MID

HUDSON

TIMES

NFA Squad Rebuilds

Page 35

SERVING NEWBURGH AND NEW WINDSOR

Rebel at St . George

Page 14

Economic development

U . S . Cranes to develop Newburgh Auto Auction lot

By LAUREN BERG

US Cranes , a crane and rigging operations based out of New York City , is expanding its operations into Newburgh . It is in the process of acquiring Newburgh Automobile Auction located off Route 17K , and of receiving approval from the town board for the development of this site .

The entire parcel of 97.8 acres is to be purchased by U . S . Cranes , most of which is located on wetland , with about 25 acres of that area suitable for development . U . S Cranes will share the site with Newburgh Auto Auction , which will lease as much as 15 acres of the back-lot portion of the property where they will continue to park their cars . U . S . Cranes will mainly utilize the existing buildings on the property to store and service cranes or other small vehicles , and will also construct a new forty-foot-high 66,000 square foot building used primarily for altering and fabricating steel .

The business , which in addition to steel fabrication , will include loading and unloading of trucks at the site , is looking to expand upstate in response to a demand for jobs that are coming up in the surrounding areas and in an effort to create more jobs . U . S . Cranes sees this expansion as a great employment opportunity for Newburgh , and at least thirty new jobs are due to be created at this U . S . Cranes location .

Since U . S . Crane ’ s initial appearance at a planning board meeting back in September the company has made several

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Justice is served

A day in Town Justice Jude Martini ’ s court

By SHANTAL RILEY sriley @ tcnewspapers . com

For this series , the Mid Hudson Times takes a snapshot look inside local courtrooms and at the judges who preside over them .

Judge Jude Martini is one of two justices in the Town of Newburgh . Elected as a Republican town justice in 2002 , he presides over criminal court twice a month .

On a recent Thursday evening , people lined up to enter the courtroom , fishing out key chains and cell phones from their pockets before walking through metal detectors . Most ended up having to run back to their cars to stash their cell phones before entering the court .

Inside the chilly courtroom , Martini had a friendly chat with a district attorney . A sign hung over the bench that read , “ In God We Trust .”

“ Do you have a lawyer ?” Martini asked a woman , who was accused of stealing $ 14 worth of merchandise from the Wal-Mart store on Rt . 300 . The woman barely answered the question or the next several questions the judge asked her .

Martini ’ s big voice filled every nook and cranny of the scantilyfilled courtroom . “ I have to ask these questions … I don ’ t get any joy from it ,” Martini told the woman , a minute or so before setting a new appearance date