SPEND Passion Four more Harper visits and resolve years Winter storm does its business on area TIME Woodstock Mayor Noble WISELY Women’s March says he’ll seek with draws hundreds another term Almanac Weekly REGION > 3 ELECTION 2019 > 4 PHOTOS > 10 THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, 2019 VOLUME 14; ISSUE 4 ULSTER PUBLISHING, INC. WWW.HUDSONVALLEYONE.COM KINGSTON TIMES ONE DOLLAR FIFTY CENTS ELECTION 2019 Rounds for judge Kingston defense attorney wants Don Williams’ seat on the bench BY JESSE J. SMITH t a sentencing hearing briefly to the defense table and attorney for convicted murderer Seth Bryan Rounds. “Some would say too long.” Lyons last month, County On Friday, Rounds lifted the veil on the Court Judge Donald Williams worst-kept secret in Ulster County legal A was about to offer some advice circles when he announced that he would to the victim’s family on how to begin heal- seek election to the county judgeship. ing from the brutal killing of their loved “I believe that everything in my person- one. The judge, about to enter his 10th al life and professional career has prepared year on the bench, prefaced his remarks me for this office at this moment in time,” PHOTO PROVIDED DAN BARTON with the words, “I have been doing this said Rounds, 49, of the Town of Ulster. Bryan Rounds. Judge Don Williams. a long time.” Then Williams cast his eyes (continued on page 6) CITY GOVERNMENT No contract yet for city police Shrinking officer ranks, three-year stalemate damaging morale, says PBA president BY JESSE J. SMITH an. 1 marked three years since Kingston’s police officers have had a valid labor agreement with the city. Both sides say the talks J are ongoing, but the head of the Kingston Police Benevolent Association says that there is growing concern about manpower in a department that has shrunk from 78 officers a decade ago to just 69 today. The PBA contract with the city expired on Dec. 31, 2015. Since then, rank-and-file PHYLLIS McCABE cops have continued to receive step raises and other benefits contained in the pre- 32-piece symphony vious labor agreement, but talks remain stalled on a new contract. PBA President THIS YEAR, THE MIGHTY PAWNS’ 26th annual Martin Luther King Day Chess Tournament was held at the Miller School, Brian Aitkin said the parties had filed for with 80 players ranging from kindergarten to 12th grade. Nine teams from the Hudson Valley from Newburgh to Albany par- arbitration and the union was awaiting ticipated. The winning teams were Newburgh, the Mighty Pawns, Graves Elementary and the Rockin’ Rooks from Rhinebeck. “language clarification” before proceeding. Last year, the Common Council approved a request by Mayor Steve Noble to set aside CITY GOVERNMENT “Ever since I heard what’s been hap- $800,000 in the city’s reserve fund for pay pening at the county level the past couple raises, including any retroactive raises, of months, I’ve been thinking this might contained in a potential new contract. An IDA of our own be a case where we want to seize control “It’s really kind of a waiting game now,” of our own destiny,” said Noble. said Aitkin. Noble was referring to an ongoing Both sides declined to cite specific City officials ponder taking over economic dispute between the Ulster IDA, which sticking points. Aitkin outlined a number is an independent body run by a board of issues that he said had an impact on development from county BY JESSE J. SMITH of directors appointed by the county morale. Among them, Aitken said, was legislature, and Hein’s office. Hein has a reduction in the number of lieutenants ayor Steve Noble is Kingston. Noble remarks come as rela- accused IDA leadership of “negotiating (continued on page 2) saying it may be time for tions between Ulster County’s IDA and in bad faith” regarding a contract with the city to start its own the administration of County Executive the county’s Office of Economic Develop- industrial development Mike Hein have frayed in a dispute over ment to handle administrative work for M agency to provide incen- a contract and concerns over leadership the agency. Hein’s administration has also tives for businesses to start in or move to at the quasi-governmental agency. (continued on page 6) 2 NEWS THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, 2019 KINGSTON TIMES misdemeanor; and several traffi c a Dec. 14, 2018 incident where Broadway. Offi cers found the car court appearance. POLICE BRIEFS violations. Turpin and another person ha- shortly thereafter, crashed into He was released pending a rassed and damaged the property one of the Wurts Street Bridge Parole violation No license, big problem future court appearance. of a third individual. abutments at Wurts and Abeel. A city man was picked up on A city man is facing a felony Turpin was processed and Footprints led away from the car, a warrant for an alleged parole charge after he was caught driv- Criminal mischief released for a future court date. and offi cers followed them to violation, city police said. ing high and without a license, An incident back in December 22-year-old James Soricelli. On Jan. 15, Shane Dunham, city police said. has resulted in a felony charge Car theft in a blizzard Soricelli was charged with 26, was a passenger in a vehicle On Jan. 19, police said, for a Kingston woman, city police A car theft from a gas station fourth-degree grand larceny and pulled over on Flatbush Avenue, Warren Chamberlain, 65, was said. in the midst of Saturday’s snow- fourth-degree possession of police said. Dunham is on parole arrested following a stop on On Jan. 18, the KPD ar- storm ended badly for a Pough- stolen property, both felonies, after serving time for a 2012 East St. James Street. He was rested Samantha Turpin, 29, and keepsie man, city police said. and second-degree criminal shooting on O’Neil Street, police charged with fi rst-degree aggra- charged her with third-degree According to the KPD, at about impersonation, misdemeanors. said. vated unlicensed operation of a criminal mischief, a felony, and 6:46 p.m. Saturday, a report He was arraigned in city court He was sent to Ulster County motor vehicle, a felony; driving harassment, a violation. Police came in of a car that had been Sunday morning and sent to Ul- Jail to be held for a parole hear- while ability impaired by drugs, a said the charges stemmed from taken from a gas station on ster County Jail pending a future ing, police said. KINGSTON MEETINGS 7 p.m. Town of Hurley Planning Board, Town of Hurley Tuesday, Feb. 5 Town Hall, 10 Wamsley Pl., Hurley, 331-7474 Thursday, Jan. 24 4:30 p.m. Ulster County Economic Development Al- 7 p.m. Town of Esopus American Legion, Town of liance, Board of Directors, County Office Bldg., 6th fl., 6:30 p.m. City of Kingston Finance & Audit Com- Esopus Community Ctr., Port Ewen, 339-1811 Legislative Chambers, 244 Fair St., Kingston mittee, City Hall, 420 Broadway, call for location, Kingston, 331-0080 Monday, Jan. 28 procedure that has sped up the resolution of civilian No contract yet for city police complaints. 6:30 p.m. Kingston City Land Bank, City Hall, 420 “There was a feeling that it was a little too political,” Continued from Page 1 Broadway, call for location, Kingston, 331-0080 said Aitkin of the city’s handling of the complaints. 7 p.m. Town of Hurley Town Board, Town of Hurley “I don’t think politics should be influencing so much Town Hall, 10 Wamsley Pl., Hurley, 331-7474 assigned to the department’s patrol division from three how our department is run.” 7 p.m. Town of Esopus Conservatives, Esopus Com- to one, a change that has left the agency’s sergeants At least some relief may be in sight on the staffing munity Center, Port Ewen, 339-1811 with limited routes to promotion. Low staffing levels, issue. Kingston Police Chief Egidio Tinti said this Aitken said, had also made it harder for officers to week that the authorized strength of the department 7 p.m. Town of Esopus Republicans, Esopus Com- take time off and limited the department’s ability to stood at 71 and two vacancies were in the process of munity Center, Port Ewen, 339-1811 provide special assignments, like bike patrol, foot posts being filled. Tinti added that the department had Wednesday, Jan. 30 or plainclothes details. shifted from assigning special details using officers on a regular schedule to using overtime to carry out 6 p.m. Town of Esopus Library Board of Trustees, Town itkin said morale has also taken in hit the work. of Esopus Library, 128 Canal St., Port Ewen, 338-5580 following a series of high-profile incidents of Mayor Noble said that he believed the 71-member 6:30 p.m. Ulster County Environmental Management Aalleged police abuse in 2017 and subsequent department was appropriate given an overall decline Council, SUNY Ulster, Clinton Hall, Howard C. St. action by the city’s police commission to investigate. in crime in the city over the past 10 years and the in- John Business Seminar Rm., Cottekill In each case officers were cleared of wrongdoing, but troduction of new technology to help officers do their only after a lengthy and very public period of scrutiny jobs more effectively. Monday, Feb. 4 by activist groups and the commission. Aitkin said that “Even when we haven’t been investing in officers, 7 p.m.