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Mid Hudson Times, Wednesday, December 26, 2018
I n B rief
Civil War monument
to be replaced
After nearly two years of waiting, the Newburgh
City Council has approved with a unanimous vote the
renovation of the Civil War Monument in Downing
Park. According The monument will be renovated as
an exact replica of the original memorial that stood
in its place since 1934.
A car accident toppled over the monument in
July 2016. The $28,398 needed for the project comes
from car insurance money, donations from local and
national organizations, and a grant from Senator Bill
Larkin.
“We are very excited to see the monument restored,
and we are sorry that it took so long to get it done,”
said City Planner, Alexandra Church.
The work will be done by 1934. E & L Cemetery
Services, the lowest bidder to do the work. The
company is waiting for documents they expect
to receive this week from city administrators to
officially begin work.
“We are looking forward to working with the
City of Newburgh for this project,” said Owner,
Eddie Curtis. “And we look forward to putting the
monument back in the place as the original creator
intended it to be there for the long term.”
Curtis anticipates the monument to be finished by
the spring of 2019 if there are no significant delays in
the process.
IDA seeks to fill board vacancies
The City of Newburgh Industrial Development
Agency has two vacancies and one pending vacancy
on its seven-member Board of Directors.
In making the announcement, Agency Chairman,
Joshua L. Smith noted that “Only city residents may
serve on the Agency’s board.” Interested citizens
are asked to visit “Board of Directors Duties and
Responsibilities” on the Agency’s website at www.
cityofnewburgh-ny.gov/industrial-development-
agency, under the Policies & Bylaws section. Members
of the Agency are not compensated, must attend
monthly meetings, and review Agency business
prior to a meeting. New members are required to
participate in a state-sponsored educational webinar,
as well as become familiar with the Agency’s by-laws
and all applicable state laws and mandated policies.
Any resident interested in serving and sharing their
talents, thoughts, and ideas, is asked to send a resume
and letter of interest to Joshua L. Smith, Chair of the
IDA Board, at [email protected] or mail to
City of Newburgh Industrial Development Agency, 83
Broadway, 3rd Flr., Newburgh NY 12550.
Selected candidates will meet with the Agency’s
Governance Committee to discuss various aspects of
the Agency and their interest in serving on the Board.
Following the briefing, the Agency will present its
recommendations to the City Council for their review
and appointment.
Applicants may also direct any questions to the
Agency’s Executive Director at ida@cityofnewburgh-
ny.gov, deadline to apply is December 31, 2018.
Five families routed in fire
Continued from page 1
truck was there within six minutes, our average response
time is 2 to 3 minutes.”
The fire engulfed the entire building requiring 30
City of Newburgh Firefighters and 40 Firefighters from
mutual aid. They were able to get the fire under control
two hours after arriving to the scene, at 5:30 a.m. One
firefighter was brought to St Luke’s Cornwall Hospital
along with several residents for minor injuries.
The freezing conditions and understaffed department
made putting out the fire especially challenging.
“Everything the water touched turned to ice,” said
Ahlers. “We had keep rotating through our guys because
they were covered in ice.”
The size of the fire and the slow response time were not
the only frustrating factors that got in the way of the fire.
Cars trying to get through the area, slowed down efforts
driving over fire hoses, a van got stuck on a hose, almost
pulling it off the fire hydrant.
“People forget that it’s illegal to drive over a fire hose,”
said Ahlers. “If we lose that water supply we are right
back to where we started. If we lose water, guys in the
building may not have a way out.”
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. A
GoFundMe page has been created to raise money for the
five families that lost their homes in the fire. You can visit
gf.me/u/pjmatc to make a donation.
Bob McCormick
Firefighters worked for hours to gain control of the massive
fire.
Driver smashes into Liquor Store
Police and firefighters responded to the Mid Valley Wine and Liquor Store at the Mid Valley Mall, Saturday after a car smashed
through the front entrance to the store. Police said a woman who was driving accidentally hit the gas pedal instead of the
brake, The driver was not seriously injured, by was taken to St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital for observation.