Greetings,
Its official, the cooler temperatures indicate we’re heading into fall. Our days are gradually getting shorter and our nights getting longer. Our youth should all be back in school by now, as we continue to navigate around this COVID pandemic. I know these times have not been easy, but I hope they can put the trying times from their previous school year behind them and progress forward with the hope of enjoying the year in front of them.
In August, I had the opportunity to visit a family member in Alaska. I had actually planned on traveling there, back before COVID hit, but my plans had to be cancelled. The scenery in the rural areas of Alaska were breath-taking and I’m glad I was able to take in some of the local culture. Everywhere I went, I saw Native Alaskan folks. My family and I saw some beautiful sights and had a good visit; but for this Seneca, I couldn’t wait to be back in our Seneca homelands and the familiarity of our own beautiful Seneca Territories! After numerous trips across the United States, I really know what they mean when they say, “There’s no place like home”.
I hope all those that applied for their August ARPA fund distribution have received them by now and it has improved your overall quality of life; as well as helped to re-coup on COVID-19 expenses for needed supplies. The deadline for the September distribution was August 31st, 2021. Those funds will be distributed on September 29th, 2021. Please call the Clerk’s Office, if you have any questions concerning these one-time ARPA distributions. Allegany Clerk’s Office: (716) 945-1790; Cattaraugus Clerk’s Office: (716) 532-4900; Buffalo Office: (716) 951-7555.
As cases of the dreadful COVID-19 Delta Variant increase in our communities and the surrounding counties, we are reminded that we must remain vigilant and keep our collective guard up – in order to prevent a drastic outbreak. In addition to re-establishing mask protocols within all government buildings, if you are presently unvaccinated, for the protection of all our people – please consider getting your COVID-19 immunization shot(s) as soon as humanly possible.
Respectfully,
Rickey L. Armstrong, Sr.
