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Mid Hudson Times, Wednesday, September 11, 2019
IN THIS ISSUE
Calendar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
City of Newburgh.. . . . . . . . . . . 20
Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Crossword. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Letters to the Editor. . . . . . . . . . 8
Meadow Hill. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Town of Newburgh. . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Newburgh Heritage. . . . . . . . . . . 9
New Windsor.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Obituaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Opinion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Police Blotter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Service Directory. . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
PUBLIC AGENDA
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11
New Windsor Town Board, 7 p.m.,
Town Hall, 555 Union Ave., New Windsor.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19
Town of Newburgh Planning Board. 7
p.m. Town Hall, 1496 Route 300, Town of
Newburgh.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23
Town of Newburgh Workshop
meeting, 7 p.m. Town Hall, 1496 Route
300, Town of Newburgh.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24
Newburgh Enlarged City School
District Board of Education, 6-8:30
p.m. BOE Auditorium 124 Grand St.,
Newburgh.
HOW TO REACH US
OFFICE:
300 Stony Brook Court
Newburgh, NY 12550
PHONE: 845-561-0170, FAX: 845-561-3967
Emails may be directed to the following :
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TO REACH THE EDITOR
[email protected]
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[email protected]
PUBLIC NOTICES
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WEBSITE
www.mhtimesonline.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.
Theresa Brown: 2019 Newburgh Champion
By NICOLE ZANCHELLI
W
ith the constant bombardment
of bad news, it is important to
acknowledge the good: the local
pioneers who work relentlessly to better
the lives in their communities, the
diamonds in the rough.
Safe Harbors of the Hudson, a non-
profit housing and arts organization
based in Newburgh, will pay homage
to two cornerstones of the community
at their annual gala on Thursday, Sept.
19 at 6 p.m. Theresa Brown, a volunteer
for Safe Harbors and former president
of the board, will be honored as the 2019
Newburgh Champion. The Mid Hudson
Times will be recognized as the event as a
Corporate Good Neighbor.
Cornerstone champions are identified
through a person’s work, volunteerism,
commitment to their community and
making Newburgh a better place for
everyone.
“Theresa Brown really does typify the
spirit of the award through her long and
distinguished career as a champion of
the arts, in education, and her tireless
volunteerism with Safe Harbors and
other Newburgh organizations,” said
Lisa Silverstone, Executive Director of
Safe Harbors of the Hudson. “She is
unbelievably enthusiastic and has an
incredible amount of energy for anything
that she does.”
Safe Harbors began in 2002 with
the purchase of the Hotel Newburgh.
Through $21 million in state, county and
federal funds, Safe Harbors transformed
the deteriorating Hotel Newburgh into
affordable, supportive housing.
“Safe Harbors is one of the few non-
profit organizations that is reflective on
their practice,” Brown said. “It has that
grassroots sort of feel where we are going
to go to one person at a time and really
try to meet their needs. [We ask] ‘is what
we are doing right?’ or ‘do we need to
rethink it?’”
Brown earned a music therapy
degree at SUNY Fredonia, and became
a registered and board certified music
therapist working with special needs
children. Originally from Grand Island,
New York, she moved to the Newburgh
area to work with special education
pre-K students at the Maryann and Mike
O’Neil Learning Center, now known as
the Newburgh Developmental Learning
Center.
Brown continued on with her education
to receive a Masters in elementary
education, an administrative certificate
Theresa Brown will be acknowledged for her dedication to the arts and her tireless
volunteerism at the Safe Harbors of the Hudson’s annual gala.
and certification in music education and
elementary education.
She taught general music at
Washingtonville Junior High for a couple
of years before moving on to work in the
Newburgh Enlarged City School District
for the rest of her career.
“I saw the amazing impact the arts
can have on children…from when I
began as a music therapist to when I
was a music teacher to when I was an
administrator for the school district,”
Brown reflected. “The arts bring a level
ground for everyone and is an expressive
venue, whether it be in drama, music or
visual arts.”
Brown became a part of Safe Harbors in
2006 after a fellow art teacher introduced
her to June Henley, the director of
programming at Safe Harbors. She
quickly moved on to serve as the board
president for approximately three years.
Without fail, Brown fosters meaningful
and long-lasting relationships with her
students, and nurtures family bonding
through children’s craft activities. From
orchestrating the Newburgh Enlarged
City School District art show, to guiding
her students in putting on theatrical
performances, Brown’s dedication to the
community and Safe Harbors runs deep.
“She has really been a champion of
arts in the schools and an incredible
believer in her students. She has gotten
involved in so many activities that
support her students and that support
arts and culture in the city of Newburgh,”
Silverstone said.
The announcement of the 2019
Newburgh Champion could not have
come at a better time. In the beginning
of May, Brown had just been in three
different hospitals, and no doctor could
give her a definitive diagnosis.
“I was really emotionally drained and
tired, and then I took the phone call
from Lisa. She told me that [I am the
Newburgh Champion] and I just started
crying,” Brown admitted.
Retired in June, Brown now
contemplates how she wants to move
forward. What she knows for certain,
however, is that she will continue
volunteering and will maintain her
relationship with Safe Harbors.
“I would like to see us bring in a
program in the Ann Street Gallery
to open it up to more than just older
students and adults,” Brown said. “We do
[offer] painting at this time, but I would
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