4
Mid Hudson Times, Wednesday, June 6, 2018
Harvey announces bid to finish late mayor’s term
By SHANTAL RILEY
[email protected]
Torrance Harvey will run to complete the term left
by late City of Newburgh Mayor Judy Kennedy. Harvey
announced his decision in front of City Hall last Friday.
“I’m very happy to announce, this is my official
campaign launch, along with Councilman Anthony
Grice,” Harvey said, speaking next to Grice, who was
appointed to the Newburgh City Council at the same time
Harvey was appointed mayor in April. “We’re asking
everyone in the City of Newburgh to come out and vote.”
Harvey vowed to continue the work spearheaded by
Kennedy, who passed away on April 15. “A month and a
half ago, I made a commitment to continue the progress
we, collectively as a community, have made,” Harvey
said, referring to a promise he made to Kennedy to carry
out the remainder of her mayoral term. “Continuity, that
Continued on page 23
Torrance Harvey, center, announced he will run in a special election to serve out the remainder of the term left by late
Newburgh Mayor Judy Kennedy. Left is city Councilman Johnathan Jacobson and right is city Councilman Anthony Grice,
who jointly announced he would seek to complete the rest of Harvey’s term next year.
Lujan seeks state Assembly seat
Continued from page 1
“When Steve Gold said he would run,
I said, ‘He’s the greatest person for the
position,’” explained Lujan, speaking
about Skartados’ longtime chief of staff.
However, Gold withdrew his bid for the
position sometime last week. “For the most
part, we saw Steve as the most competitive
candidate. We felt confident he would do
well. Unfortunately, for personal reasons,
he decided to withdraw.”
Encouraged by friends, family and
Democrats from Beacon and Newburgh,
Lujan decided to run. “They wanted
someone young and progressive,
and someone who could work in the
community,” he said. “In the Assembly,
I can have the greatest impact for our
communities,” he added. “If we win the
state Senate, we’re going to need a strong
progressive agenda.”
“One of things I’ve always said is, I want
to make sure our cities are highlighted,”
Lujan said, including Poughkeepsie,
Newburgh and Beacon, all located
within the district and in need of serious
attention in regard to infrastructure
and economic development. “These
communities are by the river. We can
have economic development, but it needs
to be sustainable,” said Lujan, noting that
Skartados was a “huge advocate for clean
water and clean air.”
Lujan said he also wants to focus
on building historical tourism. In an
interview with the Mid Hudson Times in
the fall, Lujan said he also hoped to help
draw more home buyers, trade schools,
art galleries and high-tech companies to
the region.
Lujan says he is fortunate to have good
examples of political leaders to model
himself after. “When I look at leaders who
I want to strive to be like, I look no further
than Assemblyman Skartados and Mayor
(Judy) Kennedy,” he said. “They were
fighters. They had vision. They were
accessible to the people.”
Lujan said he would safeguard local
institutions supporting women, such as
Planned Parenthood and Safe Homes of
Orange County. If elected to the position,
Lujan said he would also champion
immigrant’s rights. “We’re facing an
administration that has been critical of
our immigrant populations,” said Lujan,
whose grandmother came to the U.S. from
Columbia “with nothing,” he said. “We
cannot sit on the sidelines of this issue.
We should support the Dream Act. I’m
so proud that Beacon, Poughkeepsie and
Newburgh are fair and welcoming cities.”
Lujan also supports what he described
as “common-sense gun control” and
the LGBTQ community. Lujan has
been endorsed by the Orange County
Democratic Committee.
Former Poughkeepsie school board
president Ralph Coates and Newburgh
City Councilman Johnathan Jacobson
are also running to become the
Democratic candidate for the position in
the Democratic primary in September.
Residents oppose Chadwick Agriculture District
Continued from page 1
Board member Elizabeth Greene added, “I was told by
the county that at this particular point we cannot inquire
what they are going to do with the hay, because it’s all in
the initial planning, so to speak, and that I don’t have the
right to ask that.”
Town of Newburgh resident Sandra Kissam was the
first to speak up. “Every time you let things move
forward, it creates a situation where it is more likely that
this project would be approved. Your original reason, as
you stated at the last town meeting, is that you do not
feel you have sufficient paperwork, and we agree.” She
added, “What you as a board have to say, I feel, is very
significant.”
“I took the DEC [Department of Conservation] around
that area, and they think it’s a bad idea. They said that’s
all wetlands back there,” added town resident Arthur
Segfried.
Other audience members expressed confusion over
different aspects of the property, including whether all
98 acres will be used for agricultural purposes, what
exactly would be grown there, and who had ownership
of the property. Even Piaquadio admitted the town board
itself had been misinformed on the matter, initially
under the impression that the owners were asking for a
tax exemption.
Board member James Presutti, who had talked with
county planner David Church, researched the quality of
soil so as to better inform the town’s recommendation.
He found that of the five soil types present, four are
suitable for hay or pasture.
“Based on what I’m