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1. Where can I find out how to prepare my family for an emergency?

The Chemung County Fire and Emergency Management Office page can link you to various pamphlets and websites to help you protect your family and prepare for emergencies and disasters. Click here for more information.

2. How do I obtain a Certificate of Residency for Community Colleges?

If you attend a Community College in New York State you will need to get the residency form from your learning institution. Then you must also get the town or village that you live in to certify that you are a resident of that particular municipality by obtaining the seal from the municipality on this form. The certificate will entitle you to receive 50% off the Community College tuition cost. Click here for more information.

3. How do I obtain a passport?

Passports can be obtained at the County Clerk's Office, 210 Lake Street in Elmira. Applications are processed 8:30 am to 3:30 pm. Monday through Friday.

PASSPORTS

16 and older (10 year passport issued) - Check or money order ONLY made payable to U.S. Department of State - $110

15 and under (5 year passport issued) - Check or money order ONLY made payable to U.S. Department of State - $80

PLUS a $25 Execution Fee for each passport (Cash or check made payable to Chemung County Clerk)

Passport Photos(2) taken at County Clerk's Office - $12

Passports are obtained 6 weeks after application.

Expedite Passport service (3 weeks delivery) is $60 additional fee per applicant.

YOU WILL ALSO NEED:

1. Two identical passport photos (COLOR Only)

2. Proof of citizenship: Birth certificate with raised seal, file date and certified by Official Custodian of the Record (NO hospital certificates) or previous passport or Naturalization Certificate

3. Identification: Current driver's license or previous passport (if issued after 16th birthday within the past 10 years) or current college ID

4. How do I find out more about "Mark Twain Country"?

In February of 1870, Samuel Clemens (a.k.a. Mark Twain) married Elmiran Olivia Langdon at Ms. Langdon's home in Elmira. For the next 20+ years the Clemenses spent their summers at Olivia's sister's (Susan Langdon Crane) home, just outside of Elmira. The home, known as Quarry Farm, was situated on a mountain just east of Elmira, and had a picturesque view of the Chemung Valley, and the city of Elmira below. In 1874, as a gift for Samuel, the Crane's built an octagonal study on a knoll a short distance from their home. It was thought that it would give Samuel a quiet place to think and write. It certainly was an inspiration. During this time period, and in this study, Mark Twain wrote major portions of some of his most acclaimed works, including The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Life on the Mississippi, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, The Prince and the Pauper, and A Tramp Abroad. Mark Twain loved his study. He described it as, "...the loviest study you ever saw, octagonal with a peaked roof, each face filled with a spacious window... perched in complete isolation on top of an elevation that commands leagues of valley and city and retreating ranges of distant blue hills."

On April 21, 1910 Samuel Clemens died at the age of 75. He is buried along with his family in Woodlawn Cemetery in Elmira.

In 1952, the study was gifted to Elmira College and moved to the college campus, where it resides today. It is open to the public daily from mid-June through Labor Day and by appointment throughout the rest of the year. Quarry Farm is now owned by Elmira College and serves as a residence for Mark Twain scholars. The Elmira College Center for Mark Twain Studies offers a variety of programs, including conferences, seminars, and public lecture series. For information, call 607-735-1800 or write The Elmira College Center for Mark Twain Studies, Elmira College, Box 7035, Elmira, NY 14901.

Click here for a link to the Mark Twain Country website.

5. How can I find out where Chemung County is located?

Chemung County is located in the south central region of Upstate New York. It is part of the Southern Tier as well as the Finger Lakes Region of New York State. For more detailed information about Chemung County, you can click here.

6. How do I order a birth or death certificate?

Birth and death certificates are available from the Vital Records department which is located at 103 Washington Street in Elmira. Certificates are only available for births and deaths that ONLY occurred in Chemung County.

7. How do I get notified of new job postings or upcoming exams?

That's simple. You can sign up to be notified using our E-Notify service. Click here to go to it.