Garden State Koi will host build-a-pond day on Sept. 11

Warwick — Garden State Koi will host build-a-pond day on Saturday, Sept. 11, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pros at this free seminar will show participants how to take an ordinary piece of backyard and turn it into an oasis. By 4 p.m. the waterfall will be running and participants will have helped while gaining valuable knowledge. Lunch is included in this day-long event. Garden State Koi & Aquatic Center offers water feature products to suit every budget and lifestyle, from small container water gardens to ecosystem ponds. The center is located at 657 Route 94 in Warwick. Class size is limited. Call Emily at 651-4100 to reserve a spot. ORMC earns award for stroke care MIDDLETOWN — Orange Regional Medical Center has received the “American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines Stroke Silver Plus Performance Achievement Award,” recognizing the center’s commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of stroke care by ensuring that stroke patients receive treatment according to nationally accepted standards and recommendations, according to officials. To receive award, Orange Regional achieved at least 12 consecutive months of 85 percent or higher adherence to all indicators and achieved at least 75 percent or higher compliance with six of 10 quality measures during that same period of time, which are reporting initiatives to measure quality of care. Correctional facility awarded accreditation Goshen — The Orange County Correctional Facility, Orange County Sheriff’s Office, has been awarded accreditation. The award was presented in conjunction with the American Correctional Association 2010 Congress of Correction held recently in Chicago. In presenting the award, Lannette Linthicum, chairperson of the association, and Harold Clarke, president of the association, complimented the facility on its professional level of operation and success in completing the accreditation process. Accreditation standards address services, programs and operations essential to effective correctional management. Through accreditation, an agency is able to maintain a balance between protecting the public and providing an environment that safeguards the life, health, and safety of staff and offenders. Captain Joseph Ryan and Corrections Administrator Dominick Orsino went to the congress to attend the panel hearing and to receive the Certificate of Reaccreditation. Orange County was the first local facility in New York State to be accredited by the association in 2007 and to receive reaccreditation this year. Graham Skea retires from board Middletown — Graham Skea has announced his retirement from his position as the chairman of the Family Empowerment Council Board of Directors, effective Aug. 4. Dr. Fred S. Levinson, M.D. has been elected as the new chairperson of the board of directors. Skea served as the chairman of the board for the last four years. During this time, he made a substantial contribution toward securing the organization’s stability and continued commitment to its mission to provide choice and quality services to people with disabilities. In 2007, Skea was instrumental in securing an affiliation with Occupations, Inc. Through this affiliation, the council became part of Occupation’s service system, but continues as an independent entity with its own mission and services. Levinson is a long standing community leader having served in leadership roles on multiple not-for-profit boards. He is the chairperson of the Orange County Rehabilitation Services, Inc., Board of Trustees; a past chairperson of the Occupations, Inc., Board of Directors; a member of the Occupations Foundation, Inc., Board of Governors and the New Dynamics Corporation, Board of Directors. The Family Empowerment Council is a non-profit organization committed to the belief that every individual should be included in the community to whatever extent he or she chooses. For more information visit www.familyempowerment.org. Governor: No gas drilling unless fracking is safe ALBANY — Gov. David Paterson says hydraulic fracturing of natural gas wells in New York’s part of the four-state Marcellus Shale region won’t be allowed without “overwhelming evidence that nothing will happen” to harm clean water supplies. In an interview on Aug. 13 with Syracuse radio WSYR’s Jim Reith, Paterson said the controversy over natural gas drilling is “obviously a clash between a very lucrative profit-making opportunity and a very serious public safety hazard.” He said a decision on issuing gas drilling permits will be based on scientific evidence showing hydraulic fracturing is safe. Permits have been on hold for two years in New York while regulators complete a review. Hydraulic fracturing uses chemical-laced water at high pressure to fracture gas-rich shale. Opponents say it threatens water supplies but the industry says it’s been used safely for decades.