Mid Hudson Times Jun. 06 2018 | Page 2

2 Mid Hudson Times, Wednesday, June 6, 2018 IN THIS ISSUE Calendar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 City of Newburgh.. . . . . . . . . . . 24 Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Crossword. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Letters to the Editor. . . . . . . . . . 8 Meadow Hill. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Town of Newburgh. . . . . . . . . . . 23 Newburgh Heritage. . . . . . . . . . . 10 New Windsor.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Obituaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Opinion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Police Blotter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Service Directory. . . . . . . . . . . 34 Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 PUBLIC AGENDA WEDNESDAY, JUNE 6 New Windsor Town Board, 7 p.m., Town Hall, 555 Union Ave., New Windsor. THURSDAY, JUNE 7 Town of Newburgh Planning Board, 7 p.m. Town Hall, 1496 Route 300, Town of Newburgh. MONDAY, JUNE 11 Newburgh Town Board meeting, 7 p.m. Town Hall, 1496 Route 300, Town of Newburgh. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13 Town of New Windsor Planning Board, 7 p.m. Town Hall, 555 Union Ave., New Windsor. HOW TO REACH US OFFICE: 300 Stony Brook Court Newburgh, NY 12550 PHONE: 845-561-0170, FAX: 845-561-3967 Emails may be directed to the following : ADVERTISING [email protected] CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS [email protected] TO REACH THE EDITOR [email protected] FOR THE SPORTS DEPARTMENT [email protected] PUBLIC NOTICES [email protected] WEBSITE www.timescommunitypapers.com The Mid Hudson Times (USPS 000-5947) is a weekly newspaper published every Wednesday at Newburgh, NY 12550, with offices at 300 Stony Brook Court, Newburgh, NY Single copy: $1 at newsstand. By mail in Orange, Ulster or Sullivan Counties: $40 annually, $44 out of county. Periodicals permit at Newburgh, NY POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Mid Hudson Times, 300 Stony Brook Court, Newburgh, NY 12550. Shelter House Café to open June 9 By LAUREN BERG A fter months of planning and remodeling, along with the help of many community members, Downing Park’s Shelter House is due to open its doors as a café as soon as June 9. The Shelter House, a stone building located adjacent to the park’s pond, The Polly, was built in 1934 as a shelter in the winter months where skaters could come in, change their skates, and even grab a warm beverage like hot chocolate. In recent years it has served as a park visitor center and the location of various meetings and events. The Downing Park Planning Committee, however, has long hoped to restore the building so that it could serve as a more regular and central gathering place at the park. The Shelter House Café project, which volunteer and local resident Stephen Sinnott has headed up, is the outgrowth of the park committee’s dreams for the space. “Over the years we’ve dealt with a lot of vandalism and littering, and just disregard for the setting of the park. So we decided as an approach to help bring the park back and make it a destination, the best thing is to provide concession and give the families a reason to come in, and just have more of a presence in the park,” explained Sinnott. Decorated with photographs of Newburgh, historical drawings, and even the finial from Andrew Jackson’s Newburgh house, the café’s expansive windows offer scenic views of the 121-year-old park. The Shelter House Café will be open Tuesday through Sunday from 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m., serving specialty coffee, a variety of lunch items such as salads and sandwiches, as well as Jane’s ice cream, all of which the park aims to make as affordable as possible. Another option available will be a “Day in the Park,” where customers can choose items from the menu that they then can take out in a provided picnic basket to enjoy in the park. Sinnott, who has volunteered with the park committee for the past three years, hopes the café will model the park’s peaceful atmosphere, while also helping bring the community together. “We have already had a lot of local people that are musicians that would like to utilize the space. We had a lot of artists that would like to feature some of their work,” said Sinnott. “We would like for people to really use the space too for their events, for weddings, for quinceañeras, really encourage it.” The proceeds from the café will stay Owner Stephen Sinnott behind the counter of his new café. within the park to promote future public events, the park’s fitness program, plays on the amphitheater, and maintenance of the park’s landmarks. The Shelter House will continue to operate as a visitor center, and serve as a central location for grassroots development meetings and other community events, such as the park’s Annual Gala held July 14, that will help promote the park. “For a long time [the Shelter House] was always available but a lot of people just didn’t know about it. But we are hoping this kind of opens the door to that,” said Sinnott. “I think everybody always envisioned this space being more open to the public, and being more of an attribute to the park. To be a part of it has been an honor,…and it took everybody involved to make it happen.” For more details on the Shelter House Café’s upcoming public opening, and eventual grand opening later in the summer, visit ajdowningpark.com/ brewmethods or check out the café’s Facebook page. The Shelter House Café will be open Tuesday through Sunday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.