VOL. 150 - NO. 12 SIDNEY, NEW YORK — THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2016 SUGGESTED PRICE 75¢ Unatego Hosts Area Professionals for Annual Career Day By Allison Collins early, McQuade said, “Make it and demanding schooling part of your life now and be required of professional ar- OTEGO – On Thursday, ready.” McQuade went on to chitectures and the wide span Mar. 17 Unatego Middle/High say that, following the physi- of those academic require- School played host to a broad cal and psychological evalu- ments, which include courses cross section of area profes- ations involved in trooper in physics, calculus, structural sionals for the school’s annual training, assessors moved engineering, design, renovat- Career Day. Laura Butcher, on to detailed background ing and heating, to name but high school guidance coun- checks of every individual a few. “The work is diffi cult,” selor said that while career applicant. “It starts now,” Mc- Jordan said, detailing his own exploration is state-mandated, Quade said of the exemplary nine years of college educa- the format employed for the behavior prerequisite for ac- tion. Though Jordan, who has day is the brainchild of her ceptance into law enforce- been an architect for 30 years, and fellow guidance coun- ment programs. “We’ll go also said, “The fi eld is pretty Unatego students ask questions of the panel of professionals stationed in the school’s selor, Amanda Cane. Butcher, back to your neighbors, your wide open right now.” small gym for Unatego’s annual Career Day, held on Thursday, Mar. 17. Speakers shown who has been at UCS for ten teachers,” said McQuade, ex- A branch manager for here included representatives from WCDO, Springbrook, Wagner Lumber-Nineveh and years, said this year’s Career plaining the importance of Community Bank spoke the Otsego County Sheriff’s Department. Day was the eighth of its kind, character as part of the back- next, detailing her own rise whereby several professionals ground checks. through the ranks and high- from diverse fi elds present to After detailing the require- lighting the fact that there one room of roughly 30 stu- ments of becoming a state are far more careers having dents, as opposed to grouping trooper, McQuade told the to do with banking than just similar fi elds together (i.e. all students that “There is a lot of branch manager or teller, the healthcare professionals in opportunity” within a career two most common and visible one room, all law enforcement in law enforcement, includ- within the fi eld. The manager, agents in another and so on). ing specifi cation into interest- named Beth, began as a teller Butcher said the mixed-fi eld ing niches in the fi eld like fi re herself ten years ago, working format really allows for stu- arm instruction, undercover part time on a temporary ba- dents to be exposed to assort- operations, the SORT Team sis during college. Beth high- ed and possibly unconsidered (similar to the SWAT Team), lighted the many opportuni- career prospects. and involvement with the ca- ties for advancement within Representatives from Bas- nine unit. McQuade praised the banking fi eld, especially sett, N.Y. State Troop C, the “very good retirement” for individuals perhaps not James Jordan Associates packages in law enforcement, considering college, but nev- and Community Bank each saying also that troopers re- ertheless looking for a profes- presented to an audience of ceive “great medical and re- sion that allows for ascent. students in 8th, 10th and 12th ally good dental” insurance After the speakers deliv- grades in the Unatego Board coverage. McQuade, who has ered their respective presenta- Room. (Resultant of an invita- been a trooper for 20 years, tions, students were welcomed tion from Unatego, 8th and 10th described his own career as to come up and ask questions graders from Franklin were varied, accomplished and of each visiting professional. also in attendance for the fi rst very rewarding. In closing, Butcher, overseeing the pre- time this year.) McQuade told the students, sentations in the board room, Troop C Recruiter, Trooper “As long as you have a desire implored the students to be in- Tim McQuade, spoke to the to help someone, you can have quisitive of the professionals, students about what it takes that rewarding career, too.” encouraging them to “Make to become a state trooper, Following Trooper Mc- them feel welcome here at sharing that “40 percent of Qaude was James Jordan of Unatego.” applicants are lost” to the rig- James Jordan Associates, a Several presentations were orous physical requirements professional architecture fi rm. delivered simultaneously alone. Encouraging the kids Jordan, a registered archi- throughout the school, with Students ranging from eighth graders to twelfth are shown here asking questions of to incorporate physical health tecture, spoke of the lengthy the students rotating through- architect James Jordan and NY State Trooper Recruiter Tim McQuade at Unatego’s recent Career Day. See Career Day, Page 2 Democrat Will Yandik Visits Sidney on Hopeful Path to Congress By Allison Collins ebrates its 100th year anniver- cate for sustainable farming Smart Energy Coalition in on a localized scale, though posed minimum wage hike sary in 2016, Yandik called it practices and a champion of 2013 and served on the Board he recognized, “We need to to fi fteen dollars per hour SIDNEY – Chairman of the “one of the bright spots” for environmental and historic of Trustees for the Columbia democratize the process.” by 2021, Yandik reiterated Sidney Democratic Commit- having “made it to the fourth preservation. To that end, Land Conservancy), Yandik Like his Democratic coun- his background as a small tee, Sue Sklenarik, organized generation.” Yanik (and audience mem- said of his history with oppos- terpart and only viable oppo- businessman and said he un- for Democratic Congressional Yandik, a graduate of bers) talked a lot at Sunday’s ing projects like the Constitu- nent in the race for the party derstood the concerns of lo- hopeful Will Yandik to speak Princeton with a master’s de- gathering of the proposed tion Pipeline, “It’s something nomination, Zephyr Teachout, cal business owners like Pat on the afternoon of Sunday, gree from Brown University, Constitution Pipeline slated I’ve worked on at the state lev- Yandik spoke of the impor- Cristelli of the four-years- Mar. 20, at the Sidney Memo- went on to discuss his time to cross through fi ve upstate el and will continue to work tance of acquiring pervasive young Sidney Flowers & rial Public Library. Gathered spent working as a journal- N.Y. counties, his opposition on at the federal level.” Yan- broadband Internet service Gifts. Yandik also said, “My was an audience of roughly ist, specifi cally for AARP, to it and experience fi ght- dik also mentioned that there across rural areas, likening position is a little different 25 community members, in- in the farm’s off-season. His ing such initiatives. Yandik “is always a rush to develop it to the need for electricity from Zephyr’s.” Yandik, who cluding local residents, Rotar- background as a farmer and referred to the fi ght against infrastructure in times of eco- amongst 1930’s businesses. is generally in favor of the ians, and Sidney mayor, Andy a journalist whose specializa- eminent domain as one that is nomic depression” but that the High-speed Internet access increase, admitted, “I know Matviak. tion is writing about retire- “close at home” for him. “The arena “needs new voices” and has become a business neces- what we want to do,” but said Upon arrival, Yandik ment legislation gives Yandik FERC has never met a pipe- “common sense.” sity and to be without it ren- that changes need to be made launched immediately into a uniquely vested interest in line it didn’t love,” Yandik Here Yandik mentioned co- ders any business virtually to the proposed increase be- a brief bio, highlighting his the area and understanding said, agreeing with several authoring Carbon and Com- ineffective in today’s market. fore it can function success- active role as a fourth gen- of its majority demographic speakers from the crowd. “I’m munities, a nationally rec- Yandik expressed his convic- fully. “We need to carve out eration family farmer on Hud- (Yandik acknowledged that opposed [to the Constitution ognized public policy guide tion that there is a federal role something like a youth wage son, N.Y.’s Green Acres Farm his is a “graying district”). Pipeline]. It threatens com- on how medium and small in the 21st century to bring this or a training wage” by way and how a life spent farming “I’ve been standing up for is- munities, decreases property municipalities can better go kind of widespread access to of amending the proposal, especially qualifi es him to sues that matter to his district values and communities bear about reducing their carbon every person, every business: Yandik offered. He would see represent a rural county like all my life,” said Yandik. all of the costs with none of footprint. Yandik suggested “We can do this. We have to increments and contingencies Delaware, in a district like the Yandik, who became the the benefi ts.” Emphasizing his walking through communities do this. We keep talking about introduced into the increase, 19th. “I grew up in this dis- fi rst-ever Democrat to be background in biology (Yan- and “defi ning low-hanging it because we keep failing at allowing for consideration of trict,” said Yandik. “I’ve got elected Deputy Town Super- dik has taught at Columbia- fruit” by way of identifying it.” lesser qualifi ed employees or skin in this game.” Speaking visor in Livingston in 2013, Greene Community College, the easiest, most doable steps Asked by audience mem- youth employees working in of his family farm, which cel- has also acted as an advo- founded the Hudson Valley toward emissions reductions bers of his stance on the pro- a different capacity than their See Yandik, Page 2 2 — Tri-Town News — Thursday, March 24, 2016 Career Day Continued Yandik Continued seniors.