Canal Corporation Announces Availability of 2009 Tug Urger Free Educational Program for NY's Fourth-Graders

The New York State Canal Corporation today announced the Tug Urger Educational Program schedule is now available for the 2009 school year. The program is available during the spring and fall months to all New York State schools at no cost. The spring program kicks off on Wednesday, May 6, 2009, at Lock O-8 in Oswego, NY.

Canal Corporation Director Carmella R. Mantello said, "The Canal Corporation is proud to once again offer this informative educational program for New York's schoolchildren as a way to promote the significant history of the Canals and their impact on the development of our State and nation. We encourage educators from throughout the State to take advantage of this free program to provide students with a hands-on look at life on the Canal."

The Urger, the Corporation's flagship vessel, was christened the Henry J. Dornbos in Michigan on June 13, 1901. The Tug Urger, property of the New York State Canal Corporation, has served as the official ambassador for the New York State Canal System since 1992.

In September 2001, the Urger was placed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places.

The Urger now serves as the focal point of a program to educate school children about the importance of New York's historic Canal System and the role that inland waterways have played historically, and continue to play, in the lives of people who live along them.

In the spring and fall, the Urger visits communities along the Canal System where students in fourth-grade classes at local schools take field trips to the Tug and participate in "hands-on" educational sessions. There they learn about the history of the Canals and the role construction of the Erie Canal played in making New York the "Empire State."

For the complete Tug Urger schedule, please visit the Canal Corporation's website at the following link: http://www.nyscanals.gov/cculture/tugboat.html. Class size and presentations are limited and are filled on a first-come, first-serve basis.

The New York State Canal System is comprised of four historic waterways, the Erie, the Champlain, the Oswego and the Cayuga-Seneca Canals. Spanning 524 miles across New York State, the waterway links the Hudson River, Lake Champlain, Lake Ontario, the Finger Lakes and the Niagara River with communities rich in history and culture.

For more information on how to take advantage of this educational program, please call 518-436-2799 or visit the Canal Corporation's Website at www.nyscanals.gov.

The New York State Thruway Authority/Canal Corporation offers a free email service called TRANSalert to its customers via email or text messaging to inform them of major incidents and emergencies that may affect travel on the Thruway or navigation on the Canal System. To sign up for the Canal TRANSalert service, customers can visit the Corporation's website at www.nyscanals.gov/tas/. To sign-up for Thruway TRANSalerts please visit the Authority's website at www.nysthruway.gov/tas/.

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