This year’s cold in Oswego is not only breaking records, but apparently water lines as well.
Mayor Thomas W. Gillen said the below zero temperatures have caused water lines in some neighborhoods to freeze, leaving the residents of those areas without water.
“It’s possible people will be without utilities, specifically water, for an extended period of time, potentially for several days,” the mayor said.
Oswego is currently working with the American Red Cross of Central New York to house impacted people in Laker Hall, a building on the SUNY Oswego Campus.
Mayor Gillen declared a state of emergency in the city to address the situation as quickly as possible.
He advises all residents to check on their neighbors, especially the elderly or disabled, to make sure they are okay.
If you know anyone who needs help, call 911, or (315) 343-1212 for other assistance.
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More Police Patrols In Oswego
OSWEGO, NY— City of Oswego Mayor Billy Barlow has proposed a $90,000 grant to increase police patrols within the Port City. The new patrols will be called “quality-of-life patrols” and will be conducted on foot by Oswego City Police Department every Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening. The proposal for more policing in the city comes after a recent increase in the number of night time disturbances reported to the Oswego City Police.
Some students from the SUNY Oswego fear the new patrols will be specifically targeting students. Julian Martinez, a junior finance major at SUNY Oswego said, “Why now? Why increase the patrols now? After all these years of having the college involved in the community what debauchery is occurring to make them increase the patrols?”
Martinez believed the patrols will be mainly focusing on student activity. He noted many Oswego State students are most active in the city on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night. The same nights the quality of life patrols will be conducted.
Other students feel the patrols will help make the city a safer place for students. Senior, business-administration major Az Wilson said, “ It’s going to be better. It’s going to make the city a lot safer. I think it would help protect some of our students who go out on those nights as well.”
Mayor Barlow said the quality-of-life patrols are not meant to target students and he feels having police walking the streets at night will benefit the city, as well as university students. Barlow said he wanted “boots on the ground” to make sure city codes were being enforced and to ensure no large disturbances affected the city on its busiest nights.
Mayor Barlow also hopes the quality-of-life patrols will create a stronger relationship between the city police and the residents of the city.
Barlow said, “We know the relationship between police and public can be strained at times and I believe the best way to improve that relationship is to get the police out of the station, out of the cop car, walking in the parks, walking in the neighborhoods, and collecting data, but also forming relationships with our community members.”
Mayor Barlow said the Oswego City Police Department already has a good relationship with the community it serves, but more outreach can always be done.
The quality-of-life patrols have been funded for the rest of 2019 and all of 2020.
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Filmmaker and Environmental activist to headline 11th annual Global Awareness Conference
By Chrissi Galvin
OSWEGO, N.Y.– Fulbright Scholar and TED fellow Shalini Kantayya, a filmmaker and eco-activist will be making a free public keynote presentation at SUNY Oswego. Kantayya, whose film “Catching the Sun” was nominated for the Environmental Media Association Award for Best Documentary, has lectured at universities such as Princeton, Yale, and Stanford.
Kantayya will be presenting at The 2017 Hart Hall Global Awareness Conference. The theme this year will be “A Drop of Life – Water Crisis, Catching the Sun – Renewable Energy & Breakthrough: How Innovations Would Change the World”.
“Catching the Sun” was nominated for the 2016 Environmental Media Association Award for Best Documentary and has been translated in 35 languages.
Kantayya’s film “A Drop of Life” was used as a tool to organize for water rights in 40 villages across Africa, making a real-world impact in the lives of thousands.
The presentation will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4, in Sheldon Hall ballroom for the 11th annual Hart Hall Global Awareness Conference.
For more information on the Hart Hall Global Awareness Conference, visit oswego.edu/academics/hart-global-awareness-conference.
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Rob Gronkowski will undergo back surgery
In the NFL, news out of Foxborough today is that the New England Patriots star tight end Rob Gronkowski will undergo back surgery this Friday.
After leaving last weekend’s game against the New York Jets and not returning, Gronkowski was diagnosed with a herniated disk in his back. This will be the third time since 2009 that Gronkowski will undergo surgery on his back for a herniated disk, with the recovery time this time expected to be approximately two months.
This isn’t the first time this year that ‘Gronk’ has been bit by the injury bug, as the 27 year old missed the beginning of the season dealing with a hamstring injury, and missed the Patriots’ game two weeks ago against the San Francisco 49ers with a punctured lung.
Gronkowski has appeared in eight games this season, only starting in six of them, but has still recorded 25 catches for 540 yards and three touchdowns this season.
Even if the Patriots were to advance to Super Bowl LI, the game is scheduled for February 5th; meaning Gronkowski’s season is likely over, barring a New England playoff run.
