TIMES
MID
HUDSON
Vol. 28, No 25
3
JUNE 22 - 28, 2016
3
ONE DOLLAR
Photo
highlights
Pages 22-24
SERVING NEWBURGH AND NEW WINDSOR
EPA, DEC address city water crisis
BY SHANTAL RILEY
[email protected]
Federal, state and local officials convened at Mount
Saint Mary College on Monday to provide specifics on
the water crisis caused by PFOS in the City of Newburgh
Aber pleads
not guilty
water supply.
“It’s no longer made in the U.S., but it was used for
many years,” said Judith Enck, regional administrator
for Environmental Protection Agency, speaking about the
fluorinated organic compound perfluorooctane sulfonate.
The community information meeting was held in
Aquinas Hall Auditorium, roughly three months after
PFOS was detected in the city’s water supply. Enck and
a host of environmental experts addressed questions on
the source of the pollution, cleanup costs and plans to
Continued on page 4
Leptondale
Christian
Academy
to close
Patriotic play
BY SHANTAL RILEY
[email protected]
Former City of Newburgh Comptroller
John Aber was arraigned in Newburgh
City Court this month. Aber pleaded not
guilty to a charge of fourth-degree grand
larceny.
Aber, who served as the City of
Newburgh comptroller since 2013,
resigned following his arrest last month.
City officials maintain his arrest was
justified.
Fourth-degree grand larceny is
an E-felony involving $1,000 to $3,000
of money or property. There is no
mandatory minimum sentence for firsttime offenders.
The funds in question were connected
to city boat-launch fees, Newburgh Mayor
Judy Kennedy said. “There has been a
process in place, and the process was
not followed,” she said Monday. “You
cannot take short cuts when it comes
to handling cash. The process must be
followed exactly.”
Newburgh City Manager Michael
Ciaravino addressed the subject at
city hall last week. “It is a sickening
development but is one that we confronted
head on,” said Ciaravino. “We are in the
process of conducting a thorough review
Continued on page 3
BY SHANTAL RILEY
[email protected]
Carl Aiello
Candle dipping on the grounds of Washington’s Headquarters was one of the many activities
at the annual Newburgh Illuminated Festival on Saturday. More photos on pages 22-24.
WWW.MIDHUDSONTIMES.COM
The Leptondale Christian Academy
will close at the end of the month. The
pre-kindergarten through grade-8 school
will close its doors after more than three
decades of Christian-centered education.
“Leptondale Christian Academy,
after 35 years of operation, will close
its ministry after this current 2015-2016
academic year,” Mike O’Dowd, Leptondale
Bible Church senior pastor, explained in
a letter to parents this month. “It is with
great regret and sadness that I make this
announcement to you.”
The school is a ministry of Leptondale
Bible Church. Founded in 1980, the
private Christian school is located on
Route 300 in the Town of Newburgh.
“As many of you may know, LCA
has experienced a multi-year decline
in enrollment, which has placed the
Continued on page 3