3
Mid Hudson Times, Wednesday, January 17, 2018
Mejia to serve as council president pro-tem
By SHANTAL RILEY
[email protected]
Councilwoman Karen Mejia will serve as president
pro-tem at Newburgh City Council meetings while Judy
Kennedy deals with serious health issues. The 5-to-2
decision by the city council last week effectively makes
Mejia the presiding official at future council meetings
Kennedy does not attend.
“My intention is to create continuity,” said Kennedy at
City Hall on Jan. 8.
The resolution was voted on as Kennedy continues
to battle cancer, which she was diagnosed with in 2016.
The resolution took immediate effect. However, it raised
concerns for at least a couple of council members.
“Karen is very well capable of serving in this capacity...
I just do feel that it’s something that’s going to divide
this council,” said Councilman Torrance Harvey. Newly-
elected Councilman Jonathan Jacobson described the
resolution as “something that would divide us in our first
session.”
“I don’t think it’s necessary,” said Jacobson. “Last
year, the council came up with a good way of dealing with
any absences of the mayor and that was to have it done
by rotation.”
He was talking about a previous council resolution
that rotated the responsibility for leading the council
meetings to each council member. “My point is that
everyone on the council has the ability to do it,” Jacobson
said.
“I have no intention of dividing it or having this be
a political stand or any such notion,” Kennedy said. “I
would like to have a point person to talk to if I need to.
I am dealing with some severe health issues... nothing
else.”
Kennedy pointed out that former councilman Cedric
Brown had once been appointed president pro-tem when
she was absent from the council. The mayor explained
the resolution was put to a vote at the first council session
of the year because she wanted to take care of important
matters as soon as possible. “I’m going keep it simple,”
Kennedy said. “I just feel it’s important to take care of
important matters right off the bat. That’s why it’s on the
agenda tonight and not because I want to create a stir.”
“I’ve been in and out of the hospital several times. I
want it clear and straight and settled, so we don’t have
to worry about it. This is an issue that has to do with my
health,” Kennedy asserted. “That’s where I’m coming
from, from the heart and my own personal perspective. It
has nothing to do with politics on my part.”
“I support our mayor,” said Ramona Monteverde,
who, along with Jacobson and Patty Sofokles, attended
her first regular meeting as a city council member that
evening.
Jacobson and Councilwoman Hillary Rayford voted
against the resolution.
Return of skating on the Polly?
Douglas Yaun
A path was cleared on the frozen pond last week as supporters hope for the return of ice skating at Downing Park.
Continued from page 1
However, since the Downing Park
Planning Committee’s founding in 1989,
they have raised funds enabling them to
rehabilitate the structure, using it more
recently as the park’s visitor center and to
host community meetings and occasional
art exhibits. The most current project fo r
the space is Sinnott’s vision to transform
the Shelter House into a café, opening as
early as spring of 2018. In the meantime,
with adequate weather, Sinnott hopes to
use the space as a shelter for ice skaters
once again, and even offer free coffee and
hot chocolate. With this winter’s early
and prolonged cold-snap, the pond has
frozen more than 6 inches deep, thick
enough for skating. Sinnott and friends
have worked to get the pond ready, and
are seeking the city’s approval for the
return of open skating on the Polly.
“That’s what I’m presenting to the city
being that I have a license agreement to
occupy the [Shelter House] space, I’m
going to be here,” said Sinnott. “[The
city is] in favor of it. Everybody I spoke
to…they all want to see it happen.”
Sinnott and the Downing Park Planning
Committee are suggesting an open skate
schedule, where residents can skate at
their own risk during daylight hours and
according to park rules and guidelines.
The park would potentially have a flag
system to indicate to the public whether
the ice is safe to skate on.
Ideally, people could come and bring
their skates as early as this winter,
pending the approval of Newburgh’s
city manager Michael Ciaravino. Sinnott
hopes it could even become an annual
event again.
“Anybody who grew up in Newburgh
remembers the ice skating at Downing
Park. It was the crown jewel of the city,”
explained Sinnott. “I guess that’s my
motivation. One of its biggest things that
it was known for was its ice skating. So,
I’m adamant about trying to make a go
of it.”