Student scholarship, river cleanup

NARROWSBURG, NY — Alec Milucky, a graduating senior at Sullivan West High School (SWHS), was awarded a $1,000 agricultural scholarship by the Upper Delaware River Basin Citizens (UDRBC) June 8, during the group’s first annual River Sweep of the Delaware River, held at Lander’s Campground.

During his high school career, Milucky took one of the most rigorous tracts offered by SWHS and ended up in the top 10% of his class. He is a member of the pep band, jazz band and the baseball team.

An avid fisherman and hunter, Milucky has a “passion for conservation and a reverence for the environment and wildlife,” he said. His goal is to study aquaponics at SUNY Cobleskill. Aquaponics is a closed-loop system where both fish and plants can be produced faster and more efficiently than through traditional farming.

Forty-three volunteers from various organizations gathered at Lander’s Campground and boarded a bus to be shuttled to Milanville to begin their journey back to Narrowsburg.

Manning kayaks and rafts, half of the group scoured the PA side of the river while the other half took on NY. After several hours on the river, the crews arrived back at Narrowsburg with rafts full of tires, barrels and even a frying pan.

Arrests at Mountain Jam

BETHEL, NY — While New York lawmakers have been considering the legalization of recreational marijuana, potentially following the lead of neighboring states Vermont and Massachusetts, as well as Canada, smoking marijuana is still illegal in the Empire State. State police made several arrests for marijuana possession at the Mountain Jam Concert at Bethel Woods over the weekend.

State troopers from Troop F made at least 12 arrests at the festival on charges ranging from criminal possession of a controlled substance, to possession of marijuana, to disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

Some of those arrested were released on their own recognizance and issued appearance tickets, while others were released on bail ranging from $7,500 to $20,000. Three attendees were remanded to Sullivan County Jail in lieu of bail.

One of those arrested, Adam Ezra Olshansky, is a member of the Adam Ezra Group, who performed at the concert. Olshansky was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance not in its original container. He was issued an appearance ticket.

PA House passes ag emergency bill

HARRISBURG, PA — Legislation sponsored by Rep. Martin Causer intended to help the state respond quickly and to threats facing the agriculture industry was approved by the House on June 17.

“From an economic perspective, agriculture is our state’s top industry, supporting more than a half million jobs and generating more than $26 billion in total earnings. The industry also puts food on our tables,” said Causer, who chairs the House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee. “All Pennsylvanians have a vested interest in ensuring our agriculture industry not only survives but thrives, and being ready to respond to potential disasters is a vital part of that.”

House Bill 1516 would create the Pennsylvania Rapid Response Disaster Readiness Account and allocate funding to the Department of Agriculture to facilitate a quick response to agricultural disasters. Those responses could include calling on animal or plant health officials to contain an outbreak or threat, or providing an immediate response to a foodborne illness.

The Spotted Lanternfly outbreak is an ongoing threat to multiple agricultural sectors, including grapes, fruit trees and hardwoods. The invasive insect was first discovered in Berks County, PA in 2014 but has since spread to more than a dozen counties in the eastern and southcentral regions of the state.

Federal funds for Lyme disease

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On June 13, Rep.Antonio Delgado amended House appropriations legislation to include increased funding for Lyme disease research, prevention and treatment. 

Delgado’s amendment, which passed with bipartisan support, includes $1 million in increased Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funding to combat Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses. The amendment represents a nearly 8% increase in funding from current levels. The amendment will be included in the four-bill appropriations package moving through the House.

“Upstate New York and communities across the country continue to see an alarming increase in Lyme and tick-borne diseases. At all 14 of the town halls I’ve held in my district, folks ask me what Congress is doing about Lyme disease,” Rep. Delgado said of his amendment. “Today, I’m taking action… Upstate New Yorkers and communities struggling with tick populations need assistance now.”