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Putnam County 4-H'ers to Benefit from Improvements Slated for State Fair Youth Building
Improvements are slated to continue this year at the State Fair Youth Building, as top state officials told local 4-H'ers Monday March 3rd.
Dan O'Hara, the director of the State Fair, told a statewide contingent of 4-H members that money is currently in the proposed state budget for improvements to the bathrooms and dorm areas of the Youth Building. The building improvement plans are contingent upon the state budget being approved with the necessary funds still in place.
Here is what Putnam County 4-H'ers had to say: "The improvements would make it so much better! No more leaks and clogs!" (Steven Williams, 17); "Awesome! It's going to be the best change for all the 4-Hers" (Brianna Durkin, 17).
O'Hara told the 4-Hers of the planned improvements during the annual 4-H Capital Days event held this week in Albany.
This week 4-H members from around the state, including three teens from Putnam County participated in the 73rd annual 4-H Capital Days events traveling to Albany for two intensive days of tours and lectures. Beth Amy (15, Patterson), Brianna Durkin (16, Mahopac) and Elizabeth Skillicorn (16, Carmel) represented Putnam County this year.
4-H Capital Days is only one of several statewide teen opportunities that Putnam County 4-H participates in. State Teen Ambassador Representative Retreat in Syracuse; Career Explorations at Cornell University in Ithaca and the New York State Fair in Syracuse are highly attended by Putnam County 4- H Youth Development Program participants. In hearing the news about the proposed State Fair improvements Putnam County 4-Her, Shannon Wiede (15, Carmel) had this to say; "I think that is fabulous, it will be nicer to stay in the dorms. The showers were interesting before, and now they will be nicer, I can't wait for State Fair this year".
O'Hara said plans are for the dorm areas and bathrooms to be improved by this summer and by next year the building should have a new roof. The State Fair director said all improvements are contingent upon this year's state budget being approved with the funds for the Youth Building still intact. "What we're working to do this year in the state budget is to get funding to upgrade the dormitories at the State Fair," state Sen. Catherine M. Young (R,I,C-Olean) confirmed to the 4-Hers this week.Young is the chair of the Senate's Agricultural Committee. She delivered the closing address at Capital Days this year.Young added, however, that she feels that much work needs to be done on the state budget before it passes. "We do have our work cut out for us. We've got to get taxes down." Young said.
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