TIMES
NATIONAL NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION FIRST-PLACE AWARD FOR GENERAL EXCELLENCE, 2016
MID
HUDSON
Vol. 28, No 51
3
DECEMBER 21 - 27, 2016
3
ONE DOLLAR
Lady
Goldbacks
survive
Page 40
Page 25
SERVING NEWBURGH AND NEW WINDSOR
Skaters
Workers protest Highway Dept. layoffs
weigh in on
design for
skateboard
park
By SHANTAL RILEY
[email protected]
A group of workers gather at Newburgh Town Hall to picket in protest of impending laying offs of three highway department workers.
By SHANTAL RILEY
[email protected]
Workers picketed in sub-freezing
temperatures on Monday night to
protest impending laying offs of three
highway department employees in the
Town of Newburgh.
The protest was held outside
Newburgh Town Hall during a special
meeting of the Newburgh Town Council
and two weeks after the three highway
department workers were placed on
administrative leave.
Protesters huddled together for
warmth. One was dressed up as “The
Grinch.” Signs read, “Show some
respect!”
“We are out here as a show of
solidarity with our three union brothers
who are being laid off Dec. 31, through
no fault of their own,” said Jessica
Ladlee, spokeswoman for Civil Service
Employees Association Local 1000.
The union has accused town Highway
Superintendent Todd DePew of
“bullying, humiliating” behavior toward
department employees, including use of
racial slurs, unwanted touching and
physical intimidation.
The union claims two of the
workers were demoted from jobs as
motor equipment operators shortly
after signing their names to a classaction grievance outlining complaints
against the highway superintendent
in September. According to the union,
the grievance was signed by seven
employees “targeted” by DePew.
“They were demoted from their
positions in September,” said Ladlee.
“No reason was given. They were
demoted with no write-ups, no reviews.
Continued on page 4
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They gathered over coffee to
brainstorm ideas for a new skateboard
park in the City of Newburgh.
“We need benches, some flat ground
and A-frames,” said Treasure Jackson.
“It’s a triangle ramp.”
Members of the City of Newburgh
Planning and Development Department
met with skateboarders at 2 Alices Coffee
Lounge last Wednesday to find out what
kind of skate park they want to see built
at Delano Hitch Park next year.
The skaters asked for stairs, benches,
rails, ledges, stairs, half pipes, T-gaps
and flat ground to skate on.
The group was split on whether or not
they wanted a bowl – a smooth, sunken
surface resembling a large bowl. “Bowls
are not so important,” said Jackson. But,
Zyerra Walton, 17, said she had never
skated in a bowl before. “I would like to
skate in a bowl,” she said.
“Bowls take a up a lot of space,”
Jack Cino added. “The skate park getting
built is, first and foremost, the important
thing.”
The park is currently planned for
Continued on page 3