News for the ‘ANCA Applauds’ Category
In order to expand the market for local food, there needs to be a support system in place to help launch new small-scale food manufacturers and processors. The Battenkill Kitchen, Inc. is one such organization. The not-for-profit 501 (c) (3) organization located in Washington County has a mission that includes educating and assisting entrepreneurial farmers and food producers, and providing a kitchen for community and educational events.
Two separate food workshops coming up May 18-19 are geared toward starting a food business and processing pickled foods. The workshops are presented by the NYS Food Venture Center, Department of Food Science & Technology at Cornell University. Registration for each class is $50 and includes materials and light refreshments. Participants should bring their own lunch. Register by May 11.
For more information about the workshops and the Battenkill Kitchen, Inc. visit www.battenkillkitchen.org or call Trish Kozal at 518-854-3032 or Steve Hadcock, Cornell University Cooperative Extension at 518-380-1497.
GlobalFoundries featured in The Economist
The Greater Capital Region’s success with GlobalFoundries is highlighted in a recent edition of The Economist. The article in the London-based publication (weekly circulation: 1.5 million) focuses on the major benefits the semi-conductor chip manufacturer brings to the region, such as “1,600 direct jobs and about 8,000 indirect ones, creating an annual payroll of some $300 million.”
The full article can be found here: http://www.economist.com/node/21552607
Last March, ANCA’s Board of Directors held a meeting at Hudson Valley Community College’s Tec-Smart Center with representatives of Empire State Development and economic developers from Warren, Washington and Saratoga Counties. During this meeting, the ANCA Board learned more about the GlobalFoundries project, its major impacts, and other related economic development opportunities.
ECONOMIC IMPACT OF BROADBAND: Students at Paul Smith’s College surveyed Keene (Essex County) residents to evaluate the economic impact of expanded broadband internet service. Some of the findings include:
45% of residents report earning some portion of their annual income using the net.
21% view the service as mandatory, meaning they’d move without it, and 10% cited it as a factor in moving here.
For seasonal/part-time residents:
95% extend their stays, 75% come more often, 55% come in different seasons and with all this, 86% feel more connected to the year-round community here.
POROUS PAVEMENT: Kudos to Warren County and New York State Department of Transportation for work on a project to pave a popular road in Lake George with a new type of porous asphalt.
The $6 million project will redo Beach Road with pavement material designed to prevent pollutants from entering water supplies. Instead, storm water will drain through layers of sand and gravel that will filter out pollutants. This will be the first heavily traveled road in New York State to receive this innovative treatment. (Information Courtesy of The Associated Press)
SWEET REWARD: DANC loans allow maple producers to expand: Low-interest loans offered through a new agricultural program created by the Development Authority of the North Country will help maple producers in the Western side of the region.
From the Watertown Daily Times: http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20120129/NEWS03/701299884
MAD MEN MEET HOJO’s: AMC’s show “Mad Men,” about advertising executives in 1960s New York, took a trip Upstate in a recent episode that featured character Don Draper taking his new bride to Plattsburgh and a stay at a Howard Johnson’s motel. A feature in the NY Daily News interviewed Ron Butler, who since 1958 has run Lake Placid’s HoJo’s restaurant, which is one of only two remaining in the country: http://articles.nydailynews.com/2012-04-24/news/31394572_1_clams-orange-sherbet-tartar-sauce
BUILDING MOMENTUM: 2012 Common Ground Alliance Forum
Here’s thanks to the hundreds of people who participated in the “Adirondack Futures” scenario planning workshops, which began at the 2011 Common Ground Alliance Forum meeting held last July. An especially warm thank you goes to Jim Herman and Dave Mason for their hard work in conducting the workshops, tabulating the results and making the project happen.
We are looking forward to hearing the results of the year-long project at this year’s sixth annual Common Ground Forum, taking place from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., July 18 in Long Lake. Registration is now open for the event, which is $20 and includes lunch. RSVP here: http://tinyurl.com/bsya4c4
2011 Common Ground Alliance Forum
MOMENTUM!
Register Now for this year’s Common Ground Alliance Forum
- What is the conclusion of the Adirondack Futures Scenario project, launched at last year’s Forum? Six workshops and 150 people later, the final results will be presented.
- Broadband across the region? Come hear what’s underway to get us all connected.
- Creating a Homegrown Energy Plan for the North Country? Bring your ideas and projects to share and help guide this NYSERDA-funded project.
- A Recreational Plan for the Park? See where that is going and help identify gaps.
- The Regional Economic Councils? Find out what’s happening in 2012 and how they can bring even more resources to the region.
Sponsors Needed
Are you interested in sponsoring this event?
It’s $100 – and your name & logo will be featured. Click here to help underwrite this event.
You can also add a sponsorship to your registration. Register Now!
And our thanks to Long Lake for offering to host the event again this year. It is a spectacular venue.
June 21-22, 2012
Lake Placid Conference Center
A forum for educators, practitioners, community leaders, industry professionals and others to share information about clean energy opportunities in the North Country
- Share techniques, technology and project learnings as related to clean energy projects in the North Country
- Assist participants and lead organizations in identifying potential projects, and lead organizations, who would consider submitting projects in the next round of proposals that will be considered by NY State development process
- Share technical, staffing and regulatory issues as related to clean energy projects
- Share funding sources and opportunities for clean energy projects
The Conference is centered around five areas: solar, wind, hydro, biomass, and conservation.
Through the synergy of sharing across the technology areas, we will articulate better, stronger New York State policies and foster better approaches by the practitioners.
Further, the State funding process and new State initiatives will be explained so all may understand
Join our mailing list: http://bit.ly/h6TdPL
Cleaner, Greener Communities (Essex County):
Designated as one of the North Country Regional Economic Development Council’s priority projects, the Cleaner, Greener Communities Regional Sustainability Planning Program will establish a sustainability baseline including inventories of greenhouse gas emissions and energy use.
The resulting Regional Sustainability Plan for the North Country will assess sustainability indicators including economic assets, liabilities and opportunities as well as transportation, land use, and natural resources. Engaging in the planning process will allow each region to develop its vision, goals, and objectives for a sustainable future and to identify the activities or types of projects needed to achieve that future.
Once the plan is completed, it is intended to inform municipal land use policies, guide both public and private resource investments in infrastructure and identify tangible actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The $1 million project is funded through NYSERDA. Essex County is the lead agency on behalf of the entire region and ANCA will be involved in project implementation.
To keep the momentum going around these issues, a North Country Clean Energy Conference is slated for later this year.