Schools are stops on ride route

The Mohawk Valley's May 16 Ride for Missing and Exploited Children will pass 17 schools along a route that runs from State Police Troop D headquarters in Oneida to New Hartford. Several of those schools will serve as educational rest stops.

NYSUT is a sponsor of the annual bicycle ride, which helps raise funds and public awareness about the plight of all missing children and the need for child safety education.

Can you 'turn around America'?

The AFL-CIO has launched a video contest as part of its "Turn Around America" campaign. The contest's premise is that our country is headed in the wrong direction. The question is: How do we turn it around? Participants are invited to submit online videos in any creative form — art, a song, a comic skit or a documentary, for instance.

The contest ends May 20. A national winner will receive $2,000 and national TV exposure. A "young activist" winner will be selected from entrants ages 14 to 25.

For details, go to http://www.turnaroundvideocontest.com/.