Mid Hudson Times Nov. 04 2015

TIMES MID HUDSON Vol. 27, No 44 3 NOVEMBER 4, 2015 ONE DOLLAR This week’s paper is dedicated to the memory of Allan Gaul, Assistant Editor of the Mid Hudson Times Editorial, Page 8 SERVING NEWBURGH AND NEW WINDSOR Kennedy re-elected Harvey, Rayford elected to city council By SHANTAL RILEY [email protected] Judy Kennedy has been re-elected as City of Newburgh mayor. Running as the Independence candidate, she won with 48 percent of the vote. “We’re celebrating,” said Kennedy, an hour after the polls closed Tuesday night. Unofficial election results show that Mayor Kennedy won with 1,174 votes over 990 votes for her Democratic opponent Jonathan Jacobson. Republican mayoral candidate John Giudice captured 290 votes. Democrats Torrence Harvey and Hillary Rayford won the two at-large seats open on the Newburgh City Council. Rayford drew 1,237 votes, followed by Harvey with 1,233 votes. Republican Christine Bello received 1,030 votes and 889 residents cast votes for Republican John Penney. The mayor greeted voters at the Board of Education Auditorium polling site on Tuesday night. “Thanks for voting,” Kennedy said to several residents as they exited the auditorium at around 6 p.m. County Board of Elections pollster Zach Costa stopped Kennedy inside the building. “Can I take a picture with you?” he asked Kennedy, and she gladly obliged. When the polls finally presented the results later that night, Kennedy was elated. “It’s a huge relief,” she said. “I’m so proud of this team. All of these people working together across the lines – party, age and racial lines. We’ve made history. It was by teamwork, collaboration and cooperation that we did it. It’s how we’ll move Newburgh forward.” 3 MidBroadway project gets 1-year extension By SHANTAL RILEY [email protected] Mayor Judy Kennedy at the Board of Education Auditorium poll site Tuesday night. Kennedy has served one term as city mayor. During her reelection campaign, she pledged to continue the progress that has been made during her tenure. “We really have to focus on economic development,” Kennedy said. “We have to focus on making the city safer. We have to work on these abandoned properties and get them cleaned up. Then, the rest will fall into place.” The mayor’s position carries a fouryear term. “I called Judy Kennedy and congratulated her on her victory,” said Jacobson Tuesday night. “I wished her luck for the good of the city.” Jacobson is chair of the City of Newburgh Democratic Committee. He is former chair of the Orange County Democratic Committee. Among other positions at the state level, he once held the job of assistant New York State attorContinued on page 42 WWW.MIDHUDSONTIMES.COM The Newburgh City Council has approved a one-year extension of an agreement with Mill Street Partners to construct a $29 million affordable housing and supermarket development at the MidBroadway site. The council voted 4 to 3 for the extension at the city council meeting on Oct. 26. “This developer is in for the long haul,” said Michael Zarin, an attorney for project developer Mill Street Partners, who asked the council for a two-year contract extension of a land development agreement. Designs call for almost 100 affordable rental units and a supermarket on the ground floor of the development. The project is expected to be subsidized through the New York State Housing Finance Agency. Appearing before the council last week, Zarin listed project assets to include a supermarket, which the developer had “gotten commitments from,” and affordable housing for renters earning 70 to 250 percent of the area median income. “This is going to be a redevelopment, a rejuveContinued on page 42