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Home My WebLink About2023-06-30 newsletterCarissa Parlato, Town Clerk <ulysses.clerk@gmail.com> Ulysses Updates for 6/30/23 Carissa Parlato, Town Clerk <ulysses.clerk@gmail.com>Fri, Jun 30, 2023 at 3:03 PM To: Google Groups <town-of-ulysses@googlegroups.com> Hello Ulysses, It’s s�ll a bit smoky out there. Keep track of air quality through: �your phone's weather app �airnow.gov �NYS DEC website �the air quality hotline: 800-535-1345 We s�ll have KN95 masks here at town hall, should you need one. See updates for this week below and hope you enjoy your weekend! IN THIS WEEK’S ULYSSES NEWSLETTER: NYS DEC Tips for Reducing Smoke Exposure Harmful Algal Blooms- Cayuga Lake Dog Census Village Beau�fica�on NYS Health Insurance Info Library Summer Reading Program NYS DEC TIPS FOR DEALING WITH WILDFIRE SMOKE: Here are a few ways to reduce smoke exposure (PDF) for yourself and those you care about: �Be aware of your air: Before heading out to work, exercise, or to the park with the kids, check the AQI forecast and adjust your outdoor ac�vi�es if there is poor air quality. Plan ahead by signing up for email air quality alerts. �Stay inside: Keep windows and doors closed to keep indoor air clean. If smoke gets inside, buy or make your own portable air cleaner to reduce particles indoors, or use HEPA air filters in your HVAC system. �Wear a mask: If you must go out, a properly worn N95 mask can filter out large smoke par�cles, reducing the amount of PM you breathe in. �Take it easy: Avoid strenuous outdoor ac�vi�es that may cause you to breathe heavier. �Protect the vulnerable: Caretakers of children, the elderly, and those with asthma should be especially careful. When the AQI is elevated, be sure to limit their outdoor ac�vi�es to keep them safe. �Take care of four-legged friends: Keep outdoor trips with your pet brief and low-key to protect them from the same nose, eye, throat, and lung irrita�on people experience. HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOM ALERT- CAYUGA LAKE Tompkins County Whole Health is aler�ng the community that blue-green algae blooms, also known as HABs (Harmful Algal Blooms), have recently been reported in northern por�ons of Cayuga Lake and monitoring is con�nuing. These blooms may be small in size and confined to specific areas of the shoreline and bays, though they can form in open waters as well. Areas where blooms are not observed Gmail - Ulysses Updates for 6/30/23 https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ik=a448223915&view=pt&search=a... 1 of 4 10/4/2023, 3:43 PM can con�nue to be used for recrea�onal use. Tompkins County Whole Health urges residents and visitors to be aware of HABs. These blooms can occur in any calm body of water and may produce toxins that are harmful to people and animals. Do not drink the water and avoid contact with the water if it appears discolored or has an unpleasant odor. Do not allow pets to swim in water where suspicious cyanobacteria blooms are present. Hot weather and intense rain and runoff events can lead to an increase in the presence of HABs. Iden�fying HABs: It might be cyanobacteria if you see: strongly colored water, paint-like appearance, blue-green oily swirls, parallel green streaks, floa�ng mats or scum. View these images for examples: http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/81962.html View this video for more informa�on about iden�fying HABs: https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=8nL_s77FV-o For more informa�on about cyanobacteria blooms, please visit the Harmful Algal Bloom Monitoring Page on the Community Science Ins�tute’s (CSI’s) website:http://www.communityscience. org/volunteer/harmful-algal-bloom-monitoring/ If contact occurs with suspicious HABs, Rinse thoroughly with clean water to remove cyanobacteria. Rinse dogs that may have gone in the water, so they do not lick their coats. Dry the dog thoroughly. If the dog has drank any of the water, contact veterinarian for assistance. Click here for more informa�on on the risks HABs present to dogs: https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/water_pdf/habspets.pdf Stop using the water and seek medical a�en�on immediately if symptoms such as vomi�ng, nausea, diarrhea, skin, eye or throat irrita�on, allergic reac�ons or breathing difficul�es occur a�er drinking or having contact with blooms or untreated surface water. The Community Science Ins�tute (CSI), Cayuga Lake Watershed Network, and Discover Cayuga Lake lead a volunteer program to monitor the Cayuga Lake shoreline for HABs during the summer months. If you'd like to contribute to the HABs monitoring program yourself, please contact Grace Haynes at aghaynes@communityscience.org for more informa�on. To stay alert to blooms occurring on Cayuga Lake, check the Cayuga Lake HABs Repor�ng Page on CSI’s website at: http://www.database.communityscience.org/hab The NYS Department of Environmental Conserva�on (NYSDEC) has a map of reported HABs across the State here: https://nysdec.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id= ae91142c812a4ab997ba739ed9723e6e HABs can also be present in smaller ponds. Residents who have private ponds should monitor their ponds for signs of blooms and avoid contact. Residents may contact Tompkins County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) for guidance on pond management and a possible site visit to view the suspicious bloom. If a private resident is interested in tes�ng a bloom, please contact the Community Science Institute (607-257-6606) to determine tes�ng op�ons and fees. Repor�ng: Report any HAB-related health symptoms to the NYS Health Department at harmfulalgae@health.ny.gov and call your healthcare provider. Gmail - Ulysses Updates for 6/30/23 https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ik=a448223915&view=pt&search=a... 2 of 4 10/4/2023, 3:43 PM If you see a suspicious bloom in Cayuga Lake, stay out of the water and report the sigh�ng to the Cayuga Lake HABs Monitoring Program by emailing HABsHotline@gmail.com. If you see a suspicious bloom in another public body of water, stay out of the water and report the sigh�ng to the NYSDEC by filling out and submi�ng a Suspicious Algal Bloom Report Form, found here: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/66337b887ccd465ab7645c0a9c1bc5c0. Email HABSInfo@dec.ny.gov if you are unable to complete the form. Learn more about HABs online at: https://www.tompkinscountyny.gov/health/habs Tompkins County Whole Health (formerly the Tompkins County Health Department): envisioning a future where every person in Tompkins County can achieve wellness. Find us online at TompkinsCountyNY.gov/health, and follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/ TompkinsWholeHealth and on Twi�er at @TCWholeHealth. Sign up to receive Whole Health updates or other county announcements via email or text. For health-related ques�ons regarding drinking water or recrea�onal water ac�vi�es, contact the Environmental Health Division: 607-274-6688 For private ponds, contact the Soil and Water Conserva�on District: (607) 257-2340 DOG CENSUS- STILL TIME TO LICENSE YOUR DOG: The town is conduc�ng a town-wide dog census and needs your help... �If you DO NOT have a dog, please respond at https://forms.gle/PmQ49SPsvESGZind9 so that we can eliminate you from our mailing list. �If you DO have a dog that does not yet have a license, complete the form at https://townofulyssesny.gov/__cms/docs/Dog-license-form-2022.pdf and return along with rabies/spay informa�on. Any dogs found to be unlicensed a�er the census period will be assessed a $25 fee in addi�on to the usual licensing fees. For informa�on, contact the clerk’s office at ulysses.clerk@gmail.com or call (607)387-5767 ext. 221. Thanks for your help! VILLAGE BEAUTIFICATION: Takin' Care of Tburg will hold its third work session of the season Saturday July 8th from 9-11am at the Mini Village. General garden and street cleanup will be done along with the monthly cleanup of the Mini Village. Everyone is welcome, kids included. Thank you to all those who are keeping the planter boxes beau�fully blooming. NYS HEALTH INS INFO: Folks who have health insurance through New York State of Health (NYSOH), such as Essen�al Plan, Medicaid, and Child Health Plus, may need to update and renew their health insurance applica�ons so that they do not lose health insurance coverage and/or or experience a lag in coverage. Call 2-1-1 or (1-877-211-8667) to make an appointment If you have Medicaid, Essen�al Plan or Child Health Plus. During the pandemic, people who had health insurance through (NYSOH) had their applica�ons automa�cally renewed, but this has come to an end. Tompkins County Human Services Coali�on navigators Liz Hoyt (ehoyt@hsctc.org), and JD Drader (jdrader@hsctc.org), can walk people through the process of upda�ng and renewing their health insurance applica�ons, as well as ge�ng those who do not have health insurance, connected to health insurance. They can also help people with Gmail - Ulysses Updates for 6/30/23 https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ik=a448223915&view=pt&search=a... 3 of 4 10/4/2023, 3:43 PM health insurance challenges they face even if they have private health insurance. Health Insurance Navigators can help you: �Understand your insurance op�ons �Complete an applica�on �Renew Health Insurance �Find out eligibility for free or low cost plans �Make changes to your plan if your situa�on changes LIBRARY SUMMER READING PROGRAM: Star�ng July 5th, youth aged birth to 18 can register for the program and earn a free book to keep. Throughout the summer, youth can report to us what they are reading by drawing or wri�ng about a book they read. Each �me they submit a reading report they will earn another book! (While supplies last; please limit to one report per child per week). All of the reading reports will be counted toward our Community Reading Goal of 1,000 books! Grown-ups, we’ll have a reading challenge for you, too – with some fun prizes! Check out our program calendar for informa�on on all of the free programs this summer, both inside and outside of the library. ### If you are receiving this as a forwarded message and would like to sign up to receive it directly, visit https://groups.google.com/g/town-of-ulysses -- Best, Carissa Parlato, CMC (Certified Municipal Clerk), RMC (Registered Municipal Clerk) Ulysses Town Clerk, Tax Collector, Records Manager, Notary Public 10 Elm St. Trumansburg NY 14886 (607)387-5767, ext. 221 Hours: M-F, 10am-3pm (or by appointment) https://townofulyssesny.gov/ Get the latest updates on the town- sign up for the e-newsletter! Click here. Gmail - Ulysses Updates for 6/30/23 https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ik=a448223915&view=pt&search=a... 4 of 4 10/4/2023, 3:43 PM