ALBANY: Governor Pataki Signs Power for Jobs Legislation—Continuing a success story that began in 1997, Gov. George E. Pataki announced on Aug. 12 that he had signed into law an extension of the Power for Jobs program. The extension will provide an additional 183 megawatts of low-cost electricity for businesses and not-for-profit organizations throughout New York State. When the program was created five years ago, it was expected to protect 40,000 jobs. To date, some 300,000 jobs are linked to Power for Jobs electricity. The extension will enable employers with expiring power contracts to apply for new allocations. In return for the NYPA-supplied power, qualified customers must pledge specific job levels, which the Power Authority periodically reviews to ensure that the employment commitments are met. Employers served by Power for Jobs include manufacturing, agriculture, hospitals, colleges, cultural institutions and small businesses.

LEWISTON: Jazz Festival to Salute American Spirit—As part of Gov. George E. Pataki's renewed commitment to Western New York tourism, the Power Authority has teamed up with the village and town of Lewiston and the Greater Lewiston Business & Professional Association to sponsor a new summer music celebration the weekend of Aug. 23-25. The Historic Lewiston Jazz Festival: A Salute to the American Spirit will offer free musical performances at venues in downtown Lewiston concurrently with family events at Artpark. On Saturday, NYPA is hosting a 7 p.m. concert by the Gap Mangione Big Band in Academy Park, followed by a fireworks display. Besides lots of jazz, the festival will feature an antique car show, culinary samplings from local restaurants and special children's programs.

MANHATTAN: NYPA Aids AC-DC Conversions—The Power Authority is working with the New York City Office of Energy Conservation to convert municipal users of direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) power. Although direct current has been used since the early 20th century, most of the city's electricity consumers today use alternating current; those that don't must a pay a surcharge for the DC alternative. After researching 36 municipal buildings still paying the DC surcharge, NYPA developed a plan to have all of the sites switched to AC power. This will be done by either replacing DC-powered devices with efficient new equipment or installing rectifiers that can convert incoming AC power to DC power for use by older machinery. More than 20 municipal sites have already switched over, and with a monetary incentive from Consolidated Edison, combined with additional savings in energy costs, the former DC-power customers are expected to pay off their NYPA conversions in less than three years.

SYRACUSE: Family Guide to Debut at State Fair—The New York State Division for Women, under the direction of Gov. George E. Pataki, will debut a new disaster preparedness brochure at this year's State Fair, courtesy of the Power Authority. NYPA is the lead sponsor for the publication, developed as part of the division's exhibit for women, children and families. The guide will have information on disaster preparedness geared to the special needs of families with young children and individuals who are elderly, infirm or disabled. The brochure includes checklists and hotlines available to assist in preparation for, and in times of, emergencies and disasters. Other sponsors of the guide are the Developmental Disabilities Planning Council and the U.S. Department of Labor Women's Bureau. The American Red Cross also assisted in the guide's development.

MASSENA: St. Lawrence-FDR Modernization Moves Ahead—Forty tons of brand new turbine—shaped like an oversized ship propeller—rolled through the entrance of the St. Lawrence-FDR Power Project on Aug. 5 as workers moved ahead with a $254 million Life Extension and Modernization (LEM) effort at NYPA's Massena hydro facility. The stainless steel turbine is actually the second new unit to arrive at the project. The first turbine-generator to be replaced as part of the 15-year LEM resumed continuous electricity production on April 6. Two days later, NYPA work crews removed the next unit from service; turbines will be replaced at a rate of about three units every two years as the LEM proceeds through 2013.

REMSEN: Firefighters Receive Thermal-Imaging Camera—The Power Authority presented officials of the Remsen Fire Company in July with a technically advanced camera that allows firefighters to see through thick smoke inside a burning building. Remsen and nearby Prospect firefighters will be trained to use the Fire Optic Thermal Imaging Camera, which can help locate civilians or firefighters trapped in a smoky blaze. Both fire companies provide emergency response assistance to NYPA's Jarvis hydropower plant, on Hinckley Reservoir in Oneida and Herkimer counties.

POTSDAM: NYPA Provides Funding for Robotics Team—For the third consecutive year, the Power Authority is helping a team of North Country high school and college students compete in a nationally recognized robotics competition created by FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology). This year's "Division By Zero" robotics team, which is based at Clarkson University in Potsdam, includes students from Massena and Salmon River high schools who will spend six weeks this spring designing and building a robot for sports-theme competitions organized by FIRST. On Aug. 6, NYPA contributed $2,000 to help the team purchase a computer capable of designing robots as well as maintaining the team's web site.

ROME: Free Pops Concert ‘Honors America’—One of the highlights of Rome's 18th annual Honor America Days this year was a NYPA-sponsored Syracuse Symphony Orchestra pops concert at Fort Stanwix National Monument on July 27. The free performance featured rousing marches, a noisy rendition of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture (with cannon accompaniment) and a moving tribute to the spirit of New York City after the World Trade Center disaster. Earlier that day, participants enjoyed a parade, strawberry shortcake festival and chicken barbecue at various sites around Rome. The summer-long event, which runs through Aug. 23, commemorates the region's Revolutionary War heritage.

DEERFIELD: NYPA Sponsors Statewide Firematics Contest—The Power Authority is principal sponsor of this year's Firematics competition and parade, which was set to bring more than 75 volunteer firefighting companies from across the state to Oneida County the weekend of Aug. 17-18. Saturday's competition is also known as the volunteer fireman's Olympics because it consists of a series of drills that simulate actual firefighting techniques and situations. Teams are timed and points awarded on the basis of speed and completeness. A parade, scheduled for Sunday, will have a patriotic theme, and will include a float decorated by NYPA employees.

In the Community: Gene Zeltmann, NYPA president and CEO, threw out the first pitch at the Class A-New York Penn League baseball game between the Tri-City ValleyCats (a Houston Astros affiliate) and the Oneonta Tigers (a Detroit Tigers affiliate), Troy, Aug. 12….NYPA co-sponsored the 2002 Festival of North Country Folklife at the Robert Moses State Park's picnic pavilion, Massena, Aug. 10… .The staff at the Niagara Power Vista gave a presentation on construction of the Niagara Power Project, Lewiston, to physics teachers from throughout New York State as part of a program coordinated by SUNY’s Buffalo State College, Aug. 8.