Opinion

Some of our Yates County neighbors have had a few rough days, and they need our continued and unconditional support. This is not a time for conjecture or gossip. It's a time for compassion, because grief has washed over many with the losses of precious family members and those who answer the calls for help.
The volunteer and professional emergency rescuers who burst into our lives just when we might be having our worst possible day have seen many tragic situations over the years. They have held us up when it looks like there's no reason to carry on, whether it be at an automobile, farm, or work accident scene; fire, natural disaster, or recreation gone wrong.
The fire, emergency medical, and law enforcement attention that you'll find here in Yates County is an indication of the spirit of this community that cares. But when the worst of the worst happens, they need our help too, especially when they are involved in complicated situations.
Driving along Route 364 headed toward a soccer game in Rushville last week, we encountered an ambulance speeding toward Penn Yan. I've been to enough accident scenes to realize the speed it was traveling was not a good indication of the outcome.
Later, word of the tragic result — the death of a 1-year-old boy — began to filter along the sideline of the soccer game. Certainly, other spectators felt the same: thankful to be watching the kids we love doing exactly what all kids should be doing — playing a game — while quietly mourning the loss of an innocent and the heartbreak of another family. Then, the thoughts went to the responders who had been on the scene and in the 911 communications center for this, and other recent losses.
After the adrenaline of answering the call for help, they carry the weight of the trauma. Fortunately, the worst outcomes are uncommon here. But that doesn't mean they don't take their toll on the emotional and physical well-being of our rescuers. We all need to be aware of the price they pay.
What can we do?
It's not hard to show compassion for all involved. Refrain from jumping to conclusions about the specific details of an incident, especially in social media posts. Your ignorance can be damaging.
We can also support emergency services fundraising efforts through the year. Buy the chicken dinners, pancake breakfasts, pizzas, and subs; fill their boots with pocket cash; and give generously to any formal campaigns. Help law enforcement collect toys or raise funds and awareness.
Donate your own time if you are able. The demands on personal time and commitment are significant, but after spending time with some of these individuals, you'll see how it can easily become a way of life. Maybe you can't put on the gear, but perhaps there are some other things you can do to help.
Finally, don't be the next person they have to save or the reason they have to save anyone. Live your life, but do it safely.
Life in the Finger Lakes is full of opportunities for family, fun, and employment. But with all of those come the need for trained and experienced people who can be there for a neighbor or visitor in trouble, whether the incident is a motor vehicle, boating, industrial, construction, or farm accident. They need to be prepared to rescue hikers from deep gullies, or been swept into rapid water, and they need the equipment — sometimes expensive — to carry out their mission.
Don't get in their way. Do your part and be compassionate and thoughtful about publicly commenting on something you're not fully informed about.

Do you have feedback on this or a suggestion for a future column? Feel free to email me at gchamberlain27@gmail.com.

ALBANY — Last week, State Senator Tom O'Mara (R,C-Big Flats) joined Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt and members of the Senate Republican Conference to unveil the "Creating Lasting Affordable Energy for New York," a comprehensive legislative package to ensure a clean, affordable energy future for all New Yorkers.
Over the past few months, critics have cited the failure of the Hochul administration to meet benchmarks enacted under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). Since the CLCPA's approval in 2019, O'Mara and his colleagues have consistently highlighted the failure of Governor Hochul and legislative Democrats to put forth a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis of the costs of implementing their plan under the prescribed timeline and questioned the affordability, feasibility, and reliability of the strategy for ratepayers and taxpayers, business organizations, and local economies.
Senate Republicans said they are putting forward proposals to not only protect the environment, but also the pockets of taxpayers.
"Since the CLCPA's approval in 2019, we've watched Albany Democrats move at world record speed to pile one unaffordable mandate on top of another unworkable mandate on top of the next unrealistic mandate desperately trying to inflict a zero-emissions economy on this entire state that will have zero impact on the climate," O'Mara said. "These actions will come with a devastating price tag and consequences for ratepayers and taxpayers, businesses and industries, school districts, farmers, and entire local economies. It has become clear that the current strategy is not realistic or achievable. It is not responsible or rational. There was no cost-benefit analysis, other than a "the sky is falling" proclamation. It lacks critical foresight, and it unreasonably risks energy grid reliability and affordability. The forthcoming reassessment and reexamination at least opens a long-overdue and desperately needed public discussion on the realities of the current strategy. Senate Republicans are putting forth a clean energy strategy that is focused on affordability, feasibility, and reliability."
Ortt said, "The Governor and the Legislature continue to make it more and more difficult for a family to remain in N.Y. Every time the Legislature comes into session, New Yorkers pay more for basic necessities. This is exactly why New York is losing its population at the rate it is. The only thing participants of Governor Hochul's 'Future Energy Economy Summit' should be considering is how to reduce energy costs for New Yorkers, and they could do that by taking up these proposals."
The Senate GOP proposals come on the heels of the fifth anniversary of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act becoming law and the governor's upcoming "Future Energy Economy Summit" in September.
Senate Republicans' common-sense package offers solutions to delay the CLCPA mandate, while providing relief to taxpayers, ensuring the reliability of the grid, and ensuring a diverse energy portfolio that will keep energy options affordable and accessible throughout N.Y. State.
"It's ironic how five years after the implementation of the CLCPA, the billions of dollars spent, and the absolutely crushing utility hikes year after year, Governor Hochul just realized that now might be a good time to put some actual thought behind the Democrats' energy policies," said Senator Mario Mattera, 2nd District, ranking member of the Senate Energy Committee. "We welcome the Governor's late arrival to the party and hope that she takes a look at the policies we have laid out here, as they will not only keep the lights on, but do so in a clean, affordable way that benefits all New Yorkers."
The Senate Republicans' "Creating Lasting Affordable Energy for New York" legislative package includes proposals that would:

Delay the implementation of the CLCPA mandates by ten years, giving the state time to develop a sustainable plan to build affordable, clean energy infrastructure and give state agencies more flexibility to adjust those time frames if the cost to New Yorkers is determined to be unaffordable while also considering the impact of the CLCPA's compliance on reliable and affordable alternatives for heating and other services currently supplied by natural gas, including renewable natural gas and hydrogen
Create the "Ratepayer Relief Act" to determine the true cost of CLCPA mandates and provide relief in that amount to ratepayers, as well as cut existing taxes that will save ratepayers more than $100 million
Prevent the state from closing any power generation facility before new facilities come online and provide tax credits to homeowners for the purchase of backup power systems in the event of outages
Study the feasibility of bringing Indian Point back online and expand investment into alternative energy options
Encourage the use of solar by expanding the residential solar energy credit to give homeowners up to an additional five thousand dollars to install solar, provides a new solar STAR credit for communities that build small to midsize solar projects, and re-establishes local control over the siting of major renewable energy projects
Establish a commission to evaluate the impact of grid electrification on the safety and reliability of heating systems in extreme winter weather incidents that cause power outages, and to develop strategies and best practices to maximize grid reliability during these events
Provide relief via a tax credit to hydroelectric plants to offset relicensing costs, which can potentially put them out of business, to allow them to continue to be a source of clean, reliable power to New Yorkers
Create the "Rural Energy Infrastructure Act of 2025" to provide a tax credit for individuals in underserved or unserved areas of the gas system to assist the buildout of natural gas infrastructure to help bring service to those areas
Prohibit the state from mandating the electrification of personal vehicles
Establish the New York state hydrogen vehicle task force to examine another source of clean and affordable fuel.

No one could ever accuse me of being a "clothes horse," but I am often intrigued by fashion and the story clothes tell about a person — especially the drama that can emerge when wedding invitation specifies a dress code.
I recently read about an invitation that urged guests to "upstage the bride."
The bride explained she didn't want to be stressed about what other people were wearing, and she sure didn't want to have to police anyone's choices, so feathers and sequins were encouraged. It's fun to sit here in my t-shirt and shorts and imagine the results, but I'm also guessing this was a practical bride who really enjoyed her day.
How about a "themed" wedding, where guests were asked to help set the stage by dressing like Elvis, Dolly Parton, members of "The Sopranos" cast or "Bridgerton?"
One resourceful couple included a QR code on their invitations that directed guests to a website illustrating ideal attire for their event.Requests for "formal," "semi-formal," "smart casual," or "dressy casual," are being replaced by dictates that lady guests should wear pastels, or such puzzling descriptions as "wine formal," "mountain chic," "beach formal," "desert chic," "black-tie boho," "festive," "California cocktail," "barn or farmhouse chic," or "garden party chic."
Say what?
Another recent article described a couple's preference for "cocktail casual," as an attempt to achieve a "'mash-up of styles' that reflect attendees' personalities and tastes."
Excuse me, but isn't that what just happens anyway?
Is what people wear as important as the purpose of the wedding itself, or the reason guests go to the trouble and expense of attending? Speaking of the expenses of attending a wedding, a couple I learned of had an even more radical approach to celebrating their big day. They charged their guests $333 each to attend, as if it was a sporting event or concert.
They said the idea was to plan an experience that would be exclusive and memorable. According to the report on People.com, "The admission ticket allowed guests a seat on a double-decker tour bus and entry to the 12-hour event, with stops at landmarks around New York City that were meaningful to the couple's relationship, including Hudson Yards, One World Trade Center, the courthouse, and a movie theater."
You may think the couple was trying to recoup some of the costs of holding a wedding, but the groom explained their proceeds went to a charity foundation supporting couples struggling with infertility. But the admission fee did reduce the guest list since only those who really wanted to attend shelled out for the privilege.
Not to be out-done, another couple — thankfully no one I know — reportedly asked guests to pay $450 per ticket to attend their wedding. The groom explained he had already spent nearly $200,000 for a cake, deposit for the venue, the wedding dress, a DJ, and a photographer.
Gee, I'd like to get a piece of that cake, wouldn't you? I bet the dress was spectacular and the venue was impressive. But I bet they didn't have many guests for that photographer to capture.
Is this really where we're headed with "sacred vows?"
According to the wedding planning website The Knot, guests attending a wedding in their community spent an average of $250 while those who traveled to a destination wedding spent about $680 if they drove, or $1,600 if they flew.
OK, I get it. Weddings have become major economic engines in some locales. But some of the most stable marriages I know were celebrated in simple ceremonies — some in churches, some in barns, some in parks, and some in backyards. No one remembers what the guests wore.
I don't see many wedding invitations in my near future, but if someone is tempted to send one, please don't tell me what to wear, and save your postage money if you're planning to charge admission. What do you say?
Do you have feedback on this or a suggestion for a future column? Feel free to email me at gchamberlain27@gmail.com.

During contentious elections, there's a tendency to focus on the world we fear our political foes want, rather than on the world we want to build. Inspired by a recent piece from the Penn Yan Action Coalition about influential immigrants, Keuka Compass offers this list of LGBTQ+ folks from across history who demonstrate the contributions our community makes, often in spite of serious adversity.
LGBTQ+ people have made significant impacts on politics, both securing our own rights and advancing broader issues. Our participation ranges from the conventional to the revolutionary, and everything in between. Notable examples include Marsha P. Johnson, a Black trans woman at the center of the Stonewall riot that jumpstarted the gay rights movement, and Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to hold a significant elected office as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Bayard Rustin was a Black gay man who spearheaded the 1963 March on Washington. Edith Windsor was a lesbian who simply wanted to formalize her relationship with the woman she loved, leading to the Supreme Court enshrining the right to same-sex marriage. Alexander the Great conquered most of his known world, for better or worse.
The literary world is full of queer voices that influenced and beautified our society, from Sappho, Wilde, Whitman, and Dickinson to contemporary figures like Bechdel, Maupin, and Mary Oliver. Langston Hughes, James Baldwin, and Audre Lorde were prominent among the Black, queer voices who redefined liberty and justice in the 20th century.
Our world would be less colorful without the contributions of LGBTQ+ artists of all kinds. Many of them endeavored to bring us joy despite the harm they suffered from bigoted families, classmates and neighbors. Andy Warhol showed us that soup cans could be art; Freddy Mercury taught us to be champions; Laverne Cox and Elliott Page are shining examples of how to live authentically in a society that is increasingly adversarial to trans folks.
Our modern lifestyle would not exist without LGBTQ+ scientists and engineers. DaVinci pioneered aeronautics, anatomy, and other fields. Alan Turing made important strides in mathematics and cryptology. Lynn Conway was a trans woman whose work in microchips underlies the technology you use every day - accomplishing that after getting fired from IBM over her transition and working her way back to the top of her field.
If you feel these examples aren't relevant to you, there are some figures without whom our local community would be unrecognizable. Friedrich Wilhelm Von Steuben was a Prussian military leader who admired our American Revolution and lent his prodigious skills to Washington's Continental Army - and his name to one of the counties in our region; he is considered to have been openly homosexual. And of course, the Publick Universal Friend, a nonbinary religious leader, is a hyper-local queer figure who shaped Yates County's settlement, history, and enduring culture.
This list is not exhaustive, but representative of the array of LGBTQ+ people who have impacted each of us. Some of them enjoyed long, relatively happy lives and positive recognition for their contributions. Others were erased from the record because of their identities, or suffered injustices at the hands of individuals or society; Turing was chemically castrated under British law, and Milk died by an assassin's bullet, for just two examples. Yet, no matter what we go through, there's one thing for sure; the LGBTQ+ community endures, and our contributions are a testament to the fact that we've always been here, playing our part in building a better world. Because the future is a story that we all deserve to be a part of.

Alex Andrasik, Peter Salva
Keuka Compass

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