The Flu is not for you

By Sarah McMullen

Plattsburgh N.Y.- Runny nose, sore throat, high fever, aching body. Those are just a few symptoms of the nasty of the influenza virus that strikes the nation during the winter months. People are starting to take precautions to battle the chances of getting the flu. One of the most commonly practiced protection method is receiving the flu vaccination.

On the other hand there are still many who would prefer not to get the vaccination. In fact, In the numbers of vaccinations administered in Clinton County have dropped by 377. Which begs the question what does Clinton County residents, more specifically Plattsburgh residents happens to those that are not protected by the vaccine and what precautionary measures made.

            Parents in the surrounding area have mixed opinions on how the flu is preventable. Starting at home seems to be the number one place that most families start planning and trying to stop the invasion of the flu virus. For one mother, Molly Leclair, the best way to prevent getting the flu is getting the vaccination. Leclair knows that the vaccine isn’t 100 percent preventable.

However Leclair will take all the help she can get to make sure her son doesn’t come down with the flu. Leclair said, “The best way my family and I avoided the flu is to get the vaccine and wash your hands. There have been plenty of outbreaks of the flu in Plattsburgh that it should be mandated that you get the vaccine. It could help out a lot of people.” Leclair brings up a valid point that getting the vaccine could definitely help many people during the upcoming flu season. But what about the the outstanding statistic that the flu only protected 32 percent of the people who received it.

Leah Briody a student at SUNY Plattsburgh was one of the first to receive her flu shot from the University’s health center. Although she received the vaccine, two months later she contracted the virus and was bedridden for a week. Briody has voiced her disappointment in the vaccine because she was trying to take precautionary measures to not get the flu.

Briody, an active member in her community knows many others who received the flu shot last year and contracted the virus as well. “From now on I am going to just wash my hands because it is a waste of time and money to go to the doctors and get a flu shot. If I want to get a flu shot in the future I am just going to go to the pharmacy” said Briody. Though there is a negative stigma rather than your doctors that comes with getting your flu shot at the pharmacy it is slowly going away.

People are finding it easier to stop by the pharmacy for a flu shot than making a doctor's appointment and paying the copay. One pharmacy that participates in administering flu shots is Plattsburgh Walgreens administers flu shots all year round. Kelly Fletler is a pharmacist there and has been administering flu shots for two years. Fletler has taken notice that senior citizens have taken advantage of the opportunity while younger people deny the option when asked.

            Fletler understands that the flu shot is not 100 percent effective but believes it’s the best precaution to take. “The flu shot is projected to attack the strain of flu that has began to spread. Getting the flu shot is just a good way to get a jump start on the fight of flu season.”

Though the younger generation is not necessarily stopping by the local Walgreens the SUNY Plattsburgh health center has been on top of distributing flu shots to students. Candice Hall a nurse at the center. Says that the whole campus suffered an outbreak of the flu during January 2014. More than 100 students showed symptoms of the flu and were treated for it. Hall said, “Getting the flu shot may not help everyone but it is useful as a just in case. The Flu is really debilitating virus. Most students who come down with it are out of classes for around a week.” Hall went on to elaborate why the flu is contracted so easily on campus and stressed the importance of taking care of your body during the flu season.

The Clinton County Health Department is also making strides to keep the county healthy. On their website the first thing they have shown is a link leading the viewer to an array of links of resources. The link describes why there is a need for people to get the flu shot, “As determined by the Centers for Disease Control, the viruses in a flu shot and FluMist vaccine change each year based on scientists' tests about which types and strains of the flu will be the most strong that year.” This is a resource for many people in the county to utilize.

The flu comes every year and this year there are hopes that there will be a decline in the amount of people who get the flu. Just remember a good start  beat the flu  to wash your hands and get your vitamin C.

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School boards put high stakes testing to the test

By Madison Winters

PLATTSBURGH, NY - Across New York State there's a push for a revaluation of the information that is used to evaluate teachers. In a field where the actions of others reflect so heavily on measuring the success of an individual, would changes like these influence and inspire the next generation of educators?

Teachers came out of top during the Plattsburgh City School Boards last meeting. During the meeting board members voted on a new resolution that was presented to the board earlier this month by district taxpayer and parent Christy Bezrutczyk.

The result was a 6-2 vote in favor of the resolution.

The resolution plans to institute a series of changes to emphasize a curriculum rich in all areas of education and advocate for changes to the way students, schools and educators are evaluated.

According to the Press Republican, other action being taken for the resolution include protecting the privacy of student data, eliminate test practice and examining the Common Core curriculum standards to determine if they are developmentally appropriate,

Maryanne Daniels is a 7th grade math teacher and the parent of a Plattsburgh City School District student.

Daniels doesn't teach in Plattsburgh, but is excited that they are taking steps to address the serious issues surrounding the evaluations of teachers.

“Being an educator and hearing this news made me feel great but knowing that my son will experience these changes,” Daniels said. “I can't explain how relieved I am.”

Daniels son Jacob feels frustrated with state tests.

“We take them every year and there's always something that I don't know,” he said. “And I always pay attention in class.”

Jacob thinks that instead of taking tests teachers should let their students run the classroom for a day in order to show how much they've learned.

Being an educator herself, Daniels understands the pressure that educators fall under while trying to comply with the standards put in place by NYS.

According to the www.usny.nysed.gov, educators are evaluated through a series of rubrics.

For example, when measuring a teachers conversational skills the rubrics compares her emotional support, classroom organization and instructional support and then divides that number by 3 and that corresponds to a level of effectiveness.

“Changing the ways that teachers are evaluated could make it easier for teachers to focus less on drilling the kids with information in hopes they will pass,” Daniels said. “Instead, they could help the individual student with a personalized approach.”

Education Student Melanie Sidoti is passionate about her major.

“I chose adolescent education because I feel as though teaching older children that are going through things that are not necessarily easy and maybe even awkward could help me form a good bond with them and give them confidence.” Sidoti said.

Like the majority of educators, Sidoti hopes to inspire her future students to reach their fullest potentials.

“someone to look up to/talk to and teach them information that will benefit them not only towards going to college and their career but information that will help them in their everyday life.” she said.

And again like a vast majority of teachers, Sidoti feels the pressure.

“Some things about my major that scares me are definitely state tests and regents exams.” Sidoti said. “I understand that they are a reflection on me as a teacher and it scares me that some kids care more than others.”

Sidoti thinks it's unreasonable for NYS to expect teachers to meet their standards when the standards and even the tests do not accommodate every student.

“I have to try and accommodate every child's learn ability and really tune into the way they learn (visually, hands on, etc,.).” she said. “it also makes me nervous I will have to deal with many different personalities, issues and differences throughout the classroom and I am going to learn how to approach every child in the best way possible so that they can achieve full potential which will definitely be a challenge.”

Megan Carrigan and Abigail Lemoy are juniors in high school. In June they plan to take the NYS chemistry and Algebra 2/Trigonometry regents exams. Carrigan took her first regents exam at the end of her ninth grade year. Lemoy who previously went to school in Vermont, has never taken a regents exam.

“When I was in ninth grade I remember my older friends saying “enjoy ninth grade because each year gets harder and harder” and of course I didn't believe them.” Carrigan said.

“People have tried to warn me about how hard the tests are,” Lemoy said. “It makes me really nervous.”

When Lemoy lived in Vermont she took their version of state tests. She said that the tests were easy in her opinion because they broke the information down into sections.

“My teacher would spend a couple months teaching us one a chunk of sections and we would build from there,” she said. “Before we moved on she would make up a fake test and if everyone passed we moved on.”

Carrigan said that she struggles with retaining the information that she learns during class and being able to apply it to the tests months later.

“Being used to the format of the test doesn't make it any easier,” she said. “You can have the same question five different ways but if you don't understand how to solve it, you're hopeless.”

Carrigan suggested that the tests should be given on a more regular basis so students would able to focus on a smaller amount of information at one time.

“If we had the tests 3 or 4 times a year it would break the information down into smaller sections,” she said. “It would be easier to remember a few chapters instead of an entire textbook.”

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Building families one home at a time

By Noelle Tedford

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. -- Adoption is a family affair! November marks National Adoption Month across our nation. Do you know anyone looking to bring an addition into their family? Whether it be regular or foster-care adoption, there is an overwhelming amount of children looking for a loving home.

            Tasia Tedford, a 28-year-old female, explains that adoption does not have to be a result of failed pregnacies. Tedford has been contemplating adoption for several years now and is often faced with the question, why adoption and not natural birth? It is simple, there are so many loving little children that are in need of a good home environment and for Tedford rescuing and possibly changing a child’s life is the most rewarding factor of all.

            After deciding to adopt the next step is to choose how you want to adopt. There are two types of adoption; traditional-adoptions and foster-adoptions. Almost always, traditional-adoption is much more expensive than foster-adoption. Generally, the main reason for this is that the child is less likely to have been exposed to abuse or neglect. Paul Rascoe explains, the regular-adoption process is a lot cleaner as well because the birth parents have waived their rights as legal guardian. Interestingly enough, adoption prices vary based on ethnicity. Rascoe, a case worker for Clinton County Child Protective Services, deals with a lot foster-adoptions and foster-children.

            Foster-children tend to have some adjustment problems as a result of neglect, abuse, or addiction. To be sure that people wishing to go through with a foster-adoption really know how much work not only a child, but a child with a violent or questionable past is Child Protective Services mandate that potential parents attend 10 week training course. In addition to the course they are given a thorough background check.

            “There is such a need for foster care that they make it more accommodating.” Tyler Wilson, the parent of two successful foster-adoptions explains, “The process is much cheaper than traditional-adoption, which can cost anywhere for, 20 thousand dollars to 40 thousand dollars.”

            Wilson experienced the heartache of foster-adoption when he cared for his first child, Elias, who was eventually given back to his legal guardian for good behavior. However, this did not deter him from trying again. Now Wilson and his wife are the proud parents of two brothers, Lance and Hudson. While Wilson eventually used foster-adoption to mold his family into the unit it was always meant to be, for some people the pain of losing a child you have become attached to is to much to bare.

            Holly Price is a mother of a successful traditional-adoption. Price originally looked into foster-adoption only to have the child she was fostering get reinstated to a former abusive father after good behavior was proved on his end. It took Price almost two years before she was ready to consider adoption again.

            “How could Child Protective Services give this man a second chance, then a third? Where is the line drawn?” Price says, “I want to believe these people are really changed but why did they have to take my boy out of a great home with me?”

            Price’s thoughts on the experience she had with foster-adoption is the exact reason traditional-adoption is the preferred method, if you can afford it. Once she had enough money she completed her adoption and added a new member to her family, this time forever.

            Adding a new member to your family is something that should not be thought lightly of. Children need constant attention and care. Child Protective Services does their best to prepare parents for what they have in store for themselves. However, even the best parents struggle sometimes. Adoption is about new beginnings for both you and the child. National Adoption Month broadens the horizon of family to outside the womb. Wherever you may be in your life right now, the time may come when you want to expand your family. When that day comes, don’t rule out adoption, in fact, think about it first.

Plattsburgh water revitalization program

By Vicky Scott

PLATTSBURGH, NY - Over 50 people arrived at Stafford Middle School on Oct. 28 to give their input on the waterfront revitalization program along the North End, the Cumberland Ave-Wilcox Dock area, the Downtown-Dock Street area and the Old Base area within the City of Plattsburgh.

A brief background was given on the plan and feedback was collected from small group discussions about perceived issues and opportunities in each area.

Paul DeDominicas, the Community Development Director for the City of Plattsburgh, said the best part about the public meetings that have been held has been the different entities that have been represented. At the meeting, locals, students and professors from Plattsburgh State, businesses and museum representatives attended to bring fresh ideas and opinions to the project.

Many people had different things to say about the plan; what they are most passionate about and what they think needs the most focus. Candice Wall, who has lived on Lake Champlain for over 30 years, is enthusiastic about the plans to revitalize the Plattsburgh City Beach; one of the largest fresh water beaches in the country. Currently, the plan intends to renovate existing facilities and make additions to the current bath house and concessions, pavilion, benches and lighting.

Another concern that plays a role in the plan is the preservation of the environment. Gary Trahan, a Plattsburgh native, said, “Habitat restoration is a very important component in this project because of where we are located. We have the opportunity to preserve and enjoy the North Country if we do it the right way.” The plan has incorporated the protection of wetlands, dunes and looks to create wetland boardwalks, nature trails and flood protection.

Outdoors enthusiasts were also represented at the meeting by Adrianna Sheeran, who is an avid kayaker. Scomotion Creek kayak and canoe access was addressed in the last meeting, which peaked Sheeran’s interest. Currently, Sheeran believes there is limited access throughout the area for these activities which inhibits her ability to do what she loves. “Everyones concerns can be heard at these meetings and that is what is drawing such a crowd,” said Sheeran.

Emily Wheeler, a sophomore at Plattsburgh State, also attended the Oct. 29 meeting and was surprised at the turnout. “It’s refreshing to see how many people care about Plattsburgh,” said Wheeler. The goal is for even more people to attend the next meeting, which is scheduled for Dec. 9.

"Anytime you bring folks together, you get a better sense of community," said DeDominicas, “the more people that talk about it, the better.” The Community Development Director has an optimistic attitude toward the plan, as he looks to turn it into action in Jan. 2016. 

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Child daycare

By Laura Schmidt

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — Children are the future and a daycare facility in Clinton County is doing all they can to ensure safety and proper care for the children and parents of Plattsburgh.

The subsidized child daycare is run by the Department of Social Services in Clinton County and has been providing care for children for seven years. The business is always enthusiastic when it comes to helping those in need.

This daycare provides a safe and healthy environment for children ages six through 12. Their main goal is to provide children with proper meals, exercise and basic education during their time there. Another important aspect of the daycare is to lend a helping hand to parents who may be struggling financially.

Some who attend the daycare are children of young parents, some still in high school, and for those people, staying at home may not be an option. This daycare is actively trying to create a better community and brighter futures for both children and parents.

Self-sufficiency is something the daycare is constantly promoting.

Grace Cassidy is a mother of twins who have attended the daycare four days a week for the last five months.

Cassidy feels the care providers who work there are trustworthy and know how to treat children with the right amount of care and nourishment as well as discipline and education.

“When I drop them off every morning I know they're in good hands,” Cassidy said.

Another great quality of this daycare is it's flexibility when it comes to paying for weekly care. The daycare assesses a households gross income and family size, then chooses a price from there that's reasonable and, most of the time, affordable.

For parents who leave for work early and stay late, care providers even offer their services at home before or after school. For commuting parents like Todd Motisi this is a life-saving service.

“I leave for work at six in the morning every weekday and I'm not home until dinner time,” Motisi said. “When I'm not around I want to know my son's safe and with someone qualified.”

Not only are the care providers highly qualified, but they genuinely care about the children and their learning experiences.

“This is definitely the most rewarding job I've ever had,” Casey Reed, 20, a care provider, said. “The kids are so sweet and seeing them learn and grow is really awesome.”

Reed has been working at the daycare for over a year and says she has learned a lot about child care and responsibility in her time there.

Before becoming a provider there are a few requirements each provider must fulfill such as attending an orientation, completing 10 hours of health and safety training and even finger printing.

“I had to get my fingerprints taken before I could start working,” Caitlin Zach, 20, a care provider, said. “At first, I thought it was weird but then realized it only made the place safer for the kids and everyone else.”

Along with preliminary requirements, each care provider must complete a total of 30 hours of training every two years in order to refresh their memory on safety procedures and other plans.

Children play and engage in academic games, enjoy healthy meals and interact with other children their age.

“Getting the kids to socialize and pal around with each other is a really important part of development,” Theresa Collins, 22, a care provider, said.

Collins started working her senior year of high school and believes her job has a great impact on the lives of the children. Collins is very thankful for her job and wants nothing but the best for the kids.

“I love watching the young kids slowly turn into functioning children,” Collins said. “It makes me feel like my job is doing some good for the community.”

The child daycare wants to provide the best environment for children and their parents and they truly care about the well-being of everyone who passes through their doors.

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Concussion concerns in sports

By Kyle Richardson

PLATTSBURGH—Head injuries and concussions in contact sports is a growing concern for athletes.  Lack of proper diagnosis and treatment of a concussion may result in serious long-term consequences, or risk of coma or death.

                        A concussion is caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to either the head or the body that causes the brain to move rapidly inside the skull.  Concussions change how the brain normally functions. 

            According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), an estimated 1.6-3.8 million sports- and recreation-related concussions occur in the United States each year. The American Academy of Pediatrics has reported that emergency room visits for concussions in kids ages 8 to 13 years old has doubled, and concussions have risen 200 percent among teen’s ages 14 to 19 in the last decade.

            Derrick Denteh, a counselor at Behavioral Health Services North, sees kids come in with these head injuries from time to time. Counselors just try to limit and monitor their activities until doctors clear them.

            “These kids and there safety are our top concern, although we aren’t doctors, we do anything we can do to help ease the symptoms.”

            During the 2015 NFL season, concussion spotters will hold more power than ever. The NFL has now changed its policies regarding concussions and, now, concussion spotters who are not on the sidelines but are watching from the press box will be able to stop the game when they spot a player showing concussion-like symptoms according to CBS sports.  If the spotter stops the game, the player will be forced to sit out at least one play while undergoing a concussion test. Neither team will be charged with a timeout, but time will stop for a medical timeout.

            “I feel spotters should be in all contact sports with high cases of concussions,” said Ross Sloan, Plattsburgh State hockey player. Sloan suffered a concussion last year during a game; however, he didn’t realize until after the game when he started having symptoms.

“If there had been spotters, I could have been taken out the game and not at risk to causing more damage,” said Sloan.

After a concussion, athletes are usually out for at least two weeks, possibly more depending on the severity.  They have to go through a series of tests, and a resting stage before they can return to the playing field.

“Although we want our guys out on the field, there health is our main concern,” said Chris Manning, assistant basketball coach at St. Lawrence University.  We work along with the training staff to ensure that when our athletes return to the floor, they are 100 percent.”

At Plattsburgh State, athletes are required to take an ImPACT test before there season there first year.  It’s a sophisticated test of cognitive abilities that can help health care professionals track recovery of cognitive processes following concussion. 

If an athlete suffers a concussion, after they are symptom free for 24 hours, they retake the test and the results are analyzed to see if they are concussion free.  However, is this a true indication that an athlete is concussion free?

“What if there was an underlining injury that we didn’t know about when you first took the exam originally so when you first take it the results are skewed already,” said Alan Siergiej, an athletic trainer at SUNY Plattsburgh. “So now the second time you take it the results may show you don’t have a concussion when you do and vice versa.”

To reassure that the concussion is gone, athletes take an exertion test after the ImPACT following 24 hours being symptom free. It’s a physically demanding work out, where trainers try to bring back concussion like symptoms. 

“We do this to try and bring back symptoms, because if you feel light headed, dizzy, or nauseous, you still have a concussion,” said Siergiej.

The test consists of strength testing, balance testing, and senses testing, and had eye coordination.

“The worst test I ever took in my life,” said Shamoy McIntosh, former Plattsburgh State basketball player, “when I passed that, I knew my concussion was gone.”

It is very possible for a person to play, come out and then test normal according Dr. Richard Ellenbogen, the co-chair of the NFL's Head, Neck and Spine Committee, in 90 percent of concussions, symptoms can disappear just minutes after the injury.

This poses the question, how do you truly test and cure a concussion and are athletes at risk of potential fatal repercussions?

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Looking for local leadership

By Anthony Calabrese

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y.- “From the outside our families are all so positive but behind the scenes there are many heartaches and struggles. Even with these any family will tell you that they would not trade it for anything” said Co-founder Tracy Rotz of the former North Country Down Syndrome Association.

The NCDSA was the only formal support, and fundraising, group specifically for families with members who have Down syndrome. Cindy and Tracy Rotz started NCDSA in 1998 and led the Plattsburgh chapter for 15 years. They stepped down in the spring of 2013 to spend more time with their family.

They have not been able to find anyone else to take over the association leadership. Because of this the Facebook page is now outdated with the last post being made in May 2013. None of the other jobs of a Down syndrome association president have occurred either. According to the past president Cindy Rotz the job included, “Setting up all fund raisers, public speaking events to raise awareness of Down syndrome in our area, help other parents with new children with Down syndrome, match families up with similar situations, buy books and other materials for schools, doctors and families, established relationship with area teams and groups to help promote friendships and raise awareness, we also supported financial needs for medical care outside our area.”

According to Cindy were more than 20 families who participated in the annual events such as the Buddy Walk held every fall.

One of these families was the Thomson’s. Jane Thomson, mother of Matthew Thomson said, “We participated in the Buddy Walks as a family, and helped at the event when able. The organization hosted parties and other events that we also attended. Our favorite activity was when Matthew modeled for the annual calendar. We supported the group financially with Buddy Walk pledges and calendar sales. As older parents, we often shared our experiences with other families.”

Jane said, “NCDSA brought awareness and understanding of Down Syndrome to the local community.  Public events and press contacts educated the public and lifted some of the stigma that had followed Matthew.  The organization helped Matthew to feel that he was part of a group.  He was made to feel that he was a role model, or in his words, a “rock star”.  The group helped us to network with younger families who were new to dealing with Down syndrome.  As older parents, we often shared our experiences with other families.”

Jane’s husband Mark adds, “We looked forward to the annual Buddy Walk, the signature event of the NCDSA. My office sponsored the event for a number of years. Our family gave calendars as gifts, this became very popular and eagerly anticipated.”

When asked about no longer participating in the Buddy Walk, Cindy and Tracy’s son Brett said, “I miss selling my papers, I color pictures (from coloring books) and sell them.”

Restarting an official organization may not happen. Jane said, “It would be wonderful, but is unlikely. I sat on a steering committee that looked to recruit new leadership soon after the NCDSA disbanded.  It was unsuccessful.”

“I would love to have someone take over; we still have a small amount in the bank. I miss seeing the kids and families. I also think the members miss the activities. I have always said that we are here and will help in any way possible.” said Cindy. “The reason for us stopping has to do with Brett being older and we need to focus on what path and opportunities we can make for him now.”

Tracy added, “It is a tremendous amount of work but one of the most rewarding endeavors you will ever do.”

The open plea to community members for organization leadership is still on top of the North Country Down Syndrome Association’s Facebook page. “The opportunity is now here for someone else to step in and organize the Buddy Walk. If you or someone you know might be interested, please let us know either on Facebook, or by emailing us at NCdownsyndrome@gmail.com.”

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