Senator Farley Announces Legislative Grants

State Senator Hugh T. Farley (R,C - Schenectady) announced that the 2008-2009 Budget approved by the Senate and Assembly includes $6.4 million for Senate "member initiatives" and other Senate grants which were requested by over 160 libraries, schools, local governments, fire departments, and nonprofit groups in his four-county Senate District. Senator Farley represents Fulton, Montgomery, Schenectady, and part of Saratoga Counties.

"This year, scores of local governments and nonprofit agencies requested a record amount of Legislative funding," Senator Farley noted. "Although this was a difficult budget, I have tried to assist our local community groups as much as I can."

St. Mary's Hospital in Amsterdam and Ellis Hospital in Schenectady will each receive $1 million in capital funding for development of primary care centers at the Amsterdam Memorial and St. Clare's Hospital campuses. The Schenectady Free Health Clinic will receive $350,000 to continue providing free care to people without health insurance. Hometown Health Center of Schenectady will receive $300,000 to implement electronic records for their patients, so health records can be shared with hospitals and other doctors providing treatment. "Investments in efficient and effective health care will help people get better care and should lower costs over the long run," Senator Farley said.

Montgomery County, as part of the Greater Catskills Flood Remediation Program, will receive $750,000 to purchase homes damaged by previous flooding and which are likely to again be damaged by future floods. Schenectady Community College will receive $550,000 to expand its homeland security and first responder training program, which promotes cost-effective public safety training using videoconferencing and internet-based instruction. The Mohawk Valley Heritage Corridor Commission will receive $300,000 for tourism and economic development.

The fifteen public libraries in Senator Farley's district will share $158,500. Other larger grants include $50,000 each for Fulton-Montgomery Community College, the Fonda Fair, the Zone Five Regional Law Enforcement Training Academy, and the Schenectady County Historical Society; and $40,000 each for the Community Health Center home health care program in Fulton and Montgomery Counties, the Montgomery County Office for the Aging, and the Northeast Parent and Child Society. Although both the Senate and the Assembly have voted to approve these funds, each proposed grant is now subject to either the Governor's approval or his line item veto.

Full listing of recommended grants follows:

Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Council of Hamilton, Fulton & Montgomery Counties

$7,000 to operate the Drug Court program in Fulton County

Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Council of Hamilton, Fulton & Montgomery Counties

$7,000 to distribute health information to school health teachers, nurses and counselors, to publish a newsletter, and to present a training conference for SADD groups

Altamont Program, Inc., The

$12,500 for improvements to the heating and plumbing systems at the transitional housing facility on Duane Avenue

Alzheimer's Association of Northeastern New York

$3,500 to address the problem of wandering by providing training for law enforcement and first responders, to enroll persons in the Safe Return program, and for efforts to educate the public about this issue

Ambulance Service of Fulton County, Inc.

$8,500 for medical supplies, equipment and vehicles

Amsterdam Free Library

$20,000 for books and other library materials, computers, equipment, renovations, improvements and programs

Amsterdam Little Giants Football League, Inc.

$4,000 for protective football equipment and for installing new lights

Amsterdam Youth Baseball

$4,000 for improvements to the ballfields and facilities

Amsterdam, City of

$3,000 for the activities of the Amsterdam Beautification Corps, including plantings and hanging flower baskets

Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks, The

$10,000 to convert an unfinished area in the Paul Schaefer Home (the Center for the Forest Preserve) into educational, meeting and work space

Ayres Memorial Animal Shelter, Inc.

$15,000 for improvements to the building and facilities

Ballston, Town of

$20,000 for priority projects and improvements

Ballston, Town of, Community Library

$7,500 for books and other library materials, computers, equipment, renovations, improvements and programs

Bethesda House of Schenectady, Inc.

$12,500 for computers, a copier, fax and other office equipment

Better Neighborhoods, Inc.

$12,500 for counseling programs, and for operations and equipment

Beukendaal Fire Department

$13,000 for a thermal imaging camera

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Fulton County, Inc.

$7,000 for programs and operating expenses

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capital Region

$7,000 to create mentoring programs at schools in Schenectady County, to expand the mentoring programs at Union College, and to expand the number of children served in Schenectady County

Boys & Girls Clubs of Schenectady

$10,000 for improvements to the facilities

Broadalbin Kennyetto Fire Company, Inc.

$8,000 for automated external defibrillators and related equipment

Broadalbin Volunteer Ambulance Corps

$4,500 for a pulse oximeter and sensors

Burnt Hills Ballston Lake Spartans Pop Warner Football

$4,000 for equipment, for a defibrillator, and for bleachers

Burnt Hills Fire Department

$17,500 to install diesel exhaust removal systems on the firefighting vehicles

Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Central School District

$25,000 for computers and equipment

Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Housing Development Fund Company, Inc.

$20,000 for repairs and improvements at the Council Meadows housing facility

Burtonsville Volunteer Fire Department Inc.

$10,000 for equipment to stock the Attack Pumper Rescue Truck

Canajoharie Central School District

$25,000 for equipment, building improvements, and programs

Canajoharie Library & Art Gallery

$7,500 for books and other library materials, computers, equipment, renovations, improvements and programs

Canajoharie, Town of

$25,000 for building improvements and renovations to the town's court facilities

Canajoharie, Village of

$25,000 for equipment and for the operation of facilities

Capital District Center for Independence, Inc.

$10,000 to build handicapped-accessible ramps on homes located in Schenectady and Saratoga counties

Capital District Community Gardens

$3,500 to operate and expand Schenectady's community gardens

Capital Region Action Against Breast Cancer! (CRAAB!)

$3,500 for the publication and distribution of newsletters

Caroga Lake Volunteer Fire Company

$15,000 to acquire all-terrain vehicles and a trailer, and for personal safety equipment, training, and communications equipment

Catholic Charities AIDS Services

$5,000 to provide case management support to persons with HIV/AIDS

Catholic Charities Caregivers Support Services

$25,000 to provide respite services in Schenectady, Fulton, Montgomery and Saratoga counties

Catholic Charities of Schenectady County

$10,000 to support the Senior Health and Wellness Program and to develop a mental exercise component

Center for Community Justice, The

$6,500 to install a security and fire detection system, to make improvements to the facility, to acquire furniture, and to provide training for staff and volunteers

Center for Disability Services

$25,000 for improvements to the facilities at Camp Clover Patch, and for defibrillators, pool wheelchairs, therapy mats, life jackets and other equipment

Centro Civico of Amsterdam, Inc.

$15,000 for building improvements, equipment and supplies

Chamber of Schenectady County

$25,000 to install an elevator in the Schenectady County Heritage Area Visitor Center in the Gillette House

Chamber of Schenectady County

$7,500 to promote tourism by sponsoring the Lock 7-12 Canalfest

Charleston Volunteer Fire Department

$14,000 to drill a well, and to acquire a commercial washing machine for the fire gear

Charlton Historical Society Inc.

$8,500 to paint the interior of the museum building

Charlton, Town of

$25,000 for an emergency generator for the municipal water system, and to install a bulk fuel system

Colonial Little Theatre, Inc.

$12,500 for repairs to the theatre building and foundation

Community Emergency Corps., Inc.

$3,000 for medical equipment to provide intravenous access in patients

Community Health Center of St. Mary's Hospital and Nathan Littauer Hospital

$40,000 to acquire a van to transport persons to the Day Center, and to expand the day care programs and facilities

Community Hospice, The

$10,000 to provide hospice services to persons in Schenectady, Montgomery and Saratoga counties

Community Land Trust of Schenectady, Inc.

$7,500 for programs and services

Community Maternity Services

$5,000 for equipment, supplies and training for the Fulton County Parents as Teachers Program

Corinth Free Library

$7,500 for books and other library materials, computers, equipment, renovations, improvements and programs

Cornell University Cooperative Extension of Fulton and Montgomery Counties

$10,000 for agriculture sustainability and profitability programming

Duanesburg Area Community Center

$10,000 for improvements to the facilities and grounds

Dudley Observatory

$4,000 to purchase educational materials and enhance community outreach through the Rising Star program

East Glenville Fire District 3

$15,000 to obtain personal protective gear and equipment

Eddy Senior Care

$20,000 for a bus and related equipment to meet the transportation needs of seniors in Schenectady County

Edinburg Volunteer Fire Company

$9,000 to install air conditioning in the fire house / community room

Ellis Hospital

$1,000,000 to develop a primary care facility at the St. Clare's campus

Fort Hunter Engine & Hose Co.

$14,000 to acquire a thermal imaging camera and to train firefighters in its use

Fort Hunter Free Library

$7,500 for books and other library materials, computers, equipment, renovations, improvements and programs

Fort Johnson, Village of

$25,000 for a new heating system and windows for the Village Hall

Fort Plain Free Library

$7,500 for books and other library materials, computers, equipment, renovations, improvements and programs

Fort Plain Senior Center, Inc.

$7,500 for renovations to the facility and for landscaping

Fort Plain, Village of

$25,000 to repair the municipal clock tower

Friends of the Mayfield Library

$7,500 for books and other library materials, computers, equipment, renovations, improvements and programs

Friends of Ulysses S. Grant Cottage

$4,000 for operating support

Frothingham Free Library

$7,500 for books and other library materials, computers, equipment, renovations, improvements and programs

Fulton County Office of Civil Defense & Fire Coordinator

$8,000 to acquire medical and emergency equipment

Fulton County YMCA

$20,000 for construction of the new facility

Fulton-Montgomery Community College

$50,000 to install an emergency notification system

Galway Public Library

$7,500 for books and other library materials, computers, equipment, renovations, improvements and programs

Galway Volunteer Fire Company

$15,000 to acquire a multipurpose utility vehicle

Galway, Town of

$7,000 for the Youth Commission and its activities and program expenses for the Community Youth Prevention Investment Project

Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York

$7,500 for telecommunications improvements and consolidation, and for computer hardware and software

Girls Incorporated of the Greater Capital Region

$7,000 for programs and operations of Camp Brookledge

Glenville Fire District #7

$10,000 to acquire a utility pickup truck

Glenville, Town of

$25,000 to provide leaf pickup and bulk item pickup services

Gloversville Junior Dragons Basketball

$1,000 for basketball uniforms and basketballs

Gloversville Public Library

$20,000 for books and other library materials, computers, equipment, renovations, improvements and programs

Gloversville, City of

$20,000 to restore the stone work, and make other improvements, at Myers Park

Gloversville, City of

$10,000 for a walking bridge and security lighting to help connect the City Hall parking lot to the Rail Trail

Great Sacandaga Lake Fisheries Federation Inc.

$3,500 to develop and promote fishing and recreational opportunities by stocking the lake with fish

Greater Catskills Flood Remediation Program

$750,000 allocated to Montgomery County to purchase one- and two-family residences which have been damaged by flooding and are likely to be again damaged by future floods

Greater Johnstown School District

$7,500 to build a playground at the Glebe Street Elementary School

Hadley-Luzerne Public Library

$3,500 for books and other library materials, computers, equipment, renovations, improvements and programs

Hamilton Hill Drop-In Arts and Crafts Center

$7,500 to support the Music Program

Hilltop Volunteer Fire Company

$15,000 for personal protective equipment

Jewish Community Center of Fulton County, Inc.

$7,500 to replace water heaters, to install insulation, to replace windows and to make other building improvements

Johnstown Area Volunteer Ambulance Corps

$4,000 for firebox lights, aspirator portable suction units, trauma bags, trauma and drug kit bags, and a medical extrication device

Johnstown Fire Department

$15,000 to acquire computer programs and equipment related to enforcement of the building codes

Johnstown Public Library

$20,000 for books and other library materials, computers, equipment, renovations, improvements and programs

Junior Achievement of Northeastern New York, Inc.

$4,000 to deliver Junior Achievement programs to schoolchildren in Schenectady, Fulton, Montgomery and Saratoga counties

Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York, Inc.

$10,000 for programs and operations

Lexington Center

$25,000 to replace windows and upgrade insulation at the Gloversville Day Hab building, and to construct a waiting room at the transportation building

Literacy Volunteers - Mohawk/Hudson, Inc.

$7,000 for materials and to provide tutoring to students in Schenectady County

Literacy Volunteers of Fulton County, Inc.

$7,000 for equipment, materials and programs

Little Huskies Football League Inc.

$3,000 for uniforms and equipment

Living Resources Corporation

$25,000 for renovations, furnishings and equipment for group homes in Schenectady County and in the Town of Charlton, and for computer equipment for the Schenectady office

Margaret Reaney Memorial Library

$7,500 for books and other library materials, computers, equipment, renovations, improvements and programs

Mohawk Valley Heritage Corridor Commission

$300,000 for operations of the Commission

Mohawk Valley Heritage Corridor Commission

$2,500 to help promote the region by upgrading information on local resources and services, installing a regional photo library, and offering a website trip planner

Mohonasen Central School District

$25,000 for musical equipment for the bands, and for uniforms for the marching band

Montgomery County Agricultural Society, Inc.

$50,000 to install wash racks, and to install a sprinkler system

Montgomery County Literacy Project

$7,000 for education materials and for administrative costs

Montgomery County Office for the Aging

$40,000 for a heating and air conditioning unit for the new office building, for renovations and improvements to such building, and for closing and moving costs

Montgomery County Probation Department

$25,000 for a van for the Juvenile Community Service Program

Montgomery County Sheriff's Office

$12,500 for equipment and vehicles

Montgomery County Veterans Service Agency

$25,000 to purchase a lift van

Mothers Against Drunk Driving

$3,500 for education and public awareness programs, and for the training of volunteers

Nelliston, Village of

$25,000 for construction of a pole barn and installation of a heating system

New Netherland Routes, Inc.

$5,000 for a summer program to enable students to work with the shipwright

New York Library Association

$7,500 to offer a training program in conjunction with Schenectady County Community College for library assistants and clerks

Niskayuna Central School District

$25,000 for equipment for a high school television production studio

Niskayuna Fire Company District #2

$15,000 to ensure fire coverage for an island community by acquiring a portable water pump and to install a fire hydrant

Northeast Parent & Child Society

$40,000 to renovate a building for use as a career development center

Northeastern Association of the Blind at Albany

$2,500 to obtain and distribute adaptive vision aids for senior citizens in Schenectady, Saratoga, Fulton and Montgomery Counties

Northern Region Federally Qualified Community Health Centers

$300,000 allocated to Hometown Health Center of Schenectady for