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| Week of Oct. 10, 2004 |
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WESTERN NEW YORK: Contract Extensions Protect 428 Jobs— The Power
Authority has approved extensions of low-cost hydropower allocations to two
Western New York companies—Westwood Squibb of Buffalo and Viking
Lockport—that will help protect a total of 428 jobs. The Sept. 27 actions
will ensure that the companies continue to receive electricity from NYPA's
Niagara Power Project in Lewiston, the state's largest generating facility
and the source of some of its least-expensive electricity. Westwood Squibb
(a division of Bristol Myers-Squibb, New York) manufactures
anti-inflammatory and dermatological products at its Buffalo facility, where
it will continue to receive an allocation of 750 kilowatts (kw) to help
protect 265 jobs. Viking (formerly Avon Injected Rubber and Plastics) has
committed to retain 163 positions in Lockport in return for its continued
allocation of 300 kw. The company produces light assemblies for the
automotive industry. Business customers typically pay under 2 cents per
kilowatt-hour for Niagara hydropower. GREENBURGH: Lighting Upgrades Set for Town Facilities—The Town of Greenburgh will save money and electricity with new energy-efficient lighting the Power Authority will install in two municipal buildings early next year. Both the town hall and the Greenburgh Nature Center will receive lighting upgrades as part of the community's long-term energy partnership agreement with NYPA. The town obtains economical NYPA electricity for municipal purposes. Once the improvements are completed, Greenburgh will pay for the $120,000 project through savings on its electricity bills. Power Authority contractors will install motion sensors as well as high-efficiency lighting in town hall offices; at the nature center, new lights will provide better illumination for environmental displays downstairs and offices and other areas upstairs. The entire project is expected to be completed by next spring. WHITE PLAINS: NYPA Supports Library's Sculpture Showcase— Just as a sculptor transforms wood or metal into a work of art, so too is the City of White Plains transforming its downtown into a business and cultural center. The Power Authority has joined other business, community and cultural entities in sponsoring the city's latest source of pride, Sculpture on the Plaza, a collection of three-dimensional artwork outside White Plains Library. The 16 pieces, unveiled at a Sept. 29 reception, will be on display for the next year. They include figurative and abstract works by artists of international renown such as George Rickey, Bruno Lucchesi and Chaim Gross. NYPA helped with the printing of a full-color catalog for the show; it also printed posters advertising the exhibit along with a brochure and a map to help art lovers locate each piece on display. NORTH BLENHEIM: Harvest Festival Features Irish Theme—Irish music and dancing will greet visitors to the fifth annual Schoharie County Harvest Festival at NYPA's Blenheim-Gilboa Power Project visitors center Oct. 16, as the county Chamber of Commerce and the Power Authority celebrate the region's fall bounty and agricultural heritage with an Irish theme. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the center will play host to thousands of visitors coming to sample locally made items such as squash and apple bisque, lemon thyme cookies and maple milk at the Taste of the County food contest. The festival will also feature crafts booths, a showcase of rural businesses, horse-drawn-wagon hay rides and the debut of a new video, Farming Then and Now. Admission is free for children under 12 and $1 for adults. For more information, call 1-800-724-0309. NIAGARA FALLS: NYPA Employee Receives YWCA Award—The YWCA of Niagara County recognized Kathy Moyer, a general clerk at NYPA's Niagara Power Project, at its 2004 Tribute to Women Dinner, held Sept. 29. Moyer received the organization's Front Line Award for her many charitable efforts at work and in her church. An 18-year veteran at the Lewiston hydroelectric project, Moyer has helped collect money, clothes and toys for distribution to needy children during the holidays. She also helps with fund raising for the preschool program at St. Teresa's Roman Catholic Church in Niagara Falls. In all, 24 women were nominated for consideration in six categories. Two other Niagara project employees were also nominated: Renee Beachy, a security guard, and Cathy Blood, senior community relations representative. Proceeds from the Tribute to Women Dinner will benefit Caroline's House, a housing project being built in Niagara Falls for homeless women and their families. MARCY: NYPA Thanks Oneida County Emergency Squads—The Power Authority has honored volunteer fire companies from Maynard and Prospect for their efforts as first responders to emergencies at NYPA's Clark Energy Center here and its Gregory B. Jarvis hydroelectric plant in Hinckley. At a ceremony at the Clark center on Sept. 22, Dave Neary, the facility's health and fire protection program administrator, thanked the all-volunteer squads and presented each fire company with a NYPA contribution to help offset the cost of new safety and rescue equipment. In the Community: The Power Authority displayed an electric-drive vehicle at the Governor's Conference on Tourism, Lake Placid, Sept. 28….Clear, mild weather helped bring out a record 25,000 people at this year's Power Authority-sponsored wildlife festivals, which continued to grow in size and popularity. The annual festivals, at NYPA visitors centers at the Niagara Power Project, Lewiston, and the Blenheim-Gilboa Power Project, North Blenheim, and the Trenton Fish and Game Club, Holland Patent, coincided with National Hunting and Fishing Day, Sept. 25. The Lewiston festival continued on Sept. 26….The Power Authority played host to a Helicopter Safety Seminar at the Clark Energy Center to instruct its employees and local fire department volunteers on how to deal with helicopter fires and other emergencies involving the aircraft, Marcy, Sept. 20. The Power Authority frequently hires helicopters for transmission line inspections. |