NORWICH – Communities Against Regional Interconnect, the eight-county alliance taking on the NYRI power line, today received $418,000 of $1 million in state money first promised when the fight began over a year and a half ago.

“It’s much needed and we appreciate them coming through with the money as promised,” said Chenango County’s CARI representative Donna M. Jones. “It was well worth the wait.”

The money was promised by a group of state Senators in the spring of 2006 at a press conference in the Chenango County Office Building. It was held up, according to Senator Jim Seward (R-Oneonta), in the state Attorney General’s and Comptroller’s Office over contract issues.

“When NYRI first reared its ugly utility pole, Republican senators representing the affected counties stepped up, stood with our constituents, and pledged $1 million in financial support to local communities fighting the power line,” Seward said. “Today, I am pleased to say that a substantial down payment on our pledge has been delivered.”