Perhaps retiring state Assemblyman Andrew Goodell, R-Jamestown, has found his next calling as the modern-day Nostradamus.

Less than a year ago, Goodell stood up on the Assembly floor and called for the state to set aside funding for automated external defibrillators the state was going to require for youth sports programs and camps. Goodell foresaw a situation where there weren’t enough volunteers trained to run the AEDs nor enough AEDs for all of the teams that would be playing at a particular time. And he foresaw small, rural leagues or governments trying to figure out how to purchase the AEDs.

Fast forward to the March meeting of the Cassadaga Village Board, where the issue was raised by B.J. Monacelli in regard to the Cassadaga youth baseball program. Monacelli is working on his CPR/AED certification under the new state law, but asked if the Village Board is going to acquire an AED for the baseball park or if the baseball program has to purchase the equipment itself. The cost, according to Trustee Cindy Flaherty, is $2,142.59. For now, Flaherty suggested the baseball program and the village beach program share the AED machine the village owns since the two programs don’t overlap – but village board members agreed it could be difficult managing with one unit since several teams will play at once.

The village fire department is looking for grant funding to purchase additional AEDs. Village Trustee Danna DuBois said she, too, is looking for grant funding that can help youth sports and recreational activities organizations to purchase AEDs.

We say a state that is spending hundreds of millions on a new stadium for the Buffalo Bills should be able to create a grant program to help rural villages like Cassadaga get AEDs so children can play sports and go to a village beach.

Goodell called this situation almost to a tee 10 months ago. He was right then. He remains right now.