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Wallkill Valley Times, Wednesday, June 19, 2019
IN THIS ISSUE
Calendar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Crossword. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Letters to the Editor. . . . . . . . . . 9
Montgomery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Obituaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Opinion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Pine Bush. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Police Blotter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
School News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Service Directory. . . . . . . . . . . 40
Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Walden.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
PUBLIC AGENDA
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19
Shawangunk Zoning Board of Appeals, 7
p.m. Town Hall, 14 Central Ave., Wallkill.
THURSDAY, JUNE 20
Valley Central Board of Education. 5:30
p.m. Administration building, 944 Route
17K, Montgomery. Special meeting to
discuss proposed referendum. Action is
expected to be taken.
Montgomery Town Board Audit/Work
Session, 6 p.m. Town Government Center,
110 Bracken Road, Montgomery.
Wallkill Board of Education, 7 p.m.
Wallkill High School Library Media Center.
Shawangunk Town Board, 7 p.m. Town
Hall, 14 Central Ave., Wallkill.
MONDAY, JUNE 24
Town of Montgomery Planning Board,
7:30 p.m. Town Hall, 110 Bracken Road,
Montgomery.
TUESDAY, JUNE 25
Pine Bush Board of Education, 7 p.m.
Circleville Middle School, 1951 Route 302,
Circleville.
HOW TO REACH US
OFFICE:
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[email protected]
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WEBSITE
www.timescommunitypapers.com
The Wallkill Valley Times, (USPS 699-490) 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,
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POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Wallkill Valley
Times, 300 Stony Brook Court, Newburgh, NY 12550.
Lawsuit announced against Brescia
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way to conduct themselves.”
Brescia announced only Village of
Montgomery residents were allowed
to speak when Town of Montgomery
resident Susan Cockburn attempted to
ask the Medline representative a question.
Police officers prevented Cockburn from
speaking, although she was allowed to
stay in the meeting.
Crawford and Valley Central School
District resident Jessica Gocke also
attempted to speak but was escorted out
by police officers. She was later allowed
back in the meeting.
“You are not a village resident; you
are not a town resident,” Brescia said
to Gocke during the meeting. “You go
to every major project throughout the
county and you oppose it. You are not
asking a question.”
Cockburn, Gocke and Gocke’s mother,
Debra Corr, are the chief plaintiffs in the
case, although the plaintiffs also represent
all people who were prohibited from
speaking at the meeting. The plaintiffs
are seeking punitive and compensatory
damages in the civil lawsuit and an
injunction that would prevent Brescia
from participating in the behavior again.
“I hope we can send a very clear
message to Mr. Brescia and those like
him conducting meetings throughout the
county that this is not a way of governance
that is common to the United States,”
Sussman said. “This is not what we’re
interested in. We’re interested in a robust
debate. Let the people make informed
decisions, which can’t happen if voices
are silenced by intimidation.”
Gocke said her first amendment rights
were violated and she was bullied by
Brescia based on her points of view.
Gocke went on to say this has become
a pattern for Brescia, who also serves
as Chairman of the Orange County
Legislature and Secretary of the Orange
County Industrial Agency.
Civil rights attorney Michael Sussman announced a lawsuit will be filed against Village of
Montgomery Mayor Stephen Brescia for violating the first amendment rights of Town of
Montgomery residents who were prohibited from speaking at a public meeting with Medline
representatives on June 4. Sussman held a June 12 press conference for the announcement.
“I was singled out, discriminated
against, robbed of my free speech and
humiliated by being escorted out by
police officers despite not breaking
any laws and not exhibiting disruptive
behavior,” Gocke said. “This is a pattern
with Mayor Brescia who, while serving in
his capacity as Chairman of the Orange
County Legislature, regularly silences his
perceived political enemies.”
Gocke said she and other county
residents have experienced backlash for
their opinions and questions opposing
projects which she said will have negative
environmental impacts and increase the
county’s reliance on fossil fuels.
“We are labeled as activists because
we take time to read the environmental
impact statements,” Gocke said. “We
are labeled as eco-terrorists by Mayor
Brescia’s friend Steve Neuhaus because
we take the time to ask questions and in
many cases bring up local law, zoning
and environmental designations that
‘slow down the process.’ Mayor Brescia,
chairman Brescia and secretary of the
OCIDA Brescia does not like questions.”
Sussman said he will not pursue a case
in state court for violation of New York
State Open Meetings law.
The agenda located on the village’s
website for the public meeting includes
a question and answer session for village
residents. The agenda also includes a
public portion for questions, which limits
speaking to three minutes but has no
other limitations based on residence.
Medline Industries, Inc, a 1.3-million-
square-foot warehouse just outside
Village of Montgomery limits, is currently
under review by the Town of Montgomery
Planning Board.
Brescia did not respond to repeated
requests for comment.
Gardiner contemplates community choice aggregation
The Gardiner town board is
contemplating a proposed local law
which would launch a community choice
aggregation program.
Town board member Franco Carucci
introduced the proposal. Under the
program, one energy supplier would be
selected as the default supplier for all
eligible residents in the town, replacing
the current Central Hudson utility.
Residents would be notified of the change
and may opt out of the program at any
time at no cost to them.
Eligible consumers are all consumers,
residential and non-residential, who
reside within municipal limits.
Community choice aggregation
usually lowers energy costs and provides
fixed rates for consumers through
aggregation of purchasing power. The
program also provides renewable and
clean energy for consumers.
Carucci estimates the proposal would
save each resident between $40 and $50
per year.
The town would pick an energy
administrator who will approach energy
companies and bid for contracts and
rates. There are two administrators
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