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Wallkill Valley Times, Wednesday, January 10, 2018
Brescia re-elected chair of Orange County legislature
By JASPREET GILL
[email protected]
The Orange County Legislature
welcomed some new faces and re elected
some familiar ones during their first
meeting of 2018 in their new legislative
chambers in Goshen.
L. Stephen Brescia was re-elected as
Chairman of the Legislature, making 2018
his fifth year as chairman.
He briefly spoke about Valley
View Center for Nursing Care and
Rehabilitation (Valley View) in Goshen.
During the 2017 elections, the potential
sale of the nursing home from the county
to a private entity was a central issue.
“I see the Facebook blogs (sic) and
some of the stuff said out there,” he says.
“There’s nobody here pushing the sale
of Valley View anymore...so let’s get that
fear out of the way. We need to appoint a
committee to look at Valley View and try
to come up with some reasonable ideas
to develop the property out there to help
support Valley View.”
During the 2017 elections, Brescia was
one of the proponents of the sale of Valley
View, arguing that by selling the nursing
home, it could lower county tax rates, cut
expenses and save money. Those against
the sale of the nursing home argued that
selling it to a private entity meant a lower
quality of care for individuals.
Brescia also mentioned he was looking
forward to working alongside newcomer
Rob Sassi.
The January 4 meeting marked the first
meeting for Sassi, who won the District 18
seat in the legislature after presiding over
incumbent Roseanne Sullivan in the 2017
elections.
“My focus is the opioid crisis,” says
Sassi. “It’s a major epidemic. I saw five
of my students die [from opioid use] as a
teacher in Valley Central so it really hits
home.”
The legislature also rang in the new
year with awarding members of the
public.
Linda Romano, a health science
teacher at Newburgh Free Academy
north campus, was awarded with the
Association of Career and Technical
Education’s National Teacher of the Year
award.
Romano started a nurse aide program
at Newburgh Free Academy in 2006 that
has grown from 12 students in the first
year to 214 students today. In addition to
the nurse aide program, she also often
chaired the school’s building leadership
team, co-chaired the health and safety
Linda Romano (center) accepts the Association of Career and Technical Education’s National Teacher of the Year award during the Orange
County Legislature organization meeting.
team, organized blood drives and
conducted CPR training, mentors new
teachers and serves as teacher and team
leader of Scholars in Scrubs, a new class
in the Newburgh Armory Unity Center.
“As a nurse, going into a high school
to teach was something that I never
thought I would be doing,” said Romano.
“I thought I would always be working at a
hospital and helping others. [With] what
I’m doing with my work in the district
and now my work at the armory, I’m able
to make a difference at a different level.”
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange
County was also recognized during the
meeting as January is National Mentoring
Month.
“Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange
County’s mentoring model is a proven
and effective strategy that helps children
and young adults by matching them with
a caring, responsible adult role model who
provides guidance in the right direction
and builds their confidence,” said County
Executive Steven Neuhaus.
Sharon Williams, the Executive
Director for Big Brothers Big Sisters of
Orange County, accepted the award on
behalf of the organization.
Williams said, “We’re hoping that
through this recognition for National
Mentoring Month we can encourage more
adults to become mentors and make a
difference in a young person’s life.”
The next Orange County Legislature
meeting is next month, with the date to be
announced.
Sharon Williams, Executive Director for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County, accepts an award at the Orange County Legislature
organization meeting on Jan 4. From left: James M. Kulisek (District 6), Sharon Williams, County Executive Steven Neuhaus, Chairman of the
Legislature L. Stephen Brescia (District 9) and Kevindaryan Lujan (District 4).