Senate Resolution No. 2484

BY: Senator O'MARA

COMMEMORATING the 50th Anniversary of Chemung
County Youth Bureau's Summer Cohesion Program

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize and
pay tribute to those organizations which are dedicated to increasing
public awareness of, and appreciation for, the natural resources of New
York, recognizing the role all citizens have in protecting the
environment and the quality of life in this Empire State; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to
commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Chemung County Youth Bureau's Summer
Cohesion Program, to be celebrated at a Family Fun Night at Eldridge
Park in Elmira, New York, on Thursday, June 27, 2024; and

WHEREAS, The Summer Cohesion Program serves to better meet the needs
of children and families within Chemung County with recreational,
educational, and cultural enrichment programming; and

WHEREAS, In 1972, Hurricane Agnes and the infamous flooding it
brought about wreaked widespread destruction throughout Chemung County,
emphasizing the critical need for the community to conduct collaborative
program planning for summer youth programs; and

WHEREAS, The Elmira City School District, along with seven key
partners: the United Way, the City of Elmira, the Town of Southport,
ARC, the Jewish Community Center, YMCA, and YWCA, all came together to
meet that need; in 1974, the program now known as Summer Cohesion was
created; and

WHEREAS, The founding board members of the Summer Cohesion program
include: Bill Cieri, Jake Hover, Dave Mathes, Roberta McDonald, Polly
Sanders, Tom Tranter Jr., Ellen Wohl, and Marty Yenawine, under the
supervision of whom the program began to flourish; and

WHEREAS, This innovative approach to summer youth programming
centralized administration and planning and also provided a more
efficient use of community resources; program duplication was
eliminated, and programs were provided in areas where they previously
did not exist, ultimately allowing for members of the community to be
assisted in new ways, for the betterment of the county and state at
large; and

WHEREAS, From 1974 until 1976, Summer Cohesion was administered
through the Elmira City School District, and officially became a county
program when it was placed under the newly formed Chemung County Youth
Bureau in 1977; although a county-operated program, Summer Cohesion
still maintains its collaborative roots as demonstrated with the 30+
community partners it boasts today; and

WHEREAS, A true asset to its community and local economy, the Summer
Cohesion Program has provided summer recreational, educational, and
enrichment programming to over 50,000 young people throughout the

community in the past 50 years, and has provided summer employment
opportunities and life skills training to over 6,000 young adults since
1974; and

WHEREAS, Receiving due praise for the program's dedicated and
unwavering efforts, the Summer Cohesion Program has been commended by
the Chemung County Youth Board, the National Association of Counties,
the New York State Recreation and Park Society, the United Way of the
Southern Tier, the New York State Division for Youth, and the Genesee
Valley Recreation and Parks Society; and

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when
individuals and organizations of such noble aims and accomplishments are
brought to our attention, they should be celebrated and recognized by
all the citizens of the great State of New York; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Chemung County Youth Bureau's Summer
Cohesion Program; and be it further

RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the leadership of Chemung County Youth Bureau's Summer
Cohesion Program.