we are doing what we are doing.

Right now we are limiting when teachers and support staff can come in the building. The reason for that is, if I come into the building and I turn out to test positive for COVID, and I used the faculty lounge to do some xeroxing and I went to the bathroom and into the kitchen to get water out of the cooler and then went into my classroom; then someone later on followed some of my same patterns and touched surfaces that I may have touched, if we don’t know who’s been there, we can’t accurately trace the individuals that were there after me. It’s going to be very important that we know when people arrive at the building, are in the building and leave the building,” said Mrs. French.

Mrs. French stated that work is aggressively being done so teachers have the ability to set up their classrooms and get ready for the upcoming school year. This includes getting rid of items no longer allowed that have potential to spread the virus.

Mrs. French stated that many items will have to be thoroughly gone through including toys, calculators and items that are frequently handled and touched.

The school district is looking at UV cabinets to store items so they can be disinfected properly and used again.

Mrs. French stated that food is vital to be provided and students will be able to take home their lunch for the portion of the week they are not at school.

“Probably the biggest concern not only for teachers and administrators but for families as well is the social, emotional well-being of each scholar. This is not an easy situation to be in, so we have counseling planned, we have the trauma team and social workers. Our staff has been generating

“We are giving parents the opportunity to look at this and say to themselves, what best meets the needs of our family, our scholars and the resources we have. They will then make a commitment on the survey as that comes out. If no one responds to this survey on Facebook, we figure it would take each one of us making 78 phone calls. We know we will have a lot of good response from people,” said Mrs. French.

Mrs. French stated in conclusion,

“Do parent have a choice? Yes they do,” said Mrs. French.

She went over what had been stated previously, “Letters of the last name, A-K and L-Z in terms of what days they come in on. We will work with blended families to put in one group. We will provide transportation; however these are going to be commitments. They are not going to be opt in or opt out, we cannot do that when we have to socially distance kids,” said Mrs. French.

Mrs. French explained she really needed the Board of Education to have the opportunity to listen to the information and ask questions pertaining to the reopening of school for the 2020-2021 school year.

Mrs. Laurie Roberts, GCSD Board of Education Member, asked about those families who do not have thermometers at home and are unable to obtain one.

Mrs. French stated the school is looking into helping those families out and providing them with the thermometer to use to ensure everyone is checked daily.

The District is also required to social distance during fire drills, ensuring students stay the six feet apart. The one circumstance where this will not be necessary is in the case of a real fire. This will also be the case for shelter in place drills, the students will be socially distancing, unless there is an actual real threat.

When it comes to remote learning Mrs. French said that dependent on grade level it will look very different.

High School students will have a work level more closely related to college students, while younger grades will have less expectations on them and more interactive.

The District has been looking into a way to work with families to make the work at home less stressful than the period from March to June this past school year. Many parents were concerned it was too much busy work and Mrs. French and the staff at Gouverneur Central are looking into ways to alleviate this concern. Offering more fun and different looking models and experiences, as they now have more time to plan such learning.

As the meeting continued many areas are being discussed and looked into to make the most of this upcoming school year with the circumstances as they are. The District has many strict guidelines to follow and is doing their best execute and effective plan.

All parents are asked to participate in the survey as to give the Gouverneur Central School District a better grasp on what exactly will work the best for families and students to ensure a successful school year for all.

USDA Food Box Distribution Slated for August 6 in Gouverneur

A USDA Food Box Distribution Program will be held at the Gouverneur Community Center, 4673 State Highway 58, Gouverneur, on Thursday, August 6th, 10:00 am to 12:00 noon. The event is open to all with no registration necessary. Staff and volunteers will be present to provide curbside pick-up of family style grocery boxes. Families will receive a total of three boxes, including a box of frozen meats, a box of produce and a box of dairy products. Products will be provided while they last, and the program will end when all products have been distributed. No early arrivals please.

The USDA Food Box Distribution Program is part of the Federal COVID-19 Food Assistance Program. The program is intended to purchase surplus commodities to assist farms and food businesses while making products available for free to those suffering from the economic impacts of the pandemic. This specific event is made possible by the work of the Gouverneur Community Center, Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County, the Gouverneur Neighborhood Center and GardenShare. Local distributors, such as Renzi Foodservice, deliver the products to non-profit partners who manage distribution to local families and individuals.

Direct questions to David Spilman, Director of the Community Center at 315-287-9144 or Patrick Ames, Executive Director of Extension, at 315-379-9192, ext. 226.

About Cornell Cooperative Extension: Cornell Cooperative Extension is an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, protected veterans, and individuals with disabilities and provided equal programs and employment opportunities.

USDA Food Box Distribution hosted by Gouverneur Kiwanis to be held August 5

Volunteers preparing for the distribution on July 29 at the Gouverneur Elementary School in conjunction with the free milk distribution, hosted by the Gouverneur Kiwanis Club. (Rachel Hunter photo)

Volunteers preparing for the distribution on July 29 at the Gouverneur Elementary School in conjunction with the free milk distribution, hosted by the Gouverneur Kiwanis Club. (Rachel Hunter photo)

by Rachel Hunter

The USDA Food Box Distribution at the Gouverneur Elementary School, hosted by the Gouverneur Kiwanis Club in partnership with Renzi Foodservice was canceled on Wednesday, July 29 due to a mix-up in communication.

The first USDA Food Box Distribution in Gouverneur was organized to be a free, first-come, first-served event. The pre-packaged boxes on the Renzi Foodservice truck were to contain produce, dairy and frozen meats. The USDA Food Box Distribution Program is part of the Federal COVID-19 Food Assistance Program. Local distributors, such as Renzi Foodservice, deliver the products to non-profit partners who manage distribution to local families and individuals.

Gouverneur Cub Scouts Pack 2035 Cubmaster Chris Gates volunteering at the Free Milk Distribution, hosted by the Gouverneur Kiwanis Club in partnership with Hood Dairy, on Wednesday, July 29 at Gouverneur Elementary School. (Rachel Hunter photo)

Gouverneur Cub Scouts Pack 2035 Cubmaster Chris Gates volunteering at the Free Milk Distribution, hosted by the Gouverneur Kiwanis Club in partnership with Hood Dairy, on Wednesday, July 29 at Gouverneur Elementary School. (Rachel Hunter photo)

The news spread like wildfire in the Gouverneur community, and local residents arrived as early as 6 a.m. to get a distribution. By the 8 a.m. scheduled start time, motorists had surrounded the bus loop and filled Gleason Street and had reportedly even started lining up on Rock Island St. Shortly after 8 a.m. news of the miscommunication was received on site when the Renzi Foodservice truck hadn’t arrived, and the Gouverneur Kiwanis Club issued its sincere regrets via its Facebook page and informed each attendee of the mix-up at the event.

It was reported to the Gouverneur Tribune Press that USDA Food Box Distribution will be held at the Gouverneur Elementary School on Wednesday, August 5, but no further details were available by press time.

All Gouverneur community members who stopped by the Gouverneur Elementary School on Wednesday morning had the opportunity to receive free milk.

The Gouverneur community is reminded that 5,376 units of milk is delivered by HP Hood LLC each week for families in need throughout the North Country. The free weekly milk distribution is held at the Gouverneur Elementary School, 111 Gleason Street, Gouverneur, 8 a.m. to noon, every Wednesday through August 26. Pick-up is at the bus loop entrance at the rear of the elementary school building. Follow the traffic cones and signs for guidance to the cafeteria loading dock area, and simply let the volunteers know how many gallons and what type you would like. This is a curbside pick-up only. Please remain in your car safely distanced. Volunteers will come you wearing a face mask, abiding by COVID-19 regulations.

Stephanie LaShomb helping to register North Country residents at the free weekly milk distribution, hosted by the Gouverneur Kiwanis Club, at the Gouverneur Elementary School, on Wednesday, July 29. (Rachel Hunter photo)

Stephanie LaShomb helping to register North Country residents at the free weekly milk distribution, hosted by the Gouverneur Kiwanis Club, at the Gouverneur Elementary School, on Wednesday, July 29. (Rachel Hunter photo)

This past week, organizers started collecting demographic data on those attending and encouraged all those participating to fill out the Census.

In addition, the Gouverneur Kiwanis Club received a $500 grant to support families and community during the COVID-19 pandemic from the Northern New York Community Foundation COVID-19 Community Support Fund. Local farmers – thanks to the work of Brian Bennett of Bittersweet Farm, a small family farm in DePeyster, which is certified organic with NOFA-NY – have graciously partnered with the Gouverneur Kiwanis Club to bring fresh, local produce for distribution at weekly free milk giveaway at the Gouverneur Elementary School on Wednesday, July 22 and Wednesday, July 29. Bittersweet Farm also made an additional donated contribution to increase the amount of produce available to the North Country community. The vegetables to North Country consumers on Wednesday, July 29 included green beans, summer squash, zucchini, potatoes, and so much more.

Also, there was a distribution of cereal, made possible by the Kinney Drugs Warehouse and the First United Methodist Church of Gouverneur.

To keep informed on the latest breaking information about the USDA Food Box Distribution events hosted by the Gouverneur Kiwanis Club, follow their Facebook page as well as the GCSD Wildcats Facebook page. Gouverneur Kiwanis Club President Charity Zawatski said a final agreement has not been formalized with Renzi Foodservice, but the Gouverneur Kiwanis Club has requested to enter an agreement to host a weekly USDA Food Box Distribution at the Gouverneur Elementary School.

Village board recognizes GPD’s dedicated service a month after Treyanna Summerville’s death

by Rachel Hunter

Village of Gouverneur Mayor Ron McDougall at the July 21 Village of Gouverneur Board of Trustees publicly extended gratitude to the Gouverneur Police Department for its dedicated service this past month since the death of Treyanna Summerville.

“As we are all aware, we had the tragedy at 135 Rowley St. involving a death and alleged murder. A difficult situation on a number of us, whether it be the DPW or other agencies, outside agencies, recognition things that took place afterwards, some down by the high school, and vigils and marches and other things. Particularly, for the Police Department it has been a most difficult situation – far and above what many of the rest of us went through other than of course the family who lost a family member, and has one person charged, and another out on bail. Justice for Treyanna. We all want that. We want justice for all. How that comes out, I don’t know… But it was four weeks ago yesterday, and it has been difficult… Particularly to (Chief Laurina Greenhill) and the Police Department on behalf of the Village Board, I’d just like to publicly thank you, all of you.”

There were no other comments made at the Village of Gouverneur Board of Trustees meeting last Tuesday.

The next meeting of the Village of Gouverneur Board of Trustees will be held at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, August 18.

NNY Community Foundation COVID-19 Support Fund grants Gouverneur Kiwanis Club $500 award to support community during COVID-19 pandemic

by Rachel Hunter

Brian Bennett of Bittersweet Farms in DePeyster joins Stephanie LaShomb and Gouverneur Kiwanis President Charity Zawatski filling bags of produce from local farmers to be distributed during the free weekly milk distribution on Wednesday, July 22. Mr…

Brian Bennett of Bittersweet Farms in DePeyster joins Stephanie LaShomb and Gouverneur Kiwanis President Charity Zawatski filling bags of produce from local farmers to be distributed during the free weekly milk distribution on Wednesday, July 22. Mr. Bennett told the Gouverneur Tribune Press that $250 worth of produce was brought for distribution to the community on Wednesday, July 22 and $250 worth of produce from local farms will be made available for distribution at the Wednesday, July 29 distribution at Gouverneur Elementary from 8 a.m. to noon. All are welcome. (Rachel Hunter photo)

The Gouverneur Kiwanis Club received a $500 grant to support families and community during the COVID-19 pandemic from the Northern New York Community Foundation COVID-19 Community Support Fund.

Local farmers – thanks to the work of Brian Bennett of Bittersweet Farm, a small family farm in DePeyster, which is certified organic with NOFA-NY – have graciously partnered with the Gouverneur Kiwanis Club to bring fresh, local produce for distribution at weekly free milk giveaway at the Gouverneur Elementary School on Wednesday, July 22 and Wednesday, July 29. Bittersweet Farm also made an additional donated contribution to increase the amount of produce available to the North Country community.

“We appreciate the partnership with Brian Bennett from Bittersweet Farm and their local support for our community,” Gouverneur Kiwanis Preside Charity Zawatski said. “The gratitude of our community goes to the Northern New York Community Foundation and their continued support in giving back and providing for all Northern New York communities.”

Mr. Bennett this past Wednesday brought summer squash, green beans, peppers, strawberry rhubarb jam, cabbage and more – but it wasn’t just from his own garden. He said the produce came from about six or seven different farms around the North County, including some Amish families and some farms that were represented at the Canton Farmers Market. Bittersweet Farm also donated one-pound bunches of LambsQuarter, otherwise known as “Wild Spinach.” Mr. Bennett said he recommends experimenting when preparing dishes with the LambsQuarter as there are dozens of good ways to use the leaves – everything from Spanikopta (or Greek Spinach Pie) to omelets, fritatas, quiches, and stir-frys (with bacon and onions). He added that LambsQuarter is sturdier than common spinach and freezes well. The green is higher in iron and Vitamin C than any one can find in the grocery store.

Mr. Bennett said he was glad to hear about the $500 grant from Northern New Community Foundation amid the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, and the ability to help to stimulate the local farming community through this distribution effort.

While at the July 22 weekly free milk distribution, the Gouverneur Tribune Press learned that the First United Methodist Church and Kinney Drugs Warehouse donated 600 boxes of cereal to be paired with the weekly food donation.

Gouverneur Kiwanis Club President Charity Zawatski also informed the Gouverneur Tribune Press that tthe Gouverneur Kiwanis Club has partnered with Renzi Foods and will be distributing the USDA Food Boxes that are pre-packaged and contain produce, dairy and meat as available. At this time, no registration is required. The first distribution will be July 29th from 8:00-10:00 until boxes and supply are gone. “We anticipate weekly distribution as long as Renzi's has it available,” President Zawatski said. “This is a curbside pick-up at 111 Gleason Street. This is FREE and OPEN to anyone who wishes to come and get boxes of food. This is not affiliated with the Summer Feeding School Lunch Program, which is also still available. Please remain in your car, make sure your trunk is clear for loading.”

President Zawatski also announced the following: “The People Project facilitated by Mary Wills, American Federation of Teachers, NYS United Teachers and the Gouverneur Kiwanis Club all partnered and were able to get a grant sponsored through T-Mobile for Internet data hot spots for our community. We are receiving four. These are good for two years and all the data is paid for. Locally, Brandi Jenkins supported the placement at the Richville Snack Shack with one data hot spot located there for use. A second location is at the Fowler Town Hall and was supported by Rick Newvine. In addition, free books will be distributed to children as donated through the People Project.”

First UMC of Gouverneur volunteer and GCSD Board of Education Member Naaman Lowry stands with a portion of the 600 boxes of cereal that were made available for distribution at the free weekly milk distribution on July 22 at the Gouverneur Elementary…

First UMC of Gouverneur volunteer and GCSD Board of Education Member Naaman Lowry stands with a portion of the 600 boxes of cereal that were made available for distribution at the free weekly milk distribution on July 22 at the Gouverneur Elementary School. (Rachel Hunter photo)

In conclusion, President Zawatski said: “So, clearly, during COVID-19, the Gouverneur Kiwanis Club is very active and supporting the community.”

The Gouverneur Tribune Press reminds all to take advantage of the free offerings made available through the Gouverneur Kiwanis Club, especially the free weekly milk distribution. The free weekly milk distribution is held at the Gouverneur Elementary School, 111 Gleason Street, Gouverneur, 8 a.m. to noon, every Wednesday through August 26. Pick-up is at the bus loop entrance at the rear of the elementary school building. Follow the traffic cones and signs for guidance to the cafeteria loading dock area, and simply let the volunteers know how many gallons and what type you would like. This is a curbside pick-up only. Please remain in your car safely distanced. Volunteers will come you wearing a face mask, abiding by COVID-19 regulations.

For more information, check out the GCSD Wildcats page.

Fire alarm system to be installed at Town of Gouverneur Office Building in September

by Rachel Hunter

Town of Gouverneur Supervisor Dave Spilman, Jr. at the July 14 meeting of the Town of Gouverneur Council announced that the fire alarm system will be installed at Town of Gouverneur Office Building and at the Friends 4 Pound Paws Building, starting the first week in September.

Supervisor Spilman told the town council members that Alltech Integrations, Inc. “got backed up because of COVID-19.” “Things just kind of went backwards on them,” he said.

“On that note, I met with our insurance inspector, and went through all the properties and the lift stations and pump stations last Friday, and he took a lot of pictures and updated some things. We should be getting that report soon.”

The next meeting of Town of Gouverneur Council is to be held at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, August 11.

Free milk for all available in Gouverneur this summer

by Rachel Hunter

Volunteers distributing free milk to community members in need, thanks to the weekly distribution hosted by the Gouverneur Kiwanis Club. The weekly shipment of 5,376 units of milk from Hood is received at Gouverneur Elementary and then distributed e…

Volunteers distributing free milk to community members in need, thanks to the weekly distribution hosted by the Gouverneur Kiwanis Club. The weekly shipment of 5,376 units of milk from Hood is received at Gouverneur Elementary and then distributed each Wednesday morning from 9 a.m. to noon. (Rachel Hunter photo)

Gouverneur Kiwanis Club President Charity Zawatski announced to the Gouverneur Tribune Press this week that all 5,376 units of milk delivered by HP Hood LLC had been delivered to families in need throughout the North Country within the first week of the free milk distribution.

The free weekly milk distribution is held at the Gouverneur Elementary School, 111 Gleason Street, Gouverneur, 8 a.m. to noon, every Wednesday through August 26. Pick-up is at the bus loop entrance at the rear of the elementary school building. Follow the traffic cones and signs for guidance to the cafeteria loading dock area, and simply let the volunteers know how many gallons and what type you would like. This is a curbside pick-up only. Please remain in your car safely distanced. Volunteers will come you wearing a face mask, abiding by COVID-19 regulations.

This milk is free to anyone. “You do not have to be a school member, student or live in Gouverneur,” President Zawatski said. “It’s open to everyone from anywhere.” All are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity.

President Zawatski also announced that the Gouverneur Kiwanis Club has partnered and shared with the Hammond Central School District, Heuvelton Central School District, Lisbon Central School District, Edwards-Knox Central School District, SLU Office of Student Activities and Leadership, Office of Aging in Gouverneur and surrounding locations (including the Gouverneur Community Center), Ogdensburg Boys and Girls Club, Salvation Army of Ogdensburg, and local food pantries in Gouverneur Ogdensburg, and Canton.

As was earlier edition of the Gouverneur Tribune Press, the first free milk distribution was held on Wednesday, July 8, the pop-up distribution event being hosted by the Gouverneur Kiwanis Club. The distribution is being made possible through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Glazier Packing won the bid to conduct the distribution through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and asked HP Hood LLC – one of two dairy processors supplying milk to Glazier Packing – for help finding communities in need. Glazier has, in turn, partnered with the Gouverneur Kiwanis as a registered 501c3 to coordinate the distribution.

“It’s really a joint effort between many parties,” HP Hood Communications Specialist Laura Lynn said. “But it is all being made possible because of USDA.”

In an attempt to find communities in need and reach local families, HP Hood Communications Specialist Laura Lynn said their sales team got to work, reaching out to the local community. It was Senior Sales Representative Heather Love that reached out to the American Red Cross locally in the area. “They are the ones that connected her to the Kiwanis and set up the relationship between Glazier and Kiwanis,” Lynn said.

Each week, 5,376 units of milk will be trucked to the Gouverneur Elementary School in preparation for the distribution. A total of 1,344 units of each of the following four products will be available for distribution: 2% half-gallons, 2% full-gallons, 1% half-gallons and %1 full-gallons. The distribution at Gouverneur Elementary will be through Wednesday, August 26.

All North Country community members who would like free milk are encouraged to stop by Gouverneur Elementary on Wednesday mornings from 8 a.m. to noon. Pick-up is at the bus loop entrance at the rear of the elementary school building. Follow the traffic cones and signs for guidance to the cafeteria loading dock area, and simply let the volunteers know how many gallons and what type you would like. This is a curbside pick-up only. Please remain in your car safely distanced. Volunteers will come you wearing a face mask, abiding by COVID-19 regulations.

“We do have some other volunteers coming to help – like the Gouverneur Cub Scouts Pack 2035, St. Lawrence County Dairy Princess, Tedra Cobb, Cerebral Palsy Association, and Bittersweet Farm, and our own kids that wish to help,” President Zawatski said. “We welcome volunteers and they can contact Charity if their group or organization would like to help.”

For agencies, schools or other programs, call Charity at 315-727-5839 or email at zawatski.charity@gcsk12.org to make special large quantity pick up arrangements.

Don’t miss your chance to pick up free milk at Gouverneur Elementary this summer!