Mid Hudson Times Nov. 21 2018 | Page 2

2 Mid Hudson Times, Wednesday, November 21, 2018 IN THIS ISSUE Calendar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 City of Newburgh.. . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Crossword. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Letters to the Editor. . . . . . . . . . 8 Meadow Hill. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Town of Newburgh. . . . . . . . . . . 23 Newburgh Heritage. . . . . . . . . . . 10 New Windsor.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Obituaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Opinion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Police Blotter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Service Directory. . . . . . . . . . . 27 Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 PUBLIC AGENDA MONDAY, NOVEMBER 26 Town of Newburgh Workshop meeting, 7 p.m. Town Hall, 1496 Route 300, Town of Newburgh. Newburgh City Council. 7 p.m. City Hall, 83 Broadway. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27 Newburgh Enlarged City School District Board of Education, 6 p.m. Board Auditorium, 124 Grand St. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28 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: [phone], FAX: [phone] 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. ‘We Are Newburgh’ celebrates Thanksgiving By KATELYN CORDERO [email protected] T he Newburgh Activity Center on Washington Street was filled with music, dance, and loads of food on Sunday, as We are Newburgh a community organization held its fourth annual Thanksgiving event. Hundreds of people moved in and out of the building stomachs full and hands full of clothing, fresh produce, and food cooked by the hardworking volunteers from We are Newburgh. The event was put together by We are Newburgh and hosted by the clothing brand, Unusual Suspects. The two groups created a collaboration with many different groups and people in the area coming out to participate and give back to the community. “It’s about having recognition from the city,” said Michael Ruckdeschel, owner of Unusual Suspects. “You see exactly where your donations are going. You donate your clothes here and you see them being worn by people who need them on the street. We have linked together a network and we collaborate to make this happen every year. We hope that it snowballs into something bigger every year to continue to help each other in our community.” More than 40 volunteers spent countless hours working to make sure the event ran smoothly. Among them was Joe Alvarez, founder of We are Newburgh. Alvarez and his group of volunteers worked through the night to prepare food and the space for the event. The group raised over $1500 by selling “We are Newburgh” hoodies to members of the community. All of the money raised goes directly into the event paying for the food, and resources. Every item used in the event from food down to the paper goods, is purchased within the city boundaries. “We thank God we are able to feed our community,” said Alvarez. “And I am grateful to all those who donated their resources and their time to make this happen.” Those who donated to the event included, Dreyer and Dreyer Law firm, who donated food, Fidelis, and The City of Newburgh Department of Parks and Rec, who provided the space for the event to take place. The Landbank of Hudson Valley, also donated fresh produce for members of the community to take food home for the week. Councilman Anthony Grice assisted the land bank helping people fill their bags with produce. Monica Cieslak works the table for Land Bank of the Hudson Valley. “This is a great opportunity to give back to the community and reach people we don’t normally reach,” said Grice. “People are happy they feel included, it’s many organizations coming together and working for a common cause.” Six barbers and four hairstylists brought in their equipment and donated their time to give free haircuts to members of the community. For some this was the first opportunity to get a haircut in a long time. “I’m very appreciative,” said Denise Dennison. “Three weeks ago I lost my house in a foreclosure. I lost everything. This is what I needed. I am so grateful and it’s great to see that everybody in here is in the same boat. Nobody is acting like they are better than anyone else.” Dennison was one of the many people who received haircuts from various barbers and hairstylists. The owner of Phoenix Unisex Salon, Amy Goodwalt donated her time to cut hair from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. for members of the community. “I come here and do this every year to give up our time to the community,” said Goodwalt. “They all go back feeling great. It shows they are not alone, they get up and they have a new confidence.” Anthony Denizard and his family were the wizards in the kitchen, behind the massive display of food. They worked around the clock, cooking in the activity center and their own kitchen to make sure there was enough food for everyone in the community. They cooked 11 turkeys, 300 pounds of chicken, rice with peas and chicken soup, which were just some of the many items of food donated by members of the community. Any food that can be saved will be used for the We are Newburgh Christmas party in December. The room was filled with people looking to make a change in the city. From the chefs in the kitchen to the DJ giving out books, money, shoes, coats and countless items donated, not a single person left without a smile on their face. The next event will take place during Christmas time. If you would like to make any type of donation to We are Newburgh for their Christmas event you can contact them through their Facebook page “We are Newburgh Love/Peace/Unity.” Amy Goodwalt donated her time to provide free hairstyling.