“Gang violence is nothing new in this dilapidated city an hour north of Manhattan. Built along a scenic bluff on the west bank of the Hudson River, Newburgh has long been known for problems far out of proportion to its population of 29,000. In the 1960s and ’70s, it was racial strife and disastrous urban renewal efforts. In the 1980s, when the city was known as “crack alley,” it was drug-fueled violence, which has ebbed and flowed here ever since…”
5.6.10: Keep public records public: From today’s Guardian, article on the Supreme Court case that may take the “public” out of “public records.” Dan Kennedy writes, “Information technology has given us the tools to govern ourselves more openly and transparently than we ever have before. It would be sadly ironic if that technology is now used as an excuse to cover up public records lest they become too public for those who wish to take part in democracy, but who lack the courage of their convictions.” Source – http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/may/06/supreme-court-public-records
Video excerpts from the city council work session Thursday, March 4, 2010.
The work session began with a grave report on the city’s financial status, given by Dwight Hadley, CPA, and assisted by Christine Mitchell, CPA, the city’s new comptroller:
Next came a presentation by Dr. Jerome Blue on the status of the Liberty Street School project:
The third presentation was regarding the Community Resource Officers, or CROs. Representing the Newburgh Enlarged City School District were Ralph Pizzo and Mike Pacella. The school district has offered to pay the city for two new police officers in exchange for staffing Newburgh Free Academy and North Junior High School with a CRO each. Also assisting with the discussion were two former CROs, who spoke of the benefits of the positions, and FBI agent Maryann Goldman, who spoke about the seriousness of Newburgh’s gang problems (as reported in the cover story of the Times Herald-Record) and urged the council to fund the positions.
Full video of the entire CROs discussion here:
Finally, from later in the work session, discussion on the Home Improvement Loan Program.
[video deleted]
This program is administered by Demetrius Faulk. Courtney Kain, Acting Director of the Planning Department, explained the program with Demetrius. It was during discussion of this program that (at 6:15 on the video) Councilwoman Marge Bell notes that the records show her as the recipient of a $13,500 loan. Bell says she did receive some funding, but she says she did not receive $13,500.
