On June 10, 2010, at 3 p.m., the City of Newburgh held a dedication ceremony for the art project completed by Bryan Guglielmi in the new courthouse. Above is the complete video of the ceremony. The ceremony video may also be downloaded here.

The invitation to the ceremony invoked Thurgood Marshall with his quote:

“…Certain people have a way of saying things that shake us at the core. Even when the words do not seem harsh or offensive, the impact is shattering. What we could be experiencing is the intent behind the words. When we intend to do good, we do. When we intend to do harm, it happens. What each of us must come to realize is that our intent always comes through. We cannot sugarcoat the feelings in our heart of hearts. The emotion is the energy that motivates. We cannot ignore what we really want to create. We should be honest and do it the way we feel it. What we owe to ourselves and everyone around is to examine the reasons of our true intent. My intent will be evident in the results.”

Full press release from the City of Newburgh:

City of Newburgh Celebrates Completion of
Newburgh Courthouse Mural,
“Newburgh-The Evolution of an American City”
Artist & Designer Bryan Guglielmi

On Thursday, June 10, almost a year to the day after the dedication of the City of Newburgh Courthouse, City and Court officials, area dignitaries, and local artists gathered to celebrate artist and designer Bryan Guglielmi’s completion of the mural project which graces its lobby.  The mural, entitled “Newburgh- the Evolution of an American City” is comprised of 10 individual panels that span the walls at the top of the stairs. Over 40 feet long combined and 9 feet tall, each panel represents a different captivating era in the evolution of the City of Newburgh, including but not limited to panel #10, the multi-cultural Lady Liberty figure which is an allegorical reference to the concept of justice. Blind? Or just looking the other way? The work has received breathtaking reviews by courthouse staff and visitors.

The artwork and design was commissioned under the City’s “Percent for Art” program. Percent for Art refers to a process by which a small portion of a municipal construction project is separated from the larger project and completed by an artist contractor instead of the general contractor.  The artist completes work that would have been a part of the project in any case, and thus enhances the building with the touch of an artist without adding to the cost of construction.  The City’s Percent for Art ordinance was developed by the City of Newburgh Arts and Culture Commission (NACC) and the Department of Planning & Development, and enacted by the City Council.

NACC chair Stuart Sachs, stated, “Percent for Art brings municipal construction back to the individual. It transforms a functional building through the touch of an artist and reintroduces it to the public as a vibrant part of the social fabric. Bryan has successfully knitted Newburgh’s history into its new hall of justice. It is especially gratifying that our first Percent for Art commission was won by a hometown boy.”

Guglielmi’s concept was chosen from 36 submissions in a structured jury process conducted by NACC. An eleven-member panel, composed of artists, educators, historians, representatives from City government, the Court, and the community, chose the winning entry in a “blind” selection process, where the identity of the artists was not revealed. Jurors also considered the input of more than 100 visitors to a public showing at the Ritz Theater lobby, where submissions were displayed anonymously and viewers were encouraged to provide feedback.

“We wanted to ensure that the process reflected the perspectives of a broad constituency and desires of local Newburgh residents,” said Martha Zola, former Director of Economic and Cultural Development, “because public art should incorporate the opinions of the general public.”

In the end, the jurors and the public were in sync:  the jurors’ choice corresponded to the public’s top rated selection. 24 yr old Bryan Guglielmi, a Newburgh native, was chosen for his disciplined and thoughtful depiction of the City’s history in panoramic form.

Guglielmi attended Newburgh Free Academy and graduated from Storm King School.  In 2008, he graduated from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia.  While there, he also worked as a paid apprentice, painting with professional artists on several mural projects, including New Windsor’s Carriage House Art Studio, in New York and Washington, D.C.  In 2008, Guglielmi started working with the Mural Arts Program of Philadelphia on solo and collaborative murals and mural designs. He has sold work to private collectors and has shown nationally.  At age 19, his painting, Self Portrait,” received an award of excellence and was shown as part of a collection at the Smithsonian Institute, S. Dillon Ripley Center, in Washington D.C.

Today Guglielmi’s work can be seen in multiple shows in the Philadelphia area. He is currently the curator for art shows at Chris Jazz Club, a well-known hot spot for emerging artist in Philadelphia, and he is negotiating new projects with Philadelphia Mural Arts. In the fall he plans to return to school to complete his Masters in Fine Art. For more information, visit http://www.guglielmiart.com.

“This truly amazing young artist, who grew up here, and attended local schools, is a wonderful role model and a shining example of the good things about the City of Newburgh, and its tremendous potential,” Mayor Nicholas Valentine commented.

Hon. Alan D. Scheinkman, Presiding Judge for the 9th Judicial District commented, “On behalf of Chief Judge Lippman, we in the Unified Court System congratulate the City of Newburgh and Bryan Guglielmi on the completion of this important and vital work of art, which pulls together important elements from the history of the City and ties it in a unique and challenging way to its setting which, like the mural itself, is both historic and new.”

Hon. B. Harold Ramsey, Newburgh City Judge  added, “Newburgh-The Evolution of an American City” depicted in the mural, represents Newburgh past, present and future; active, lively people going about making Newburgh a beautiful city. This mural will remind all of us that Newburgh is a city whose roots of the present are deep in the past.”

I look at it almost as a tourist attraction. The international attention would put Newburgh on the map… The businesses around here would benefit. People would be going to restaurants and traveling around the Newburgh area who’ve never been here before.

This came as pressure mounted against holding the trial in the federal courthouse in New York City.

The Mayor also appeared on myfoxny.com:

The video above also includes an excerpt from a press conference held by County Executive Eddie Diana, at which Mr. Diana sharply disagrees with Mayor Valentine. Diana does not want the trials in Orange County, and has written as much to President Obama.

But what of the city council of Newburgh itself? Although media reports suggest implicitly or explicitly that Valentine has the support of his colleagues, when his colleagues are actually asked, their opinions are far from unanimous in support.  The Newburgh Advocate asked them what they thought.

Regina Angelo – “A shot in the arm”

Reached by telephone, Regina Angelo said she agreed with Mayor Valentine, that the trials would “help businesses.” She pointed out that there’s a “hotel right there,” and that restaurants would benefit. She said it would be a “shot in the arm for us… [we'd] really be on the map.”

Marge Bell – “I am absolutely opposed to this folly”

[I'm] shocked that the mayor would launch this kind of campaign without consulting the other members of the council.   Where did he receive the authority to speak for the entire council?  Inviting the trials here shows a total disregard for the residents of our city.  Safety and disruption of our way of life needed to be considered first.  The whole notion is ill hatched, and I am absolutely opposed to this folly.

Christine Bello – “It’s like making a business deal over an open coffin”

As always this is something that the Mayor did without even consulting the rest of us prior to going public with this.  He pitched it to me after the headlines, stating that the city could negotiate getting the courthouse paid off and possibly securing the salaries and benefits for 10 police officers for ten years.  I would have to see that offer in writing in order to believe it.  Generally if it sounds too good to be true it is.  The only thing the feds have announced is that they would pay for the security required.  With the military like security I believe it would limit businesses in the vicinity of the courthouse rather than economically stimulate them, something that would put some out of business.  I’m told that these trials could go on for years; that is a long time to have your business interrupted, and still survive.

Personally I feel that these characters should be tried by a military tribunal.  There is nothing worth putting a bulls eye on our already beleaguered little city.  When Valentine stated that he had no fear of terrorist threats here I wasn’t surprised; he does not even acknowledge the existing crime stats. Unlike the Mayor, I live AND work within a block either way of the courthouse, it’s very troubling to me.  Aside from the security concerns I get an overall uneasy feeling about this.  It’s like making a business deal over an open coffin, or selling souvenirs at the Alamo. It just doesn’t feel right.  Not to mention, what would this do to our own court cases that are already running behind? I don’t believe this was well thought out.

Curlie Dillard

As of post time, Councilman Dillard had not responded to requests for comment.

More points to ponder…

According to this press report, NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly outlined a security plan that would include two perimeters, one “soft” and the other “hard.”  The soft perimeter would be monitored by cops, while the hard perimeter would be blocked off.  Any permutation of a similar plan here in the City of Newburgh would almost certainly place a portion of 9W/Robinson Avenue at the intersection with Broadway within those perimeters.  What impact would this have on the city?

Does Newburgh have the symbolic capital to hold such a trial?  The Nuremberg Trials were held in Nuremberg in part because of its association as the birthplace of the Nazi Party.  Additionally, it had an intact Palace of Justice with an adequate prison nearby.  There doesn’t seem to be an adequate corollary for our current situation.  If anything, New York City would have made the point that “[t]his is where the attack occurred, and New Yorkers should have been proud to see justice done here.”

Attendees of the Newburgh City Council work session this past Thursday might have had a funny “Back to the Future” feeling when Neil Novesky was invited to the table.  The council was vetting Novesky and his wife Elizabeth to serve as CDBG consultants under Courtney Kain, Acting Planning Department Director.   Community Deveopment Block Grant (CDBG) funds are given to the city from the Department of Housing and Urban Development with the goal of improving conditions “principally for low- and moderate-income persons.”

Mr. Novesky was an employee of the City of Newburgh’s Development Department from 1983-1986.

As Novesky stated during his interview, it was a time of many “UDAGs” – Urban Development Action Grants, including what was to become the Key Bank Building at the foot of Broadway, and the selling off of Broadway School to several partners, including then consulting engineer Bill Hauser.

Later Novesky and his wife would work for the City of Middletown (as of this posting their website still lists Novesky as Community and Economic Development Director.) Novesky, along with Middletown Mayor Joe DeStefano and City Court Judge Rich Guertin, were the three defendants of the corruption trial that forced DeStefano out of office.  Novesky and Guertin were found not guilty on all counts in April 2005.  Novesky continued working during the trial and through the mayorship of Marlinda Duncanson, tendering his resignation December 4, 2010––just before DeStefano would return to office.

During the Noveskys interview Thursday night, Neil did the talking.  He said he would focus on large economic development projects, and try to set up revolving economic development loans with CDBG funds.  Toward the end he made mention of a nonprofit he and his wife work for.  He spoke softly, and I couldn’t quite catch if he stated the nonprofit’s name.  After their presentation, they made a swift exit, and I ran after them, catching them at the top of the stairs.

“You mentioned you work for a nonprofit.  What is the name of it?”

“CIDC.”

“Loewenstein?” I asked.

“Yes.  He pays on a per diem basis,” Novesky answered.

Have we met before?

It’s hard to tell when Mr. William Loewenstein began his consulting relationship with the City of Newburgh.  Back in 1982, the City passes Resolution No. 6 on January 25 by which the “National Development Council of Hudson, New York” is contracted to provide economic development assistance for $35,000 per year.  In later publications, Loewenstein is identified as a consultant with NDC.

Loewenstein was one of the signatories of the incorporation papers for the Broadway School partnership “Denn Cass”––a deal that profited some of the partners, if not the city’s local development corporation.

Loewenstein continued his consulting relationship over the years in Newburgh, more recently through his nonprofit CIDC – Community Initiatives Development Corporation.  He was also a consultant to the City of Middletown, and indeed, gave grand jury testimony in the aforementioned corruption trial.

The Newburgh IDA ended its relationship with CIDC when a new board was seated, after talks with CIDC representative Ed Schorno in 2008.

CIDC Courthouse Deal

CIDC is a controversial name in Newburgh in part because of the city courthouse deal with terms such as triple-net-lease proposed by Loewenstein.  At the time (2005) Loewenstein was a financial consultant to the city, he proposed that his nonprofit be the funding vehicle for the construction of the new courthouse.

Antony Takahashi, who then lived in Newburgh and worked as a financial analyst for IBM, did an evaluation of the terms of the contract.  The Times Herald-Record quotes Takahashi saying he would never recommend the deal to his bosses. “Not in good conscience.”

Full video of the CDBG discussion, including interview with the Noveskys:

There have been reports of problems with the video embedded below. To access the video directly, go here.

Mr. Guglielmi was a student of Garin Baker, current NACC commissioner and former chair of the commission.  Mr. Baker served on the jury for the selection process and had input in the selection of jurors.  Mr. Baker also hired Mr. Guglielmi to do work on his murals in the City of Newburgh.

NACC retroactively votes to approve sending letter for waterfront sculpture

According to Karen Conway, NACC commissioner, a letter was sent in support of a sculpture project by Greg Wyatt to the NEA from the NACC – without the commission having discussed it or met openly as a public body.  The commission voted to approve the action retroactively, with one dissenting vote.  Ms. Conway noted that it was a “time issue” due to the changeover in presidential administrations; the aim was to have the letter reach the current National Endowment for the Arts administrator, who will be stepping down soon.

How much will the project cost?  Ms. Conway suggested it would cost the city nothing, as the NEA and the sculptor would pay for the work destined for a waterfront location.  In an email on January 17, Ms. Conway clarified that the NEA was requesting that the city apply for an additional $10,000 grant for maintenance.

Commemoration of Burial Grounds at New Courthouse

Also at the meeting were Yaniyah Pearson and  Pam Krizek, who gave a presentation on the activities of their committee, which is organized around determining appropriate commemoration of the burial grounds at the new courthouse.

New NACC Website

In other business at the meeting, Mr. Baker’s son, Harrison Baker, gave a presentation on the new NACC website, which he is being paid to produce.

Part 1 of 11 Meeting Opening

Part 2 of 11 Presentation regarding commemoration of burial grounds at the new courthouse


Part 3 of 11 Report from Martha Zola, Director of Economic and Cultural Development


Part 4 of 11 Retroactive vote of approving letter endorsing Wyatt


Part 5 of 11 Presentation by Harrison Baker on the new NACC website


Part 6 of 11 Report on the NACC nominating committee


Part 7 of 11 Martha Zola enquires about the funding mechanisms committee


Part 8 of 11 Ratification of the chosen, unnamed artist for the courthouse commission


Part 9 of 11 Selection of a treasurer for NACC


Part 10 of 11 Garin Baker proposes joining Americans for the Arts


Part 11 of 11 Announcements and meeting conclusion

On Monday, September 8, the Newburgh City Council voted to pass the Courthouse Bond for $5.2M.

Instrumental to getting the supermajority 4-1 most likely was the discussion from the work session held September 4. That night the bond discussion went for almost two hours, and included a presentation by bond counsel Ken Bond (pictured above.) The entire bond discussion from the work session is posted below.

According to the Record,

Council members wanted to know why the city wasn’t suing for the asbestos bill and threatened to delay the bond vote forever if they didn’t get answers to that and other questions about the project. Councilwoman Christine Bello lead a request for a state audit. The state comptroller sent a letter last week confirming it would examine the project, and Bello said she was confident the city was finally serious about pursuing litigation.

Further information about the call for an investigation by the Comptroller’s office is here.

This bond is reduced from the starting figure of $6,325,000 by the removal of two items – repayment of a Local Development Corporation loan of $416,715 and repayment of an Urban Development Action Grant of $560,000 (numbers and pictures below are taken from the work session and may have been preliminary.)

What are the consequences of not repaying the UDAG and LDC loan?

City Manager Jean Ann McGrane had this to say about it at the work session on Thursday night, September 4:

A number of citizens had critical questions and comments regarding the bond. Why was the 2004 bond not being addressed? The 2004 NY State audit of the city’s budget admonished that the fund balance was not to be used as a revenue. Why have the cost overruns not been examined? Why not go ahead and bond the 2004 approved amount, and pursue “Options 4 or 5″ – go out for the additional bond later after an evaluation of needs?

Citizens in favor of bonding

The bond resolution was tabled pending further discussion. However, many members of the public spoke out in favor of the bond as is, with arguments ranging from faith to fiduciary duty.

Public Hearing: Housing and Community Development needs

Comments from the public regarding the agenda

City Manager’s Report

Old Business, including bond resolution

General comments from the public

General comments from the Council

Full video of the Newburgh City Council Bond Resolution Work Session Meeting held August 4, 2008 at 6 p.m.