Maurice Hinchey News - 14 February 2003

Maurice Hinchey NEWS
22nd C O N G R E S S I O N A L D I S T R I C T , N E W Y O R K
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 14, 2003
HINCHEY DELIVERS $18.26 MILLION FOR AREA PROJECTS

KINGSTON - U.S. Representative Maurice Hinchey today announced that several earmarks he placed in fiscal year 2003 appropriations bills for local projects were included in the final omnibus spending bill that passed the House on Thursday. Hinchey is a member of the House Appropriations Committee. He made the announcements at a press conference in Kingston. The funded projects in the Hudson Valley and Catskills regions of the 22nd District are as follows:
New York City Watershed: $5.4 million for watershed infrastructure to protect drinking water.
Stewart International Airport: $2.065 million for construction of a new air traffic control tower.
Newburgh-Beacon Ferry Service: $1.65 million for improvements to the waterfront areas of Newburgh and Beacon. The funds will also be used for improvements to docking facilities and the leasing or buying of a vessel.
New York State Department of Transportation: $1.5 million for construction of the I- 84/I-87 interchange.
Ulster County Tourism: $1 million to build a visitor center.
Ulster County Rural Transportation: $900,000 for construction of a bus garage.
Village of Walden: $900,000 for wastewater infrastructure improvements. This earmark was originally requested by former U.S. Representative Benjamin Gilman. Hinchey fought to keep the funding in the bill after Gilman's retirement. New York City Watershed: $750,000 for economic development in the watershed.
Watershed Agricultural Council: $650,000 for technical assistance and perpetual stewardship of easements on farms in the New York City watershed. This is Phase II of a multi-year plan.
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Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area: $600,000 to implement the Heritage Area's management plan. Hinchey wrote the legislation that created the Heritage Area and authorized $10 million in funding.
City of Middletown: $450,000 for water filtration plant. Originally requested by Gilman.
Orange County Community College: $405,000 for facilities construction and the establishment of the Benjamin A. Gilman Institute for Political and International Studies in Middletown.
Kingston-Newburgh Enterprise Community: $400,000 to continue KNEC's efforts to promote urban renewal and economic development through job training initiatives. The funds would enable KNEC to continue to offer training programs for local community college students to transition into the local work force, sponsor job fairs, and establish counseling and referral programs.
Benedictine Hospital: $350,000 to help construct and equip an on-campus Comprehensive Oncology Center to fill the critical need for cancer treatment in the area.
The new center will house outpatient medical and radiation oncology services.
Catskill Regional Medical Center: $350,000 for the completion of the Selma Ettenberg
Center for Women's Health, a state-of-the-art facility for women. The funds will be used
for the last piece of the project: the renovation of the Hospital's Maternity Unit.
City of Middletown: $320,000 to allow the city to purchase buses and improve facilities.
City of Kingston: $240,000 for the purchase of buses.
Bethel Performing Arts Center: $180,000 to help with the construction a state-of-the-art performance facility.
Saugerties Boys & Girls Club: $150,000 for renovations to a building that will serve as the home

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