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Mid Hudson Times , Wednesday , December 14 , 2016

PUBLIC AGENDA

THURSDAY , DECEMBER 15 Town of Newburgh Planning Board , 7 p . m . Town Hall , 1496 Route 300 , Town of Newburgh .

TUESDAY , DECEMBER 20

City of Newburgh Planning Board , 7:30 p . m . City Hall , 83 Broadway .

THURSDAY , DECEMBER 22 Newburgh City Council Work Session , 6 p . m . City Hall , 83 Broadway . Town of Newburgh ZBA , 7 p . m . Town Hall , 1496 Route 300 , Town of Newburgh .

TUESDAY , DECEMBER 27

Newburgh City Council meeting . 7 p . m . City Hall , 83 Broadway .

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The Mid Hudson Times , ( USPS 000-5947 ) is a weekly newspaper published every Wednesday at Newburgh , NY 12550 , with offices at 300 Stony Brook Court , Newburgh , NY . Single copy : $ 1 at newsstand . By mail in Orange , Ulster or Sullivan Counties : $ 40 annually , $ 44 out of county . Periodicals permit at Newburgh , NY . POSTMASTER : Send address changes to Mid Hudson Times , 300 Stony Brook Court , Newburgh , NY 12550

Northeast Gateway to Freedom is located next to a vacant lot on Broadway where people urinate and defecate , said Pastor Rosey Andrews . A new city ordinance aims to change this .

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and non-collection of animal waste . “ To me , this is even worse and more disgusting ,” said Abrams . “ It should carry a dramatic penalty .”

The law came about , in large part , to plucky Pastor Rosey Andrews . “ Mostly , it ’ s people who drive up to the local store and decide to urinate on the side of the building ,” said Andrews , founder and executive director of Northeast Gateway to Freedom , a non-profit serving at-risk , inner-city kids .

Sometimes , they also go number two , Andrews said . “ The kids in the Kidz Initiative get to watch this beautiful site ,” she complained to the city council Monday .

The non-profit is located at 104 Broadway , next to a neglected , vacant lot that , according to Andrews , has served for years as a magnet for riff-raff . “ We ’ re surrounded by crack addicts and drug dealers ,” she said .

Andrews commiserated with the owners of a nearby bodega and pizzeria . “ No matter what we did , they set up chairs and smoked pot ,” she said . “ They defecate and urinate , like it ’ s their yard .”

Andrews has been dealing with the problem for more than seven years .

The owner refuses to clean the lot up , she said . Andrews has offered more than once to purchase the property , but the owner refuses to sell it to her . “ He said he was going to hold onto it until it was profitable to sell ,” the pastor said .

The property - owned by Adam Potocki , according to the Orange County Department of Real Property - continued to be abused until a drug arrest a couple of months ago , Andrews said . “ It ’ s been quieter since then ,” she said . “ The DPW cleaned it up about a month ago .”

Andrews has called the police on numerous occasions . “ They said , ‘ If we don ’ t find anyone there , we can ’ t do anything ,’” Andrews recalled .

Meanwhile , the children at the facility saw people going to the bathroom on the property . “ I said , ‘ I don ’ t want to raise these kids like this . They have to watch this every day ?” Andrews said , incensed . “ I don ’ t think so .”

Andrews began talking with former Police Chief Dan Cameron about ways to address the problem . She suggested the city establish fines . “ If there ’ s never a consequence , there will never be change ,” she said . “ We started looking at different cities for similar ordinances .” They eventually sat down with the corporation counsel to work out the details .

Andrews was clearly happy about the adoption of the ordinance on Tuesday . “ We ’ re on roll ,” she said , regarding the new law and other changes aimed at improving safety and quality of life in the city .

Andrews , whose non-profit strives to provide a “ safe haven ” to city kids , insists more change is needed . “ I ’ m fighting for the kids ,” she said .

The new law takes effect immediately .