Newburgh IDA to meet
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Mid Hudson Times , Wednesday , December 14 , 2016
Gun buy-back event set for Friday
By SHANTAL RILEY sriley @ tcnewspapers . com
The City of Newburgh Police Department is holding another gun buy-back event at the city Activity Center this Friday . All guns will be exchanged for gift cards , no questions asked .
Guns must be unloaded and placed in a box , plastic bag or paper bag . There is no limit on how many guns may be exchanged . Assault guns will be exchanged for a $ 150 gift card ; handguns will be exchanged for $ 100 , rifles and shotguns $ 75 , and non-working or antique guns $ 25 .
Licensed gun dealers , active or retired , law-enforcement officers are not eligible to participate . The event is being held in collaboration with the New York State Attorney General ’ s Office .
The gun buy-back is being held a little more than a month following the shooting deaths of two young women at a Halloween party on Broadway . Nija Johnson , 17 , has since been charged with two counts of second-degree murder .
The City of Newburgh Activity Center is located at 401 Washington Street . For more information about the gun buy-back event , contact the New York State Attorney
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drove past the stone memorial on Monday . The words “ Town of New Windsor ” topped the monument , surrounded by wreaths placed during a Veteran ’ s Day ceremony last month .
In his letter , Karlinsky cited the First Amendment ’ s “ Establishment Clause ,” which , the Cornell Law School states , “ prohibits the government from making any law ‘ respecting an establishment of religion .’”
“ I am certain that each and every fallen serviceman or servicewoman died in service to our country ,” wrote the attorney , whose law firm is based in New York City . “ I am also constrained to point out that it is wholly inaccurate to suggest that all service members ( those interred in the New Windsor cemetery and others ) died for a deity in which they believed .”
He ended , stating he hoped the town would “ remedy this violation of law .” At a New Windsor Town Board meeting last week , town Supervisor George Green described his response to the letter . “ I ignored it ,” he said .
In a second letter , Karlinsky used stronger language . “ Please understand that we will be both prepared and constrained to take all appropriate action should the town fail to respond by Dec . 15 of the current year ,” Green said , reading the letter , dated Dec . 1 and printed on Karlinsky LLC letterhead .
Given it was very close to the anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge , Green said , he wrote back to Karlinsky with the same response Gen . Anthony McAuliffe gave Commander Gen . Heinrich Freiherr von Lüttwitz in 1944 . “ Nuts !” the supervisor said , reading his short reply out loud . “ Yours very truly , George Green .”
Karlinsky wrote back two days later : “ While I cannot say that I am pleased with that response , I do wonder whether you would like to sit down and discuss this matter before we take action .”
Photo provided
Some of the guns collected at a City of Newburgh PD gun buy-back event this summer . More than 50 guns were purchased at the event
General ’ s Office at 845-485-3900 or intergovernmental .
affairs @ ag . ny . gov .
Attorney threatens suit over vets ’ memorial
Green , however , was clear in his conviction Monday . “ There is nothing to discuss ,” the supervisor said . “ The sign is staying there , period .”
Veterans ’ response Veterans expressed their support to keep the memorial the way it is at Town Hall last Wednesday .
“ I took an oath ,” said New Windsor resident and WWII veteran Joseph Farina , who read the “ Oath of Enlistment ,” taken by all members of the U . S . Armed Forces .
“ I , do solemnly swear , that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies , foreign and domestic … according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice . So help me God ,” Farina read , emphasizing the last words .
“ We have all listened , for too long , to these people ,” said Walden veteran Conrad Flickenschild , not saying who he was referring to , specifically .
Karlinsky said he respects veterans , the town ’ s honoring of veterans and their monumental sacrifices to the country . “ To be clear , we have no issue with the memorial ,” Karlinsky wrote in an email to the Mid Hudson Times on Monday . “ It is both fitting and beautiful as a memorial . Our disagreement is with the town ’ s endorsement of religion via the memorial .”
When bluntly asked if and when he and his firm would file a lawsuit , Karlinsky said he preferred to talk first . “ We want to entertain a dialogue with the town in order to understand fully its position ,” Karlinsky replied . “ Only after we have done that will we decide upon a legal strategy .”
The attorney insists he wants to “ avoid ” litigation . “ We hope the town is of the same mind , as there are several ways to remedy the constitutional violation ,” he added .
In Brief
Orange Residents Against Pilgrim Pipelines presents an action writing clinic
Orange RAPP is sponsoring this ‘ hands-on ’ meeting in the Community Center on the campus of New Windsor Town Hall , on Wed ., Dec . 14 , 2016 . The time is 7 to 9 p . m ..
Folks will get professional guidance in writing a great “ Letter to the Editor ” and learn what to stress in writing “ scope comments ” for Pilgrim Pipelines ’ environmental review .
Paper , envelopes , and stamps will be provided , and attendees who wish to , can write a letter to Gov . Cuomo and / or the newspapers and post it that night .
Orange RAPP Chair Sandra Kissam has said , “ The written word is powerful ; let ’ s use our power .”
Please bring pen , a pad , and / or a laptop if you have one .
Pat Mullarkey , councilwoman and deputy supervisor of New Windsor , will introduce the program . The Town of New Windsor has , along with the towns of Newburgh and Cornwall , Village of Cornwall on Hudson , City of Newburgh , and Village and Town of Woodbury , among others , declared opposition to the Pilgrim Pipelines proposal .
For information or directions call Sandra Kissam , 564-3018 or email sandraks @ frontiernet . net .
Mount donates more than 600 gifts
Mount Saint Mary College is making the holidays a little brighter for families in need : Through the annual “ Giving Tree ” event , the community donated more than 600 gifts to the children of Newburgh .
Tags hang like ornaments on the Giving Tree , and written on the back of each is a gift request from an underprivileged child . Mount community members donate the requested items , creating happy holiday memories .
“ Your continued support made the giving tree a success ,” said Fr . Francis Amodio , O . Carm , campus chaplain and director of the Mount ’ s Campus Ministry . “ May God bless all of you during this Christmas season and may God bless all of those individuals who are in need of support .”
Through Giving Tree events , the Mount has donated more than 3,600 gifts to local families in the last five years .
The program was sponsored by Campus Ministry .
Newburgh IDA to meet
The City of Newburgh Industrial Development Agency will meet on Monday , Dec . 19 , starting at 7 p . m . in the city council chambers , 3rd floor of City Hall .
The IDA board of directors will gather at 7 p . m .. The audit and governance committee will convene at 8 p . m .