Meetings set on flow plan

WEST TRENTON, NJ — The schedule for informational meetings and a public hearing to be held on proposed regulations to implement a Flexible Flow Management Program (FFMP) for operation of the three New York City Delaware Basin reservoirs has been announced. Informational meetings will be held from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. and from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, December 18 at the Best Western Inn at Hunt’s Landing, 120 Routes 6 and 209, in Matamoras, PA and on Tuesday, January 8, 2008 at the offices of Wolf, Block, Schorr and Solis-Cohen LLP, 1650 Arch Street, 26th Floor Meeting Room, in Philadelphia, PA.

The public hearing will take place on Wednesday, January 16, 2008 at the West Trenton Volunteer Fire Company, 40 West Upper Ferry Road, in West Trenton, NJ, from 3:00 to 5:30 p.m. and from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m., or until all those who wish to testify have had an opportunity to do so.

Written comments will be accepted through the close of business on January 18, 2008, and may be emailed to paula.schmitt@drbc.state.nj.us or mailed to Commission Secretary, DRBC, P.O. Box 7360, 25 State Police Drive, West Trenton, NJ 08628-0360. All comments should include the name, address and affiliation (if any) of the commenter, along with “FFMP” in the subject line.

PPL residential rates to rise 4.7 percent

PENNSYLVANIA, PA — Residential customers of PPL Electric Utilities will see an increase of 4.7 percent in their total bills starting on January 1, 2008. Changes for business customers will vary from up one percent to down one percent under changes approved by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) on December 6. Rates will increase more for residential customers than for business customers because of a state court ruling that requires PPL Electric Utilities to address historical differences in the way costs had been recovered from different groups of customers.

The approved increase in rates is estimated to increase the company’s total revenues by 1.7 percent. The company will use the additional revenue to support investment in reliability, increase funding for low-income customer payment assistance programs and provide new funding for energy efficiency programs.

Tusten creates environmental council

NARROWSBURG, NY — In one of the first steps taken to fulfill the town’s comprehensive plan, members of the Town of Tusten Town Board voted four to zero on December 11 to create an environmental council. The council will be charged with keeping track of the town’s natural resources and mapping such things as the town’s wetlands and marshes. The council will also be responsible for defining and listing any threatened or endangered species in the town and providing advice to the town board and planning board on building projects that might be environmentally sensitive.

Under New York State law, a town environmental council can have from three to nine members. The board voted for the maximum, and will appoint nine members of the community who expressed interest in serving. The board members, who will be appointed to staggered two and three-year terms, are Kathleen Michell, James Stratton, Susan Sullivan, Cathleen Patane, Kevin McClurken, Helle Henrickson, Linda Slocum, David Holland and Angelo DeVasno.

The first meeting of the council will be in February 2008.

Sullivan Alliance for Sustainable development asks for county funding

MONTICELLO, NY — The non-profit group, Sullivan Alliance for Sustainable Development (SASD) has asked Sullivan County legislators to grant funding to the group to help pay for the cost of an employee to fill out paperwork and perform other administrative duties.

The group is pursuing various wind projects in the county that range from rather large installations that would be owned by four towns in the county, to small installations that would be owned by individual farmers. At a meeting at the Government Center on December 6, Dick Riseling, a founding member of SASD, told lawmakers that the pursuit of such programs involves filling out reams of applications and other documents. He asked for $75,000 to pay an employee and purchase equipment.

Lawmaker Leni Binder said she was not sure that the county could directly fund a private, non-profit organization, but that perhaps a person who could handle SASD paperwork could be found in an existing county department.

Several officials expressed support for the work the group is doing and agreed to look into the question of funding.

Writer and activist Allan Berube dies

LIBERTY, NY — Allan Berube, a writer, historian and former trustee of the Village of Liberty, died on December 11, after being taken to Catskill Regional Medical Center in Harris for what was reported to be bleeding ulcers.

Berube was one of the forces behind the effort to move the historic Munson Diner from its original location on Eleventh Avenue in Manhattan to Main Street in Liberty in 2005. The diner opened for business about two weeks ago.

Berube was also an award-winning author and historian who in 1990 published the book “Coming Out Under Fire: The History of Gay Men and Women in World War II.” His research and writings led him to win a MacArthur Fellowship award—also known as a genius grant—in 1996.

Berube was also active in the effort to revitalize Liberty. He owned and operated the Carrier House Bed & Breakfast on Carrier Street in the village, and with his partner John Nelson he owned and operated the Intelligent Design antique store on Main Street Berube was 61 years old.

Two Sullivan officials named to state Association of Counties committees

SULLIVAN COUNTY, NY — Sullivan County Community Services Director Joe Todora has been named chair of the New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC) Public Health and Mental Health Standing Committee for 2008 by NYSAC president and Albany County legislator Lucille McKnight.

Todora, a 20-year veteran of Sullivan County Community Services, has served on this committee for the past six years, and has also spent eight years serving on NYSAC’s Pre-School/Early Intervention Standing Committee.

Sullivan County Attorney Sam Yasgur was appointed to the NYSAC Indian Affairs Standing Committee. Yasgur, who has served as Sullivan County Attorney for the past four years, has been involved in the county’s negotiations with the St. Regis Mohawk and Stockbridge-Munsee tribes who seek to build a casino in Sullivan County.