Business digest

Medical center to host bariatric weight loss seminar Middletown — Orange Regional Medical Center will host a free educational seminar — Bariatric Weight Loss Surgery — on Tuesday, Jan. 4 at 6 p.m. at the Community Health Education Center, located at 110 Crystal Run Road in Middletown. Orange Regional’s Bariatric Support Group will meet immediately following the seminar. This support group is for both pre- and post-op weight loss surgical patients and is open to the general public. The topics that will be discussed at the support group will be staying motivated, exercising, staying on target and nutrition. Join Janet Kovler, M.S., R.D., C.D.N., C.D.E., Orange Regional’s Bariatric Surgical Services coordinator, for this information-filled seminar where obesity treatment options, including non-surgical approaches and gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy and gastric banding surgery will be discussed by one of Orange Regional Medical Center’s bariatric surgeons. For more information, or to register for both the seminar and the support group, call the Orange Regional Health Connection at 1-888-321-ORMC (6762). Focus Media adds Ulster County Tourism to client roster Goshen - Ulster County has named Focus Media of Goshen as its agency of record for Ulster County Tourism. Tourism is Ulster County’s largest industry, responsible for $475 million in economic activity and more than 8,000 jobs. Focus Media is a regional, full-service advertising and public relations firm. Clients include Orange Regional Medical Center, Pinegrove Ranch and Family Resort, Hudson Valley Economic Development Corp., Catlin Gardens Inn, Villa Roma Resort, Walden Savings Bank, SUNY Orange, United Water New York, and Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union Financial Services. Paterson weighs law to raise debtor exemptions ALBANY — Legislation on Gov. David Paterson’s desk would raise the dollar value of personal property New York debtors can shield from creditors in court judgments and bankruptcies. Consumer advocates say it raises some decades-old minimums to keep people working in hard times, and off the government dole, with an index to inflation going forward. Bankers say it’s an incentive for more bankruptcy filings and a disincentive to lending. Proposed amendments would let state and municipal claims proceed. The bill would raise from $2,400 to $4,000 the exemption for one vehicle, also adding that protection to liens outside bankruptcy. New Yorkers owed $1 billion in unclaimed tax credits ALBANY — U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer says New Yorkers are owed $1 billion in tax credits for tuition they paid. Schumer announced on Dec. 23 that he’s working with New York colleges to alert families of the tax credit for tuition that about half of families who are eligible have missed in their federal income tax returns. The credit he pushed in the Senate provides $1 off federal taxes for every $1 spent on tuition, up to $2,500 a year. Taxpayers can amend last year’s return to claim the credit as well as claim it in the next two years. Schumer announced colleges are now contacting families to alert them about the credit.