Mid Hudson Times Feb. 17 2016 | Page 4

4 Mid Hudson Times, Wednesday, February 17, 2016 Hoovler announces guilty verdict in Town of Newburgh residential burglary Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced on Thursday, February 11, 2016, that Spencer Seymour, 33, of Newburgh, was found guilty by an Orange County jury of Burglary in the Second Degree and other offenses, in connection with the June 14, 2015, burglary of a Town of Newburgh home. Seymour faces up to fifteen years in prison when he is sentenced on March 24, 2016, before County Court Judge Nicholas De Rosa. In the early afternoon of June 14, 2015, Spencer went to a home on Weaver Road in the Town of Newburgh, while the owner was not home. Spencer entered the home and stole tools and a rifle. A nearby resident saw Seymour enter the home, leave with a bag full of the homeowner’s belongings, and put the bag into his pickup truck. The neighbor took Seymour’s picture as the burglary was occurring. When the homeowner later saw the picture, he recognized Seymour and the pickup. Seymour, after he found out that police were looking for him, turned himself in and surrendered the proceeds of the burglary. District Attorney Hoovler thanked the Town of Newburgh Police Department for their efforts in the investigation and prosecution of the case. “Citizens have a right to feel secure in their own homes,” said District Attorney Hoovler, “and when our homes are violated, even when we’re not there, we lose not only property, but the sense of safety that we all deserve to have in our homes. The violation of a home affects not only the homeowner who is victimized, but every other resident of the community, who have to wonder whether or not their homes might be next. In my office, we take residential burglary seriously, and we will seek strict sanctions for those who commit such violations of private property.” The District Attorney commended Assistant District Attorney Christopher Kelly for his work in the prosecution of the case. City plans demolitions of vacant buildings Continued from page 1 building. Environmental review must be completed on the properties before the city can authorize funding for the project, Morris said. “The city is proposing $500,000 in the draft capital plan for building demolition throughout the city,” Morris said in an email last week. The city could knock “more buildings down for the money” if city workers were used for the job, Newburgh Mayor Judy Kennedy said at the work session. “If we don’t have to put this to bid, we can get a whole lot more done,” she said, though workers would need training. The biggest expense will be hauling and disposal of demolition debris, city Department of Public Works Superintendent George Garrison said. Morris reminded the council that a third party would need to handle any asbestos that is found. The ten buildings are considered to be among the worst-offending structures in the city. Last year, the city hired a consultant to assess city-owned buildings with serious structural deficiencies, Morris said. The consul- The Three time winner of “Best Salon in The Hudson Valley” SOHO SALON Four Distinct Locations - Same Excellent Service sohosalons.com 169 Johnston St. is on a city short list for demolition. tant conducted inspections and created a prioritized list of properties to be demolished, he said. The first phase of the demolition project is anticipated to begin in April. In Brief Newburgh Library to host roundtable on race relations A Roundtable on Race Relations will be held at the Newburgh Free Library on Thursday, Feb. 25 at 6:30 p.m. in the upstairs auditorium. The program is designed to encourage a conversation on race relations, based on clips from the 2004 film “Crash” by Paul Haggis. Also featured is a panel of selected individuals who will review and discuss the film. Dr. A. J. Williams-Myers, former professor of Black Studies at SUNY New Paltz is expected to be among the panelists. Crash centers around several Los Angeles citizens whose vastly separate lives collide in interweaving stories of race, loss and redemption. Nominated for six awards at the 78th Academy Awards, Crash won three, including the win for Best Picture. “We hope this forum will produce a rich and engaging dialogue about race relations,” said Malinda Ware, a member of the NAACP Newburgh/ Highland Falls Branch that is co-sponsoring this event. Light refreshment will be served. Registration is suggested but not required. Register by going to newburghlibrary.org and clicking on “Calendar of Events” or by calling 563-3625. Mount hosts talk on AIDS John Albarino, RN, of SUNY Ulster Health Services, will present “HIV/AIDS in America: Why the Struggle for Victory Continues” on Monday, Feb. 29 at noon at Mount Saint Mary College. Part of the Mount’s Investigating Research on Campus (iROC) series, the talk will take place in the Kaplan Family Library and Learning Center on the Mount campus, 330 Powell Ave., Newburgh. The lecture is free and open to the public. Albarino will take a historical look at the spread of the AIDS epidemic. He will examine the social, cultural, and political forces that helped shape American attitudes toward those afflicted with America’s first epidemic in almost 100 years. Albarino will address the b