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| Week of Feb. 1, 2004 |
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CANTON: New Visitors Center Planned for Hydropower Project— The Power
Authority on Jan. 29 unveiled plans for a new $5 million visitors center for
its St. Lawrence-Franklin D. Roosevelt Power Project at Hawkins Point in
Massena. "We want to have shovels in the ground as soon as the weather
permits, and we have every expectation that we will cut the ribbon and open
the center in time for the 2005 tourism season," Robert Hadler, NYPA's
community relations manager at the project, said at a St. Lawrence County
Chamber of Commerce meeting here. The former visitors center, located in the
project's Robert Moses-Robert H. Saunders Power Dam, was a popular tourism
stop for visitors to the North Country, drawing over 5 million visitors
since it opened in 1959. It was temporarily closed to the public immediately
following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and permanently shut down
after a thorough security analysis. The new building will incorporate all of
the previous center's exhibits, installed during a $1.5 million renovation
completed in 2000, as well as a theater and a community room. A Watertown
architectural contractor, Bernier Carr & Associates, is working on a final
design. WHITE PLAINS: Energy-Efficiency Savings Keep Adding Up— Annual savings to taxpayers from Power Authority energy-efficiency and clean-energy projects at more than 2,100 schools and other public facilities throughout New York State had grown to nearly $86 million by the end of 2003. The savings were up $5.5 million from the previous year as a result of the completion of 120 more projects, ranging from the latest in automated climate controls and energy management systems to improved heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems and high-efficiency lighting. NYPA conducts energy audits to determine potential savings and designs and installs upgraded equipment and systems. The Power Authority usually finances the projects, and it recovers its costs by sharing in the savings. The projects also help clean the air by preventing the release of more than 620,000 tons of greenhouse gases a year—an increase of 65,000 tons from a year ago. LEWISTON: NYPA Hydropower to Help Create 245 WNY Jobs— Gov. George E. Pataki has announced new allocations of low-cost electricity from the Niagara Power Project that will support up to $80 million in expansion plans by nine Western New York companies, helping to create 245 new jobs. The allocations, totaling 9,800 kilowatts, were approved by Power Authority trustees on Jan. 27. They come from two blocks of power reserved for businesses and industries on the Niagara Frontier. The companies receiving the power are American Axle & Manufacturing, Cheektowaga; CertainTeed Corp., Buffalo; General Mills Operations, Buffalo; Moore Wallace of North America, Tonawanda; Niacet Corp, Niagara Falls; Niagara LaSalle Corp., Buffalo; Norampac, Buffalo; Purina PetCare Co., Dunkirk; and Sweeney Steel Service Corp., Buffalo and Tonawanda. The allocations, the first by NYPA with the assistance of a new alliance of local business leaders, power producers and state officials, reflects an October 2003 agreement aimed at maximizing the economic-development benefits of the Niagara project for the region. NYPA hydropower helps to protect some 46,000 jobs at more than 100 companies in Niagara, Erie and Chautauqua counties. ALBANY: NYPA Video Highlights King Memorial Observance— A NYPA-produced video summarizing high points in the life of Martin Luther King brought a dramatic close to the state's annual King holiday memorial observance on Jan. 19. The video, shown at a packed Empire State Plaza Convention Center, marked the 40th anniversaries of the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and King's acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize. Gov. George Pataki hosted the observance on what would have been King's 75th birthday. The event featured keynote remarks by Joseph Lowery, president emeritus of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference; dramatic presentations by students from the State University of New York at Purchase and by youth groups; and a musical tribute by the Buffalo Youth Orchestra. MASSENA: Plans Under Way on Improvements Tied to License— Issuance of a new 50-year license by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in October ended Phase One of the relicensing of NYPA's St. Lawrence-FDR Power Project. Power Authority staff members, working with federal, state and local officials, have moved to the relicensing's compliance and implementation stage, which promises wide-ranging benefits for North Country communities. A final recreation plan, detailing NYPA-funded improvements to two state and 12 local recreational sites, was scheduled to be filed with FERC by Jan. 30, with work set to begin by the end of this summer's recreational season. A technical advisory council of stakeholders is expected to hold its first meeting in mid-February to provide input on the 11 Habitat Improvement Projects to be undertaken by NYPA, some as early as this summer. The projects are part of a series of relicensing-related environmental enhancements and mitigation measures planned along the St. Lawrence River. In addition, land surveys beginning this spring will ultimately lead to the return of 600 acres of power project property to local municipalities and adjoining landowners. NORTH BLENHEIM: Visitors Center Helps Relieve Winter Blues— As the temperatures fall, family fun is on the rise as the Blenheim-Gilboa Power Project's visitors center gears up for a jam-packed schedule of free February events. The action kicks off Feb. 1 at 2 p.m. with the screening of the movie Finding Nemo. It's the first of four Sunday matinees scheduled during the month. Also slated to be shown are The Emperor's New Groove on Feb. 8, Atlantis on Feb. 15 and Freaky Friday on Feb. 22. A Winter Break series for school children runs Feb. 17-19, featuring a juggling workshop and other activities by the Schoharie County Historical Society and the Outdoor World of Learning. The center's fourth annual Winter Festival will be held Feb. 22 from noon to 3 p.m. with activities for the whole family, including horse-drawn sleigh rides, sledding, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling and snow-shoeing demonstrations. Call 800-724-0309 for more information. In the Community: The Power Authority gave Basics of Electricity presentations at the Maryvale School, Cheektowaga, Jan. 22; the Lewiston-Porter Intermediate School and the Renaissance Charter School, Jackson Heights, both on Jan. 20; and the G.J. Mann School, Niagara Falls, Jan. 14.…Cross-country ski trails for beginners, intermediates and experts are open to the public on the grounds of the Blenheim-Gilboa Power Project, Gilboa. Free loans of snowshoes are available (photo identification is required) at the project's visitors center, North Blenheim, and hot beverages are for sale….NYPA employees donated $68,922 to the State Employee Federated Appeal (SEFA) and United Way fundraising drives, topping last year's total by more than $3,600.…The Power Authority has been designated as one of the Best Workplaces for Commuters by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department Transportation. The agencies recognized the Power Authority's efforts to encourage its staff members to commute by using public transportation and organized van pools rather than personal vehicles. |