Man dies in Bush Avenue shooting
Body of bridge jumper recovered
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Mid Hudson Times , Wednesday , May 24 , 2017
City Manager warns of sewer emergency
By SHANTAL RILEY sriley @ tcnewspapers . com
City of Newburgh Michael Ciaravino warned the Newburgh City Council last week of possible catastrophe resulting from a deteriorated retaining wall on South Water Street .
The wall supports one of the largest sewer mains in the city . The 25-inch pipe transports roughly half of the city ’ s raw sewage to the city ’ s wastewater treatment plant on Renwick Street , conveying millions of gallons of sewage every day .
“ This raw sewage accounts for approximately one half of the City of Newburgh ’ s daily output ,” Ciaravino wrote in a letter to the city council last week . “ If the retaining wall fails , the 24-inch sewer pipe contained within could also fail , risking catastrophe at the corner of South Water Street and Renwick Street .”
A sewer bypass has since been installed to provide a short-term solution to the problem , said city Engineer Jason Morris , diverting sewage away from the problem area so the sewer main can be inspected and repaired . Bypass pumps were expected to begin working Monday .
That day , however , the wall appeared to be crumbling in places along South Water Street . The repairs fall to the New York State Department of Transportation , which has delayed fixing the wall for years , according to Ciaravino .
The problem dates back to at least 2014 , when Morris wrote to the DOT , describing the deteriorating state of the wall . “ Additional movement or failure of this retaining wall could result in a corresponding failure of the city ’ s north interceptor sanitary sewer main ,” the engineer wrote to DOT Region 8 Director William Gorton in October , 2014 .
“ A failure of this sewer main could have catastrophic
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“ Teaching has been my life ,” said Walker at a school board candidates ’ forum at the Calvary Presbyterian Church earlier this month .
Teacher training and development is a key ingredient in providing quality education for all students in the district , Walker said . “ The first line of defense will be our teachers ,” he said . “ We need to find every way possible to make our district a welcoming place .”
In his online bio , Walker stated he wanted “ to raise the reading , writing , analytical skills of all students .”
Mineo has served on the school board for one term . In her online bio , Mineo said she wanted to ensure a primary education “ that would develop the capacity in all students to read and do math on grade level .”
Mineo is a retired principal of Gidney Avenue Memorial School . “ I decided to give back to my community ,” she said at the forum . “ I feel like my work is not done .”
Mineo cited more technology in classrooms , flat taxes for two years , no staff layoffs , increased graduation rates and NFA West as among district successes during her tenure .
She said the Restorative Interventions for Student Empowerment ( RISE ) program , or “ RISE ” - addressing emotional and behavioral challenges faced by suspended impacts on the health , safety and general welfare of city residents , pedestrians , local businesses , the traveling public and possibly other neighboring communities along the Hudson River .”
About three months later , in March of 2015 , Morris received a response from Gorton , who wrote , “ the ( DOT ) is still in the process of determining and designing our approach in addressing these walls .”
More than a year later , the DOT had yet to make repairs , and the city retained legal representation from the Rodenhausen Chale law firm . “ Please understand the seriousness of this situation and the urgent need for remedial action ,” attorney George Rodenhausen wrote to the new DOT Region 8 Director Todd Westhuis in September , 2016 .
If the failure of the wall results in damage to the sewer main , the attorney said the city would hold the state DOT “ fully responsible .” Westhuis responded a month later , stating , “ The department is finalizing our design and hope ( s ) to move this project to construction soon .”
Two months later , however , the city was notified by a DOT engineer of possible “ illicit discharge ” coming from a cracked area of the wall . The state Department of Environmental Conservation and Department of Health were notified of the leakage .
Rodenhausen wrote again to the DOT regional director . “ First , we must restate the need for NYSDOT to give highest priority to the repair or replacement of the retaining wall , to finalize its design and complete the repair work or replacement as soon as possible ,” the letter stated . “ The city is concerned that the condition of the wall may have already compromised the sewer main , which it supports .”
The DOT is now working on a timeline for the wall repair , said Morris . “ They are awaiting the results of our investigation ,” he said in an email Monday .
Voters approve $ 268 million budget for Newburgh schools
middle and high school students - as another major accomplishment in the district . “ We ’ re going to be doing some socio-emotional learning with the kids , instead of punishing , punishing , punishing ,” she said
Stridiron highlighted the My Brother ’ s Keeper program , focused on increasing academic success and college-career readiness of boys and young men of color . “ Some students need different things than others ,” Stridiron said at the church . “ We need to provide for all of them .”
Stridiron has served on the school board for two years . In his online bio , he listed school safety , early literacy and “ ensuring that our schools are meeting the needs of all learners ” as priorities for the board . “ I ’ m not a politician ,” insisted Stridiron . “ I ’ m a parent .”
One of the three open board seats was left by former board member Ken Copertino , who resigned in April . In his resignation letter to the school board , Copertino wrote about “ bullying , intimidation and threats ” against him and his family . He did not detail specific incidents .
Copertino said he was most proud of NFA North program expansion , NFA West and the revival of Temple Hill Academy , among other district achievements which took place while he served on the school board .
In Brief
Man dies in Bush Avenue shooting
City of Newburgh Police are investigating a fatal , early-morning shooting that took place on Bush Avenue last week .
Police report James N . Stevens , 19 , was shot multiple times and died at the scene . According to various media reports , neighbors awoke on Friday morning to sounds of gunshots , and later to an accident scene in which a car had crashed into a tree near 10 Bush Avenue .
The pretty neighborhood was quiet on Monday . No hint of crime lingered at the scene of the car accident . Police did not say whether Stevens had been driving the car at the time he was killed . No further information has been released .
It is the third homicide to take place in the city this year , following a Valentine ’ s Day-party shooting that took the life of a 24-year-old man in February and another on Hasbrouck Street in which Hubert Hines , 31 , was shot during a drug robbery in March . An investigation is ongoing .
Anyone with information about the shooting is urged to contact the City of Newburgh Police Department at 845-561-3131 - or leave a message on the Police Tips Hotline at 845-569-7555 . All calls may remain anonymous .
Body of bridge jumper recovered
The body of a man , who jumped off the Newburgh- Beacon Bridge , was recovered from the Hudson River around 8 a . m . Friday .
Newburgh City firefighters located and recovered the body .
It is believed the man jumped around 4:13 a . m . and the body was located about three miles north of the bridge .
State Police at East Fishkill said the 23-year-old Wappinger resident is reported to have stopped his car in the mid-span eastbound lanes and jumped .
Assisting in the search were fire department vessels from Middle Hope , Cornwall-on-Hudson and West Point .
The incident remains under investigation . Witnesses are asked to call the State Police BCI in Wappinger at 677-7300 .
Mount grads celebrate with a toast
With only a few hours left before graduation , the Mount Saint Mary College Class of 2017 gathered on the steps of the Dominican Center the afternoon of May 19 for a toast to their soon-to-be alma mater .
The next day , the Mount recognized 619 graduates and two honorary degree recipients at its 54th annual Commencement Ceremony . The college awarded 121 master ’ s degrees and 498 bachelor ’ s degrees . More than 160 students earned degrees in nursing and related fields , and another 140 earned degrees in business .