Business digest
Eat at UNOs in September and help refugee children in Cameroon Central Valley - The Monroe-Woodbury Rotary Club is holding a fundraiser to benefit refugee children in Cameroon in September. These children have fled from surrounding countries such as Congo, with many witnessing their family members tortured, killed or kidnapped. During every Wednesday in September, for every meal (dine-in or take-out) at UNOs in Central Valley, 15 percent of patrons’ bills will go toward training 50 teachers to provide psycho-social counseling for these traumatized children. Rotary has partnered with CRAT Cameroon (Centre for Rehabilitation and Abolition of Trauma) to provide this training. To learn more, visit www.mwrotary.org or cratcameroon.org. Learn municipal salaries on www.SeeThroughNY.net New York The names and salaries of 186,223 people who worked for New York’s county, city, town and village governments in 2009-2010 are posted in a searchable database at www.SeeThroughNY.net, the transparency website sponsored by the Manhattan Institute’s Empire Center for New York State Policy. The Empire Center also released a report, “2009-10 Public Payrolls,” which summarizes average wages on a regional basis for each of the 1,512 local governments (outside New York City) contained in the database, which is based on reports filed with the state pension system. Realtor news Monroe - Paul and Eileen Ollinger have joined ARC Realty in Monroe. They have 24 years of experience in selling real estate in the Greater Hudson Valley. Both agents have won the s Greater Hudson Valley MLS Sales Awards for sales volume. The Ollingers were previously broker/owners of NYS Realty. They can be reached at 469-7777. Medical Center hosts free weight loss surgery seminar on Sept. 7 Middletown - Orange Regional Medical Center will host a free seminar about weight loss surgery on Tuesday, Sept. 7, at 6 p.m. at the Community Health Education Center, 110 Crystal Run Road in Middletown. Immediately following the seminar, Orange Regional will offer a bariatric support group for both pre- and post-op weight loss surgical patients that is open to the general public. At the support group the topic will be Psychology - Positive Thinking/Staying on Target. Obesity treatment options including non-surgical approaches and gastric bypass and gastric banding surgery will be discussed by one of Orange Regional Medical Center’s Board-certified, Fellowship-trained bariatric surgeons. For more information or to register, call the Orange Regional Health Connection at 1-888-321-ORMC (6762). Nominations sought for Rising Stars Awards Montgomery The Orange County Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Orange and the Junior League of Orange County seek Orange County’s outstanding leaders in the public, private, nonprofit and volunteer sectors for the annual Rising Stars Awards. Winners will be chosen based on such values as achievement, experience, innovation, vision and leadership. Nominees must be between the ages of 21 and 40 on or before Dec. 31 and must live, volunteer or work in Orange County. Self-nominations are encouraged. Nominations must be postmarked no later than Sept. 24. The area’s up and coming business and community leaders will be honored at the 2010 Orange County’s Rising Stars breakfast on Tuesday, Dec. 14, starting at 7:27 a.m. at Anthony’s Pier 9 in New Windsor. Selection will be based on the individuals’ professional and volunteer activities, demonstrated leadership and the impact the nominee has had on his or her organization or community. A downloadable application is available at www.orangeny.com, www.leadershiporange.com, or www.jlocny.com. Dance with the Chamber Stars’ at the Ritz Theater on Sept. 24 Newburgh The Orange County Chamber of Commerce will host “Dance with the Chamber Stars,” an evening of music and dancing, drinks and hors d’oeuvres -- in the Green Room at the Ritz Theater in Newburgh on Friday, Sept. 24 from 7 to 11 p.m. Chamber officials said new Chamber event is being held “to support revitalization of our downtowns through an affordable night of fun for everyone,” Everyone is invited to dance to their favorite music, but the evening will also highlight a few selected Chamber dancing stars who will demonstrate the tango, salsa, waltz, hustle and other ballroom-style dances. The dancers will be from “Strictly Ballroom” and “Tango Under the Tent.” In addition, anyone who arrives at 6 p.m. will receive a free dance lesson from Joe Maraday of Strictly Ballroom and Sher Singh of Tango Under the Tent. Reservations, are $25, and can be made by visiting www.orangeny.com or calling 457-9700. Occupations Inc. receives $20,000 donation from KeyBank MIDDLETOWN Occupations, Inc., is the recipient of a gift of $20,000 from the KeyBank Foundation. This gift will support Occupations’ efforts to provide people with disabilities with marketable skills through productive jobs and wages that promote economic self-sufficiency and diversity in the workplace through the New York State Industries for the Disabled, Inc. program.