Rensselaer county calendar.(Capital Region)(Calendar) - Albany Times Union (Albany, NY)

TODAY

COMMUNITY

Opening reception for Life Drawing exhibition

Where: West Hall gallery, Room 111, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 Eighth St., Troy When: 4-6 p.m. Cost: Free Contact: 276-4829 Notes: Exhibition runs Sept. 13-Oct. 4.

COMMUNITY FARE

Roast pork dinner

Where: Troy Elks Lodge, 134 North Greenbush Road, Troy When: 4-7 p.m. Cost: Adults $7.50, seniors $7, children $3 Contact: 283-1193 Notes: Sponsored by the Ladies Auxiliary.

Support group dinner for HIV affected

Where: Oakwood Presbyterian Church, 313 10th Street, Troy When: 5:30-8:30 p.m. Cost: Free Contact: Art Carroll, 266-1280 Notes: Dinner served at 6 p.m.; sponsored by Randy Shilts Center of Troy.

ENTERTAINMENT

Wednesday free movies

Where: East Greenbush Community Library, 10 Community Way, East Greenbush When: 6:30 p.m. Contact: 477-7476 Notes: 'Memoirs of a Geisha' rated PG-13. Call to sign up.

GOVERNING

East Greenbush Board of Education

Where: Administration Center, East Greenbush When: 7:30 p.m.

East Greenbush Town Board

Where: East Greenbush Town Hall, 225 Columbia Turnpike, East Greenbush When: 7 p.m. Contact: 477-7145

Sand Lake Town Board

Where: Sand Lake Town Hall, 8428 Route 66, Sand Lake When: 7:30 p.m.

MEETINGS

North Greenbush Library budget informational meeting

Where: North Greenbush Public Library, 141 Main Ave., Wynantskill When: 7 p.m. Contact: 283-0303 Notes: Proposed budget of $216,008.

Quilt Interest group

Where: Grafton Community Library, 2455 Route 2, Grafton When: 1 p.m. Cost: Free Contact: 279-0580 Notes: Open to all levels, share ideas, group projects.

Rensselaer County chapter, National Alliance on Mental Illness

Where: Margaret Krause Center, 2212 Burdett Ave., Troy When: 5:30 p.m. Contact: Sean Moran, 462-2000 Notes: Speaker Kerry Strand, director, Northeast Health Treatment Services, will discuss co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders.

Rensselaer Public Library new book club

Where: Rensselaer Public Library, 810 Broadway, Rensselaer When: 7 p.m. Contact: 462-1193 Notes: Starting a new book club, bring suggested titles, club will meet once a month on Wednesday nights.

SUPPORT GROUPS

Alcoholics Anonymous

Where: Love Lutheran Church, Pheasant Lane at Middlesex Road, East Greenbush When: noon Notes: Preceded by 12 Step Support 9-10:30 a.m.

Men's discussion support group for HIV affected

Where: Oakwood Presbyterian Church, 313 10th Street, Troy When: 6:30-7:30 p.m. Contact: Art Carroll, 266-1280 Notes: Leader is Steve Hendrickson of Project Hope; free OraQuick HIV testing 7:30-8:30 p.m.; sponsored by Randy Shilts Center of Troy.

WORDS & IDEAS

A Slice of White Bread: Surviving the Holocaust

Where: Bulmer Telecommunications Center, Hudson Valley Community College, 80 Vandenburgh Ave., Troy When: Noon Cost: Free Contact: 629-7336 or http://www.hvcc.edu Notes: Anne Sztajel Weissman shares childhood memories of 1940s Belgium when the Nazis invaded.

Sand Lake book discussion group

Where: Sand Lake Town Library, 8428 Miller Hill Road, Averill Park When: 7 p.m. Contact: 674-5050 Notes: Paul Grondahl, a reporter at the Times Union, will discuss his book, 'Mayor Erastus Corning: Albany Icon, Albany Enigma.'

THURSDAY

CLASSES & WORKSHOPS

Child CPR and safety

Where: Pattison Board Room, Samaritan Hospital, 2215 Burdett Ave., Troy When: 6-9 p.m. Cost: Free Contact: 271-3393 Notes: Certified instructor Don Miller will teach the basics. Call to register.

COMMUNITY

North Greenbush Public Library election and budget vote

Where: North Greenbush Public Library, 141 Main Ave., Wynantskill When: 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Contact: 283-0303 Notes: Issues: election of one trustee and proposed budget of $216,008.

Rabies clinic

Where: Brunswick Community Center, Keyes Lane, off Route 7, Brunswick When: Cats and ferrets 5-6 p.m. Dogs 6-7 p.m. Contact: County health department, 270-2655 Notes: Bring most recent immunization certificate.

ENTERTAINMENT

BookMobile

Where: Castle Hill Senior Apartments, 114 Green Ave., Castleton When: 2:30 p.m. Notes: Videos, large print books, CDs and audio books. Matinee shown later is 'The Shaggy Dog' rated PG.

'Seussical the Musical'

Where: Columbia High School, 962 Luther Road, East Greenbush When: 7 p.m. Cost: $8; children and seniors $5 Contact: 207-2000 Notes: Staging Youths' Future Inc. performs a stage show based on the works of beloved children's author and illustrator Dr. Seuss.

'Sins and Needles: a Dramatic Monologue'

Where: Maureen Stapleton Theater, Hudson Valley Community College, Siek Campus Center, Troy When: Noon and 7 p.m. Cost: Free Contact: 629-4849 or http://www.hvcc.edu Notes: Ray Materson shares how he found salvation in prison by creating embroidered art from sock threads.

FARMERS MARKETS

Rensselaer County Farmers Market

Where: Twin Town Little League Park, Williams Road, Troy When: 2:30-5:30 p.m.

GOVERNING

Nassau Town Board

Where: Nassau Town Hall, 29 Church St., Nassau When: 7:30 p.m. Contact: 766-3559

Sand Lake Town Library Board of Trustees

Where: Sand Lake Town Library, 8428 Miller Hill Road, Averill Park When: 6:30 p.m. Contact: 674-5050

MEETINGS

Rensselaer County Regional Chamber of Commerce

Where: WMHT Studios, Rensselaer Technology Park When: 7:30 a.m. Cost: $20; nonmembers and walk-ins, $30. Contact: 274-7020 or http://www.renscochamber.com Notes: 'Podcast Like A Pro: Strategies for Success' features Michael Santarcangelo II, founder and president of the Michelangelo Group, conducting this workshop, part of the chamber's business education series.

Rensselaer North End Neighborhood

Association

Where: First Baptist Church, 1101 Washington Ave., Rensselaer When: 7 p.m. Notes: Guest speaker is Gordon Reynolds, superintendent of schools.

WORDS & IDEAS

Sister's Book

Where: St. Bonaventure Church, Hillview Drive, Speigletown When: 7 p.m. Cost: A free will offering. Contact: 235-0337 Notes: Sr. Anne Bryan Smollin will speak on her new book, 'Live, Laugh and Be Blessed.' Books will be available for purchase.

CAPTION(S):

PHOTO

Agreements/contracts: McKesson to upgrade HealthAlliance's EHR. - Medical Device Daily

A Medical Device Daily Staff Report

HealthAlliance of the Hudson Valley (Kingston, New York) reported that it will upgrade its existing electronic health record (EHR) technology systems as part of its focus on enhancing healthcare quality and safety for the communities it serves in upstate New York. The three-hospital system plans to expand its relationship with McKesson (San Francisco) by implementing Horizon Clinical's solutions for use by about 750 caregivers system-wide. HealthAlliance already uses McKesson's medical imaging, pharmacy and automation technology as well as its pharmacy distribution services. The alliance believes the new clinical upgrade should help position the health system to qualify for HITECH incentives under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

'Technology that enables better care team communication and coordination is essential to care delivery transformation and providing a safer, high-quality patient experience,' said John Finch, chief information officer, HealthAlliance of the Hudson Valley. 'Starting with the radiology and pharmacy areas, McKesson has proven that its solutions can help us improve quality and efficiency. We are eager to build on that success as we provide new systems for physicians, nurses, pharmacists and the larger clinical team.'

With the technology upgrade, all clinicians will have electronic access to information about patients' active health problems, past diagnoses, medication history and known or reported allergies. Nurses will document care in the EHR at the bedside, providing immediate updates to other clinicians. A new electronic tracking board also will provide teams with at-a-glance information on patient status, including clinical, admission/discharge/transfer (ADT), environmental services and more. It displays that information against hospital floor plans on large, electronic whiteboards.

In other agreements/contracts news, Surgical Care Affiliates (SCA; Birmingham, Alabama), a providers of outpatient surgical services, said it has entered into a joint venture arrangement with West Coast Endoscopy Center (Clearwater, Florida) to partner in the operation of the center.

Under the agreement, SCA and a group of physician partners will own the center, and SCA will provide management services. West Coast Endoscopy Center will continue to be a freestanding outpatient endoscopy center.

'The medical staff of West Coast Endoscopy Center is excited to announce the selection of SCA as our corporate partner,' said Umesh Choudhry, MD, Secretary of the Board of Directors of the center. 'We believe that the combination of SCA's surgery center expertise, their local and national network, and our medical staff's clinical expertise will help further our center's reputation as a leader in medical care for outpatient surgery in the Tampa Bay Area.

ARTS PROGRAM AIMS TO CREATE POSITIVE EXPERIENCES FOR YOUTH.(CAPITAL REGION) - Albany Times Union (Albany, NY)

For Bill Rossi, the arts are more than a flawless sonnet or notes played on piano keys. Music, art, dance and writing can be the best medicine for some of the troubles facing today's youth, he says.

``The arts are often seen as an adjunct or recreational thing,'' said Rossi, founder and executive director of Youth Advancement Through Music & Art. ``I believe they are an integral part of healing.''

When Rossi started the program in his Seattle studio in 1994, he worked with children and adults of all backgrounds. He soon narrowed the focus to at-risk children and teenagers.

Two years ago, he and his wife, Mary, moved to Albany and contacted Parsons Child and Family Center about replicating the West Coast program.

``We found Parsons very receptive to our approach, and the Albany area generally receptive to the arts,'' Bill Rossi said. ``The arts are taken more seriously as therapeutic intervention and education. This is real fertile ground for us.''

YATMA serves 80 boys and girls who live on the Albany campus or in group homes or take a bus to the school, where artists help lead private, small-group and classroom instruction.

Musicians teach piano, bass, guitar, drums, horns, composition and voice. There are also dance, drawing, painting, sculpture and writing classes. A Web site design course will start soon.

According to a recent independent study of the program by the Troy-based Education 21: ``Students showed a statistically significant decrease in overall negative behaviors ... and highly significant improvements in positive attitudes.''

The participants experience something that for them is unprecedented.

``They find themselves successful for the first times in their lives,'' Bill Rossi said.

Mary Rossi, who is a writer and the program's development director, also bears witness to the program's personal power. ``I am like one of the kids in a way,'' she said. ``I can say it really is a wonderful experience because I am speaking as one who has benefited from it.''

-- James G. Snyder

Bowled over

More than 75 Special Olympics New York athletes and coaches competed for gold, silver and bronze medals in individual and team bowling at the 2001 sectional bowling tournament at Clifton Park Bowl.

Special Olympics New York is the nation's largest chapter, providing 40,000 athletes with the opportunity to compete through a network of 30,000 volunteers.

For information, call Sports Director Erin Griffiths at 388-0791.

North Country health care

Hudson Headwaters Health Network will receive an $866,709 federal grant to expand health insurance coverage and clinical services in rural northeastern New York. The grant will help fund the Adirondack Rural Health Network, an alliance of health care providers, social service agencies and county governments.

FACTS:CARING BY THE NUMBERS The Capital District Garden and Flower Show is the Wildwood Programs' annual fund-raiser March 23-25 at Hudson Valley Community College. Consider these numbers on how Wildwood helps people with autism and other developmental disabilities: Community 650 children, adolescents, adults and their families Ages 3 years old to men and women in their 70s Wildwood School 185 children from 57 school districts School summer extension 200 children Residential program 95 families Family support 250 families Recreation center 200 people Jobs Employment for 200 young adults

VOLUNTEERS WANTED Job: Community resource specialist Who: A good listener For: We Care information and referral line Mission: Give advice or referrals to callers in crisis Where: Clifton Common in Clifton Park Contact: Lisa Vince, 371-1185

CAPTION(S):

Community Calendar.(Capital Region)(Calendar) - Albany Times Union (Albany, NY)

TODAY

CLASSES & WORKSHOPS

Gardening program

WHERE: Saratoga Springs Public Library, 49 Henry St., Saratoga Springs WHEN: noon CONTACT: 584-7860 NOTES: Participants will learn about landscaping for spring and summer

COMMUNITY FARE

Spaghetti dinner

WHERE: Emma Willard School, 285 Pawling Ave., Troy WHEN: COST: CONTACT: 434-1573, Ext. 214 NOTES: To benefit Mohawk and Hudson River Humane Society

COMMUNITY SALE

Craft show

WHERE: Hudson Valley Community College, McDonough Sports Complex, Troy WHEN: 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. COST: $6, valid for re-admission all weekend CONTACT: (248) 634-4151 or http://www.countryfolkart.com NOTES: More than 150 artisans display spring items for the home and garden; through Sunday

SIGN-UPS

CROP Walk information

WHERE: Schenectady Inner City Ministry, 930 Albany St., Schenectady WHEN: May 1 COST: Donations and sponsorships CONTACT: 374-2683 NOTES: Community Hunger Appeal of Church World Services which provide relief, development and help to refugees worldwide

Fonkoze Fet

WHERE: Schuyler Inn, Broadway, Menands WHEN: Sunday COST: $20 CONTACT: 427-9092 NOTES: Dinner, auction to raise money for Haiti's literacy and business skills training and health education programs.

Olivia Octopus

WHERE: Shaker Heritage Society, Shaker Meeting House, 875 Watervliet Shaker Road, Colonie WHEN: April 19 COST: $5 SHS members; $8 non-members CONTACT: 456-7890 NOTES: Children 7 to 12 can braid and sew to create an octopus pal

Royal Tulip Ball

WHERE: Wolfert's Roost Country Club, Albany WHEN: May 7 COST: $75 CONTACT: 426-2667 NOTES: Sponsored by Parsons Child and Family Center to benefit its programs for children and families challenged by emotional and behavioral difficulties or mental illness

Shall We Dance?

WHERE: Franklin Terrace Ballroom (formerly Mario's Banquet House), 126 Campbell Ave., Troy WHEN: Saturday COST: $75 CONTACT: 438-3298 NOTES: Benefit for Albany-Tula Alliance, which arranges for seminars, cultural exchanges and collaborations

SATURDAY

CLASSES & WORKSHOPS

Meditation

WHERE: Pine Hills branch of Albany Public Library, 517 Western Ave., Albany WHEN: 11 a.m. CONTACT: 589-5000 NOTES: Sponsored by the Peace Village; registration needed

COMMUNITY

Astronomy

WHERE: Henry Hudson Planetarium, 25 Quackenbush Square, Albany WHEN: 2 p.m. COST: $2 adults; $1 children CONTACT: 434-0405 NOTES: NASA interactive program for children in grades 1 through 8 and demonstration of ways to see stars; reservations recommended

Dog adoption clinic

WHERE: L.C. Smith Pet Center, 154 Delaware Ave., Delmar WHEN: 11 a.m. CONTACT: http://www.homewardbound

dogrescue.com NOTES: Available will be 35 puppies and 12 dogs

COMMUNITY FARE

Chicken and biscuit dinner

WHERE: Ravena Grange Hall, Route 143, Coeymans Hollow WHEN: 4:30 p.m. COST: $9 adults; $4.50 children under 12 NOTES: Takeouts available

Pancake breakfast

WHERE: Jerusalem Reformed Church, Route 32, Feura Bush WHEN: 7 a.m. to noon COST: $5 adults; $3 children; under 6 free

GAMES & HOBBIES

National literary fair

HINCHEY HIGHLIGHTS TAX CUTS AT REGIONAL SMALL BUSINESS FORUM. - States News Service

New Paltz, NY -- The following information was released by the office of New York Rep. Maurice Hinchey:

Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) today hosted a Hudson Valley Region Small Business Forum at the State University of New York at New Paltz. The purpose of the event was to help inform small business owners of federal and state tax credits and new lending initiatives designed to spur new investment and job creation.

'As I've listened to small business owners throughout the Hudson Valley, I've heard over and over again about the struggles they face, particularly the high taxes and the limited access to loans and lines of credit,' said Hinchey. 'What I've found is that quite a few of these employers are not fully aware of new tax credits and financing programs that are available to them. That's why we held this forum today - because small business owners need to know about and access these incentives. Small business owners work hard and create the majority of new jobs. We've accomplished a lot in the past few years to support our local businesses, but there is so much more we've got to do. I'm going to continue fighting to do it.'

Hinchey discussed the president's recent signing of the Small Business Jobs and Credit Act, which establishes a Small Business Lending Fund to extend $300 billion in loans to small businesses and provided $12 billion in small business tax cuts to spur investment, growth, new starts and hiring. Hinchey also noted that eight small business tax relief provisions have been passed into law during the current congress. They are as follows:

A payroll tax holiday for businesses that hire unemployed workers and an income tax credit of $1,000 for businesses that retain these employees. According to the Treasury Department, between February and June 2010, businesses had hired 5.6 million workers who had been unemployed for 8 weeks or longer, making those businesses eligible for HIRE Act tax exemptions and credits. (HIRE Act, PL 111-147)

$40 billion in tax credits to help small businesses offer employee health insurance coverage - if they choose to do so. These tax credits will cover a portion of the premium costs for their employees' coverage. More than 4 million small businesses are eligible for these credits. (Affordable Care Act, PL 111-148)

An allowance for small businesses to use net operating losses to offset profits from five previous years, up from two years. (Worker, Homeownership and Business Assistance Act, PL 111-92; )

Enhanced small business expensing, doubling the amount small businesses can immediately write off their taxes for capital investments and purchases of new equipment. (Recovery Act, PL 111-5) The HIRE Act also extended the enhanced small business expensing provisions for investments and purchases made in 2010. (HIRE Act, PL 111-147)

Increased bonus depreciation for businesses that made investments in new plants and equipment to help businesses quickly recover costs of new capital investments. (Recovery Act, PL 111-5; Small Business Jobs and Credit Act)

An exclusion of 100 percent (up from 50 percent) of capital gains from taxes for investors in small businesses who buy stock and hold it for more than five years. (Recovery Act, PL 111-5, Small Business Jobs and Credit Act )

A Reduction to the required estimated tax payments for certain small businesses. (Recovery Act, PL 111-5, Small Business Jobs and Credit Act)

Tax relief for taxable corporations converting into S corporations achieved by reducing the built-in gains holding period from 10 years to 7 years (with gains held for the holding period exempt from tax). (Recovery Act, PL 111-5)

BUSINESS SNAPSHOT AUGUST 15 - 21. - States News Service

Albany, NY -- The following information was released by the Albany-Colonie Regional Chamber of Commerce:

by: Albany-Colonie Regional Chamber of Commerce

AMRI was selected as the inaugural winner of the Pfizer Route Design Innovation Award for its innovative ideas for process chemistry and large scale Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient production ... First Niagara Financial Group will expand into Connecticut and Massachusetts with its $1.5 billion acquisition of New Alliance Bancshares, which also make the combined bank one of the 25 largest in the country ... Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute placed 41st among the best national universities in the latest rankings from U.S. News and World Report.

According to the New York State Department of Labor, the Albany region added 1,300 private-sector jobs over the past year ending July 31 ... A poll conducted by the Siena Research Institute showed Democrat Andrew Cuomo maintaining significant leads over potential Republican challengers Rick Lazio and Carl Paladino in New York's gubernatorial race ... U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko visited X-Ray Optical Systems to tout several bills he supports including those that would help small businesses commercialize cutting edge research, provide manufacturers with new tax credits, boost incentives for clean energy jobs and force foreign countries to honor fair trade principles.

Kelli Hudson will join Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute as assistant vice president and controller on Sept. 7 ... The E. Stewart Jones Law Firm added Jake Dumesnil as director of marketing and development ... Catherine Hedgeman, founder, president and CEO of The Stakeholders, Inc., has been appointed to the New York State Commission on National and Community Service.

Building on an enzyme found in nature, researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have created a nanoscale coating for surgical equipment, hospital walls, and other surfaces which safely eradicates MRSA, the bacteria responsible for antibiotic resistant infections ... New York state employers responding to a Business Council of New York survey have once again identified employee health care as their top cost-of-doing-business concern ... SEFCU said it will acquire Home Funding Finders allowing it to expand its home loan product line ... RPI announced that men's hockey season tickets are available now ... Senior Whole Health has partnered with a number of facilities in the lower Hudson Valley to provide seniors with summer produce through local farmers' markets.

Sunmark Federal Credit Union has created HomeFlex, which is a flexible home loan aimed at providing a low-cost solution for consumers searching for ways to reduce the cost of borrowing ... Hudson River Community Credit Union announced the second quarter winners of its youth savings contest.

BRIEFLY.(BUSINESS) - Albany Times Union (Albany, NY)

BROKERED TRANSACTIONS CB Richard Ellis/Robert Cohn brokered the sale of 10 Arrowhead Lane in Colonie to Patterson Medical Inc. of Troy. The 9,600-square-foot warehouse/storage building was purchased for $275,000 from the Scott Bobrow Revocable Trust. The building will be used for storage of medical supplies. Ann St. Peter and Eileen Lindburg of CB Richard Ellis/Robert Cohn represented the seller, and Peter Redmond, also of CB Richard Ellis/Robert Cohn, represented the purchaser. CB Richard Ellis/Robert Cohn brokered the lease of 16,564 square feet at 16 Corporate Woods Blvd. in Colonie to Verizon -- New York Directory Sales Co. Verizon will use the space for telephone book advertising. JMR Development Co. LLC is the landlord. Peter Redmond of CB Richard Ellis/Robert Cohn was the broker of record. RLF Realty brokered the sale of 55 Colvin Ave. in Albany to the NYS Law Enforcement Officers Union Council 82 ASFCME, AFL-CIO. The office building was purchased for $350,000 from the Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York Inc., which will relocate. Robert L. Freedman of RLF Realty was the broker of record. CHAMBER NEWS A graduation ceremony was held for 21 members of Leadership Schenectady 2001, a program sponsored by the Business Education Foundation in Schenectady County Inc., an affiliate of the Schenectady County Chamber of Commerce Inc. Graduating were: Glenn Allen, Contec; Jennifer Blessing, Bechtel MAO; Teresa Dangwa, Hamilton Hill Arts Center; Amy Davis, Kathleen Milne and Tom Mason, 109th Airlift Wing; Leroy Fogle, Schenectady Family Health Services; Robert Frederick, Schenectady County Community College; Shelly Freeman and Gerard Havasy, GE Power Systems; Robin Granger and Susan Rank, Schenectady County Chamber of Commerce; Cybele Hijar, Shari Sterling and Alex Owusu, Lockheed Martin/KAPL Inc.; Jackie McDonough, Schenectady YMCA; Mark Sheehan, Schenectady Association for Retarded Citizens; Mike Sterthous, Whiteman, Osterman & Hanna; Kathy Urbanski, MVP Health Plan; Michelle Wildgrube, Carpenter & Cioffi P.C.; and Carol Williams, St. Clare's Hospital. GRAB BAG Mary Alice Russo of East Greenbush, executive director of the Seton Health Foundation, was elected treasurer of Ascension Health's Council on Philanthropy. St. Louis-based Ascension, a national sponsor of Seton Health, is one of the largest Catholic health care systems in the country; its council has development professionals raising money for their respective Ascension Health facilities. Paul Cuda, a certified public accountant with Cusack & Co. Certified Public Accountants LLC in Latham, has completed state insurance and NASD series 6 and 63 licensing requirements. Cuda, now a registered representative offering securities and financial planning through WS Griffith and Co. Inc., will administer the services through Alliance Personal Planning Advisors LLC, a related entity he manages. TJ Lyons of Old Chatham, an environmental manager working out of the Brunswick office of Rifenburg Construction Inc., has become a certified safety professional. The CSP designation is awarded to those meeting professional safety experience requirements and passing two five-hour exams. IT'S AN HONOR The Hudson-Mohawk Chapter of the American Society of Training & Development recognized five area training teams as part of its third annual Trainers' Awards Dinner. Winners were: Elizabeth Heilpern, owner of Elm Associates, Albany -- Independent Entrepreneurial Trainer of the Year; Christine Katchmar, director of corporate communications, training and development, Trans World Entertainment Inc. -- Corporate Trainer of the Year; FairPoint Communications Learning & Development Corporate Team -- Corporate Training Team of the Year; Peter Casale, director of training and organizational development, state Department of Environmental Conservation -- Public Sector Trainer of the Year; and Agencies In Partnership for Training -- Public Sector Training Team of the Year. Four professionals at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy were given the State University of New York's highest honor, the Chancellor's Award for Excellence. Honored with the Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching were: Linda Adamchak of Delmar, an assistant professor of biology at HVCC; Melanie Bleich of Clifton Park, a professor of academics at the Capital District Educational Opportunity Center; and Mary Gillespie of Saratoga Springs, an associate professor of human services at HVCC. Louis Coplin of Glenmont, HVCC's director of student life, was presented the Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Professional Service. Charles O'Donnell of Albany was named New York State Government Engineer of the Year at the New York State Society of Professional Engineers' 75th anniversary celebration. Kathleen Lill of Loudonville, a registered nurse at the Stratton VA Medical Center in Albany, has received the Clinical Nurse of Excellence Award from the Capital District No. 9 -- New York State Nurses Association. Lill has been a registered nurse care manager in the VA's General Internal Medicine Primary Care Clinic for the past four years.The Associated General Contractors of America awarded four general contractors in the Capital Region certificates of commendation for safety excellence. Honored by the General Building Contractors of New York State, the New York State Building Chapter of the AGC were: Adirondack Construction Corp. of Glens Falls, Cottrell Hajeck Inc. of North Troy, Kilby Brothers Inc. of Albany and Sweet Associates Inc. of Albany. Douglas Ivey of Schenectady was named recipient of the State University of New York Center for Academic and Work Force Development's Distinguished Alumni Award. Ivey has been a cosmetology instructor at the Capital District Educational Opportunity Center in Troy since 1993. He also is owner/operator of his own salon, Unique Dimensions Hair Design in Albany. Carol Wilsey, marketing consultant with ABC's of Remembrance in Latham, and Barbara King, a partner with The Gordon, Siegel Law Firm in Latham, each received a May Notable Networker award from the Clifton Park/Halfmoon Chapter of Business Network International. Wilsey was recognized for bringing the most visitors to the chapter's meetings; King was recognized for giving the most referrals at the chapter's meetings. Four staff members at the Regional Diabetes Center of Glens Falls Hospital achieved certified diabetes educator status from the National Certification Board for Diabetes Educators by meeting professional practice experience and exam certification requirements. Earning their CDE were: Rebecca Mahar, registered dietitian; Joan Butler and Marie Walla-Farrell, registered dietitians/certified nutritionists; and Emily Galindo, nurse practitioner. Dr. John Fulco of Niskayuna, a diagnostic and interventional radiologist with Schenectady Radiologists P.C. since 1978, was named to three posts with the American Medical Association. He was elected chairperson of the Section Council, chairperson of the Vascular Caucus and chair-elect of the Specialty and Service Section. LITERALLY ON THE MOVE Barbara Garro's line of Saratoga Chic, one-of-a-kind signature and collectible jewelry, has moved out of Crafter's Gallery in downtown Saratoga Springs and into Longmeadow Farms Antiques, 1120 Route 29, Schuylerville. Garro also is president of Electric Envisions, a personal growth company in Saratoga Springs.

MEDIA NEWS Smith Mumford & Co., a Germantown marketing communications firm, was retained by the international division of Prudential Financial, a Newark-based financial services company, to develop two newsletters for overseas financial advisers and clients. Global Insights presents perspectives on global asset management, and Portfolio Insights discusses individual securities and their role in portfolio design. Communication Services, an Albany-based marketing/advertising firm, was named agency of record for the Schenectady County Chamber of Commerce's travel/tourism program, which has been focusing on the county's major summer/fall events and family-oriented attractions. Communication Services will be responsible for all print and broadcast advertising and collateral development. ON THE BOARD

Officers and board members were elected for The Community Foundation for the Capital Region. Officers are: Charles Liddle III of Albany, president, Austin & Co. Inc. -- president; Barbara Hoehn of Menands, community volunteer -- first vice president; Phoebe Bender of Menands, community volunteer -- second vice president; Roberta Bastow of Glenmont, senior vice president, Fleet Private Client Group -- treasurer; and Roy Hershey of Niskayuna, community volunteer -- secretary. E. Kristen Frederick of Albany and Barbara Pryor of Albany were elected board members. Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capital Region elected officers and committee chairpersons. Included are: Daniel Hurteau of Nixon Peabody LLP -- president; Barbara Milano, National MS Society -- vice president; Bernie Noonan, FYI Images -- treasurer and finance committee chair; Jeff Shinaman, Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce -- secretary and board development chair; and John Reilly, Dynamic Applications Inc. -- immediate past president.

Other committee positions are: Carla Hines, Northeast Health -- personnel committee chair; Paul DeFrancisco, state Senate research -- fund development committee chair; and Ken Baum, John Hancock -- program committee chair.

Re-elected to a new term on Big Brothers Big Sisters' board of directors are: Ed Brown of the state Division of Health Facility Planning; Thomas Donovan of Marvin & Co.; Eugene Hamlett of The Kalee Jamison Consulting Group Inc.; Mark Jarocki of Pioneer Savings Bank; Dan Landauer of Meridian Capital Partners Inc.; Robert McNamara of Capital Education Network; Dave Taillon, Clough Harbour & Associates LLP; and Jeff Weiss of Glennpeter Jewelers. New board members are Timothy Minahan of KeyBank N.A.; Catherine Smith of Trustco Bank N.A.; and Daniel White of KPMG. OPEN FOR BUSINESS

AROUND THE REGION.(Capital Region) - Albany Times Union (Albany, NY)

TODAY

COMMUNITY FARE

Zippy dinner, Community United Methodist Church, 1499 New Scotland Ave., Slingerlands When: 4:30-6:30 p.m. Cost: $6.50-$8 Contact: 439-1766 Notes: Complete homemade takeout dinners. today, chicken Parmesan; Oct. 13, beef stroganoff; Oct. 20, chicken and biscuits; Oct. 27, turkey.

COMMUNITY SALES

Craft book sale, Whitney Book Corner, corner of Clinton and Union streets, Schenectady When: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Contact: 377-4670 Notes: Presented by Friends of Schenectady County Public Library.

FARMERS MARKETS

Delaware Neighborhood Farmers Market, Parking lot next to St. James Church, 391 Delaware Ave., Albany When: 4-7 p.m. Contact: Louise McNeilly, 432-0516

Delmar Farmers Market, First United Methodist Church, 428 Kenwood Ave., Delmar When: 2:30-6 p.m. Contact: 221-5697 Notes: Fruits, vegetables, herbs, eggs, honey, salad dressings and herbal vinegars along with plants and flowers, a chicken barbecue and a knife- and scissor-sharpening service.

Farmers Market, Sutherland Farms, Lower Dix Avenue, Hudson Falls When: 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

Granville Downtown Farmers Market Association, downtown Granville When: 2-5 p.m. Contact: 642-4713

HEALTH

Blood drive, Rensselaer High School, 25 Van Rensselaer Drive, Rensselaer When: 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Contact: Robert Stranahan, 436-8561

Blood drive, Hudson Valley Community College, 80 Vandenburgh Ave., Troy When: 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Contact: Louis Coplin, 629-4843 or http://www.hvcc.edu

'The Butt Stops Here,' Troy Public Library, 100 Second St., Troy When: 6:30 p.m. Cost: Free Contact: 274-7071 or http://www.thetroylibrary.org Notes: A seven-session stop smoking program meets 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Nov. 17.

Mindfulness meditation, Susman Room, Saratoga Springs Public Library, 49 Henry St., Saratoga Springs When: 12:30-1:30 p.m. Contact: 584-7860 or http://www.sspl.org Notes: With One Roof Holistic Health Center.

Top 10 Tips of Aging, Spring Street Gallery, 110 Spring St., Saratoga Springs When: 7-9 p.m. Contact: 339-0636 Notes: Margie Ingram leads an informative and fun session for seniors or anyone who is interested in getting the most out of life.

Treatment of Common Wrist & Hand Injuries, Chamber of Southern Saratoga County, 15 Park Ave., Clifton Park When: Noon-1 p.m. Cost: Free Contact: 580-2450 Notes: Presenting will be Justin Ferrara, orthopedic surgeon from Orthopaedic Associates of Saratoga. A light meal will be provided.

MEETINGS

Book club, Rotterdam Branch, 1100 N. Westcott Road, Schenectady County Public Library, Schenectady When: 11 a.m. Contact: 386-2249 or http://www.scpl.org/ Notes: 'The Mermaid Chair' by Sue Monk Kidd.

Business Information Night, Maria College, 700 New Scotland Ave., Albany When: 5:30 p.m. Cost: Free Contact: 438-3111 or http://www.mariacollege.edu Notes: Information about the college's business programs.

City of Albany Board of Education, Albany High School, 700 Washington Ave., Albany When: 7 p.m. Contact: 475-6000 or http://www.albanyschools.org

Drop-in Meditation Group, Saratoga Springs Public Library, 49 Henry St., Saratoga Springs When: 12:30-1:30 p.m. Cost: Free Contact: 581-3180 or http://www.sspl.org Notes: An opportunity for those new to mindfulness meditation and longtime practitioners to come together.

SUPPORT GROUPS

Empowered Living, Samaritan Hospital, 2215 Burdett Ave., Troy When: 6:30-8 p.m. Cost: Free Contact: 271-3766 Notes: A weekly support group for female survivors of trauma and abuse.

Glens Falls Area Celiac-Sprue Support Group, Community Learning Center, Glens Falls Hospital, Side B (use entrance C) 100 Park St., Glens Falls When: 6:30-8:30 p.m. Contact: Jean McLellan, 584-6702 or http://www.glensfallshospital.org Notes: Stephanie Gulbrandsen discusses gluten free foods that are available at Hannaford.

GriefShare, Pine Knolls Alliance Church, 614 Gansevoort Road, South Glens Falls When: 7 p.m. Contact: 793-7101 Notes: A seminar for people grieving the loss of someone close.

Healing Hearts, Samaritan Hospital, 2215 Burdett Ave., Troy When: 4-5:30 p.m. Contact: 274-3382 or http://www.nehealth.com/ Notes: A weekly therapy support group for adult female survivors of childhood sexual abuse.

Mental Health support group, ClearView Center, 500 Central Ave., Albany When: 5:30 p.m. Contact: 435-9931, Ext. 229 Notes: Support and education for families and friends of people with mental health issues.

Nar-Anon, Colonie Christian Life Center, 31 Vly Road, Colonie When: 7 p.m. Contact: 436-5859 or http://www.nynaranon.org Notes: A self-help support group for anyone affected by a loved one's use or abuse of drugs; meets Tuesdays.

National Alliance on Mental Illness, Family Resource Center, Capital District Psychiatric Center, 75 New Scotland Ave., Albany When: Noon Contact: 438-9785 Notes: A support group for families and friends who have someone with a mental illness.

WEDNESDAY

BENEFITS & GALAS

Girls Inc. 20th Annual Celebration Luncheon, Albany Marriott Hotel, 189 Wolf Road, Colonie When: 11:30 a.m. Cost: $10 Contact: 374-9800, Ext. 226 Notes: The 2009 awards recognize Bank of America and Regina Falco of R. Falco Insulation, LLC. Eve Brown-Waite, author of 'First Comes Love, Then Comes Malaria: How A Peace Corps Poster Boy Won My Heart and a Third World Adventure Changed My Life,' delivers the keynote address.

BINGO

St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church, 440 Whitehall Road, Albany When: 7:30 p.m. Contact: 489-4442 Notes: Every Wednesday

American Legion Melvin Roads Post, 200 Columbia Turnpike, East Greenbush When: 7:30 p.m. Contact: 462-7006 Notes: Doors open at 6 p.m. Sponsored by Holy Spirit School.

Watervliet Elks Lodge No. 1500, 501 Fourth Ave., Watervliet When: 7 p.m. Contact: 273-9878

Nathaniel Adams Blanchard Post 1040, 16 W. Poplar Drive, Delmar When: 7:30 p.m. Contact: 439-9819 Notes: Every Wednesday.

CLASSES & WORKSHOPS

The College of Saint Rose graduate admissions information session, Thelma P. Lally School of Education, 1009 Madison Ave., Albany When: 6:30 p.m. Notes: Introduction to programs and services, an explanation of the admissions process, application materials and an opportunity to talk with an adviser from the graduate admissions office.

Yoga for breast cancer survivors, Upstate Hematology Oncology, 1101 Nott St., Schenectady When: 5:30-6:30 p.m. Cost: Free Contact: 435-1055 Notes: Led by Vicki Braunstein and hosted by CRAAB!.

Yoga for breast cancer survivors, The Yoga Loft, 540 Delaware Ave., Albany When: Noon-1:15 p.m. Cost: Free Contact: 435-1055 Notes: Led by Mary Sloan and hosted by CRAAB!.

COMMUNITY

Food pantry, Mt. Ida Community Baptist Church, 560 Congress St., Troy When: 5-7 p.m. Contact: 273-8561; e-mail: ctmtroy@nycap.rr.com

Tours of USS Slater, 141 Broadway (south of Dunn Memorial Bridge), Albany When: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Cost: Adults, $7; children 6-14, $5 Contact: 431-1943 or http://www.ussslater.org Notes: Guided tours of the only destroyer escort afloat in America, restored to World War II configuration.

FARMERS MARKETS

Farmers Market, Monument Square, Troy When: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Notes: Local produce, eggs, baked goods, cheese, sweet and savory treats, Italian specialty foods and plants.

Saratoga Farmers Market Association, High Rock Park, High Rock Avenue, Saratoga Springs When: 3-6 p.m.

MEETINGS

Cohoes City School District Board of Education, library, Cohoes Middle School, 7 Bevan St., Cohoes When: 6:30 p.m. Contact: 237-4131 Notes: Workshop.

Malta Town Board, Malta Town Hall, 2540 Route 9, Malta When: 7 a.m. Contact: http://malta-town.org Notes: Budget workshops.

McKownville Fire District meeting, McKownville Fire House, 1250 Western Ave., McKownville When: 7 p.m.

RECREATION

BRIEFLY CONTRACTS.(BUSINESS) - Albany Times Union (Albany, NY)

Townsend Associates, an Albany architectural firm, has been commissioned by Hudson Valley Orthopaedics to design a 6,000-square-foot medical building and a 3,000-square-foot physical therapy facility. Both buildings will be in Claverack.

On the board Empire State Certified Development Corp., an affiliate of New York Business Development Corp., elected its board. Directors include Clifford M. Apgar, executive vice president, Albank; John Chiaramonte, Teal Becker & Chiaramonte; Herbert G. Chorbajian, chairman, president and CEO, Albank; David C. Clarke, retired; Madeline Dolan, executive vice president, Albany-Colonie Regional Chamber of Commerce; Hugh M. Flynn, senior vice president, Fleet Bank; Kenneth A. Green, president, Saratoga Economic Development Corp.; Robert W. Lazar, president and CEO, NYBDC; Mark D. Morrison, senior vice president, KeyBank; Sidney D. Richter, senior vice president, Hudson City Savings Bank; and Peter V. Waldt, vice president, Empire State Development Corp. Lazar, is chairman, president and CEO; Chorbajian, vice chairman; David A. Terrenzio, senior vice president and secretary; Andrew M. Linehan, vice president and treasurer; David E. Blessing, assistant vice president; Sarah Halliday, assistant vice president; Kathleen M. Russom, assistant secretary.

Jayme B. Lahut, Columbia Hudson Partnership executive director, has joined Village of Chatham Development Corp.'s board of directors. The partnership will work on a project-by-project basis, according to Lahut. Rita Van Alstyne, village business owner and Chatham Business Alliance president, also joined the board.

Lynn E. Abraham of Philadelphia was named to The Sage College's board of trustees. Abraham, a 1973 Russell Sage College graduate, is vice president/president-elect of the Forum of Executive Women.

Schenectady County Community College board of trustees approved six appointments to the college's advisory committees. Included are Sharon Olshefsky, human resource specialist, Schenectady International Inc. -- business advisory committee; Gregory Kaczmarek, Schenectady chief of police -- criminal justice advisory committee; Sharon Kopcza, personnel manager, Trustco Bank -- job placement and career development advisory committee; Lee Metzner, human resource director, Holiday Inn; Phyllia Budka, senior engineer, Power Systems Material and processes engineer, General Electric -- mathematics, science and technology advisory committee; and Pat McKee, admissions department, Niskayuna High School -- admissions advisory committee.

Three new members were named to board of directors of the Adirondack Regional Chambers of Commerce. Included are Robert McMillen, Glens Falls law firm of Bartlett, Pontiff, Stewart & Rhodes; David Mohn, president, DLM Associates Inc., a Whitehall-based consulting and real estate firm; and Phil Whittemore, partner, Queensbury accounting firm Whittemore, Dowen & Caruso CPAs LLP.

Grab bag Albany-based Advanced Management Research, health care information technology company, has developed the first commercial off-the-shelf physician reimbursement system built on national standards. The new system, Advanced Value Scale, is based on Relative Value Scale methodology and Health Care Financing Administration's National Correct Coding Initiative. It fully integrates pricing, measurement and clinical editing for physician reimbursement.

Hudson Partnership is looking for consultants to work one-on-one with participants in its MicroBusiness Program. Consulting assistance is offered to graduates of the program's Micro MBA course, which provides education to prospective entrepreneurs and small business owners in Columbia County. Send proposals to James Callander, 444 Warren St., Hudson, 12534; fax to 828-0901; or e-mail to 76072.2771@compuserve.com.

Open for business Harriet Rifkin has opened HR Consulting, a human resources consulting company in Albany providing coaching, training and development. Rifkin was corporate director of human resources at Einhorn Yaffee Prescott Architecture/Engineering.

Mary Lou Schillinger and Patricia A. Schuler are partners in Creative Insights, providing consulting to children and families, specializing in gifted individuals, 1 University Place, Rensselaer.

Wall units, retail merchandising units and bumpback retailing locations are used by nearly 26 seasonal retailers at Crossgates Mall. The seasonal leasing program is led by George Stanchfield. Six new retailers in the specialty program include Veinticinco Silver, Beanie Babies, Ginger Blue, The Den, Hilton Pianos, A Dollar, and Hometech. Veinticinco is owned and managed by Gregory Henzel. The store offers Henzel's jewelry and repairs. Beanie Babies, owned by John Heath, offers beanbag-filled animals. Steve and Pam Montes opened Ginger Blue, a gardening and home decorations store. Roger Gaetano and Shawn Elmer, owners of The Den, sell dreamcatchers, figurines and wind chimes. Hilton Pianos, owned by Bob Hilton, has been selling pianos and other keyboard instruments since 1934. A Dollar, owned and operated by Sam Kassam, carries hardware, hair care, greeting cards, gifts and other items. Hometech is a construction company offering vinyl siding, vinyl windows, doors and roofing.

Literally on the move Elk Sign Express, established in 1914, moved to Cumberland Farms Plaza, Glenmont, from Albany. Diane and Roger White are owners. The new location offers off street parking. The store has expanded beyond signs to include copying center and rubber stamps.

It's an honor Albany School of Humanities was awarded a citation by American Association of School Administrators, American Institute of Architects and Council of Educational Facility Planners International. The organizations sponsored the 1997 Exhibition of School Architecture and Awards Program. The Albany school underwent a major renovation and addition program completed September 1996. The project, designed by Albany-based Einhorn Yaffee Prescott, Architecture & Engineering, increased square footage by 60,000 square feet to accommodate 600 students.

Robert H. Hill II of Averill Park was reappointed chairman of the Dental Society of the State of New York Council on Governmental Affairs.

James B. Howe, general manager, Niagara Mohawk Power Corp.'s Eastern Gas Region, was selected to receive a Distinguished Leadership Award, sponsored by the National Association for Community Leadership and Sprint. Howe was nominated by Albany-Colonie Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Advertising Vanilla Bean Bakery, owned by Carl and Deborah Alberino, was selected by International Bakers Services to be in its national ad campaign. Vanilla Bean Bakery was founded by the Alberinos as a wholesale bakery.

Rensselaer County calendar.(Capital Region)(Calendar) - Albany Times Union (Albany, NY)

TODAY

BINGO

American Legion Melvin Roads Post, 200 Columbia Turnpike, East Greenbush When: 7:30 p.m. Contact: 462-7006 Notes: Doors open at 6 p.m.; sponsored by Holy Spirit School, East Greenbush.

CLASSES & WORKSHOPS

Financial aid workshop, Bulmer Telecommunications Center, Hudson Valley Community College, 80 Vandenburgh Ave., Troy When: 6-8 p.m. Contact: 629-7150; e-mail:

financialaid@hvcc.edu or http://www.hvcc.edu Notes: High school students, nontraditional students and those looking to go back to college can learn about who is eligible for financial aid and how to apply for federal and state aid and scholarships.

Self-defense class, Athletic Facility, Russell Sage College, Canal Avenue, Troy When: 6-8 p.m. Cost: Free Contact: 632-1082; e-mail: sctroy-watch@gmail.com Notes: Officer Tony Strauss teaches how to protect yourself in an attack.

COMMUNITY FARE

Roast beef dinner, Valley Falls United Methodist Church, 16 State St., Valley Falls When: Seatings: 4:30 and 6 p.m. Cost: $9; ages 6-12, $3.50; children younger than 6, free Contact: 753-6053 Notes: Take-out available after 5 p.m.

Spaghetti and meatballs dinner, Pittstown United Methodist Church, 45 Old Route 7, Pittstown When: 4:30-6:30 p.m. Cost: $10; ages 5-12, $4; children 5 and younger are free Contact: 663-5102

COMMUNITY SALES

50-cent bag sale, Christ United Methodist Church, 22 Bridge St., Johnsonville When: 9 a.m.-noon Cost: 50 cents per bag of clothing Contact: 753-4070 Notes: Held every Wednesday except holidays and during bad weather.

ENTERTAINMENT

'Fascinatin' Rhythms,' Troy Public Library, 100 Second St., Troy When: 6:30 p.m. Contact: 274-7071 or http://www.the

troylibrary.org Notes: Sonny and Perley perform music of the Gershwins.

People and Places from the Past, Edward C. Swartz Senior Center, 1800 East Schodack Road, Castleton When: 12:30-1:30 p.m. Contact: 477-6581 Notes: Presented by storytellers Kate Dudding and Mary Summerlin.

GAMES & HOBBIES

Knit Night, Lansingburgh Branch, Troy Library, 114th Street and Fourth Avenue, Lansingburgh When: 6-7:30 p.m. Contact: 235-5310 Notes: Bring your knitting projects.

Trivia Nite with Ryan West, The Taproom at Brown's Brewing Co., 417 River St., Troy When: 8 p.m. Cost: Free Contact: 273-2337

GOVERNING

East Greenbush Board of Education, Administration Center-Genet, 29 Englewood Ave., East Greenbush When: 7:30 p.m.

HEALTH

Bellevue mobile mammography, Price Chopper, 865 Second Ave., Lansingburgh When: 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Contact: (888) 423-3366 Notes: Women without health insurance or with limited coverage may be eligible for a free breast screening as well as a clinical breast exam and pap smear. Transportation may be available for women with screening appointments. Call for appointment.

MEETINGS

Bicentennial Committee, Sand Lake Town Library, 8428 Miller Hill Road, Averill Park When: 7 p.m. Contact: 674-5050 Notes: Sand Lake residents are invited to join in the planning of activities leading up to the 2012 town bicentennial.

Brunswick Historical Society, 605 Brunswick Road, Brunswick When: 7 p.m. Contact: 279-9160 Notes: A business meeting followed by a talk by Maria Hull about clothing from the Civil War period to the Victorian era.

The Rensselaer County Alliance for Trails, Heffner Alumni House, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 Eighth St., Troy When: 7 p.m. Contact: 339-8367; e-mail:

melbary1@yahoo.com

Troy Neighborhood Action Council, Hope 7 Community Center, 596 Pawling Ave., Troy When: 5:30 p.m.

STORY TIME

Story time, Hudson Opera House, 327 Warren St., Hudson When: 10 a.m. Contact: 822-1438 or http://www.hud

sonoperahouse.org Notes: Featuring a different storybook each week, followed by related hands-on activities, including arts and crafts and music and movement. For kids age 3 and older; parent participation encouraged.

THURSDAY

BENEFITS & GALAS

An Evening of Wine Tasting, Art and Music, Tosca Grille, 200 Broadway, Troy When: 6-9 p.m. Cost: $50 Contact: 441-3463 Notes: Proceeds benefit the Rotary Club of Troy Scholarship Fund.

BINGO

Rensselaer Elks Lodge, 683 Columbia Turnpike, East Greenbush When: 7:20 p.m. Contact: 479-2073 Notes: Doors open at 5 p.m.

CLASSES & WORKSHOPS

Literacy Volunteers orientation, Literacy Volunteers Office, 1915 Fifth Ave., Troy When: 5:30 p.m. Contact: 274-8526 Notes: For a winter tutor training workshop to be held in February and March.

ENTERTAINMENT

'The House of Mirth,' Troy Public Library, 100 Second St., Troy When: 6 p.m. Contact: 274-7071 or http://www.the

troylibrary.org Notes: A screening of the film based on the Edith Wharton novel; part of the community Big Read program.

Native-American storyteller, Maple Hill High School, 1216 Maple Hill Road, Castleton When: 12:30 p.m. Contact: 732-7701 Notes: Storyteller Gayle Ross will share stories from her Cherokee heritage.

GAMES & HOBBIES

Beginner's crochet class, Rensselaer Public Library, 810 Broadway, Rensselaer When: 6 p.m. Cost: Free Contact: 462-1193 Notes: Teaching the basics of crochet to adults and teens; supplies will be provided.

HEALTH

Panel discussion, conference rooms A & B, St. Mary's Hospital, 1300 Massachusetts Ave., Troy When: 6 p.m. Contact: 268-5950 or http://www.setonhealth.org Notes: Seton Health/St. Mary's Hospital is holding a panel discussion on support services available for patients and their loved ones. Reservations required.

Team Approaches in Breast Cancer: Surgery, Radiation and Medicine - Providers Working Together, Krause Center, 2212 Burdett Ave., Troy When: 6-8 p.m. Cost: Free Contact: 439-5975; e-mail: info@tolife.org Notes: Hosted by To Life!, the Capital Region's breast cancer education and support organization, and the Samaritan Hospital Cancer Treatment Center.

SUPPORT GROUPS

Seton Health's cardiac support group, Cardiology waiting room, St. Mary's Hospital, 1300 Massachusetts Ave., Troy When: 4-5 p.m. Contact: 268-5558 or http://www.seton

health.org Notes: Reservations required.

Wave Riders, Community Hospice of Rensselaer County, 295 Valley View Blvd., Rensselaer When: 5 p.m. Cost: Free Contact: Will Hannah, 285-8100 Notes: A program that helps children in kindergarten through eighth grade 'ride the waves of grief' in a caring environment. In these group experiences, children develop skills to help them cope with the losses they may encounter throughout their lives and build self-esteem.

CAPTION(S):

PHOTO

Affiliate Accolades - Healthcare Executive

The American College of Healthcare Executives extends its congratulations to those ACHE affiliates who recently received awards recognizing their contribution to healthcare management.

Lt Col Randall M. Ashmore, FACHE, commander, Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland AFB, Texas, received die 2007 Governor's Award.

Audra H. Cabiness, FACHE, assistant administrator/ECO, Coliseum Health System, Macon, Ga., received the Early Career Healthcare Executive Award from the Regent for Georgia-Coastal Plains.

William M. Copeland, JD, PhD, FACHE, managing member, William Mack Copeland LLC, Cincinnati, received the Senior-Level Healdicare Executive Award from the Regent for Ohio-Southern.

Norman E. Dascher Jr., FACHE, CEO, Patient Care Division, and executive vice president, Northeast Health, Troy, N.Y., received the Senior-Level Healthcare Executive Award from the Regent for New York-Hudson Valley/Adirondack Area.

Lt Col Patrick L. Dawson, FACHE, deputy chief, Healthcare Support Division, Wright Patterson, AFB, Ohio, received the Senior-Level Healthcare Executive Award from the Regent for die Air Force.

Delvecchio S. Finley, FACHE, hospital associate administrator, San Francisco General Hospital Medical Center, received the Senior-Level Healdicare Executive Award from the Regent for California-Northern & Central.

Kester S. Freeman Jr., CEO, Palmetto Health Alliance, received the Senior-Level Healdicare Executive Award from the Regent for South Carolina.

A. Hugh Greene, FACHE, president and CEO, Baptist Health, Jacksonville, FIa., received the Diversity Promotion Award from the Regent-at-Large for District 2.

Sherie C. Hickman, COO, Kaiser Foundation Hospital, received the Senior-Level Healthcare Executive Award from die Regent for California-Northern & Central.

Alan Horton, FACHE, vice president/ COO, Oconee Regional Medical Center, Milledgeville, Ga., received the SeniorLevel Healthcare Executive Award from the Regent for Georgia-Coastal Plains.

Capt Travis Ingrodi, group practice manager, Hanscom AFB, Mass., received the Early Career Healthcare Executive Award from the Regent for the Air Force.

Col Leonard W. Jackson, FACHE, Aurora (CoIo.) Branch Chief-Tricare Regional Office South, Tricare Management Activity, received the 2007 Governor's Award.

Edward A. KeUy, COO, Palo Alto Medical Foundation-Palomares, received the Senior-Level Healdicare Executive Award from the Regent for California-Northern & Central.

LTJG Michael D. Knoell, project manager, Office of Transformation, NAVHOSP, Cherry Point, N.C., received the Early Career Healthcare Executive Award from the Regent for the Navy.

MAJ Hugh A. McLean Jr., FACHE, director/CEO, U.S. Army Health Clinic, Kaiserslautern, Germany, received the Early Career Healthcare Executive Award from the Regent for the Army.

COL Jerome Penner III, FACHE, deputy commander for Administration, Blanchfield Army Community Hospital, Fort Campbell, Tenn., received the Senior-Level Healthcare Executive Award from the Regent for the Army.

CDR James B. Poindexter ffl, FACHE, Navy, received the Regent's Award for Sustained Superior Contributions to ACHE from the Regent for the Navy.

Marsha A. Prater, PhD, FACHE, vice president, Patient Care Services, Memorial Health System, Springfield, 111., received the Senior-Level Healthcare Executive Award from the Regent for Illinois-Southern.

John R. Remillard, FACHE, president, A.O. Fox Memorial Hospital, Oneonta, N.Y., received the SeniorLevel Healthcare Executive Award from the Regent for New York -Hudson Valley/Adirondack Area.

COL Margaret Rivera, FACHE, commander, Martin Army Community Hospital, Fort Benning, Ga., received the Senior-Level Healthcare Executive Award from the Regent for the Army.

Melissa B. Schrier, assistant director, Marketing, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Cheltenham, Pa., received the Early Career Healthcare Executive Award from the Regent for Pennsylvania.

Alan M. Sear, PhD, associate professor, University of South Florida, received the Student Promotion Award from the Regent-at-Large for District 2.

Craig Self, FACHE, vice president, Business Development, Good Samaritan Hospital, Dayton, Ohio, received the Early Career Healthcare Executive Award from the Regent for Ohio-Southern.

Matthew J. Severance, FACHE, CEO, Roper Hospital, received the Early Career Healthcare Executive Award from the Regent for South Carolina.

Sunil Sinha, MD, FACHE, senior medical officer, Medicare Drug Benefit Group, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Baltimore, received the Senior-Level Healthcare Executive Award from the Regent for Maryland.

Cathi Spivey-Paul, FACHE, director, VA Northern Indiana Health Care System, Fort Wayne, received the 2007 Governor's Award.

Arthur A. Sponseller, JD, president and CEO, Hospital Council of Northern and Central California, received the Senior-Level Healthcare Executive Award from the Regent for California-Northern & Central.

Charles Thevnin, CFO, Doctors, Medical Center, received the SeniorLevel Healthcare Executive Award from the Regent for California-Northern & Central.

CAPT Eleanor V. Valentin, FACHE, commanding officer, Naval Hospital Cherry Point (N.C.), received the Senior-Level Healthcare Executive Award from the Regent for the Navy.

Wendy M. Weitzner, FACHE, national director, Strategic Facilities Planning, Kaiser Permanente, received the Senior-Level Healthcare Executive Award from the Regent for California-Northern & Central.

[Sidebar]

A HEALTHY HIRING PROGNOSIS.(BUSINESS) - Albany Times Union (Albany, NY)

Byline: JOSHUA HURWIT Staff writer

COLONIE -- With her stack of resumes and leather-bound notebook, Erin Walier worked the floor.

``I've been wanting to get my foot in the door,'' Walier said as she eyed the more-than-60 tables spread throughout Guptill's Arena on Route 9 in Latham Wednesday.

Walier, from Colonie, was among the hundreds of people who spent part of the day at the skating rink for ``Health Care: Get Into It!,'' billed by organizers as one of the largest health care job and career fairs in the Capital Region.

Sponsored by Renaissance Corp. of Albany, the state Department of Labor, the Iroquois Healthcare Alliance and the North East New York Association for Health Care Recruitment, the daylong event featured representatives from area hospitals, nursing homes, schools and community organizations.

Shortly after noontime, Walier was feeling pretty good: Ellis Hospital in Schenectady appeared interested in what the 19-year-old, a radiology student at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, had to offer.

``They seemed nice,'' she said.

Statistics show there are many reasons for Walier to be optimistic.

The Department of Labor projects a steady increase in health care jobs across upstate New York, as the nation ages and demands higher levels of health care. In 2010, for example, nearly 700 people will be needed in the Capital Region as medical records and health information technicians, a 58 percent jump from the employment level in 2000, the department predicts. Physician assistants, dental hygienists and medical technicians are other jobs expected to remain in high demand.

But Irene McQueen, a human resources generalist at Ellis, knew exactly what she wanted the job fair to yield: ``Hopefully, we'll get a nurse out of here. At least one.'' The starting salary for a registered nurse -- minus the $2,000 bonus for a night or weekend shift -- hovers around $19.40 an hour, she said.

Job-seeker Keenon Perry, 39, said the shortage of health care workers has led him to reconsider his current career in retail, where he earns about $12.50 an hour. ``I'm sick of what I'm doing,'' said Perry, clutching a plastic bag stuffed with brochures, stress balls and pencils collected from various booths at the job fair.

A training course in medical billing would pique his interest -- though he's seeking a salary boost of $10,000 to $15,000, said Perry of Burnt Hills.

The graying of America hasn't been good to everyone, though.

``It just kind of caught up with us,'' said Gary Fitzgerald, president of the Iroquois Health Care Alliance, a Clifton Park-based trade group that represents 57 hospitals in 31 New York counties. ``Over the next 5 to 10 years, we will have health care work force areas that we won't be able to fill.''

``It's totally a buyer's market -- (prospective workers) have the advantage,'' added Michael Altieri, director of human resources at Good Samaritan Lutheran Health Care Center, an adult home in Delmar.

Altieri, who manned a booth at the fair, wasn't discussing the company's pay scale. He fears competition from other facilities that lure workers with signing bonuses, higher wages and better hours.

For his part, Altieri taped an employee benefits summary to the table. Joshua Hurwit can be reached at 454-5517 or by e-mail at jhurwit@timesunion.com.

FACTS:Top jobs Six jobs in the health care field are expected to be among the 25 fastest-growing occupations in the Capital Region over the next decade: Rank /// Title /// % change /// 2000 jobs /// 2010 jobs* No. 4 /// Medical records and health information technicians /// 58.1 /// 430 /// 680 No. 14 /// Physician assistants /// 41.3 /// 460 /// 650 No. 17 /// Speech-language pathologists /// 36.0 /// 500 /// 680 No. 20 /// Physical therapists /// 34.5 /// 840 /// 1,130 No. 22 /// Dental hygienists /// 32.2 /// 590 /// 780 No. 23 /// Occupational therapists /// 31.6 /// 380 /// 500 * Projected Source: State Department of Labor

CAPTION(S):

Jewish Environmentalists Beat GE With Willow Sticks - Forward

Forward
10-09-1998
Jewish Environmentalists Beat GE With Willow Sticks

NEW YORK -- A band of Jewish environmental activists,, armed only with willow branches, will confront one of America's largest corporations Sunday on the shores of the Hudson River.

The protest against General Electric is planned for the last day of Sukkot, known as Hoshana Rabbah, which this year falls on October 11. The Jewish environmentalists say they plan to beat the ground at Beacon, N.Y., with the willow branches and pray for the protection of the earth from poisoning.

The ceremony has drawn smirks from GE, which says the substances being protested are not harmful and that the Hudson is cleaner than it has been in years. But Jewish environmentalists say they are doing God's work by demanding that GE begin the process of removing thousands of pounds of polychlorinated biphenyls that the company legally dumped in the river for years, until the chemicals were outlawed in 1976.

'The damage inflicted on the earth and on human beings is not a cost that they accept into their own bookkeeping. The society as a whole and the earth as a whole pays those costs,' said Rabbi Arthur Waskow, director of the Shalom Center, which organized the protest ceremony. The Shalom Center, a division of ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal, says its mandate is tikkum olam, the repair of the world, including 'seeking peace, pursuing justice, healing the earth and building community.'

The sally is the latest in a 15-year political battle fought over several areas of the upper Hudson River. Advocating for cleanup, the Environmental Protection Agency lists PCBs as a probable human carcinogen and released a report in July that PCB levels are rising at 'startling' rates in the Hudson River. The New York State Department of Health recommends that women of childbearing age and children under 15 not eat any fish caught in the Hudson. Armed with scientific studies of its own, GE says that levels of PCBs are declining, that the chemicals pose no carcinogenic danger to humans and that dredging the river would be 'devastating to the area.'

For the moment, GE stands to gain the upper hand in this scientific sparring if language in an appropriations bill passes in Congress as expected. The bill, which would also provide funding to the EPA, would direct the EPA not to initiate any dredging projects before a study by the National Academy of Sciences is completed.

Endorsed by Rep. Gerald Solomon, a Republican from the Hudson Valley, the language is not legally binding, but a spokesman from his office made the congressman's position quite clear: 'It is in the agency's best interest to follow the recommendations of the body that's funding it.'

In the long-short tradition of social activism, however, Rabbi Waskow and his followers will gather to recite hosannas for everything from aardvarks and armadillos to zucchinis and zinnias, drawing on Sukkot's traditional concerns with rain and water to focus on the Hudson. In addition to the willows, which Rabbi Waskow suggests 'connect us with the immediate needs for rain,' the participants will carry the holiday's traditional lulav and etrog, and a Torah scroll, chanting liturgy written for the occasion by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, the spiritual guide of the Jewish Renewal movement. Special guests remarkable for their 'eco-healing' efforts -- quite possibly including Pete Seeger, who will be sailing on the Sloop Clearwater at a nearby pumpkin festival --will be offered a chance to carry the scroll.

'Heed the warnings and take action!/Calloused hearts must shed their hardness./Holy fervor speeds our tikkun,/Never more to spoil the Earth,' wrote Rabbi Schachter-Shalomi as part of a longer poem to be read for inspiration at the ceremony.

Calling it a 'profoundly sacred political action,' and invoking Abraham Joshua Heschel's famous civil rights-era comment, 'My legs were praying, ' Rabbi Waskow hopes to inspire Jewish participation beyond his own small group. 'The question for me,' he said, 'is, how do we shape this event so we are talking to the God beyond but also the God within...so each of the people who hears about it will be moved to action.'

Rabbi Waskow called on the key institutions of Jewish life to put environmental healing on their agendas. 'Part of what I hope here is that doing this will move people in the mainstream Jewish frameworks -- in the federations and the synagogues -- to take this up as a serious issue,' he said.

Jewish environmental ceremonies celebrating other bodies of water, inspired by the Hudson River event, will also take place in Oregon, Virginia and Michigan, and in London, Johannesburg and Vancouver. But it will take more than willow beating and hosannas to clean up the Hudson River.

GE spokesmen responded to news of the Hoshana Rabbah ceremony with amusement -- and with the denials that PCBs may be carcinogenic in humans that have marked GE's involvement with this issue for the past 15 years.

'PCBs do not pose health risks,' GE's chief executive officer, John Welch Jr., announced at a shareholders' meeting not long ago. 'We simply do not believe that there are any significant adverse health-effects from PCBs.' Spokesmen charged the activists with playing politics. 'We would hope that the celebration is done on the basis of fact. The river has undergone a spectacular recovery. It's cleaner, more vibrant than it has been in years,' a GE spokesman said.

Ethnic NewsWatch SoftLine Information, Inc., Stamford, CT

ECC DISCUSSES STADIUM NAMING RIGHTS - The Buffalo News (Buffalo, NY)

The Erie Community College board of trustees held an 'emergencymeeting' behind closed doors Wednesday to discuss an offer of anundisclosed amount for naming rights to the South Campus stadium.

Details of the proposal for naming the facility Jim Ball PontiacBuick Stadium were not disclosed. Before the session opened, sometrustees said the proposed title is too long.

Trustee Raymond F. Gallagher said 'Jim Ball Stadium,' without theauto brand name, might be more appropriate.

The name was not the stumbling point, President William Marianisaid after the meeting. He declined to reveal the amount of moneyoffered. 'It isn't public yet,' said Mariani. 'We haven't approvedit.'

Mariani said the opportunity to buy naming rights was offered tobusinesses by Christopher Luterek, former director of marketing inthe athletic department, and Ralph J. Galanti, athletic director,assisted by a panel.

The board will hold another special meeting on the matter at noonMonday.

Heat prompts ozone health advisory

The onset of late-spring heat led the state Department ofEnvironmental Conservation to issue an ozone health advisory forWestern New York Wednesday.

Such alerts are made when meteorologists forecast that the ozonelevels are expected to exceed 8 parts per million averaged over aneight-hour period. Summer heat can lead to the formation of ground-level ozone, a major component of smog.

In addition to Erie, Niagara, Orleans, Genesee, Wyoming,Allegany, Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties, the advisory alsocovered areas in the upper and lower Hudson Valley and eastern LakeOntario.

The state suggests that people, especially children, who exerciseoutdoors, are involved in vigorous outdoor work or those withrespiratory problems consider curtailing their outdoor exposureduring days when there is an advisory.

Grant to help prevent teen suicide

The Health Community Alliance has received an $88,000 grant fromthe John R. Oishei Foundation of Buffalo to establish a RuralPartnership to Prevent Youth Suicide.

The alliance is a rural health network serving more than 100,000residents in five Western New York counties. The partnership willbring together public and private mental health providers,government agencies, educators, mental health service consumers andcommunity leaders.

Suicide is the third-leading cause of death for people ages 15 to19, according to the alliance.

During the 2000-01 school year, the alliance surveyed 1,657students in the five districts in southern Erie, Cattaraugus andWyoming counties. The results showed that 13 percent, or 221students, gave serious consideration to ending their lives.

Grant awarded for new learning centers

WASHINGTON -- The Department of Education has awarded the BuffaloPublic School District $1.2 million to create two '21st CenturyLearning Centers,' Rep. John J. LaFalce, D-Town of Tonawanda,announced Wednesday.

The centers will serve 575 pupils and students in kindergartenthrough grade 12 and 200 community leaders with academic support,recreational and social services after school, on weekends andduring vacation periods.

The money, LaFalce said, will help Buffalo provide 'students andtheir family and community members with homework help, careerguidance and recreational opportunities.' The programs, he said,will help make schools 'the hub of our communities once more.'

ECC, Buffalo schools to expand pact

An agreement between the Buffalo Public Schools and ErieCommunity College will augment the number of continuing-educationcourses offered in the city schools and the number of adults seekinghigher education.

Under the agreement, ECC will co-sponsor about 300 continuingeducation classes at various city schools, creating a pathway formore than 3,500 adults enrolled in the district's ContinuingEducation Program to advance into higher education at ECC.

AIDS event will be held June 23

An AIDS Awareness Community Day Celebration on June 23 will beginwith a rally, prayers and a walk ending in Martin Luther King Jr.Park.

The rally will begin at 9 a.m. at 1490 Jefferson Ave. Prayers andthe walk will begin at 10, ending at about noon in the park. Freefood, face painting, clowns, dancers and a drummer will provideentertainment until 4 p.m.

TODAY WEDNESDAY, NOV. 1.(CAPITAL REGION) - Albany Times Union (Albany, NY)

Atrium Bingo. 7 p.m. Troy Atrium, second floor. Admission $3. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. ``Basement on First Street'' thrift shop. 9 a.m.-noon. St. John's Episcopal Church, 146 First St., Troy. Bingo. 7:30 p.m. Rensselaer Knights of Columbus, Washington Avenue. Doors open at 6 p.m. City of Rensselaer Tree Planting Program. 9 a.m. Volunteers will gather at 9 a.m. at the Van Rensselaer Elementary School for a planting demonstration. After the demonstration, groups will spread across the city to plant nine varieties of trees. Mayor Lynn Ganance, City Council President Tom Nardacci and other city officials will attend the demonstration. Sponsored by Capital District Community Gardens.

Defreestville Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary. 7 p.m. Firehouse, 480 North Greenbush Road. The next pancake breakfast is Sunday; auxiliary members are asked to bring muffins. Work party is Saturday at a time to be announced. Diabetes Open House. 9 a.m.-8 p.m. St. Mary's Hospital, diabetes outpatient office on the first floor, Troy. There will be glucose screenings, examples of diabetic and glucose monitors, door prizes and refreshments. Visitors will also have the opportunity to speak with a certified diabetes educator. Sponsored by Seton Health. Information: 268-5517. East Side Quilters. 7 p.m. Castleton VFW, Route 150. Fall Fling. 4-7 p.m. Hudson Valley Community College, Bulmer Telecommunications Center lobby, 80 Vandenburgh Ave., Troy. Candles, baskets, clothing, silver jewelry, bird houses, denim products, fabric dolls, aromatherapy, health products, notecards, dried flowers and ceramics. Green Hills Alliance Church. 6:30 p.m. 761 Hoosick Road, Troy. Guest speaker will be Marge Searing, a missionary in Colombia with the Christian and Missionary Alliance. Her husband, Robert, founded the Alliance seminary in Bogata and served as dean for nine years before the school was turned over to Colombian leadership. Hudson Valley Community College Public Meeting. 7 p.m. College's Bulmer Telecommunications Center, 80 Vandenburgh Ave., Troy. Agenda: Discussing the stadium project, including the potential impact of the project on the surrounding communities.

Music Industry Insider Ted Myers to Discuss the Future of Napster and Other Internet Music Providers. 7:30 p.m. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Darrin Communications Center, Troy. With the explosion of Internet services, the debate for free speech versus copyright ownership has come to the national forefront. Tickets issued on first come, first served basis. Free. Information: 276-6505. National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, Troy-Rensselaer County Relatives. 7 p.m. Ned Pattison County Government Center, 1600 Seventh Ave., Troy. Call 448-1859.

Rensselaer Common Council. 7 p.m. City Hall. Rensselaer Public Hearings on Size of Common Council. 7:45 p.m. City Hall. Widow/Widowers Support Group. 3-4:30 p.m. Community Hospice of Rensselaer County, 295 Valley View Blvd., Rensselaer. Call Will Hannah, 285-8100.

Upcoming THURSDAY, NOV. 2 Armenian Lecture Series. 7 p.m. Schacht Fine Arts Center Theatre, Sage College, Troy Campus. Guest speaker will be Robert J. Lifton, author and expert on violence and genocide. He is best known for his book ``The Nazi Doctors: Medical Killing and the Psychology of Genocide.'' Atrium Bingo. 7 p.m. Troy Atrium, second floor. Admission $3. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Bingo. 7:15 p.m. Italian Community Center, 1450 Fifth Ave., Troy. Doors open at 6 p.m. Bingo. 7:20 p.m. Rensselaer Lodge of Elks, 683 Columbia Turnpike, East Greenbush. Doors open at 5 p.m. Bingo at Germania. 7 p.m. 309 Third Ave., Troy. Doors open at 5 p.m. Brunswick Church. 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. 42 White Church Lane. Mustard Seed Cafe at 4:30 p.m. offers crafts, games and praise for the children. A variety of classes is offered for children nursery age through fifth grade. Dinner is also shared. Unwind and relax during the 7:30 p.m. contemporary service.

Friends of Grafton Lakes Annual Meeting. 7 p.m. Grafton Inn. Sand Lake Town Board Public Hearing. 7:30 p.m. Old Town Hall. Televised. Hearing on the established preliminary budget for 2001. Schodack Central School District Board of Education Special Meeting. 7:30 p.m. Maple Hill Middle School Library. Spaghetti Dinner. 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. and 4-7 p.m. St. Peter's Church Lyceum, Fifth Avenue and Hutton Street, Troy. Adults $6, seniors $5.50, children $3. A special effort will be made to serve those on their lunch hour. Takeouts available. Tickets at the door. Troy City Council. 6:45 p.m. Chambers of the City Council, Troy City Hall, 1 Monument Square. Agenda: regard an ordinance determining that the reconstruction of certain sidewalks constitute a local improvement pursuant to 9.05 of the City Charter.

$1 MILLION IN DEC ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMUNITY IMPACT GRANTS AWARDED TO 24 ORGANIZATIONS STATEWIDE GRANTS HELP AT-RISK COMMUNITIES MITIGATE ENVIRONMENTAL HARM. - States News Service

ALBANY, NY -- The following information was released by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC):

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) awarded 24 Environmental Justice Community Impact Grants to organizations across the state that serve communities facing environmental harm and risk, DEC Commissioner Joe Martens announced today.

'The Department of Environmental Conservation will be providing much-needed funding to two dozen outstanding organizations and projects throughout New York that will provide benefits to environmental justice communities far beyond the value of the grants,' said DEC Commissioner Joe Martens.

The Environmental Justice Grants Program, created with input from the DEC Environmental Justice Advisory Group, helps communities understand and mitigate environmental harms or risks to improve quality of life.

The funding comes from the Environmental Justice Community Impact Research Grant (EJ Grant) program. Launched in 2006, the program helps local organizations with projects to address environmental or public health concerns. The program concentrates on communities that historically have been overburdened by such problems as a high density of industrial emissions, a concentration of contaminated sites; disproportionate noise, air and water pollution; environmental health problems and lack of green space and waterfront access.

Interest in the Environmental Justice Community Impact Grant program has grown dramatically. This year, 123 groups from around the state applied for funding. Detailed reviews by DEC staff resulted in 24 grant awards totaling $1 million. Individual awards range from $5,180 to $50,000. A wide variety of projects will be supported this year, including community gardens and green infrastructure, air and water quality monitoring, waste recycling in public housing, lead poisoning prevention, building deconstruction and expansion of an urban aquaponics facility and environmental education for urban and Native American youth.

Grants were awarded to the following organizations:

New York Metropolitan area - $441,970

The Morningside Heights / West Harlem Sanitation Coalition - $25,000 for the 'Public Housing Recycling Pilot Program'

Gowanus Canal Community Development Corporation - $49,991 for the 'Gowanus Canal Pilot Sponge Park'

The Newtown Creek Alliance - $39,848 for the project titled, 'Aircasting'

Brooklyn Food Coalition - $48,843 for the project titled, 'Joining the Natural World: Gardens in All Our Schools'

Roots of Peace Community Garden - $5,180 for the project titled, 'Spreading the Roots of Peace'

West Harlem Environmental Action - $28,200 for the project titled, 'Building Community Capacity to Reduce Lead Poisoning Hazards'

The Point Community Development Corp. - $50,000 for the project titled, 'The Point's South Bronx Community Green Roof'

Eastern Queens Alliance - $50,000 for the 'Eastern Queens Alliance Environmental Awareness Community Advocacy Project'

Bronx River Alliance - $50,000 for the 'Bronx River Education Program'

United Community Centers - $49,908 for the project titled, 'East New York Farms!'

Northeast Brooklyn Housing Development Corp. - $44,995 for the 'NEBHDCo Healthy Green Environment Initiative'

Western New York - $295,280

Massachusetts Avenue Project - $50,000 for the 'Buffalo Aquaponics Project'

Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper - $50,000 for the 'Environmental Justice Education and Citizen Action for Buffalo and Niagara Rivers Project'

Grassroots Gardens of Buffalo - $50,000 for the 'Community Garden Workshop Series'

Salamanca Healthy Homes Committee - $50,000 for the 'Salamanca Healthy Homes Project'

Groundwork Buffalo - $45,277 for the project titled, 'Pelion Community Garden'

Valley Community Association - $50,000 for the project titled, 'In Our Backyard'

Central New York - $99,970

Onondaga Earth Corps and Partnership for Onondaga Creek - $49,967 for the project titled, 'Growing Syracuse's Next Generation of Environmental Justice Leaders'

Volunteers Improving Neighborhood Environments - $50,000 for the 'Binghamton Urban Farm Expansion and Remediation Project'

Rochester Area - $42,060

North East Area Development - $42,060 for the 'Building Deconstruction Research and Documentation Project'

Hudson Valley Region - $63,000

Poughkeepsie Farm Project - $49,942 for the project titled, 'Growing City Seeds'

Groundwork Hudson Valley - $13,090 for the project titled, 'Stewardship, Training and Restoration in Yonkers Public Housing'

North Country - $49,760

Akwesasne Boys and Girls Club - $49,756 for the project titled, 'The Documentation of Mohawk Traditional and Medicinal Uses of Aquatic Furbearer Mammals'

Capital Region - $10,367

ON THE MOVE.(BUSINESS) - Albany Times Union (Albany, NY)

EDUCATION Albany Law School Helene Adams-Keane of Delmar was named vice president of institutional advancement for the law school. She has served as interim vice president since July and formerly was director of alumni affairs at the Albany school. FINANCIAL FleetBoston Financial Corp. James Marini of Valatie was promoted to market leader for business financial services in the Capital Region and Hudson Valley for the Boston-based financial services company. He joined Fleet in 1986 and most recently served as a team leader for business financial services in Albany. Schuyler Tilly of Halfmoon was promoted to senior portfolio manager II and will work with Marini assisting middle-market companies in eastern New York. He joined Fleet in 1994. Robert Coolidge of Albany also was promoted to senior portfolio manager II and will work with Marini. He joined Fleet in 1991. Brian Borden of Altamont was promoted to senior portfolio manager II in Fleet's health care and institutions group. He joined Fleet in 1992. HEALTH CARE The Whitney M. Young Jr. Health Center Dr. Bruno Spagnoli joined the dental practice of the Albany-based organization, which provides health care without regard to income. He formerly worked for the dental practice at St. Peter's Hospital in Albany. Dr. Jolanta Drzymalski also joined the dental department. She recently completed a yearlong residency program at St. Vincent's Catholic Center in New York City.

Dr. A. Neal Gregory and nurse practitioner Joan Csaposs joined the center's expanded dermatology services. Gregory continues practicing at Upper Hudson Valley Dermatology in Castleton; Csaposs continues working with Dr. Gregory. Ellis Hospital Amy Seidel joined the Schenectady hospital as a registered nurse in the medical-surgical unit. Previously, she was a medical assistant at Saratoga OB/GYN Associates. Dr. Renata Mazzei joined as a general practitioner at Glenville Healthcare Center in Scotia.

The Rev. Paula Gravelle was named director of pastoral care. She formerly was director of Concerned Clergy for Choice at Family Planning Advocates of New York State. Jessica Hayashi was promoted to senior infection-control practitioner. She joined Ellis part time in 1997. Susan Whais joined as a registered nurse for the Adolescent Psych Center. Previously, she worked as a registered nurse for St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria, Ill. MEDIA DiscusGraphics Bill Soucy of Mechanicville was appointed creative director of the Clifton Park graphic design, Web design and print production firm. Previously, he worked for Apple Computers at Crossgates Mall. NONPROFITS Unity House Claudia MacHaffie of Troy joined the Unity Sunshine Program of the Troy-based community services agency as a teacher assistant. Jorge Aybar of Troy also joined the Unity Sunshine Program as a teacher's assistant. Mara Rabinowitz of Albany joined the Unity Sunshine Preschool Program as a day care teacher. She formerly was a teacher's assistant at the Early Childhood Education Center in Guilderland. Kathryn Harrigan of Rensselaer joined as house manager for the domestic violence shelter. Deborah Crandall of Schenectady joined the Eighth Street Residence as an overnight counselor. Francsonia Butler of Schenectady joined as case manager for the mental illness/chemical addiction program. Girl Scouts, Hudson Valley Council Micki Pagan of Niskayuna joined the Albany-based services program for girls ages 5 to 17 as membership development assistant for Albany and Rensselaer counties. Capital District YMCA Gary Grumoli was named executive director of the nonprofit charitable organization's Schenectady facility. Formerly, he was executive director of Landmark at Monastery Heights Senior Living Community, a residential assisted-living community in Massachusetts. REAL ESTATE Rosetti Falvey Real Estate Angela DelBalso of Clifton Park joined the Colonie-based real estate firm as a licensed real estate salesperson. Coldwell Banker Prime Properties Marybeth Bender joined the Colonie-based real estate firm's Colonie sales team.

ASSEMBLYWOMAN DESTITO ISSUES STATEMENT ON NYRI POWER LINE PROPOSAL - US Fed News Service, Including US State News

Assemblywoman RoAnn M. Destito, D-Rome (116th District), issued the following statement:

The following statement about the NYRI power line proposal was issued by Assemblywoman RoAnn M. Destito (D-Rome), and read on her behalf by her Community Relations Director, John Stemen, at the June 5, 2006 meeting of the Upstate New York Citizens' Alliance Group conducted at Sauquoit High School. (Assemblywoman Desito was unable to attend the meeting on that evening in person, as the Assembly was in session on that day in Albany.)

I regret that I could not attend this important meeting tonight. Over the last several weeks, my office has received dozens of e-mails, phone calls, and letters all opposing the NYRI power line proposal. Some of these letters are from people in the Southern Tier, or on the fringes of the Catskills; most are from Utica, and the communities south along the Route Eight corridor. All of these letters express the outrage people are feeling about this misguided plan.

On May 18th, I wrote to State Public Service Commission Chairman William Flynn. On May 31st, NYRI submitted its proposal to the State PSC. In that letter, I expressed other concerns, including NYRI's own admission that our local power rates will increase if this proposal is approved. I also discussed the planned path of this power line through a SEMI-NY Initiative site on our SUNYIT campus in Marcy, which will all but ruin one of our most valuable sites for economic development. I questioned why the company has not considered utilizing the Marcy-South Power Line right-of-way, and why company officials have been so evasive in their few public appearances in recent weeks. I also questioned how any 'host community' benefits NYRI might offer could possibly counter the devastation this plan could bring many residents of our region, including the higher electric rates for businesses and residential ratepayers.

I have also recently had a chance to talk with PSC Chairman William Flynn. I conveyed my concerns about the plans to him, and he assured me that the PSC will examine this proposal carefully, taking into account the concerns of our local residents.

The June 1, 2006 front-page story in the Observer-Dispatch shows why this outrageous proposal must be stopped. In it, Gary Giehl, who just bought a home on Higby Road in South Utica six months ago states unequivocally that if the power line is built as proposed near his home, he and his family will move, even if they must sell their home for a loss. Other South Uticans interviewed for the article echoed similar thoughts, saying they feared for their health; the noise the power lines could generate; and the loss of an attractive neighborhood.

For years, I have been telling people that one of the greatest assets of the Mohawk Valley region is our quality of life. There is no question that if this power line is built from Marcy, through Utica, New Hartford, and through the Sauquoit Valley, it will sacrifice our quality of life. Not only will our health be potentially jeopardized, but we will lose many of the things that drew us here, or kept us here-the ability to own an affordable home in a quiet, attractive residential neighborhood. It is simply not acceptable that we must sacrifice so much in order to provide the Hudson Valley with a more reliable source of energy!

I commend all of you for the interest you have already taken in this project. It's going to be a tough fight, but I can assure all of you that I will do everything I can to stop these plans in their tracks. I would urge you to continue your pro-active stance against this proposal.

Tomorrow in Albany, I will be meeting with the Public Service Commission to discuss key issues concerning this power line, and I will be conveying this message to the PSC. I want to conclude by emphasizing that in the coming weeks and months, it is vitally important that all of us in the Mohawk Valley-elected officials, representatives of organizations and citizens' groups, and residents-unite. To be successful, it is imperative that we speak with one voice! I am absolutely convinced that the success we achieved saving, and in fact enhancing DFAS and Rome Lab last summer was largely due to the fact that all key players-from elected officials to employees-united and spoke with one voice, and one common purpose-to save these facilities! We must follow this example, and again unite behind a common purpose if we are to prevent NYRI's proposal from becoming a reality.

I also must tell you that I find the position of neutrality or near-neutrality of our federal and state-level officials-including U.S. Senators Clinton and Schumer, Governor Pataki and Attorney General Spitzer to be absolutely unacceptable. While the Hudson Valley and other areas downstate may have an increased need for energy, this cannot be met by devastating the economy of the Mohawk Valley and Upstate New York, and destroying the way of life we have here. Officials in the Hudson Valley should consider siting new power generation plants in their region, to meet the demands of their own electrical use. The input of our state and federal-level officials is greatly needed to work toward a compromise that is acceptable to all sides in this issue.

Contracts update.(Directory) - Health Data Management

The Contracts Update section includes announcements of contracts that health care information technology companies have signed with customers in recent weeks. Contract news can be sent to Health Data Management by e-mail to: howard.anderson@sourcemedia.com

AHI Software Inc.

Registration auditing software

St. James Healthcare, Butte, Mont.

Allegiance Inc.

Customer/employee satisfaction

survey software

Emeritus Senior Living Corp., Seattle

American Medical Sales

PACS

Salt Lake City (Utah) ENT

SPC Networks Inc, Pittsburgh

Clark Medical Group, Houston

MRI-CT Diagnostic Center, Virginia Beach, Va.

Ozark Imaging, Fayetteville, Ark.

Alabama Health Department, Birmingham

Med Express, Boca Raton, Fla.

Mid-Michigan Orthopedics, Mt. Pleasant

Reliant Rehab, Conroe, Tex.

American Telecare Inc.

Telehealth technology

Visiting Nursing Association of Hudson

Valley, Tarrytown, N.Y.

AssistMed Inc.

Electronic health records

North Dakota Department of Corrections,

Bismark

Athenahealth Inc.

Practice management and billing

Suncoast Medical Clinic LLC,

St. Petersburgh, Fla.

Broadlane

Supply chain portal, e-commerce

University Physicians Healthcare, Tucson, Ariz.

CareTEC Colorado LLC

Practice management and EHRs

Premier Orthopedics & Sports Medicine,

Colorado Springs, Colo.

Health Matters, Westminster, Colo.

Arkansas Valley Family Practice,

La Junta,Colo.

Accountability & Medical Billing,

Centennial, Colo.

EHRs

Saddle Rock Family Practice, Parker, Colo.

Delta Montrose Women's Health Care,

Delta, Colo.

CareTech Solutions Inc.

Document imaging, content management

Garden City (Mich.) Hospital

Clinicomp Inc.

Perinatal software

Tenet Healthcare Corp., Dallas

Davincian Technologies

Revenue cycle management

Southcoast Health System, New Bedford, Mass.

Fujitsu Computer Products of America Inc.

Palm vein authentication devices

BayCare Health System, Tampa, Fla.

GetWellNetwork Inc.

TV-based communications system

Adventist Health System, Winter Park, Fla.,

Henry Schein Medical Systems

Electronic medical record and practice

management software

Integrated Health Systems of Alabama, Birmingham

Imagine Software

Practice management software

Medical Billing Associates, Sedalia, Mo.

IntelliDOT Corp.

Medication administration software

Jefferson Community Health Center,

Fairbury, Neb.

Lancope Inc.

Security software

Concord (N.H.) Hospital

MDdatacor Inc.

Clinical data aggregator

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska, Omaha

MedAptus Corp.

Charge capture, electronic prescribing

Virginia Cardiovascular Specialists, Richmond

Microsoft Corp.

Integration/collection/storage software

El Camino Hospital, Mountain View, Calif.

National Healthcare Exchange Services Inc.

Contract compliance software

Amarillo (Texas) Heart Group

Bond Clinic, Winter Haven, Fla.

Cardiovascular Associates PSC,

Louisville, Ky.

Children's Orthopaedic and

Scoliosis Surgery Associates, LLP,

St. Petersburg, Florida

Florida Heart Group PA, Orlando

Hardin Professional Services,

Elizabethtown, Ky.

Mercy Health Systems,

Conshohocken, Pa.

Mount Vernon Cardiology,

Alexandria, Va.

Neurosurgical Consultants of

Washington, Seattle

Pajaro Valley Medical Clinic, Inc.,

Santa Cruz, Calif.

Papp Clinic, Newnan, Ga.

Pinehurst (N.C.) Medical Clinic

Primary Care of Northern Ohio,

Ltd., Loraine, Ohio.

Salem (Ore.) Radiology Consultants

NCD Medical Corp.

Remote PACS service

Millennium Healthcare Management,

Metairie, La.

MRI on Madison, New York, N.Y.

NEC Unified Solutions Inc.

VoIP, automatic call distribution

Mount Kisco (N.Y.) Medical Group

Pepid Medical Information Resources

Decision support software for EMT classes

Howard Community College, Columbia, Md.

rL Solutions

Patient safety, quality reporting software

Ochsner Medical Center, New Orleans, La.

Shiftwise

Workforce management software

Bethesda Memorial Hospital,

Boynton Beach, Fla.

Glendale (Calif.) Adventist Medical Center

MediCorp Health System,

Fredericksburg, Va.

Memorial Health System,

Colorado Springs (Colo.)

PinnacleHealth, Harrisburg, Pa.

University of Louisville Hospital

University of North Carolina Medical Center, Chapel Hill

Via Christi Health System, Witchita, Kan.

Streamline Health Solutions

Document workflow

The Health Alliance of Greater Cincinnati

Surgical Information Systems

Perioperative software

MetroSouth Medical Center, Blue Island, Ill.

Thomson Reuters

Mobile clinical profiles

Mercy Merced (Calif.) Medical Center

Unibased Systems Architecture Inc.

Perioperative resource management system

United Hospital System, Kenosha, Wis.

Versus Technology Inc.

Wireless locating system