The Daily Star, Oneonta, NY - otsego county news, delaware county news, oneonta news, oneonta sports

Local News

Related Photos

  • CSS5B37.jpg

    CSS5B37.jpg

Discussion

COMMENTING ON STORIES:

Welcome to our story comments feature. We welcome your thoughts and your opinions, including the unpopular ones. We only ask that you keep your conversations clean, civil and on the topic of the story you are commenting on.

Coinciding with our websites redesign, we launched our new story comments feature through Disqus.

Disqus gives users the ability to log into our story comments feature so that they may be able to track their conversations, receive emails when their comments get a reply or to even have your comments update onto your Facebook or Twitter accounts.

For the time being, our story comments feature will continue to have the ability to post comments anonymously. We reserve the right to require registration in the future using your name and verified email address.

Not all comments are deemed printable. Some are disqualified at the newspaper’s discretion for a number of different reasons. Please follow our Online Rules of Conduct at all times.

RULES OF CONDUCT:

We reserve the right to remove comments that are unacceptable, to wit:

1. False and inacurate statements.
2. Personal attacks. Explicit name-calling.
3. Harassing, harmful, vulgar, obscene and defamatory language.
4. Threatening statements or statements that suggest violence.
5. Hate speech of any kind.
6. Intolerant comments on religion, race, age, gender, sexual preference or disabilities.
7. Accusations of criminal activity.
8. Content that is harmful to children and minors in any way.
9. References to any type of sexual activity and other private matters.
10. Random and inflammatory statements that are off topic.
11. Advertising of any kind.
12. Typing in all caps.

WE ENCOURAGE REASONABLE AND COURTEOUS COMMENTS THAT:

1. Create conversation on issues of interest and concern to fellow readers and local community members.
2. Express opinions and contrarian views.
3. Stimulate debate with respectful language.
4. Stay within the boundaries of these rules.

WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO SUSPEND OR TERMINATE ACCESS FOR:

1. Violating any of these Online Rules of Conduct.
2. Deliberately disrupting discussions with repetitive messages, meaningless messages or spam.
3. Misrepresentation of identity or impersonating another user.

WE WELCOME:

1. Flagging violations of these rules that you observe to our attention.

MONITORING:

We monitor comments regularly Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Approval of comments outside of this time (including weekends) will be sporadic.
comments powered by Disqus
August 20, 2010

Youth employment celebrated

By Mark Boshnack Staff Writer

Achievements during a summer youth employment program were celebrated Thursday afternoon at a Neahwa Park picnic.

The six-week program for qualifying Otsego County youth is run by the Chenango-Delaware-Otsego Workforce program, officials with the program said. It matches youth, ages 14-21, with summer employment opportunities with a variety of participating agencies and businesses, summer youth counselor John Chase said.  

Thanks to funding from the federal Temporary Assistance to Needy Families Program it provides these employers with about 100 hours of free labor, Chase said.

In return, youths get a chance to develop work skills and get a paycheck, he said. The rate is minimum wage.

Assemblyman Peter Lopez, R-Schoharie, presented the youths with certificates noting their participation.

“It’s an acknowledgement of the impact of this program” that gives real-world experience to young people, he said.

Chase, an Edmeston middle school social studies teacher, said that it is almost like extending the school year because it gives participants a chance to learn what it is like to be in a work environment.

Skills such as time management, meeting deadlines and working as part of a team will help them in the classroom this fall, he said.

There were 53 youths participating in 40 businesses and agencies, he said. This included Khala-Mar Stables in Otego, Family Service Association, Oneonta and Unatego central schools and Asbury Gardens.

Among the youth participants was Krystal Coltrane, 19, of Oneonta. The second-year State University of New York Institute of Technology student worked at the front desk of the CDO Workforce office, doing secretarial and front desk duties,

“It was fun,” she said. “It was some good work experience.”

When she graduates she hopes to do something in graphic design or communications, she said. She was able to use these skills in designing an office flier and a template for office forms, she said.

Also participating was Kenny Clark, 17, a senior at Oneonta High School. He worked at Robynwood Adult Home in a variety of positions including kitchen work and talking with the residents.

“I learned a lot about the job,” he said. He enjoyed talking care of people and said it was something he would consider doing when he graduates.

Among the businesses participating was Mountain Harvest Organic Farm in Westford, run by Renata Joseph,

Her employee was not at the picnic, but she had him involved with every step of the farming business, from seeding lettuce and radishes, to planting herbs, harvesting and marketing. This is her second year of involvement and she said she plans on continuing next summer.

Monetarily it helps a lot to have someone who she doesn’t have to pay, she said.

But more importantly, she enjoys working with young people, helping them, and “seeing them smile,” she said. 

Text Only
Local News

Additional Content
Join the Debate
Helium
Additional Resources
CNHI News Service

Poll

Do you think we will have a big snow storm the rest of the winter?

Yes
No
     View Results