Washington, DC - Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) today announced that he's secured the House Appropriations Committee's approval of a total of $1.18 million for various projects throughout the Hudson Valley as part of the Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) appropriations bill for fiscal year 2010.  The committee, of which Hinchey is a member, approved the congressman's funding requests by allocating $400,000 for Dutchess County Community College; $250,000 for Hoops Express in Newburgh; $135,000 for the New York State Police office based in Kingston; $100,000 for the City of Poughkeepsie Police Department; $100,000 for the Bardavon 1869 Opera House; $100,000 for the Hudson Valley's Center for Court Innovation; $65,000 for the City of Middletown Police Department; and $30,000 for the Woodstock Film Festival.

"These funds will help improve our communities by reducing crime, providing unique learning opportunities to children outside the usual classroom, and developing a new generation of local artists that will further enhance our region's culture," Hinchey said. "I am very pleased to have obtained the House Appropriations Committee's approval of these funds and look forward to seeing the funds make their way into the Hudson Valley communities that need these funds during such difficult economic times.  In addition to making improvements in various communities, these federal funds will spare local taxpayers the full cost of these much-needed initiatives."

The $1.18 million in funds will be used in the following ways:

· Dutchess County Community College, $400,000 -- The college will use the funds to support various local after-school or summer programs that provide educational opportunities for at-risk youth in the City of Poughkeepsie.  The programs will provide services such as tutoring, mentoring, counseling and specialized training, and are targeted to promote leadership, academic, career and social skills.

· Hoops Express, $250,000 -- This Newburgh-based program focuses on providing mentoring opportunities, homework help and tutoring, workforce skills training, and social skills development to at-risk youth between the ages of 12 and 17.  The organization, which also provides basketball and other sports programs for youth to have organized recreational activities, also works to build a stronger home life for the children.  Historically, youth served by this program have a reduced rate of truancy and show an improvement in scores as they work toward grade level and reduced incidences of disciplinary action.  Some of the funds may also be used for similar youth initiatives in Newburgh.

· New York State Police, $135,000 -- The funds will be used to purchase equipment for the New York State Police dive team to conduct their dive operations much more effectively and efficiently, increasing its ability to more successfully locate various different targets for which it may be asked to look.  In addition, this equipment will be used for any and all infrastructure, security and evaluation of sensitive targets.  

· City of Poughkeepsie Police Department, $100,000 -- This project will enhance the Close Circuit television camera system and backup 911 center currently housed by the City of Poughkeepsie Police Department.  Throughout the years, the system was updated from black and white to digital, color pictures.  Even though those various enhancements were made, there are further upgrades which need to be made so that the system can be brought up to date in order to help identify and prevent criminal activity.

· Bardavon 1869 Opera House, $100,000 -- The funds will be used for artist fees, staff salaries, and production and marketing costs for the Arts-In-Education program, which has benefited thousands of at-risk Poughkeepsie and Kingston inner-city youth. Teaching artists empower students through meaningful and life-changing residencies that, along with classroom curricula, fulfill state learning standards.

· Center for Court Innovation, $100,000 -- The funds will help to develop specialized protocols and services for former and current military members who are admitted to drug courts within the Mid-Hudson region.  This program will help focus on improving the way in which drug courts respond to the special circumstances surrounding the substance abuse, mental disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder experienced by current and former service members.

· City of Middletown Police Department, $65,000 -- This initiative will fund equipment needed to improve the communications equipment for the City of Middletown Police Department's 77 member agency.  The department needs new and improved portable radios for patrol officers and it also needs in-vehicle digital video systems that will help ensure proper procedure is being followed and protect against false litigious claims.

· Woodstock Film Festival, $30,000 -- The Woodstock Film Festival (WFF) Youth Initiative/Youth at Risk program, which is designed to give underserved high-risk youth the opportunity to learn and participate in the filmmaking field.  The funds will help pay for instructors and guest instructors, travel, administrative coordination, equipment rentals at a fair market price, supply purchase, location rental and maintenance, and meals for students and staff.  Through educating high-risk youth and giving them the tools and the knowledge to create, represent, and present their own films while learning from industry professionals, WFF hopes to open the doors of a creative outlet for expression and professional growth.

The CJS appropriations bill, which contains the above projects for which Hinchey sought money, is expected to come before the full House for a vote next.