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How Can I Help?

Nature

Four words to inspire a change: Plant natives. Save nature. Here in Chautauqua County, farming is in our roots – grapes, corn, beans – you name it. But these crops rely on more than just hard work and sunshine. They depend on pollinators: bees, butterflies, and birds buzzing and flitting through our fields. But here’s the twist: our crops aren’t their main attraction. They’re just a pit stop on the way to what these insects really love and need – native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers hidden in hedgerows and forest edges. And those places? They’re disappearing ...

Hellbenders Are Very Real

Nature

Some animals appear so bizarre it is hard to believe they are real. Narwhals, the toothed Arctic whale seems more magical than factual. Pangolins, with their armored plates seem like they evolved from a fantasy book rather than in Asia and Africa. Another strange looking creature, which is ...

Invasive Species In Western New York: Should We Be Worried?

Nature

Ever heard of the Spotted Lanternfly? How about the Red Swamp Crayfish? No, they’re not band names – they’re invasive species creeping into Western New York, and they could be wreaking havoc on local ecosystems. But what exactly are invasive species, and are they all that bad? WHAT ARE ...

Is Insurance Help For Seniors Available?

Senior News

My budget is getting very difficult to manage, are there any programs to help with paying for my insurance? What is that and How do I get that? Answer: A program I believe is very helpful for many seniors is called the Medicare Savings Program (MSP). This is a Medicaid benefit administered by the Department of Social Services (DSS) in your county. Each year the income levels change, and this is new income information just released from the Federal Government for 2025. Often our gross income is different than our Net income. (I remember the difference with a rhyme, “Net is what you ...

Arbor Day A Good Reason To Plant Oak Trees

Nature

In 1872, a Nebraska newspaper editor and tree lover named J. Sterling Morton proposed dedicating a day to planting trees in his home state. The idea, shall we say, took root. That year, April 10 became the first organized Arbor Day, and approximately 1 million trees were planted in Nebraska. ...

The Great Green Dream Of Chatty Creek

Nature

In the cheerful town of Chatty Creek, everyone wanted the greenest lawn on the block. Families spent weekends mowing, watering, and sprinkling fertilizers like fairy dust to keep their grass thick and bright. The kids loved it - playing tag, watching cloud parades, staging backyard bug battles, and pretending the perfect carpet of grass was their enchanted kingdom. But while the grass looked great, trouble was brewing. The fertilizers started sneaking into Lilypad Lake, turning the once-sparkling water into murky green soup. Algae took over, the fish disappeared, and the kids’ ...