CAZENOVIA — On April 17, at 9 a.m., Cazenovia will kick off its Earth Week celebration with a virtual breakfast with New York State Senator Rachel May.
Moderated by Cazenovia Town Councilor Kyle Reger, the event will feature a half hour Zoom conversation followed by a question and answer session.
May will discuss sustainable energy and climate plans in New York State and the impacts of the plans on Madison County and the Greater Cazenovia Area.
“I was honored to be asked to moderate the [event],” said Reger. “This will be a wonderful opportunity to discuss what is happening on the state level, the impacts on our greater community, and how we can best work together to accomplish our mutual initiatives. These topics are on the forefront locally and it is important that we collaborate with our state representatives as we plan for the future in our community.”
May represents Central New York’s 53rd District, which includes most of the City of Syracuse, parts of Onondaga and Oneida counties, and all of Madison County.
She chairs the Senate Committee on Aging and the Legislative Commission on Rural Resources, and she is a member of the committees on agriculture, elections, environmental conservation, higher education, and cultural affairs, tourism, parks and recreation.
Prior to joining the senate in 2019, May served as the coordinator of sustainability education at Syracuse University. In that role, May worked with teachers in local schools to help them learn about the history and ecology of Onondaga Lake.
As a senator, May has been instrumental in passing transformative legislation, including the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), the nation’s most ambitious climate legislation.
She held the first public hearing on the landmark CLCPA, at SUNY ESF, and served as a member of the working group that helped draft the legislation.
The senator also sponsored legislation that closed a loophole in the hazardous waste law, so that NYS could stop hazardous fracking waste from being dumped in landfills or spread on roads, where it can leach into freshwater streams and lakes.
Additionally, May sponsored legislation that banned the building of waste incinerators in the Finger Lakes region.
Last year, she was recognized as the “2020 Legislator of the Year” by Environmental Advocates Action for her work to protect clean water, air, and public health.
“[To ensure] that my kids have a wonderful place to live, we need to protect our environment and move quickly to make changes that can really impact climate change,” said Earth Week organizer Geoffrey Navias. “We can do a lot in the village and town, but to address energy and the power grid, Madison County and New York State have to plan with us. We need to work together. Hearing from our New York State senator, and the senator hearing from us, is a really important part of building a working relationship. If we are working together, we can work smarter, faster and more effectively.”
Advanced registration for “Breakfast with Senator May” is required. After signing up, participants will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Zoom meeting.
To register, visit us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMuduCtrjIjHNSQzmyYxRGECIQ8wnqJiF3E.
Cazenovia Earth Week will be held April 17-25 at various locations.
Organized by the United Climate Action Network (U-CAN), the celebration will involve over 20 community groups.
According to the U-CAN website, the weeklong event is about “coming together to celebrate the wonderful and beautiful place where we live, [educating] ourselves about what we have, and taking actions here in our homes, neighborhoods and community to do our part to save our planet.”
This year’s Earth Week will focus on trees.
To view the full schedule of activities and educational opportunities, and to register for events, visit unitedclimateaction.org.
To learn more about May, visit nysenate.gov/senators/rachel-may/about.
