CRMC announces affiliation agreement with Orange Regional Medical Center

HARRIS, NY — Catskill Regional Medical Center (CRMC) and Orange Regional Medical Center (ORMC) have announced an affiliation agreement with the goal of enhancing local medical service. CRMC will officially seek approval from the New York State Department of Health to become an affiliate member of the Greater Hudson Valley Health System (GHVHS), joining ORMC, which currently is the sole GHVHS affiliate.

GHVHS will enter into a management contract with CRMC, and will assume responsibility for its day-to-day management. Under this management contract, the senior management team at ORMC will assist with all aspects of CRMC’s planning and delivery of healthcare services.

Among the areas of assistance, ORMC will help CRMC develop a financial transition plan to address its short-term cash needs. Grant procurement, debt relief and restructuring strategies, revenue cycle issues, cost reduction and physician participation and support will also be areas of focus.

House set to pass $1 million funding for sewer line to Bethel Woods

WASHINGTON, DC — At the request of Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), the House this week is expected to approve $1 million in federal funds to support the Town of Bethel in its planning and construction of a sewer extension district along the Route 17B corridor from Route 55 to the new Bethel Woods Center for the Performing Arts District.

“The Bethel Woods Center for the Arts has breathed new life into Sullivan County,” said Hinchey. “These federal funds are critical to realizing the full economic benefits that the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts can have on the area. In order to have new businesses follow the performing arts center to the area, we must construct the infrastructure necessary to attract those businesses.”

The sewer line extension will replace a temporary sewer system currently serving only the arts center.

After the House passes the Interior Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2008 this week, the Senate has to take up its own version of that spending measure. While there are still a few more legislative steps before the funds for the sewer extension line become official, House approval of the funds is considered critical to realizing this funding.

Bonacic flood control bill passes senate

ALBANY, NY — Legislation sponsored by State Senator John J. Bonacic (R/I/C - Mount Hope) that authorizes the Commission of the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to make recommendations on and to implement flood control measures has been approved by the state senate with bipartisan support.

According to Bonacic, the state assembly has passed legislation to study flood control measures, but not to actually implement any measures.

Bonacic said, “Enough is enough. This issue has been studied for several years now. It is time to implement flood control—the senate has acted to do so. Homes were washed out in Roscoe and Colchester, people are missing, lives lost, and the assembly wants to remain in an ivory tower and study the problem.”

Pennsylvania seniors encouraged

to apply for property tax rebate

HARRISBURG, PA — Eligible homeowners and renters are encouraged to file for the 2006 Property Tax/Rent Rebate. The deadline to apply for the rebate was recently extended from June 30 to December 31.

To qualify, a resident must be 65 or older, a widow or widower 50 or older, or 18 or older with a permanent disability. Household income cannot exceed $35,000, but applicants may exclude half of their Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, or federal Railroad Retirement Tier 1 benefits from income eligibility calculations.

The state will begin mailing rebate checks for this year’s successful applicants after July 1. Rebate claims received after June 30 will be distributed as they are received and approved. Recipients can have their rebates deposited directly into their checking or savings account.

For more information visit RepPeifer.com or call 570/253-5533.

Eight more PA dairy farms lost

WAYNE COUNTY, PA — Eight more family dairy farms have been closed in the last two months, according to Ed Pruss, Penn State Extension educator.

“Not all are leaving for economic reasons,” Pruss said. “Some have health problems, and the younger generation is not stepping up and taking it further.”

There is an acute crisis in dairy farming in the last year caused by the disparity between the price of milk that farmers get and the cost of operating their farms. The number of dairy farms is now below 100, Pruss said. There were slightly over 110 a year ago.

“It’s ironic that now the price of milk that the farmer will get is going up considerably,” he said. But the recent increase doesn’t solve the long-term problem, since prices in the past have taken strong leaps upward only to fall precipitously, he said. “It’s like a huge roller-coaster ride. ”

A local veterinarian who has been in business for 30 years told Pruss that he has never seen so many farms closing down so rapidly as now.

PennDOT study says replacing the bridge is preferred

SHOHOLA, PA — A study on the Pond Eddy Bridge released this week states that the preferred option for the solution to the problem of the deteriorating bridge is to replace it. It also says that mitigation efforts must be made as a result of the replacement.

Mitigation efforts would include steps such as creating a book about the old bridge, having a painting done to memorialize the bridge or erecting a plaque.

“This study is nothing new, but is another step forward to the replacing of the bridge,” said George J. Fluhr, chairman of the Shohola Township Supervisors.

The bridge has to be replaced because heavy emergency equipment and large delivery trucks cannot safely cross the bridge, he said.

“I have heard that bids will be let out as early as 2009, which means that we won’t see a new bridge until 2012,” Fluhr said.