With The Golf Tournament Six Weeks Away, Schumer Urges Immediate Federal Funding For Village Of Endicott In Wake Of Storms

WITH THE GOLF TOURNAMENT SIX WEEKS AWAY, SCHUMER URGES IMMEDIATE FEDERAL FUNDING FOR VILLAGE OF ENDICOTT IN WAKE OF STORMS

En-Joie Golf Course, Home to the B.C. Open, a Prestigious PGA Annual Golf Tournament, Severely Damaged in Wake of Fall and Spring Storms

Schumer: Inoperable Course Lowers Community Morale and Fails to Generate Needed Revenue for Municipality

With the B.C. Open six weeks away, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today wrote to federal officials to quickly determine and immediately notify the Village of Endicott regarding the level of disaster assistance funding it will receive. This region sustained tremendous damage to both private and municipal property, the result of two sets of severe storms, the first occurred in September 2004, and the other very recently in April 2005.

"It's no secret that the B.C. Open and the golf course plays a vital role to the economy of the Greater Binghamton Area and big source of tourism revenue," Schumer said. "With the tournament just over a month away, we need to pull out all the stops to repair this damage. We need assistance to get things back in working condition, and we need it now."

Schumer has aggressively lobbied FEMA assistance, specifically mentioning the Village of Endicott and the En-Joie Golf Course. As a result of the severe flooding, Broome County has twice been declared a disaster area by both Governor Pataki and President Bush, thereby gaining eligibility for repair reimbursement through FEMA funds. In mid-July, the Village will be hosting the B.C. Open, a prestigious PGA annual golf tournament, and the pride and joy of the community.

In a personal letter to Michael D. Brown, Under Sectary for Emergency Preparedness and Response in the Department of Homeland Security, Schumer noted, the fall storms, compounded with the latest round of damage, have left the area struggling in its efforts to clean up and move forward. In Broome County, the highest river levels were reached in almost 70 years which closed many roads and drove hundreds of residents from their homes. Properties all across the region have been impacted, especially the En-Joie Golf Club in Endicott, home of the B.C Open. The course was already in disrepair in the wake of the hurricanes that ravaged much of the country last September. This flooding delays repairs and presents new challenges as officials strive to keep the course in top PGA caliber condition to retain the B.C Open. Additionally, the Village has been operating under serious budget constraints for some time now, and any additional financial strain will likely present serious implications to the extent of services it can provide its residents.

"Given the history of storm damage in the region and the ever-rising costs of repairs, it is imperative that the Village of Endicott receive this aid expeditiously," Schumer said. "To date, the En-Joie Golf Club remains inoperable, and the Village needs to know what help it can expect."

The En-Joie Golf Club, a village owned and operated recreational facility has hosted this event for many years. Tragically, it was severely damaged during in both sets of storms. Since the September 2004 damage, the Village of Endicott has put nearly $250,000 of its own funds into repair of the course since, and cannot afford to spend much more on this recent storm and flood recovery. The village hopes FEMA will find the Village of Endicott responsible for approximately 12.5 percent of its repair costs, which at this point could equal about $87,500. Currently, the course fails to generate much needed revenue for this municipality. Representatives from FEMA recently toured the facility and evaluated the damage, and the Village of Endicott is waiting correspondence regarding reimbursement for associated repair costs of the club in time for the BCC Open.

http://schumer.senate.gov/SchumerWebsite/pressroom/press_releases/2005/PR41693.En-Joie.052705.html