New Paltz Times Briefl Y Noted News of New Paltz, Highland, Gardiner Rosendale & Beyond
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SPECIAL SECTION | HOME , LAWN & GARDEN GARDINER | CUPCAKE FEST MAY 20 HIGHLAND | SPRING FEST MAY 20 INSIDE 11 13 One dollar THURSDAY, MAY 18, 2017 www.hudsonvalleyone.com VOL. 17, ISSUE 20 New Paltz TimesTimes NEWS OF NEW PALTZ, GARDINER, HIGHLAND, ROSENDALE & BEYOND New Paltz voters Gearing up pass school budget, incumbent Steve Gabriella O’Shea and Hannah George speak Greenfi eld loses out about the dangers faced by bicyclists seat on the board to newcomers Kathy Preston and Teresa Thompson Teresa Thompson. Kathy Preston. HEN THE POLLS closed on Tuesday, May 16, New Paltz Central School Dis- W trict voters supported the proposed $59 million budget that comes with a 2.3 percent tax levy for the 2017-18 school year. There were 2,228 votes cast, out of which 1,561 votes were for the bud- get with just 667 opposed. The budget Continued on page 16 Highland district voters approve budget and bus proposition, two PHOTOS BY LAUREN THOMAS Gabby O’Shea and Hannah George on the Carmine Liberta Bridge on Route 299 in New Paltz. incumbent trustees to be sworn in again by Terence P Ward ABRIELLA O'SHEA STILL can't ride a bicycle on her own, but she's healed enough that she's ready to speak out about the dangers faced by anyone who pedals along the roads. When Hannah George fi rst started talking publicly about being hit by a car in March, her voice broke. Now it carries a steadiness that refl ects her determination to see bicycle safety treated as a top priority in New Paltz, Ulster County and beyond. The two women have joined forces to build a coalition to see that vision through. The journey for O'Shea has been a longer and harder one. She was struck from be- Ghind by a driver who left the scene, but later turned herself in. O'Shea's injuries were extensive, and she Alan Barone. Heather Welch. spent months at Helen Hayes Rehabilitation Hospital. Her recovery is not yet complete, either: there are short-term memory and balance issues to contend with; her peripheral vision is now severely curtailed, OTERS ON TUESDAY night, as well. The positive attitude with which she has decided to tackle these challenges shines through, May 16 approved the Highland though, in her smile, the light in her eyes, and way she relates to her fellow human beings. Central School District’s pro- "I can fi nally feel my memory improving," she said while sipping a hot beverage at the Mudd Puddle. V posed budget of $42,866,930 Recalling the diffi culty she had recognizing her own mother, Blanca Babits, she called that period "hor- for the 2017-18 school year. The budget rendous," describing it as the "most diffi cult" part of her recovery. Much of the past is "incredibly vague passed by a 68 percent voter majority, Continued on page 17 Continued on page 16 PLUS: ALMANAC WEEKLY INSIDE 2 • May 18, 2017 New Paltz Times Briefl y noted News of New Paltz, Highland, Gardiner Rosendale & beyond Refugees and immigrants in SUNY NEW PALTZ | COMMENCEMENT Gardiner and the Hudson Valley A panel discussion designed to provide infor- mation and to address the community’s ques- tions concerning refugees and immigrants in Gar- diner and the Hudson Valley will take place on Friday, May 19, 7 p.m., at the Gardiner Town Hall. The event is free and primarily for Gardiner resi- dents, but is open to all. The fi ve panelists include: • Immigration lawyer Miryam Antunez De Mayolo will discuss US Refugee and Immigrant vetting prac- tices. • Worker’s Justice Center program director Andrea Callan will address the long, lengthy, complicated and costly process for becoming documented. • Mid-Hudson Refugee Alliance founder and Asso- ciate Professor of Political Science and Internation- al Relations at SUNY New Paltz Ilgu Ozler will talk about the refugee crisis (world wide and local) and the recent ban. • New Paltz Deputy Supervisor Daniel Torres will discuss sanctuary cities and the law. SUNY New Paltz to celebrate commencement • Ulster County Sheriff Paul Van Blarcum will ad- dress county law enforcement practices. UNY NEW PALTZ will hold its 2017 undergraduate commencement ceremonies on Sat- urday, May 20 and Sunday, May 21, on the Old Main Quadrangle on campus. The Satur- DMV van back in service day ceremony will recognize graduates of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, and the in New Paltz SSunday ceremony will recognize graduates of the Schools of Business, Education, Fine & Performing Arts and Science & Engineering. Both ceremonies will begin at 10 a.m. The Department of Motor Vehicle van is back in The graduate commencement ceremony for all academic units will take place on Friday, May 19, service at the VFW, located on Route 208 in New 6 p.m., in the Athletic and Wellness Center. Paltz on Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with a This year, nearly 2,000 undergraduate and nearly 600 graduate degrees will be conferred, as lunch break from 1 to 2 p.m. New Paltz recognizes graduates of the August 2016, December 2016 and January 2017 terms, and candidates for the May 2017 and August 2017 terms. Donate books, videotapes SUNY New Paltz President Donald P. Christian will preside over each ceremony, and all mem- and the like to Africa bers of the campus community are invited to join in the celebration. This year, SUNY New Paltz decided to split undergraduate commencement into two main cer- When Kennedy Cheruiyot, an IBM engineer, re- emonies because the college’s graduation rates have increased. As a result, more students have turned home to his childhood Kenyan village for a become eligible and chose to participate in the undergraduate commencement. In 2016, nearly visit, he was shocked at how few resources his village 2,000 students were eligible, roughly 1,400 participated, and there were approximately 9,000- still had, especially for children, teens and university 10,000 people at the ceremony. students. With the help of Dan and Ann Guenther, he According to college offi cials, the additional participating graduates and their families and is putting together a shipping container to go to Africa friends have added to the celebratory atmosphere of the event, but peak participation has also with donations of books, videotapes and the like. brought new logistical challenges. As the largest single gathering of the campus community and Both Gardiner Library and Elting Library in New guests, the safety and security of the event continues to be among the college’s top priorities. Paltz are accepting donations for him. Normally, “At New Paltz, we value preserving this attention on the individual graduate. Splitting the cer- emony allows us to continue this practice while also creating a more secure and manageable pro- gram, and overall experience for graduates, their families and friends,” said Christian. New Paltz alumna and United Nations Assistant Secretary-General Jessica Faietawill speak on Saturday, and New Paltz Foundation board chair and banking executive Michael Keegan will speak on Sunday. SUNY New Paltz named Kerry Clingain of Staten Island as valedictorian. Clingain is no longer living locally and is unable to attend the ceremony. Salutatorian Jonathan Baez of Monroe will address his fellow Liberal Arts & Sciences graduates as student speaker at the Saturday ceremony. The student speaker at the Sunday ceremony will be Jessica Weeks of Danbury, Connecticut. A SUNY Chancellor’s Award recipient, Weeks has distinguished herself in and out of the classroom at SUNY New Paltz SUNY New Paltz’s Commencement ceremonies will be webcast online at http://totalwebcasting. com/live/newpaltz. libraries want books in good condition for their located at 150 Kisor Road in Highland. Guest speaker shelves or sales, but this time, even books in poor Annie Mardiney will enlighten attendees about what condition (outside of actual mold and mildew) are to do when they fi nd baby birds that have fallen from still better than what they have in Kenya, Kennedy their nests, orphaned bunnies, eagles or ospreys tan- reports. Even videotapes, which are on their way out gled in fi shing line or injured hawks on the roadside. YOU CAN TRUST here in the states, would be modern in Kenya. She’ll advise how to prevent injuries and death In New Paltz, bring small donations or a bag and to local wildlife, from asking towns to install fi shing LIGHTHOUSE SOLAR say it’s for the boxes in the staff room. Normally, the line recovery tubes, to changing the type of rat poi- library frowns on donations placed in the outside son, fertilizer and pesticides used,and by changing -Superior Technology free box, but an exception will be made just for the lead bullets to copper. Mardiney will also be bring- month of May. For larger quantities or for questions, -Outstanding Customer Service please contact Kennedy directly at (507) 269-1986. The deadline is May 31. -Lifetime Workmanship Press release guidelines Warranty Learn wildlife rehabilitation The New Paltz Times welcomes press releases from an expert from its readers. They should be submitted by Sunday to increase the chance that they will 845.417.3485 The joys and hardships of caring for injured wild be printed in the following week’s paper. Please animals will be shared by a licensed wildlife rehabili- e-mail them to Deb Alexsa at newpaltztimes@ tator at a workshop hosted by the Mid-Hudson Sierra ulsterpublishing.com. lighthousesolar.com Club on May 18 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Boughton Place, New Paltz Times MayJune 14,18, 20122017 •• 3 ing some special winged guests for an up-close and the opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony on June resentatives from local resource providers will be personal view, including an American Kestrel, Barn, 20 from noon to 2 p.m.