Mid Hudson Times Feb. 13 2019

T IMES MID HUDSON Vol. 31, No. 6 3 FEBRUARY 13 - FEBRUARY 19, 2019 Concert for strings Page 14 Prayer created a heated debate at the Council Work Session on Thursday. The discussion was placed on the agenda by Councilwoman Hilary Rayford, to continue the discussions surrounding prayer before meetings rather than a silent prayer, or moment of silence. Pastor Ron Tuncali of Christian Ministerial Fellowship (CMF) and Reverend Jesse Howard, spoke on behalf of the Christian community, explaining to the council the necessity to conduct prayer outwardly at city council meetings. “The reason we pray is we believe God hears our prayer,” said Tuncali. “Truth be told we’ve been praying for this city for a long time. Specifically the prayer before the meeting is a prayer of invocation to invoke the presence of God to be in this meeting, it is a supernatural event that takes place. It gives us the chance of wisdom for you to make the proper decision for this city.” ONE DOLLAR Section 9 champ Page 38 SERVING NEWBURGH AND NEW WINDSOR Council prayer debate rekindles By KATELYN CORDERO [email protected] 3 The council turned prayer into a moment of silence a month ago when Councilmember Ramona Monteverde felt offended by the use of prayer at the beginning of the meeting. Mayor Harvey was quick to defend members of the council who felt offended by the prayer. “My walk with God is personal, I love the Lord and I talk to him day and night and with that said if I have a silent prayer, is that less effective than a prayer out loud from a minister at the microphone?” Continued on page 4 Labor Union Local 17 opens up apprenticeship By KATELYN CORDERO [email protected] Local 17 Labor Union on Little Britain Road in Newburgh has accepted 100 applications for a four-year apprenticeship program. The union typically opens positions for the apprenticeship program every two years. Out of the 100 applicants, 12 will be chosen to participate in the four year long program to become a journeyman or skilled laborer. According to Todd Diorio, Business Manager, the pool of 100 applicants will receive a rating based on their experience and quality of their interview. “We look at many factors,” said Diorio. “Some of the applicants will get eliminated if they don’t have a driver’s license or they can’t pass a drug test. You must have reliable transportation, if you don’t have a driver’s license and a vehicle it’s difficult because you have to travel from Newburgh to Kingston, Warwick, and Monticello. The biggest issue we see in the City of Newburgh is the transportation issue.” The office of Local 17 lies in the City of Newburgh, however very few workers live in the city. Diorio currently has 12 laborers living in the city out of 700 employees. The jurisdiction of the union covers Orange, Ulster, Sullivan, Dutchess, and Otsego Counties. “Part of the problem is they start out as city residents and as soon as they get Party like it’s 1978 Gina Babbage Revelers at the Safe Harbors Disco Ball came to party last Saturday. More photos on page 18. CHECK OUT OUR NEW WEBSITE - WWW.MHTIMESONLINE.COM Continued on page 4