Good for the heart
Judelson, Giordano & Siegel CPA, (JGS), an accounting and business-consulting firm for more than 80 years, announced that its team of 14 employees, family members and friends has participated in and raised $2,000 for The American Heart Association Heart Walk, which took place in Harriman State Park in May. The firm is in Middletown and works with a national base of clients ranging from small, local businesses to publicly traded corporations.
“Our team at Judelson, Giordano & Siegel is happy and proud to have participated in this year”™s Heart Walk for The American Heart Association and to have raised $2,000 for this worthy organization,” said Frank Giordano Jr., managing partner.
Above and beyond
Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. employees and five community organizations were recently honored at the utility”™s 24th annual Community Service Award event.
“Central Hudson employees volunteer in many capacities with hundreds of local organizations and it”™s a pleasure to recognize this year”™s award winners,” said Steven V. Lant, president and CEO of CH Energy Group Inc., Central Hudson”™s parent company. “It”™s our employees who make us what we are. They are committed to service ”“ to our customers when they are on duty and to their communities when they are off duty as caring volunteers. This is a long-standing tradition and key value we share at Central Hudson.”
Those honored were: Sean Cross, gas mechanic; Mary Ann DePew, customer service representative; Paula Ferretti, estimator; Shawn Heppner, service worker; and Susan Ostrander, service supervisor.
Each charitable organization for which Central Hudson employees volunteered received a $500 contribution from the utility company.
Since 1988, more than one hundred employees and organizations have received the Central Hudson award and nearly $55,000 in contributions has been donated to the recognized organizations.
Get ready to eat
A delicious tradition returns to the Hudson Valley this September with the 23rd Annual Taste of New Paltz, to be held Sept. 15 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Ulster County Fairgrounds on Libertyville Road.
The event features fare from the region”™s restaurants, wineries and farmers markets.
Advance admission is $7 and admission on the day of the event is $10; children under 12 admitted free. Advance packages include admission, 10 taste tickets and an official 22nd Annual Taste of New Paltz T-shirt. Advance tickets and packages are available until Sept. 6. For more information or to purchase advance admission, visit NewPaltzChamber.org, call 845- 255-0243, email info@newpaltzchamber.org.
Health care gala
Members of Orange Regional Medical Center”™s leadership attended the recent Healthcare Leaders of New York (HLNY) annual gala and awards presentation.
Seated, from left, Orange Regional”™s Vice President of Oncology Services and Outpatient Operations Sandra Iberger, Administrator of Diagnostic Imaging Gene Bernieri, and Director of Organizational Development Betsy Kennally. Standing, from left, Orange Regional Manager of Radiation Oncology Betty Koshy, Administrator of Oncology Services Regina Toomey Bueno, Director of Outpatient Diagnostic Imaging Debbie Carroll, Director of Respiratory Services and The Center for Sleep Medicine Frank Salvatore, and Director of Labor and Employee Relations Ilyssa DeCasperis.
Missing: Director of Strategic Planning Jean-Paul Vallet.
For more information about Orange Regional Medical Center, visit.ormc.org.
Much ado about $25,000
Arts Midwest has awarded the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival a $25,000 grant for the 2013-14 HVSF education tour of “Much Ado About Nothing.”
The money is part of Shakespeare in American Communities, a national program managed by Arts Midwest in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). HVSF was one of only 40 organizations nationwide to receive the honor. This is the second consecutive year that HVSF has been awarded the grant.
“We are extremely honored to receive this grant, which allows us to expand our efforts to bring Shakespeare to students and schools that otherwise might not have the opportunity,” said Maggie Whitlum, executive director of the HVSF.
Shakespeare in American Communities introduces middle and high school students to the power of live theater and the masterpieces of William Shakespeare. Since the program”™s inception in 2003, Shakespeare in American Communities has benefited more than 2.25 million individuals, including 1.9 million students, with live performances and educational activities.
A bit of glamour
The Family Partnership Center in Poughkeepsie held its Glamour Day event recently for men, women and children in need.
The event was first conceived last summer during planning for the annual “Point in Time Census” of the region”™s people who are homeless conducted by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. Susan Tallardy, coordinator of the regional census, said she and others involved in the homelessness issues enlisted the help of volunteer hair stylists. A pilot event was held Oct. 15, and it was so successful she and others held it again on the Point In Time Census day in January. Organizers subsequently decided to hold Glamour Days periodically throughout the year.
In addition to the free hair-styling services, those who attended the event were offered free flu shots, courtesy of the Dutchess County Health Department and were given toiletry items donated by Pleasant Valley dentist Dr. Michael Schwartz and other business owners.
Silvana Pace, a beautician who participated in the previous events, said she and others from her Poughkeepsie salon, Millennium Hair Design, were looking forward to providing their services again.
“The people we served were so happy and thankful that we were thankful just to be a part of it,” Pace said.
For more information about the event or to make a donation of toiletry items for people who are homeless, contact Tallardy at (845) 471-0310.
Film looks at abolitionist movement
Advanced videography students at Dutchess Community College have documented the history of the local abolitionist movement in a new film. The 20-minute documentary includes interviews with local researchers and a performance by the Dutchess Antislavery Singers.
Each spring, students in Dana Weidman”™s Advanced Video Production class work with local nonprofit groups to produce promotional or educational videos. “It”™s an assignment in video production,” said Weidman, “as well as entrepreneurship and learning to listen to clients.”
This spring, among other initiatives, students worked with the Mid-Hudson Antislavery History Project (MHAHP), a volunteer group dedicated to the research and interpretations of the local history of slavery, abolitionism, and the Underground Railroad, primarily in Dutchess County. MHAHP brings together scholars, researchers, teachers and civic leaders.
The documentary, combining interviews and music, debuted publicly in May at Upstate Films in Rhinebeck, where it was a finalist in the 2013 Eli Jaffe Competition. The documentary also has been posted on YouTube.
To view the documentary, visit youtube.com/watch?v=3gbDV8lc0vw.
Pet first aid training
Health Quest will offer the Pet First Aid and Disaster Response course designed for all pet owners and pet caregivers.
The course covers common health and safety-related issues, first aid basics, CPR, choking maneuvers for pets and provides guidance on when to seek professional care, as well as disaster planning steps for the proper care of pets. Students will practice skills on dog and cat manikins, and course completion will result in a certification card from the Emergency Care and Safety Institute, which is valid for three years.
The training will be available Sept. 15 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Northern Dutchess Hospital and Oct. 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Putnam Hospital Center.
The cost for each course is $40. For more information, call (845) 475-9742. Health Quest can also host private classes for groups at any location.
Who ya calling a fossil?
The Hudson Highlands Nature Museum presents “Fascinating Fossils” at 10 a.m. Aug. 17.
Environmental educator Lisa Mechaley will lead the talk at the Outdoor Discovery Center on Muser Drive, Cornwall-on-Hudson. Budding paleontologists will view a collection of fossils, learn about their formation, and find out what scientists learn from them and how to collect them.
“Many of the fossils that are found in New York are marine animals that once lived in an ancient ocean that existed here 400 million years ago,” Mechaley said. Everyone attending will create their own fossil replica to take home. Admission: $7/adults and $5/children. For more information, visit hhnaturemuseum.org or call (845) 534-5506, ext. 204.
