Flood warning system funding approved

WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) and Congressman John Hall (D-NY) have secured the House Appropriations Committee’s approval of $835,000 for the continuation of a flood mitigation study in the Upper Delaware River Watershed and for the development of a flood alert system for the region. Six hundred thousand dollars is for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to continue its ongoing comprehensive study in identifying ways to prevent future flooding of the Upper Delaware River Watershed, and $235,000 for the Delaware River Enhanced Flood Warning System, which will be used to improve the basin’s flood warning system.

Both measures still have several legislative steps to go, but having the funds included in the original version of the bills is considered a critical step in the process. The funds may also face a challenge from President Bush, who has said he opposes the inclusion of funding for such projects.

NYRI sent back to the drawing board

ALBANY — New York Regional Interconnect’s (NYRI’s) latest filing with the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) has once again been found deficient.

The proposed power line, for which an original application was submitted in 2006 and a second one last February, would stretch from Utica to New Windsor, cutting through a number of counties including Sullivan. Among the issues on which the PSC requires more information are local ordinances and the impact of the line on historic structures, as well as environmental impact statements. The original application was also considered unsatisfactory. The official review process will not begin until the application is deemed complete.

In May, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued a finding that an application by NYRI for a guaranteed rate of return was also deficient.

July 31 deadline for assistance grants

NARROWSBURG, NY — Applications for the 2008 round of the The Upper Delaware Council (UDC’s) Technical Assistance Grants (TAG) program must be received by 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 31.

Application packets with guidelines and a brochure of 1988-2007 TAG projects have been distributed to the eight New York towns, three Pennsylvania townships and their four encompassing counties along the Upper Delaware River. The Wayne County, PA townships of Berlin, Buckingham, Damascus and Manchester would be eligible to participate in this program if they joined the Upper Delaware Council.

The UDC’s Project Review Committee will convene on Tuesday, August 12, at 6:30 p.m. at the council’s Narrowsburg office to review the TAG submissions. Each applicant must send a representative to that meeting to explain the proposed project and answer any questions.

Announcement of grant awards is expected at the September 4 monthly UDC meeting.

Monticello may get a facelift

MONTICELLO, NY — The Village of Monticello, in concert with developers Julie Chen and Tommie Ting, have applied for a $2.5 million Restore New York Grant to help upgrade Broadway. Planned are new retail and office space and apartments. In addition, Ting, a real estate agent and investor in New York City, intends to start a franchise of Greenwich Village’s Bitter End Café, using the building at 426 Main Street. He already has the approval of Bitter End owner Paul Colby to do so. Chen intends to create high-end retail space in the area now stretching from the building housing Brenner Income Tax to the Vino restaurant, with a promenade to North Street, where there would be office space. Apartments would be located on the upper floors of all buildings.

It is hoped that funding from the state will provide seed money to get the projects off the ground.

Separately, Senator John Bonacic (R/I/C-New Hope) announced that he has secured $1.2 million in housing tax credits to renovate 229 rental units in Monticello. The units are workforce housing.

STDs on the increase at Delaware Valley

WESTFALL, PA — The Delaware Valley School District has sent a letter to parents advising them that sexual activity and its consequences—pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases—are on the rise in the school district.

According to the letter, there were 25 to 30 student pregnancies last year, and over 300 cases of sexually transmitted infections. The district has also been informed by the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the federal Centers for Disease Control that a sexually active Delaware Valley student has been diagnosed with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).

Superintendent Candis Finan has announced the district’s intention to revise its sexual education curriculum to deal with the new realities.

The Federal Center for Disease Control is in the process of contacting any students who may have had contact with the HIV infected student that put them at risk.

No more mandatory overtime for nurses

ALBANY, NY — Legislation authored by Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther (D, C-Forestburgh) has passed both houses of the legislature and will be signed into law.

The bill restricts a health care employer from requiring a nurse to remain on duty for a period longer than eight consecutive hours or 40 hours in a seven-day workweek.

“Mandatory overtime has resulted in nurses leaving the bedsides of patients, and new ones are not joining us at their bedsides because of job dissatisfaction,” Gunther said. “Prohibiting mandatory overtime will improve the quality of patient care, saving lives and reducing long term costs for hospitals. In addition, it may encourage RNs who left the bedside to return.”

The bill does not prohibit nurses from working overtime voluntarily.