Rehab planned and restrictions lifted

There are more dams to be rehabilitated in Wayne County. The USDA has announced that it plans to rehabilitate four dams along the Lackawaxen River. There will be a public meeting on the issue on May 20 at 6 p.m. at the Wayne County courthouse and streamed virtually: more information about how to attend on the county’s website.

The CDC has said that people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 no longer need to wear masks or social distance. Gov. Tom Wolf is taking some normalization measures himself, lifting the maximum occupancy limits on indoor gatherings from 25 percent to 50 percent capacity, and increasing outdoor gatherings from half capacity to 75 percent. The governor said most pandemic-era restrictions will be lifted by Memorial Day, and the mask-wearing mandate will be lifted once 70 percent of the commonwealth, 18 and older, is fully vaccinated.

And it’s time for a primary election, polls will be opening on Tuesday, May 18, which is also the deadline for mail-in ballots to be received. Wayne County election director Cindy Furman is urging mail-in voters to carefully follow the instructions on their ballots, filling it out completely and using both the secrecy envelope and regular envelope. She said her office has already received dozens of ballots that cannot legally be counted because they were sent incorrectly.

Broadband relief and hemp

The Monticello Central School District recently announced some good financial news. The district is slated to receive an unprecedented 8.4 percent increase in state aid for the 2021–22 fiscal year, bringing the total amount to $40.4 million. The school said the increase can be largely attributed to New York State’s pledge to fully fund the foundation aid formula over a three-year period in response to the lobbying of education advocates. School officials also thanked the efforts of their state representatives, Assemblywoman Aileen Gunthre and Sen. Mike Martucci.

Sullivan County’s federal Rep. Antonio Delgado is urging eligible constituents to enroll in the newly launched Emergency Broadband Benefit Program through the FCC. Residents could see their monthly internet costs drop. The $3.2 billion program was created as part of an omnibus appropriations bill in December. Open enrollment in the program began May 12. Delgado said the broadband program will provide struggling families a discount of $50 on their monthly cost of home internet service and may also provide a subsidy for a computer.

And Sullivan county is exploring the growing of industrial hemp. Last week, sustainability coordinator Heather Brown and local legislators discussed the benefits of farming hemp, a versatile material that can be used in fabric, rope, paper, furniture, food and building materials. As the dairy industry continues to decline, officials think hemp may be a lucrative alternative for local farmers.