Lewis County Democrats

09/05/2026

Did You Know? What Does “Food Desert” Mean in a Rural Community?

When people hear the term “food desert,” they might picture a neighborhood in a big city without a grocery store.

But food access can be a major rural issue, too.

A food desert generally refers to an area where people have limited access to affordable, nutritious food, especially fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, dairy and other everyday groceries.

In a rural community, distance matters.

Imagine living 15, 20 or even 30 miles from a full-service grocery store.

If you have a reliable vehicle, that trip might simply be inconvenient.

But what if you don't?

What if you're an older adult who no longer drives? A family sharing one vehicle? Someone working multiple jobs? Or someone who has to carefully budget every gallon of gas?

Suddenly, buying groceries becomes much more complicated.

Transportation is part of food access.

In rural areas, public transportation may be limited or unavailable, and grocery delivery isn't always an option.

That means access to healthy food isn't only about whether food exists somewhere in the county.

It's also about whether people can realistically get to it and afford it.

Cost matters, too.

A nearby convenience store can be incredibly important to a small community, but it may not carry the same selection of fresh produce, meat and other staples as a full grocery store.

And when families have to travel farther for groceries, they're paying for more than food.

They're paying for gas, transportation and time.

The good news? Rural communities also have strengths.

Here in Lewis County, we're fortunate to live in an agricultural community with farms, farmers markets, farm stands, local producers and organizations working to connect people with food.

Supporting local agriculture and improving food access can go hand in hand.

That's why conversations about food insecurity shouldn't simply be about handing someone a bag of groceries.

We should also be asking:

How do we make healthy, affordable food easier for people to access in rural communities?

That can mean supporting local farmers and markets, strengthening food pantries, improving transportation, connecting eligible families with programs like SNAP and WIC, supporting senior nutrition programs and finding creative ways to bring locally produced food closer to the people who need it.

Because in a rural community, having food available isn't necessarily the same thing as having access to it.

Distance shouldn't determine whether a family can put healthy food on the table.

Send a message to learn more

09/05/2026

09/05/2026

🛣️ **Did You Know? What Is CHIPS Funding—and Why Does It Matter in Lewis County?**

If you've ever driven down a freshly paved town road and wondered **who pays for all of this**, part of the answer may be a New York State program called **CHIPS**.

CHIPS stands for the **Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program**.

It was established in 1981 and provides state funding to counties, towns, cities and villages for eligible local transportation projects.

🚜 **Why is CHIPS so important to rural towns?**

Think about the number of roads our local highway departments maintain across Lewis County.

Those roads connect our homes, farms, schools and businesses. They're traveled by school buses, milk trucks, snowplows, emergency vehicles, delivery trucks, commuters and visitors every day.

Maintaining that much infrastructure is expensive—especially in a place where winter weather, freezing and thawing can take a serious toll on pavement.

CHIPS helps local governments pay for eligible projects including:

🛣️ Highway construction and reconstruction
🌉 Bridge improvements
🚂 Highway-railroad crossing projects
🚶 Certain sidewalks and pedestrian improvements
🚜 Certain eligible highway-related equipment and facilities

According to the New York State Department of Transportation, there are **more than 95,000 miles of public roads under the jurisdiction of counties and local governments across New York.**

💰 **How does the money get to our communities?**

CHIPS isn't simply a competitive grant where every town has to hope its application gets selected.

New York State calculates annual CHIPS allocations to municipalities using a formula established in state law. One of the most important pieces of that calculation is the amount of local highway mileage a municipality maintains.

Municipalities generally complete eligible projects with local funds and then submit expenses to the state for reimbursement from their available CHIPS allocation.

🏡 **Why should Lewis County residents care?**

Because maintaining roads isn't optional.

Whether you live on a busy county highway or a quiet rural town road, that infrastructure affects our economy, our farms, our schools, emergency response and our everyday lives.

And every dollar of state assistance available for eligible local road projects is a dollar that can help our municipalities address infrastructure needs without placing the entire cost on local taxpayers.

Understanding programs like CHIPS helps us understand **where our road funding comes from and why state and local government decisions matter right here at home.**

🔎 **Want to learn more or check the information yourself?**

Official NYS Department of Transportation CHIPS information:
https://www.dot.ny.gov/programs/chips

NYSDOT CHIPS allocations and balances:
https://www.dot.ny.gov/programs/chips/formula-data-inputs

NYSDOT CHIPS, PAVE-NY, EWR and other local highway budgets:
https://www.dot.ny.gov/programs/chips/chips-budget

Knowledge about local government doesn't have to be partisan.

**It's simply about understanding how our communities work—and where the money that maintains them comes from.** 🛣️🇺🇸

New York State Department of Transportation coordinates operation of transportation facilities and services including highway, bridges, railroad, mass transit, port, waterway and aviation facilities

09/04/2026

Lewis County History: From Railroad to Rail Trail

For generations, the railroad was more than a set of tracks running through Lewis County—it was an important part of our local economy.

The first railroad reached Lowville in 1867, helping transform the village into an important shipping hub. Lewis County farmers and businesses could move products like cheese, butter, potatoes, hops, oats, barley and other goods to markets outside our county.

Then came the Lowville & Beaver River Railroad, connecting Lowville, Beaver Falls and Croghan.

Built in the early 1900s through local investment, the railroad served our farms, mills and communities for roughly a century. It carried dairy and maple products, lumber and paper products, potatoes and other goods—and helped connect Lewis County businesses with markets far beyond the North Country.

Today, that transportation history is entering a new chapter.

The Lewis County Rail Trail

Lewis County has acquired former railroad property and is now developing a master plan for a multi-use trail system. The current planning effort includes approximately 25 miles of former railroad corridor connecting Croghan, Lowville and Carthage.

And this shouldn't be viewed as just another trail.

Done thoughtfully, it has the potential to become another piece of economic infrastructure for Lewis County.

🚲 Cyclists
🥾 Hikers
❄️ Winter recreation users
🌲 Outdoor enthusiasts
🏘️ Residents
🧳 Visitors

People using the corridor can also become customers for our restaurants, breweries, shops, gas stations, lodging, convenience stores and other small businesses.

We already know how important outdoor recreation can be to our economy. Research cited in Lowville's Downtown Revitalization planning found that non-local snowmobile users in the Tug Hill region spent an average of approximately $192 per day, with snowmobile activity supporting jobs, sales and tax revenue throughout the region.

Imagine creating a trail that encourages even more people to stop in Lowville, Croghan and the surrounding communities—to grab lunch, fill up their vehicle, shop downtown, stay overnight, attend an event and discover everything else Lewis County has to offer.

That's why decisions about the Rail Trail matter.

We should be asking:

How do we design this trail so it works for residents AND brings the greatest possible economic benefit to our communities?

That means listening to the people who live here, considering the different forms of recreation that are important to Lewis County, connecting the trail with our downtowns and businesses, preserving pieces of our railroad history, and creating reasons for visitors to stop, spend money and come back.

More than 150 years ago, the railroad helped connect Lewis County products and businesses with the outside world.

Perhaps the next chapter of that same corridor can help bring the outside world—and its economic activity—to Lewis County.

Our railroad helped build our economy once. Let's make sure its next chapter helps build it again.

Learn more and follow the Lewis County Rail Trail Master Plan:

Homepage for the Lewis County, NY Rail Trail Master Plan website.

09/04/2026

Are You Registered to Vote? Check Your Status!

Not sure if your voter registration is up to date? It only takes a few minutes to check.

The Lewis County Board of Elections has an official online Voter Lookup tool where you can:

✅ Check your voter registration status
📍 Find your Election Day polling location
🗳️ Find voting information associated with your registration
📬 Access mail-ballot tracking information

Before Election Day, take a moment to make sure your information is correct—especially if you've recently moved or changed your name.

Check your registration here:
New York State Board of Elections Voter Lookup:
https://voterlookup.elections.ny.gov/

This information is available to every New York voter, regardless of political affiliation.

Check your registration. Know where to vote. Be prepared.

Please share this information with friends, family, and neighbors who may want to check their registration too!

Please enter your Last Name, First Name, Date of Birth (MM/DD/YYYY format), County and Address information and press the "Search" button.

09/04/2026

🇺🇸 MEET CASSIE ROBBINS-FORBUS — CANDIDATE FOR NYS SENATE DISTRICT 49

Who is Cassie Robbins-Forbus, and why is she asking North Country voters to send her to Albany?

Cassie is a Lewis County native, wife, mom, and community leader*who has spent her career working in education, nonprofit leadership, substance-use prevention, and healthcare.

She has been a teacher, worked with organizations serving our communities, and currently works in healthcare as a grant writer.

Most importantly, the North Country is home.

Now, Cassie is running to represent New York State Senate District 49, which includes Lewis County and communities across Northern and Central New York.

🏡 WHY SHE'S RUNNING

Cassie believes the North Country needs a stronger voice in Albany—and that representation starts with listening.

She isn't running because she thinks she already has every answer.

She's running because she believes the people who live here should have a meaningful voice in the decisions that affect their families, farms, businesses, schools and communities.

Her approach is simple:

Listen first. Work together. And focus on the issues that actually affect the people who live here.

💵 AFFORDABILITY

The cost of living isn't an abstract political issue when you're standing at the grocery store checkout, paying your electric bill, filling your vehicle with gas or trying to heat your home through a North Country winter.

Cassie wants affordability to remain at the center of the conversation in Albany.

Because families shouldn't have to wonder whether they can afford to stay in the communities they love.

🏥 RURAL HEALTHCARE

Living in a rural community shouldn't mean settling for less access to healthcare.

Cassie's experience working in healthcare has given her a firsthand understanding of the challenges facing rural hospitals, healthcare providers and the patients who depend on them.

Our communities need access to quality care—and we need to make sure rural healthcare has a voice when decisions are being made in Albany.

📚 EDUCATION & OUR CHILDREN

As a former teacher, Cassie understands how important strong schools are to the future of our communities.

She supports investments that help children and families, including Universal Pre-K and free school breakfast and lunch, while recognizing that rural schools face challenges that aren't always understood elsewhere in the state.

Supporting our schools means supporting our students, educators, families and ultimately the future of the North Country.

🌾 FARMS, SMALL BUSINESSES & RURAL COMMUNITIES

Agriculture and small businesses are part of the backbone of the North Country.

Cassie believes our farmers, local businesses and rural communities deserve a seat at the table when decisions are being made about infrastructure, economic development, energy, environmental protections and state investment.

Albany shouldn't simply tell the North Country what it needs.

Albany needs to listen to the people who actually live and work here.

🤝 WORKING TOGETHER

Cassie's campaign isn't about believing everyone has to agree on everything.

It's about listening—even when we disagree—and finding areas where we can work together to make life better for the people we represent.

Republican, Democrat, independent or somewhere in between, we're still neighbors.

And at the end of the day, we all want the North Country to succeed.

💙 WANT TO HELP?

Grassroots campaigns are built by ordinary people deciding to get involved.

You can help Cassie's campaign by attending events, volunteering, canvassing, talking with your neighbors, contributing to the campaign or displaying a yard sign.

🪧 Want a Cassie Robbins-Forbus yard sign? Let us know!

Send us a message or leave a comment and we'll make sure your name gets on the list.

Whether you can give your time, your voice, your lawn or a few dollars, there is a way to get involved.

The North Country deserves leaders who will listen to us, show up for us and make sure rural communities have a voice in Albany.

Learn about Cassie. Ask questions. Get involved. And make your voice heard. 🇺🇸

Support Cassie for Senate in her New York campaign. Join grassroots donations for a powerful political voice.

09/04/2026

🗳️ Voting by Mail Begins September 18 in New York!

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, but you don’t have to wait until Election Day to cast your ballot.

📬 Beginning September 18, New York will start sending early mail and absentee ballots to voters who have requested them.

Did you know? You do NOT need an excuse to vote by mail in New York.

Any registered New York voter can request an Early Mail Ballot.

💻 Want to request one?

You can apply online through the New York State Board of Elections:

Request Your Early Mail Ballot Online

You can also download an application or apply in person through your local County Board of Elections.

📅 Important dates to remember:

📬 September 18 — Mail ballots begin being sent
📝 October 24 — Deadline for online or mailed ballot requests to be received
🗳️ October 24–November 1 — Early voting
🇺🇸 November 3 — Election Day

However you choose to vote—by mail, early in person, or on Election Day—the important thing is to make your voice heard.

Learn about the candidates. Ask questions. Make a plan. VOTE! 🗳️🇺🇸

Please share so your friends, family, and neighbors know they have options for casting their ballot!

Send a message to learn more

09/03/2026

Your Vote Is Your Voice

Voting is one of the simplest ways we have to take part in the decisions that shape our communities.

The people we elect make decisions about things we encounter every day—our schools, roads, healthcare, public safety, taxes, local businesses, farms, infrastructure, and the future of our communities.

And while presidential elections often receive the most attention, local and state elections matter too. The people elected to local offices, the State Legislature, Congress, the courts, and other positions can have a very real impact on our daily lives.

Democracy works best when people participate.

You don’t have to agree with your neighbor.

You don’t have to belong to a political party.

You don’t have to know everything about politics.

But you can learn about the candidates, ask questions, look at their records and priorities, and decide for yourself who you believe will best represent you.

Especially in smaller communities, every person who shows up matters.

So when Election Day comes, make a plan. Bring a friend. Help a family member get to the polls. And most importantly:

Vote.

Not because someone told you how to vote.

Vote because your community belongs to you, too.

09/03/2026

https://www.facebook.com/events/28253640220897475