Greetings,
Spring officially arrived a few days ago. The weekend prior, we had several inches of fresh snow – just in time for the Morrie Abrams snow snake tournament, where I heard young guys, older men and several teams participated and enjoyed their time together.
The month of March was officially designated as “Women’s History Month” in 1987, to celebrate critical contributions women have made to events in history, culture and contemporary society. As a matrilineal society, Haudenosaunee people have always understood the importance of women and have held women in high regard. Recently, Gajehsöh – Sandy Dowdy, was recognized by the Salamanca School District, Seneca Youth Council and JCC, for her life’s work of preserving and teaching the Seneca language. She was selected as one of 31 women who will be recognized and honored in the Women’s Empowerment Draft for 2022. To learn more, please visit: www.artforce5.com/wedraft. I would like to recognize her and thank her for her vision and perseverance through the years. Her work and dedication have truly made an invaluable impact on our community! Congratulations Gajehsöh!
How about the Salamanca Warriors Boys Varsity Basketball team? On March 12th, they won their first Section VI Class C Boys Basketball Far West Regional Championship game in fifty-four years, against Avon, which put them in the “final four” match up. This was a 61-59 victory and moved them on to play second-ranked Stillwater, Section II, in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class C semifinal in Glens Falls, NY, on March 18th. They played a great game and I’m sure our community could not be more proud for all of their accomplishments this season. I look forward to watching this team and program grow into their next season. Also, I’m very happy to see that the North American Lacrosse Association (NAMLA) is coming back for the 2022 season. This is exciting news for our lacrosse players and our communities, as it has been a long awaited two years without this club operating and competing. I look forward to a healthy and safe season this year for everyone.
My staff has been busy creating, printing and mailing an updated Community Directory to all members aged sixty and older, whom reside either on-territory or in the surrounding areas. The directory is a comprehensive listing of contact information for each department and was designed with the intention of making it easier for folks to contact any and all governmental departments, emergency personnel and enterprises. If you are under the age of sixty and are interested in receiving a directory, please stop by your respective Clerk’s Office, as they will soon be available in Allegany, Cattaraugus and Buffalo. Also, by now, if you reside on-territory, you should have received an “Emergency Preparedness” postcard from our office, which contains phone numbers for the Allegany and Cattaraugus central dispatch for all non-medical emergencies. All you need to do is call the number for your respective territory and they will dispatch the necessary assistance. Of course, for all medical emergencies, please dial 911. These will also be available soon for pick up in the Allegany and Cattaraugus Clerk’s Offices.
Respectfully,
Rickey L. Armstrong, Sr.
