Randy Smith went to the Cayuga County Jail on Wednesday under much different circumstances than he went there exactly six months earlier.
Smith, 46, of Auburn, was presented with his recovery peer advocate certification that day by Cayuga County Sheriff Brian Schenck. Sponsored by the Heroin Epidemic Action League, Smith s training prepares him to support people in recovery from the same addiction that brought him to the jail Aug. 23. And Schenck believes Smith s success will lead to better peer support services at the facility.
Six months earlier, though, Smith didn t feel like a success.
A Cortland native, Smith started drinking when he was 14. By the time he was 21 he was using cocaine and other drugs, but alcohol was the one he abused the hardest. When he was 24, an assault charge landed him in drug court in Ithaca, as well as probation. So he got sober, and got a job as a certified nursing assistant. He also met the woman he would call his wife for the next 21 years. With her
Dreaming of a camping trip? These geodesic domes are now open for reservations in Port Austin
By: Alexandra Bahou
and last updated 2021-02-25 09:12:39-05
(WXYZ) â If youâre looking to explore the great outdoors without abandoning all the comforts of home, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources is offering up some unique camping experiences.
Two geodesic domes, which sleep up to four each, are now available for booking at Port Crescent State Park in Port Austin. The domes feature spruce paneling, skylights, windows with a view of Lake Huron, a sitting area and a mini kitchenette. There is also a picnic table, fire pit and grill at each site for that added camping experience. There is no running water inside, but campground restrooms are a short distance away, according to the DNR s listing.
The Schweinfurth Art Center s annual showcase of art by local students and seniors, Both Ends of the Rainbow, arrives after a disruptive year for both demographics.
For students, COVID-19 has all but suspended the conventional school experience. They ve either been learning from home or going to class with masks, social distancing and other protocols in place.
For seniors, the pandemic has been similarly alienating. Due to their vulnerability to the virus, many have quarantined stringently, and those in care facilities have seldom been allowed to see visitors.
That disruption can be seen in some of the works of Both Ends of the Rainbow, which opens Feb. 28 at the Auburn art center. The show features its traditional combination of work by pre-K-12 students in the Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES district and artists 65 and older who live in Cayuga County or are members of the Schweinfurth. Additionally, this year introduces a display of art by the teachers of some of those students. One o
The leaders of three arts and cultural organizations in Auburn discussed the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the support they ve received during it, at a monthly forum Wednesday.
The February edition of the Wednesday Morning Roundtable, presented by the Auburn Downtown Business Improvement District, welcomed Auburn Public Theater Artistic Director Angela Daddabbo, Schweinfurth Art Center Executive Director Donna Lamb and Seward House Museum Executive Director Billye Chabot. Asking them about Adapting in Times of COVID was Courtney Rae Kasper, visitor experience manager at the New York State Equal Rights Heritage Center and administrator for Auburnâs Historic & Cultural Sites Commission.