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Southern Ulster Times, Wednesday, June 12, 2019
Marlboro Library budget is approved by voters
Voters of the Marlboro Central School District
approved the Marlboro Free Library’s proposed budget
for 2019-20 at the annual meeting and budget vote held
in the Library’s Community Room on Tuesday, June 4.
A family seeks justice
Continued from page 1
returned home Vinnie started working for a landscaping
company awaiting his trial.
At Vinnie’s first court date it was decided that he be
released into Joe’s care and go upstate to Sunmount, a
facility to determine whether he was fit to stand trial.
After a month at Sunmount, they declared that Vinnie
was incompetent to stand trial, and Vinnie returned
home awaiting his next court date.
When Joe and Vinnie showed up for his next court date
in April they were expecting a routine court appearance
and instead Vinnie was handcuffed and arrested again,
told he never should have been released in the first place.
Vinnie has been in Sunmount since, with no offer on the
table and no option for bail.
Vinnie’s aunt, Sherry, has started a Facebook page and
gofundme to help raise awareness for Vinnie and help pay
for their court bills, called “Justice For Vinnie.” She and
Joe are also using this platform to help raise awareness
for autism and people with disabilities in the system.
“A person with autism and disabilities should be
protected and helped by the system, not completely
allowed to fall through the cracks of injustice,” Sherry
says in the gofundme page which has raised $1,825 as of
Tuesday afternoon.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention approximately 1.2 million people under the age
of 21 in the U.S. have been diagnosed with autism. There
are no figures that state how many people incarcerated
have autism but according to the Department of Justice’s
Bureau of Justice Statistics three in ten jail inmates
reported having a cognitive disability.
“I think the problem lies with the uneducated police
force and judicial system employees. Unless one of them
has a child with autism, or any other disability, they don’t
understand that individual,” Joanne Ponte, a Highland
resident, said. “Education all around needs to happen.”
With Vinnie still in Sunmount they are once again
evaluating him to see if he is fit to stand trial. With
Sunmount being a four hour drive away Joe tries to visit
as often as he can but wishes his son were closer.
“Vinnie comes from a loving and supportive family. His
father and his siblings are everything one can wish for.
They have been his greatest advocates and cheerleaders,”
Kate Waage, a New Paltz resident, said.
Along with support from family members there are
endless posts on the Facebook page advocating for
Vinnie’s return home with people telling stories of the
times they met him and how wonderful he is.
Vinnie’s next court date is June 14, for updates check
out facebook.com/groups/318836912135022/.
Plattekill residents help shape town’s future
Continued from page 1
draft the updated comprehensive master plan. The Town
of Plattekill will be assisted by the planning firm Barton
and Loguidice.
During the June 4 meeting, Bob Murphy, a planner
from Barton and Loguidice, presented facts about the
Plattekill of today. A 35 square mile town located in
Ulster County, Plattekill is home to numerous small
hamlets, apple orchards, and farms. The town’s land is
divided primarily into residential (40%) and agricultural
(21%) zones, with some commercial zones mixed in. At
just over 10,000 residents, Plattekill’s population has
remained stable over the last decade. In line with other
NYS towns, the town is seeing a rise in the number of
elderly residents. Historically, the town has experienced
difficulty in the feeling of unity due primarily to its large
size, amount of vacant housing (33%) ,and its inclusion
in four different school districts. Using this information,
Mr. Murphy urged attendees to work together, and
develop their vision of the town of Plattekill in 2040.
With markers and post it notes in hand, the group
got to work creating their vision. As experts on the
town, the participants wrote their thoughts on what the
town lacked, what it valued, and even marking future
locations of new businesses on the town map. Their
vision, a future Plattekill, will welcome both seniors
and young families. It will provide safe walking trails,
more local business, centrally located senior housing,
and newly renovated homes. Thriving hamlets will be
the norm, each with restaurants and entertainment that
will rival the neighboring towns of Newburgh and New
Paltz. Plattekill will still maintain its open spaces and
apple fields, as they are important to its residents. The
construction of tall buildings, addition of street lights
and apartment complexes will be considered carefully
to prevent obstructed views of the Shawangunks and
Marlboro mountains. Tourism will become a bigger
part of the town’s economy, with hiking trails, fishing
holes and hunting areas available to enjoy. Overall,
the Plattekill of 2040 will include greater unity and a
renewed sense of community.
Phase one of the Master Plan update will continue
through the summer, with the distribution of a brief
survey, and two Master Plan Committee meetings.
Interested residents can find a summary of the ideas
developed at each of the two visionary meeting on the
Town of Plattekill website. For up to date information,
or to submit questions and comments on the master
plan process, visit the Town of Plattekill Comprehensive
Master Plan Facebook page. The committee hopes to
start the second phase of the comprehensive master plan
with workshops starting in the winter of 2020.
Terry Clouse chaired the annual meeting and budget
vote, and was assisted by MCSD Deputy District Clerk
Cindy Storno, and election teller Ashley Poulin.
The Library’s operating budget of $996,117.00 was
approved. The budget passed by a margin of 68-7.
P olice B lotter
Town of Lloyd Police
Erik R. Bailey, 29, of Newburgh was arrested June
10 and charged with felony Criminal Possession of
a Weapon 2nd degree and Unlawful Possession of
Marijuana after he was found in possession of a
loaded firearm. He was arraigned before Town of
Lloyd Judge Elia and remanded to the Ulster County
Jail on $5,000 cash bail or $15,000 insurance bond. He
is due back in the Town of Lloyd Court on June 13
Christine N. Fowler, 21 of Kingston was arrested
June 8 and charged with felony Driving While
Intoxicated and felony Criminal Possession of a
Controlled Substance 5th degree after the vehicle
she was operating was stopped for traffic violations
on Rt. 44/55 in Highland. She was arraigned before
Town of Lloyd Judge Elia and remanded to the
Ulster County Jail on $5,000 cash bail or $20,000
insurance bond. Fowler is due back in the Town of
Lloyd Court on June 13.
Shayonna B. McZeal, 28, of Poughkeepsie was
arrested June 3rd and charged with Criminal
Impersonation 2nd degree and Unlawful Possession
of Marihuana. She was arraigned before Town of
Lloyd Judge Elia was released and is due back in the
Town of Lloyd Court on June 13. McZeal was then
turned over to the New York State Police on a bench
warrant for Driving While Intoxicated.
Health L. McGill, 39, of Plattekill was arrested
June 8th and charged with Driving While Intoxicated
and Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated after the
vehicle she was operating was stopped for traffic
violations on Rt. 9W in Highland. She was released
on tickets and is due in the Town of Lloyd Court on
June 27.
Eugene Davis, 31, was arrested June 7 on a New
York State Parole Violation warrant. Davis was
remanded to the Ulster County Jail without bail
pending a parole hearing.
Stephen A. Bellinger, 57, of Hyde Park was
arrested June 7 and charged with Criminal
Possession of a Controlled Substance 7th degree
and Aggravated Unlicensed Operation 3rd degree.
He was released on an appearance ticket and is due
back in the Town of Lloyd Court on June 27, 2019.
Bellinger was then turned over to the Town of Hyde
Park Police on an arrest warrant for Aggravated
Unlicensed Operation 3rd degree.