YATES COUNTY--The Yates County Tourism Grant Program is now accepting applications for the second round of 2026. This change in structure allows applicants to apply to better align with a project schedule. Organizations, municipalities, and businesses with projects that promote tourism and draw visitors to Yates County are encouraged to apply.
New this year: The application process has been updated to improve clarity and ease of use. All applicants must use the new 2026 application form, which is now live online at https://tinyurl. com/yvw4p2h5.
Tourism Grants are funded through Yates County’s Occupancy Tax, which is collected from overnight stays at local lodging establishments. These funds are reinvested into the community through projects that enhance visitor experiences, increase non-resident visitation, and contribute to
SEE GRANTS, PAGE 2
Wrestlers compete in Albany for state titles
Ice and snow paint winter scenes in the Finger Lakes
Although the Finger Lakes region missed most of the major winter storm that impacted much of the northeast early this week, the extended cold and snow this season still has Keuka frozen from end-to-end. With the exception of a brief warm up with rain last week, temperatures continue to be below average.
ALBANY--Athletes from Dundee-Bradford/Penn Yan’s girls wrestling team and the Penn Yan boys wrestling program will participate in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association championships, Thursday, Feb. 26 and Friday, Feb. 27. The girls wrestling tournament is held Thursday, Feb. 26 at MVP Arena in Albany. Session one begins with an opening ceremony at 9 a.m. and wrestling starts at 9:30 a.m. Quarterfinals and semifinals will happen in the afternoon. Session two includes the finals opening ceremony at 5 p.m. with the consolations and finals getting underway at 5:15 p.m.
NFHS Network is the official streaming partner of the NYSPHSAA and will have the matches available online to watch at https://www.nfhsnetwork.com.
For Dundee-Bradford/Penn Yan, Peyton Mullin and Zoey White are competing in the 235-pound weight class. Mullin, a junior, is a two-time state champion, leading the bracket with a 31-0 record. Her opening match is against Alexis Keeler of Putnam Valley. White, also a junior, has a 19-14 record and opens against Khamyra’J Maxwell of Lockport.
In the boys division two competition, Jacob Eaves will repre-
SEE WRESTLERS, PAGE 2
Local competitor helps USA win gold medal at Olympics
LIVIGNO, ITALY--American freestyle skiing star Chris Lillis has once again ascended to the top of the Olympic podium, helping Team USA secure the gold medal in the mixed team aerials event at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Livigno.
In a thrilling finale, Lillis, alongside teammates Connor Curran and Kaila Kuhn, delivered a commanding performance with a combined score of 325.35
points, outpacing competitors from Switzerland and China to retain Olympic gold for the United States in this discipline.
For Lillis, a native of Pittsford, New York, this victory marks his second consecutive Olympic gold medal in mixed team aerials — having previously won the event at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. This second
SEE USA, PAGE 2 Chris Lillis, Connor Curran and Kaila Kuhn celebrate the gold medal win.
CHRIS RANDOUR / U.S. SKI TEAM
USA: Games historic for America
FROM PAGE 1
gold medal represents not only years of elite international competition but also the foundational training that began close to home at Bristol Mountain.
The Western New York ski area played a pivotal role in his early development, where he honed his aerial awareness, strength, and work ethic.
“We couldn’t be prouder of Chris and his gold-medal performance today,” said Dan Fuller from Bristol Mountain. “From his earliest days training on our slopes to becoming an Olympic
champion, he’s been a true inspiration to everyone here. His dedication, humility, and success show young athletes that world-class achievement can start right here at home.”
Lillis delivered a nearly flawless jump — a back double fullfull-full — scoring 117.19 of the final and solidifying Team USA’s place atop the podium.
The result not only adds to Lillis’s legacy as one of the premier aerialists in the sport but also contributes to the United States’ record-setting haul of gold medals at the 2026 Winter Games.
WRESTLERS: Matches are streamed
FROM PAGE 1
sent Penn Yan in the 175-pound weight class. He has a 38-6 record and will open against Carlos Rhom of the Dalton School.
The boys opening ceremony is at 9:30 a.m., Friday, Feb. 27, also at the MVP Arena. Saturday will include the semifinals and consolations, with finals in the evening.
GRANTS: Deadline is Friday, April 10
FROM PAGE 1
Yates County’s tourism economy. To help guide this funding process, Yates County established the Tourism Advisory Committee (TAC). This volunteer committee is made up of local tourism professionals and community stakeholders who serve in an advisory role to the Yates County Legislature. The TAC is responsible for reviewing all funding requests submitted. After a thorough evaluation, the
committee makes funding recommendations to the legislature for consideration in the county’s annual budget.
The deadline to apply is Friday, April 10.
Access the application and full guidelines here: www.YatesNY. com or www.yatescountyny. gov/265/Tourism
For questions or assistance with your application, please contact the Yates County Tourism Promotion Agency at tourismadvisorycomm@yatesny.com or call 315-536-3111.
State looks at short term loans
NEW YORK STATE--Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that the Department of Financial Services has published proposed rules to protect New Yorkers using Buy Now, Pay Later financing options. The regulations put into practice the law signed by the governor as part of the budget, establishing a licensing and supervision framework for Buy Now, Pay Later loan providers, and protecting consumers through required disclosures, dispute resolution standards, limits on fees, and data privacy protections.
“Too many New Yorkers have learned the hard way that some ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ products are designed to trip them up with junk fees and overly burdensome fine print instead of helping them build a stable financial future,” Hochul said. “These new nation-leading regulations ensure that lenders know we have clear disclosures, limits on fees and real oversight so families don’t
get pushed into a debt spiral while big financial companies cash in.”
Buy Now, Pay Later loans are increasingly popular but these products are not subject to uniform rules regarding the disclosure of loan terms, data privacy, credit reporting, and fees that other consumer loans must adhere to. The regulations will:
• Establish a licensing and supervision framework for any entities engaged in Buy Now, Pay Later activity in New York;
• Prohibit excessive fees, including convenience charges, and limiting late fees and other types of penalty fees;
• Require lenders to make it clear to New Yorkers if loans will be reported to credit reporting agencies;
• Establish rules for timely resolution of consumer disputes; and
• Protect consumer data from misuse or exploitation.
Chris Lillis completes his final jump during the aerials team event at the Milano Cortina Olympics.
CHRIS RANDOUR/U.S. SKI TEAM
Tax department encourages New Yorkers to review rights
NEW YORK STATE--The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance encourages taxpayers to know their rights when hiring a tax preparer. The consumer bill of rights regarding tax preparers establishes standards to help protect the public from dishonest tax preparers.
“The vast majority of tax preparers are honest professionals,” said New York State Department of Taxation and Finance Acting Commissioner Amanda Hiller. “However, some take advantage of their position of trust to scam customers out of their hard-earned money.”
In New York, registered tax return preparers must:
• Post their New York State Tax Preparer Registration Certificate and price list;
• Tell you up front whether they will represent you if your return is audited later;
• Ask you about your income, expenses, family, and any other information or documents needed to accurately complete your return;
• Allow you to review your completed return – including your bank account information – and ask questions before you sign it;
• Give you a written statement of any interest and fees you will be charged if you choose a refund anticipation loan (refund advance) or a refund anticipation check (refund transfer) instead of having your refund deposited directly into your bank account;
• Sign your tax return and enter the preparer tax identification number (PTIN) and New York tax preparer identification number (NYTPRIN), if applicable;
• E-file your tax return; and
• Provide you with a copy of your filed return.
See more at www.tax.ny.gov.
Finger Lakes Film Festival
GENEVA—The 2026 Finger Lakes Film Festival will be held at the Smith Center for the Arts in Geneva, this Saturday. Empire Fiber Internet is the presenting sponsor of the event.
“The Finger Lakes Film Festival is a rapidly growing event, both in scope and in profile,” said Tim Banach, deputy director of the Rochester/Finger Lakes Film Commission and festival organizer. “The hundreds of submissions we received for our 2026 festival represent over a third of the total submissions the festival has received since its inception in 2022.”
This year’s festival will be held in downtown Geneva on Saturday, Feb. 28. Short films from around the world will screen throughout the day, starting at 10:30 a.m. at The Dove Block Project, located at 465 Exchange St., with evening programming beginning at 6 p.m. at The Smith Center for the Arts at 82 Seneca St. All programming is free and open to the public.
Empire Fiber Internet has been serving the Geneva area since 2023 and, in that time, has partnered with The Smith on arts programming, including bringing classic works like Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol to Geneva.
“We’re very excited to support the Finger Lakes Film Festival,” said Kevin Dickens, Empire Fiber Internet CEO. “Our mission is all about connecting communities, not just online, but to the experiences they love, including arts and film. We are proud of our relationship with the Smith Center for the Arts, and look forward to growing this partnership and supporting the festival’s continued success.”
To learn more about the Finger Lakes Film Festival, visit https://
BRIEFLY
HARRISBURG, PA—The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) encourages 2026-27 college students, graduate students, and their parents in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia to enter for a chance to win a $2,500 no essay scholarship sweepstakes through the Keystone Student Loan Program.
Anyone who opts in to receive communications, which will include tips on planning for and paying for college, between Jan. 5 and May 1, 2026, will be entered into the scholarship sweepstakes.
A total of 12 winners will be selected in May of this year.
“Thanks to the Keystone Scholarship, college students, grad students, and their parents in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia can enter for a chance to win a $2,500 scholarship in mere minutes,” said James Steeley, PHEAA president and CEO.
“There’s no essay required so it couldn’t be faster or easier. Since entrants have also opted in to receive information to help them plan for and pay for higher education, it’s really a win-win as they plan for their future success.”
www.fingerlakesfilmfestival. org/, and follow them on social media: Finger Lakes Film Festival on Facebook and @fingerlakesfilmfestival on Instagram.
The festival features diverse voices and encourages submissions from filmmakers worldwide, with a special focus on upstate New York. The festival will
be divided into programming blocks and presented with short breaks between blocks. Audience Choice Awards and juried prizes will be awarded.
Visit KeystoneStudentLoans. org/ss to enter.
The Finger Lakes Film Festival is Saturday, Feb. 28 in Geneva.
$1.1M directed to promote climate-smart ag
New York Attorney General Letitia James has directed $1.1 million to support the new Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences New York Soil Health Climate Smart Agriculture Fund, aimed at working with farmers to promote healthy soils. Focusing on soil health provides a foundation for “climate-smart agriculture,” farming methods that seek to increase production and income, build resistance to climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The funds originate from a settlement by Attorney General James with JBS USA, the world’s largest producer of beef products, for “allegedly misleading the public about its commitment to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040,” according to a statement from the Attorney General’s office.
“New Yorkers deserve the truth when it comes to the environmental impact of the products they buy,” said Attorney General James. “JBS USA made sweeping promises about its parent company’s climate impacts despite the company having no real plan to back those promises up. My office will always hold companies accountable when they mislead New Yorkers and harm our planet.”
The proceeds, which the university received on Jan. 16, will go directly to the New York Soil Health Program in the School of Integrative Plant Science in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) so that the statewide translational research program can expand their outreach and demonstrations to farmers on various aspects of improving soil health to promote climate-smart agriculture.
“We are grateful that Attorney General James recognizes the
FROM THE FILES
FEB. 11, 1926—Matthew Wasser, 37, and Ernest T. Mimms, 29, were executed in Sing Sing Prison. Wasser, who went to the chair first, was convicted of the murder of Howard Duff, a Niagara Falls paymaster. Mimms killed Detective Chester A. Hagen in
CHEERS!
W ith a passion for wine and food pairing
strength of our research and extension programs for improving soil health, combating the impacts of climate change, and increasing agricultural profits,”
said Benjamin Z. Houlton, the Ronald P. Lynch Dean of CALS. “This funding will enlist Cornell’s expertise to lower farmer input costs, improve soil organic matter quality and empower the soil’s natural biology for longterm sustainability.”
Attorney General James’ support the new Climate Smart Agricultural Fund recognizes Cornell’s 150-year partnership with New York state—and its status as the state’s land-grand institution, said Julie Suarez, associate dean for land-grant affairs in CALS.
“The attorney general’s support of the CALS program is an opportunity to support farm families, meet food access needs with healthy foods produced on healthy soils, protect our natural resources and fight climate change,” Suarez said.
Improving soil health is a key component of climate-smart agriculture, a strategy for adapting to and mitigating climate change. The approach includes practices such as reducing tillage to maintain soil structure, cover cropping, planting perennial crops, and building soils with organic amendments such as manure and compost. These practices have been shown to help farmers build healthier soils, limit erosion, improve re-
the Bronx a year ago.
FEB. 20, 1878—Sunday next is St. Matthias’ day.
The worst “chromo” that we know of is a comic valentine.
The mercury registered three degrees below zero at 6 o’clock yesterday morning.
siliency to droughts and heavy rains, and sequester more carbon in soils.
The attorney general’s funding will enable staff at the New York Soil Health Program to develop new ideas and expand existing ways to educate farmers and agriculture professionals on climate-smart agriculture. Staff plan to expand travel around the state in rural and urban communities with the program’s soil health trailer for more farm extension meetings and demonstrations.
“We’re trying to think creatively about how we can use our trailer as a mobile classroom,” said Joseph Amsili, director of the New York Soil Health Program. The trailer can provide demonstrations about differences between healthy and unhealthy soils, for example.
“With the trailer, we have demonstrations that visibly show farmers the differences in how a heavy rain event might impact poor soil versus soil that has a cover crop on it,” Suarez said. “You can see the difference in soil erosion and improved resiliency.”
The program will also use funds to invest in equipment and techniques for measuring soil carbon and soil health, while also providing more soil health testing opportunities for growers across the state. Soil health tests help farmers assess the physical, biological, and chemical parameters of their soil based on established benchmarks.
Amsili and program leaders have plans to lead workshops that allow farmers to share their own farm management success stories; teach how soil health practices might differ based on agricultural systems, such in orchards, pastures, grain fields and vineyards; conduct on-farm research on how cover cropping, mulching, and biochar applications might be optimized based on the system where they are applied and then offer onsite demonstrations and field days. “We want to make sure we’re covering the basis and full breadth of New York agriculture,” Amsili said.
This article originally appeared in the Cornell Chronicle.
Craft storytime now on Saturdays
Step back in time and experience how people played in the 19th century during an interactive program presented by the Genesee Country Village & Museum Thursday, Feb. 26 at 5 p.m.! An era-appropriately dressed museum educator will be on hand to teach and demonstrate a variety of traditional games enjoyed by children and families during the 1800s. Participants will learn about the history and cultural significance of these games, while having the opportunity to play them firsthand! This program is free for everyone grade one and up. No registration is required! Horses are pretty cool. Right? They can pull wagons, participate in sport, and be an allaround fantastic companion. With those eyes, you know that they have big hearts. For our story time Wednesday, March 4 at 11 a.m., we will read “If I Was a Horse” by Sophie Blackall. We can’t wait!
Friday, March 6 is National Unplugged Day! There is no better way to celebrate than with board games. Or, is it bored games? Well, nonetheless, we’re ready for all sorts of fun here at the library. Starting at 12:30 p.m., there will be board games throughout the library for you and your family to stop in and play. Beat your buddy at Battleship. Dominate your Dad in Dominoes. Or, manipulate your Mother in Monopoly! These games will be available all day for our Unplugged Extravaganza Friday, March 6!
DUNDEE LIBRARY
607-243-5938
Gentle Chair Yoga
Tuesday, Feb. 24, March 3, 10, 17 and 24, 1-1:30 p.m. Free, low-impact beginners’ yoga practice. Registration is requested but we can welcome a few walkins too. Register: https://tinyurl. com/4az68me7.
Helpful tips from the librarians:
• Keep an eye out for any announcements or special events happening on our Facebook and Instagram pages. https://www. facebook.com/TheDundeeNYLibrary and https://www.instagram.com/dundeelib/.
• Also check out our updated website for all events and special information at: https:// dundeelib.org/.
• Sign up for our newsletter at: https://mailchi.mp/fe448e8d07ac/newsletter-sign-up.
• Wi-Fi is available 24/7 in front of the building or in the parking lot. The Tripp Community Room is available to reserve for meetings of community groups. The library is open Monday, Tuesday, and Friday 12 to 5 p.m.; Wednesday and Thursday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
This column is written by Courtney Gibson, clerk.
We are moving craft story time from Thursdays to Saturdays at 11 a.m.! Make sure to read next week’s column to find out what we’re reading Saturday, March 7! Pour Your Art Out is BACK Tuesday, March 10! Starting at 5 p.m., join local artist The Wandering Brush while you create a masterpiece worthy of celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. Registration is required and it is $30 per person. Bring your favorite drink, light snacks will be provided, and a night of fun is guaranteed! Ah, dessert. More important: pie! Want to share your famous pie recipe? Whether published in a magazine, or revered by family members, we’d love to share your pie with you! What better day to celebrate with pie than on Pi Day! At 11 a.m. Saturday, March 14, bring your favorite pie and a recipe card to share. While enjoying your tasty little treat, we’ll have fun math “problems” for you to take a swing at! Pi may be infinite, but my slice of pie will be gone within the hour.
Knit Together
Thursday, Feb. 26, March 5, 12, 19 and 26, 1-3 p.m. Join this weekly opportunity to create fiber arts and enjoy social connections. All are welcome.
PYPL Friends Annual Meeting—“Immigrants Who Got the Job Done: Foreign Fighters in the American Revolution” Thursday, March 5, 5 p.m. The Friends of Penn Yan Public Library invite the community to learn about their work and advocacy for PYPL over the past year. After a brief business meeting, all are welcome to enjoy this year’s program. To help celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, join us for a fascinating lecture as we explore a unique chapter of American history. Yates County History Center Executive Director/Curator Tricia Noel will discuss the impact of immigrants who fought in the American Revolution. And if you’re not a Friend yet, won’t you consider supporting the library’s programs and services by becoming one?
Afternoon Bingo @ PYPL Tuesday, March 10, 2-3 p.m. All adults are welcome to join us for a fun Bingo game every other month. Build friendships and community while you vie for an array of small prizes.
