The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration is co-sponsoring the Hudson Valley Family Health and Safety Fair Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.  at the Westchester County Center in White Plains.

The free event will provide information to guard against health-and-safety hazards on the job, at home and on the road. It will feature workshops, health information and screenings, demonstrations, prizes and activities for children.

OSHA is co-sponsoring the event with the Rochester Institute of Technology, OSHA Education Center and the Voluntary Protection Programs Participants-OSHA Alliance.

Highlights include:

• Safety and health workshops in English and Spanish on chemical and electrical hazards, scaffolding, falls, trenching, machine guarding, traffic, landscaping, fire and tool safety and personal protective equipment.

• Workshops for young employees focusing on permitted and prohibited jobs and work hours, employee rights, and safe work in restaurants, retail and supermarkets.

• Health screenings for blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, weight, eyesight and mental health, as well as health and wellness information from area health and human service organizations.

• Information booths and demonstrations by public safety agencies on fire hazards, seat belt use and bike safety, including free car seat exchanges and bike helmets.

• Booths staffed by federal, state, county and local agencies to provide information about workplace regulations and laws.

A subsidiary of Rye-based consumer products company Jarden Corp. wants people to play cards and play politics at the same time.

The United States Playing Card Co., which makes Bicycle playing cards, plans to sell three decks of cards that focus on politics. Each Democrat, Republican or Independent deck the company sells will count as a vote for that ticket in a nationwide poll.

The company will track and post results at www.BicycleCards.com starting next February.

The back of the cards in the Democratic deck will feature a donkey while the Republic cards will show an elephant. The Independent cards will have an eagle.

Cards will also have images of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Betsy Ross.

A workshop on the 2007 Middle Class STAR Rebate program will take place tomorrow at 10 a.m. at the Yonkers Riverfront Public Library’s second floor community room at 1 Larkin Plaza. The tax program, passed by the state legislature earlier this year, is a $1.3 billion tax cut targeted to middle class homeowners. The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance is hosting the workshop. The department mailed letters last week to homeowners in Yonkers providing them with information on how to apply for their 2007 rebate check and receive the full benefit. The workshop is designed to help residents understand how to complete the rebate application and answer questions about the program. The tax department has included information about the program on its website, www.nystax.gov, and created a special hotline at 1-877-678-2769 for STAR calls.

The Rockland Economic Development Council is sponsoring Haverstraw Business Day Aug. 9. The open house will take place from 3 to 7 p.m. at Haverstraw Center, 50 W. Broad St.

Representatives from local and state agencies will be on hand to speak about their programs and services. Participants can learn about business planning, grants, loans, government contracts, access to capital and programs for women- and minority-owned businesses. The event is open to all Rockland businesses, but it’s tailored for the local Haverstraw-Stony Point business community, said Liz Cranston, director of marketing and communications for REDC. Because those towns have a large Hispanic community, someone will be on hand to translate to Spanish, she said.
For more info, call the REDC at 845-735-7040.

Would-be restaurateurs yearning for a place of their own will get a lift from the city of Yonkers Wednesday.

Looking to attract more dining spots and food stores in the downtown waterfront area, the city will hold a forum outlining the opportunities and tax breaks the city is willing to offer.

The event starts at 2 p.m. at Zuppa Restaurant, which opened at 59 Main St. in 2003. Mayor Philip Amicone will be on hand, along with Zuppa co-owner Robert Leggio, X2O Xaviers owner Peter Kelly, Struever Fidelco Cappelli project manager Peter Klein, and Steve Sansone, executive director of the downtown/waterfront Business Improvement District.

The program is driven chiefly by more than 3,000 apartment units that are either proposed for construction in the waterfront area or have already been built. Two projects already are under construction: the second phase of Hudson Park with 294 rental apartments, and the Main Street Lofts with 170 units.

To reserve a space at the forum, contact the Yonkers BID office at 914-969-6660 or e-mail Jessica Ardrey at jardrey@yonkersdowntown.com.

Rockland Economic Development Corp. is hosting a free seminar on doing business with county government on Thursday at the Rockland County Fire Training Center in Pomona. Members of the Hudson Valley Municipal Purchasing Group will explain how businesses can sell their products or services to Rockland County. Registration begins at 9 a.m. at 35 Firemen’s Memorial Drive. For more information, contact REDC at info@redc.org or 845-735-7040.

The Palisades Center will host a mall-wide job fair Friday from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. to help people find part-time and full-time positions at many of the shopping center’s 300 retailers. The spring event, the first of a series of quarterly job fairs, is hosted by Tomorrow’s Workplace, an employment-services provider in Spring Valley. For more information call Jennis Brandon-Watson at 845-356-5100.

The implications of the region’s aging population will be the topic at what is being billed as the Hudson Valley’s first eldercare summit Friday at the Tappan Hill Mansion in Tarrytown.

Provident Bank, Elant Inc. and other sponsors will bring together speakers to examine the impact the graying of the baby boomers population has on the health-care system, housing and economy. Donna McAleer, the chief executive of Elant Inc., which will host the event, said the region’s population of people more than 60 years old is nearly twice as large as the national average.

Speakers will include county executives from across the region, including Andrew J. Spano of Westchester. Others at the event will include Larry Minnix, president of the American Association of Housing and Services for the Aging, and Mae Carpenter, the commissioner of the Westchester Department of Senior Programs and Services and the founder of the New York Southern Area Aging Network.

Tickets are $100 each. Registration and breakfast begin at 7:45 a.m. followed by presentations and a luncheon. For reservations or information on sponsorship opportunities, contact the Elant Foundation at 845-291-3836.

A free workshop offered by the Rockland Economic Development Corp.-Procurement Technical Assistance Center next Thursday will feature presentations by the state Department of Labor and information on immigration law.

The Labor Department will talk about labor markets, the economic outlook, prevailing wage, growing business sectors, tax credits and more. A presentation on immigration law will focus on employers’ responsibilities in hiring and maintaining records on workers, and workers’ basic rights. In addition, Tomorrow’s Workplace, which provides training and employment resources for employers and job seekers, will present its business services.

The workshop is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Haverstraw Town Hall, One Rosman Road, Garnerville. For more information, contact REDC at 845-735-7040Z or info@redc.org.

The Westchester/Putnam Central Labor Body, AFL-CIO, will hold a Workers Memorial Day service tomorrow at 4:45 p.m. at Kensico Dam Plaza in Valhalla to remember workers who died or were injured on the job this year, and to demand new workplace safety rules. The Sword of Light Pipe Band of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local No. 3 will play.

The WEBS Career & Educational Counseling Service, a program of the Westchester Library System, will offer two free six-week courses starting this week:

• The Career Development Seminar will be held at the White Plains Public Library on Wednesday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m. It will help adults assess their themselves, attain career and educational information, use online resources, explore career options and market themselves.

• Take Charge! Career/Life Planning after 50 will be held at the Ossining Public Library on Thursdays from 3 to 5 p.m. It will help participants plan for the next stage of their life, including full- and part-time work, volunteerism, entrepreneurial ventures and learning and leisure opportunities.
Pre-registration is required. Call 914-674-3612.

Yonkers officials were busy yesterday putting the final touches on the city’s annual Yonkers Business Week that starts Monday with a kickoff breakfast at the Roosevelt Room in the Philipsburgh Building on Hudson Street.

“We’re just basically finalizing all the logistics because we do have a very exciting, full week in front of us,� said Helen Tvedt, head of the Yonkers Office of Economic Development.

Monday’s events also include the ceremonial launch of New York Water Taxi service from the Yonkers Pier at 99 Main Street to lower Manhattan, providing commuters with direct transportation downtown. The ferry service officially starts Tuesday.

Among other events planned for the week are: a forum on accessing capital on Tuesday; a Yonkers business expo on Wednesday; Thursday’s awards dinner, which will recognize Yonkers businesses; and a golf outing Friday morning.

For a complete schedule of events or for registration information, go to www.yonkersbusinessweek.com on the Web.

More than 30 mostly Westchester-based businesses, individuals and agencies will be honored at Westchester Arc’s annual employer recognition breakfast being held tomorrow at the Westchester Marriott in Greenburgh.

More than 200 attendees are expected at the annual event, Arc said, which this year will feature a speech by Kenneth Adams, president and chief executive of the Business Council of New York State.

The Greater Mahopac-Carmel Chamber of Commerce is looking for a few good businesses to participate in the third annual Shop Putnam Business & Home Expo to be held May 2 at Villa Barone Hilltop Manor in Mahopac.

For an application or more information, visit the chamber’s Web site at www.mahopaccarmelchamber.com/expo or call Eileen Martinelli 845-628-5553.

“New Americans — Tomorrow’s Workforce,� a conference on the regional work force, is slated for Friday at the Tarrytown House Estate and Conference Center in Tarrytown.

A group of experts will discuss topics of relevance to the local work force, touching on economic, education, and legal and legislative issues. The conference proceedings will be published as a starting point for initiatives to meet the county’s need for skilled workers.

Rae Rosen, a senior economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, will speak on the subject, “Labor and Workforce Trends: The Regional Economic Climate and Projections for the Future.�

Jose Antonio Tijerino, president and chief executive of the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, will speak on “Diversity Enriches the Leadership of Tomorrow.�

A series of six interactive roundtables with expert panelists are planned for the following topics:

• “Work Locally, Compete Globally – Building the Regional Skilled Workforce.� Panelists: Dr. Peter A. Creticos, president and executive director of the Institute for Work and the Economy and senior research associate at Northern Illinois University Outreach; John M. DeMarco, senior VP and corporate counsel for Lowe Enterprises; Timothy Indiveri, section manager of recruitment, Con Edison; and Jon B. Schandler, president and chief executive, White Plains Hospital Center.

• “Access to Success – Higher Education, Language and Literacy.� Panelists: Tara Colton, associate research director, Center for an Urban Future; Dr. Suma Kurien, director, LaGuardia Community College Center for Immigrant Education and Training; and Tarrytown School Superintendent Dr. Howard W. Smith.

• “Economic Development – Innovation and Partnerships for Business, Education and the Community.� Panelists: Julian L. Alssid, executive director, Workforce Strategy Center; Christopher Bruhl, head of the Business Council of Fairfield; Dr. Timothy Dowding, associate professor-in-residence & director, University of Connecticut; and William M. Mooney, Jr., president, Westchester County Association.

• “Immigration Policy and Legislation – Creating Policies that Work.� Panelists: Hon. Jose Alvarado, Westchester County Legislator, District 17; Robin Bikkal, senior partner, Silverman, Bikkal & Sandberg LLP; and Chung-Wha Hong, executive director, The New York Immigration Coalition.

• “The New Talent Pool – Diversity, Leadership and International Professionals.� Panelists: Manuel Boado, president and chief executive, SPANUSA; Nikki Cicerani, managing director, Upwardly Global; and Elizabeth McIsaac, executive director, Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council.

• “Cost of Living – Building the Infrastructure for the New Workforce.� Panelists: Jerry Mulligan, Westchester County Planning Commissioner; Dr. Brian Nickerson, director, Pace University Edwin G. Michaelian Institute for Public Policy & Management; and Isabel Villar, executive director, El Centro Hispano Inc.

For more information, please call the Westchester Community College Foundation office at (914) 606-6804 or visit www.sunywcc.edu/forum to register online.

Minority- and women-owned businesses looking for a way to break into government contracting can learn the secrets of doing so at a four-day workshop due to start on Saturday.

The Hudson Valley Prep Program takes place on Saturdays from Apr. 14 through May 5 at the offices of the co-sponsor, the African-American Chamber of Commerce of Westchester and Rockland Counties Inc. in Mount Vernon.

Among the subjects covered in the workshop are marketing, cost estimates, accounting, and understanding the bureaucracy. The chamber said that, historically, 76 percent of participants are awarded contracts.

“It’s a pretty complicated process,� chamber President and Chief Executive Robin Douglas said, “but it’s definitely worth it.�

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is co-sponsoring the program. Registration is $110. For more information, call the chamber at 914-699-4749, or check the Web at www.aaccnys.org.

Verizon Wireless will hold two job fairs in Rockland County next week as it looks to fill positions in business sales, telesales and communications stores in the New York metro area. The first job fair will take place from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday in Romano Hall on the campus of St. Thomas Aquinas College at 125 Rt. 340 in Sparkill. A second job fair will be held from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday at Dominican College, 470 Western Highway in Orangeburg. Job requirements include one to two years of retail sales or service experience. A college degree is desirable, according to the company. For more information, visit the company’s Web site (www.verizonwireless.com/careers).

The North Rockland Businesses Alliance will host an open house April 12 for North Rockland businesses and residents.

The meeting will be at 7 p.m. at RHO Cottage in Letchworth Village. The speaker will be Thomas P. Zugibe, the organization’s counsel, former West Haverstraw Village judge and a candidate for Rockland County District Attorney.

For more information, or send an e-mail message to NRockBA@aol.com or call 845-942-4474.

The biggest minority business expo in the Lower Hudson Valley gets under way Tuesday with a job fair and an open discussion on how entrepreneurs can grow their enterprises.

The eighth annual Business-to-Business Exchange takes place through tomorrow at the Crowne Plaza in White Plains. The event is organized by the African-American Chamber of Commerce of Westchester and Rockland Counties Inc.

For the third year in a row, the program will sponsor a “Town Hall Meeting� tonight from 6-9. The subject will be the next steps that businesses need to take to ensure their future, said Robin Douglas, president and chief executive officer of the chamber.

Marilyn D. Johnson, vice president of market development for IBM Corp., will moderate the meeting. Panelists include CNN commentator Donna Brazil, Westchester County Board of Legislators Vice Chairman Clinton I. Young Jr., Black Enterprise Senior Vice President and Editor-in-Chief Alfred A. Edmond Jr., and Michael Jones-Bey, director of the division of minority and women’s business development for New York state.

The job fair will run from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Seminars are scheduled for tomorrow on such topics as brand building, technology, and doing business with the state School Construction Authority. The keynote speaker at tomorrow’s luncheon is broadcaster Ed Gordon, host of “Our World with Black Enterprise.�

Four women will be honored during the luncheon for their business achievements. They are Jeannine Blanco, public affairs specialist at State Farm Companies; Joy P. Crichlow, director of Con Edison’s Supplier Diversity Program; Wanda McKenzie, a market executive for IBM; and Tracey Travis, chief financial officer for Polo Ralph Lauren.

More information on the program is available at the chamber’s Web site at www.aaccnys.org.

The Business Council of Westchester is hosting on seminar on ways to manage the costs of benefits Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. a the Westchester Graduate Campus of Long Island University in Purchase. The program’s offerings include three ways for business owners, manager and human-resource professionals to manage costs, regardless of whether a company is fully insured or self insured. Cost is $25 for Business Council members; $35 for non-members. To register, call 914-948-2110 or go online at www.westchesterny.org.