May 9th, 2020 9:39am -Mid York Weekly Article

Library Offerings are Essential

By: Michelle A. Rounds

I know our physical building is closed and many of you have run out of physical materials to read and/or watch. Every day I view Gov. Cuomo’s press conference waiting for the green light to open our library; even for curbside (no contact pick up) to get you some materials. Right now we have to be 100 percent closed, but as soon as he gives me even a little wiggle room, I am working on our Infectious Disease Preparedness and Recovery Plan.

I want to be ready when we can begin offering any services other than online only. I have been working on ways to get the inside of the library prepared for our “new normal” too. Rest assured we will offer as many of our regular services as we can while we progress to the new normal.

Additionally upon reopening, we will have rigorous safety and sanitation protocols to keep all staff and patrons healthy. But, right now, we are not really considered essential so that concerns me when it comes to opening.

Many of us will agree, our books and movies are essential pastimes! But, we must respect our governor and make sure we do what is best. We surely don’t want to reopen and then have to close up shop again for another few months!

In the meantime, we have had to cancel all in-house programming and meeting areas until further notice. This will most likely stay in effect even after we reopen for a bit. For now we still continue to have various virtual programs.

Check out our webpage for these at morrisvillepubliclibrary.org/events/links-for-virtual-programs/

You can also see below for a couple!

Have you participated in our Chat Around the Circulation Desk program yet? Every Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. we all get together and chat on whatever we want to! A book we read, a movie we watched, how everyone is doing, anything that we want to chat about!

All you need is a phone or computer with speakers (and a webcam and mic if you want us to see or hear you)! Join your hosts, Michelle and Jennifer! We put the link and phone number every Wednesday on our Facebook page and our website! (Links and numbers change every week.)

Seeing as our April LEGO Your Boredom contest was such a hit, we are doing another one in May! All the fun began Tuesday, May 5 and runs through 8 p.m. May 19. All Lego enthusiasts (1 to 100-plus years) can build an original Lego creation based on one of the holidays featured on our Facebook page and website that are typically celebrated in the month of May.

You have until 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 19 to build your creation! When your creation is complete, please send a photo of it to us via Facebook message or email it to us at morrisville@midyork.org!

Please note that photos of your creation will be put up for a vote, creations should be made so that they can be viewed in their entirety in a photo. Participants’ creations will be voted on later by our social media viewers!

The winner of the contest will receive a Kindle Fire donated by an anonymous donor who wants someone to smile in this time of uncertainty. Happy building!

Some reminders: our book drop is closed so please keep all of our materials as they have been renewed for you until we reopen. If you are trying out our digital services and need help, have problems with your library card number, etc., want to check out e-books, watch movies, get audiobooks, read magazines and need help, please email me at mrounds@midyork.org and I will get you the help you need!

Please stay safe and well and talk to you all soon! I miss each and every one of you!

Michelle Rounds, manager of the Morrisville Public Library, can be reached at 315-684-9130 or by email at mrounds@midyork.org.

Article Obtained from: https://www.uticaod.com/news/20200509/library-offerings-are-essential

Jennifer Forward, left, used a little Photoshop magic to create this photo of herself and her mom, Morrisville Public Library manager Michelle Rounds, as if they could actually have their virtual Chat Around the Circulation Desk program there. Library patrons are invited to join the chat at 6:30pm every Thursday night online. [COURTESY JENNIFER FORWARD]

May 14th, 2020 12:30pm -Madison County NY Government Facebook Page

One effective way to slow the spread of COVID-19 is to identify and isolate people who are infected. This requires people to get tested. Madison County currently has several testing locations, and is working to offer additional drive-up testing sites in the coming week. There are additional testing locations right over some of our county borders that are open to everyone, regardless of the county they live in. Most require an appointment ahead of time.

For a complete listing of testing locations in the area and information about each, visit: www.madisoncounty.ny.gov/2589/Diagnostic-Testing-Sites-for-COVID-19

May 14th, 2020 7:00am -Syracuse.com Article

Green Empire Farm must move workers out of hotels after coronavirus outbreak, county says
By: Marnie Eisenstadt

Oneida, N.Y. — Green Empire Farm and its migrant labor contractor will need to move 250 workers out of local hotels and into bunkhouses at the greenhouse by June 1, Madison County officials say.

The county’s request comes on the heels of an outbreak among the migrant workers: At least 169 of them have tested positive for the coronavirus in recent weeks. The virus spread not at the greenhouse, but at the hotels where the workers were living, county health officials said.

Most were crammed four to a room, two to a bed. County officials said they were unaware that the three hotels — the Days Inn, Super 8 and La Quinta — were being used for farmworker housing.

Samantha Field, a county spokeswoman, said Green Empire is building bunkhouses meant for migrant workers, but they are not done. The farm opened in August.

Those need to be finished by June 1 so the workers can move out of the hotels, Field said. The county delivered that message to both MAC Contracting, the migrant labor provider, and Mastronardi Produce of Canada, the company that owns Green Empire Farm.

“We have impressed upon them — this can’t continue,” Field said.

At least two bunkhouses are under construction, and it’s unclear how many workers they would hold or how tight the quarters would be. A spokeswoman for Mastronardi did not respond to questions about the migrant workers’ living situation.

Field said the county will inspect the bunkhouses to make sure they are up to the farmworker housing standards in state law before allowing workers to move in.

The state Department of Health and Madison County are also investigating whether housing the workers at the hotel violated state law. Public health law sets out minimum standards for farmworker housing.

Jill Montag, a spokeswoman for the state DOH, said the department is reviewing information about how the workers were housed and whether the state standards for migrant worker housing were violated.

Some farmworkers became seriously ill with the coronavirus and had to be hospitalized. None died. But Roxanne Whaley, a housekeeper at one of the hotels, caught the coronavirus along with her husband. Her husband died May 7. The hotel’s owner also became ill with the virus and had to be hospitalized.

Field said the county was unaware that the hotels were being used to house migrant workers until the outbreak. Once they found out so many workers were living in such tight quarters, the goal was to test them all, separate those who were ill from those who were not, and get medical care for everyone who needed it.

Now that that situation is under control, the county wants to make it clear that the hotels are not a permanent solution, she said.

In addition to the county and state investigation, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration is also investigating the working conditions.

The migrant labor force is more than 270 workers. Another 180 workers came from the surrounding area. The migrant workers started at the farm to tend and harvest strawberries in December. Now they are harvesting tomatoes and planting cucumbers.

Field said most of the workers have recovered and will be returning to work, if they haven’t already.

Article Obtained from: https://www.syracuse.com/news/2020/05/green-empire-farm-must-move-workers-out-of-hotels-after-coronavirus-outbreak-county-says.html 

May 13th, 2020 4:46pm -SUNY Morrisville Facebook Page

Please join us on May 22 as we congratulate all of this year’s graduates with a virtual SUNY Morrisville Commencement 2020 experience! While we may not be able to gather together, we hope that this virtual ceremony allows our graduates to celebrate this monumental moment with loved ones and provides them with a sense of Mustang Pride.
Learn more by visiting our website: https://www.morrisville.edu/commencement
#MoVilleGrad2020 #MustangProud #MustangStrong

May 13th, 2020 12:31pm -Morrisville Eaton Facebook Page

On Friday May 15th
8:20 PM (20:20 Military Time) to 8:40 PM
We will light up the High School Stadium
To Honor our Student Body and the
MECS Senior Class of 2020
The Campus will be closed so please Join us online for pictures and video.

May 13th, 2020 -Oneida Dispatch Snapshot

A look at a sign recognizing seniors and all students missed at Morrisville-Eaton Middle-High School.

Article Obtained from: https://www.oneidadispatch.com/news/local-news/snapshot-recognizing-class-of-2020/article_ce8eff04-9513-11ea-8006-6749ae788f7c.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=user-share

May 12th, 2020 4:34pm -Morrisville Public Library Facebook Page

Announcing our 2020 Summer Reading Program!  (We regret that we will not be able to do any in house programs, contests etc. this summer, but we think you will really like what fun things we have come up with virtually and that you can do at home!)  More details soon!