it Seems Like the Orange County Board of Elections Does NOT want us to Vote

Here are two photos — the front and back — of the postcard i got from the Orange County, NY, Board of Elections a week or so ago. I kept mine on the fridge until today, when my husband Tim and i went to do Early Voting. One side, the one with “HELPFUL INFORMATION” printed in all caps in red on a yellow background, states in a blue box above the “helpful” one: YOUR POLLING PLACE IS SUNY ORANGE KAPLAN HALL, 73 1st STREET, NEWBURGH, NY 12550. The other side, as you can se, lists the dates and times, BUT NOT THE LOCATIONS, of the primaries and the general election.

NOTICE SOMETHING? Nowhere on that card does it say that our polling place is 401 Washington Street. Guess what? Our polling place was 401 Washington Street.

We GUESSED the correct address after arriving at 73 1st Street and being told by a security team that there was no voting there today. (401 Washington St. is where we sometimes vote if we’re not voting at the middle school on Monument Street.) Luckily, we guessed right, and trekked up to 401 Washington.

This isn’t the first time the Board of Elections has sent out misleading or just plain wrong information about polling places in Newburgh. One might think that they deliberately want to hold down turnout. What do you think?

'“helpful?” 73 1st street is not our early voting polling place.

unlike the incorrect info on the other side of the card the orange county, ny board of elections sent out, this side does not tell us where to vote. So that’s a blessing. but this side says to call them or go to their website to find out some apparently secret “further information,” but when you’ve already gone to the wrong site to vote, do you really want to deal with these people again?

The Spelling Bee

Last night i had the honor of being the “pronouncer and definer” for 3rd- and 4th-grade students in the Newburgh Enlarged City School District, and it reminded me of an incident that occurred when i was interviewing for my very first job — as a reporter for the then-great Times Herald-Record daily newspaper in Middletown, N.Y. — after getting my master’s degree in journalism.

The editor, reviewing my resume as i nervously sat across from him at his huge desk, said, “You say you’re a good speller. Is that true?”

I had no daily-paper experience, but indeed i was an excellent speller. So i replied with a big, hopeful smile and maybe a bit too much enthusiasm, “Yes! I’m a GREAT speller!”

He (Al Romm, may he rest in peace) narrowed his eyes, looked me up and down and slowly growled in the most cynical way you could ever imagine: “DIARRHEA!”

I was equally stupid, outraged and desperate. I thought “diarrhea” was this elderly white man ’s polite way of saying “bulllshit!” So i spread my arms wide and exclaimed withh passion, “NO! I really AM a great speller!”

Another editor (Glen Doty, may he rest in peace) was in the room with us. He chuckled and said softly, “No, he meant, SPELL diarrhea.”

“Oh,” i said. “OH! D-I-A-R-R-H-E-A!”

How often a general-assignment reporter would need to write the word, “diarrhea,” was a mystery that has remained with me to this day. But he hired me on the spot, and that was the start of my very checkered career.

This cartoon, i think from the new yorker, has graced my office wall for, oh, some 20 years or so.

Hooray for the New Signs in the Heights!

We Heights residents are all very grateful for the new “No Parking Here to Corner” signs along Liberty Street in ourr neighorhood. These are definitely going to save money, time, grief and maybe lives. Thanks to Chad Wade and his team!

How many times have we had to inch past cars parked right at the corner of busy intersections — praying all the while? The city of newburgh is fixing that dangerous situation at last! many Thanks to our new leadership and our great DPW!

Was This Boot Made for Walkin' ...

… or for leaving on the corner of Liberty and South William streets? i’m thinking, first the former and then the latter. What do you think?

One of these days this boot is gonna … do what? There’s a story here, no doubt.

Where Do All the Poets Meet?

“Grand Street, Grand Street…”

Sorry, the heat has melted my brain and i was just humming to myself (because, why not?) the old Orlons hit, “South Street.” ANYWAY: Check out the new meeting place for the Hudson River Poets!

And, join us! Anyone can come, read a poem or two, or just listen. We have some terrific poets around here!

July 6, aug. 6, and sept. 7 are our next 3 meetups … in the air-conditioned newburgh free library! everyone is welcome to attend, read a poem, or just listen.

Sub Rosa Has All Three

Who has all three, SIGNED-BY-THE-AUTHOR, Newburgh-centric “Louey Levy” novels? Sub Rosa, the new gift shop at 89 Liberty Street, that’s who! Get ’em while they’re hot!

All three, now at Sub Rosa!

New Ice Cream Store in Newburgh!

Well, it’s not just an ice-cream store, and it’s not really new, but since I recently discovered it, it’s new to me:

The wonderful G&H Deli, at the corner of Liberty and First streets, has terrific hard and soft ice cream in cups and cones, as well as fresh, hot chicken and rice, greens, gravy, oxtail, pork and a wide variety of other Soul-Food and Caribbean-influenced dishes to go. You may remember (as i well do) getting hot food there, passed from a little window on the Liberty Street side of the building. i could never find the name of that shop; the front door (on First Street) was covered with chicken wire, and it always appeared to be dark inside, like a small bodega. Now they have ice cream in an amazing array of flavors — my favorite so far is the rum raisin, $2 for a very generous cupful — as well as other sweets and the same great food as always, in their beautifully renovated building. No more “little window!”

It was a blow to the whole city when Nancy Colas’s Simple Gifts and Goodies closed, and then Dairy Island as well, leaving Newburghers with no ice-cream shops. To make matters worse, our only swimming pool will be closed for the next three years, turning summers into a sad season here. But: G&H Deli has come to our rescue! All ice-cream lovers (as well as lovers of fresh, hot, Caribbean-style and Soul Food) should drop in to this hidden gem, in ANY season.

Call to order: 845-420-6175. They cater, too!

Great New Restaurant in the 'burgh!

Have you been to 845 Halal yet? If not, stop reading this right now and get over to 216 Broadway in Newburgh! This restaurant is already wildly popular, even though it hasn’t had its official Grand Opening yet! Brother and sister Aaqib and Nissa Majeed run the shop, at 216 Broadway, between City Terrace and Lutheran Street. You can eat in or take out really good dishes like lamb with rice and salad, fried chicken and many more options. Aaqib and Nissa’s dad, Rafiq Majeed, is the gracious owner, laser-focused on greening the street with shrubbery and installing outdoor seating later this spring. Hope to see you there soon!

College grads Rafiq and Nissa Majeed and their staff are serving up really fine food in the heart of the city.

Black Newburghers: If You're Looking to Sell Your House ...

Here is a horrifying story i saw today out of Indianapolis, one of the most racist cities i’ve visited in my 72 years: https://bit.ly/3hAajuc … but i fear it’s true everywhere, including Newburgh. A Black homeowner wanted to have her home appraised, apparently because she was looking to sell it, and therefore was hoping it would be appraised for a HIGH amount. It was appraised twice, at extremely LOW values, until she got the idea to have it appraised once more while a white friend stood in for her. The result was an appraisal more than twice as high as the others. She is now suing everyone she can, for illegal discrimination. Meanwhile, if any Black Newburghers are looking to sell your home (and i’m hoping you’re not: PLEASE STAY!), reach me at genieabrams@gmail.com and i will be glad to “stand in” for you while the appraiser visits. (I am, as many of you know, the classic “little old white lady.”)

Check Out this PBS Feature on What PFAS Chemicals Do To Our Water ... and Our Health

Here’s a link to the great Shantal Parris Riley story on NOVA, about PFOS and its sister chemicals. It’s a horrifying look at the quality of America’s water … including Newburgh’s, until 2016. Thank G-d we switched to the New York City Aqueduct!

https://to.pbs.org/38OnrYb

Porch Concerts in Newburgh Bring the Joy

One of the great things about living in Newburgh has been the free “Porch Concerts” that Kathy Lawrence performed all summer on Sunday evenings. To cheer us all up during the most stressful year anyone can remember, Kathy brought her musical talents (and her mic and electronic piano) out onto her porch here on Bayview Terrace. She sang requests from the audience as well as her own favorites from the American Songbook. Though ballads are her specialty, she can rock with the best of ‘em, croon songs from the early days of radio and belt out hits from Broadway musicals of all decades. She can pivot to novelty tunes too, to satisfy some of us goofier listeners. Between numbers, she shares her phenomenal knowlege about composers and lyricists. Neighbors near and far came to sit on “the Bluff” across the street from her house and enjoy her strong and agile soprano voice. She is a delightful entertainer who further endears herself to her loyal fans by interacting with them frequently. Her sweet mom, Carol, is similarly gifted, and often joined Kathy on harmony. The audience brought picnic blankets or lawn chairs. Some of us busted out some wine or tea (or, in the case of at least one young music-lover, some teething biscuits).

At the top of the Heights, with the river and the hills behind us and the wonderful music before us, Kathy’s Porch Concerts have given us all a wonderful respite from our woes. Let’s hope she’ll do it again next year, no matter what’s going on in our country and the world.

Kathy Lawrence of Newburgh, an AirBnb Superhost, is also a super singer.

Kathy takes requests during her last Porch Concert of the year on Oct. 4. If it’s a song from the American Songbook you want to hear, chances are she’ll just happen to have the sheet music for it.

Frederick Douglass Offers Some Words of Wisdom to Newburgh

A beautiful new painting of the various stages of the life of Frederick Douglass graces the lot across from the A.M.E. Zion Church on Washington Street in Newburgh, where he once preached. His words of wisdom here: “Without a struggle there is no progress.” VOTE VOTE VOTE!!!

PLEASE register to vote, and then VOTE in the 2020 election, to win the most important struggle of our lifetimes.

On the 4th of July, A Few Questions Before Heading to the Grill

The celebration of our "freedom" on July 4th raises some questions this year. Here are a few that have been bothering me.

In the midst of police killings of unarmed black people and a pandemic that is keeping us from leaving our homes except to dart out for food, who in the U.S. is really free? Should cops carry and distribute face masks and lists of food pantries, health and mental health clinics and detox facilities, instead of guns? Should they be trained in conflict resolution and restorative justice techniques, instead of chokeholds?

How is it that Persons of Color contract and die from COVID-19 at a higher rate than Persons of Privilege, and might that have something to do with the history of Black people in the Land of the Free? Might it be related to 400 years of slavery, lynchings, denial of voting rights and jobs, segregation, unequal educational, recreational and social opportunities, mass incarceration and discrimination in housing and loans (otherwise known as “redlining”)?  

What would moral, psychological, economic and social reparations for Blacks look like?

And finally: European Americans say we don’t “hate” anyone, but what is it when we mimic Black music, poetry, art, language and style for our own benefit? Isn’t racial hatred just simple math: the sum of ignorance plus fear plus greed? It’s ignorance of our Black neighbors plus the fear of black men “getting” white women plus the mania for not only more wealth, but for more wealth than others have.

In the rush to our backyard grills, let us also recall those whom we have stranded at our borders and the indigenous peoples from whom Europeans stole this land, and ask: How is freedom going for them?

The Black Lives Matter movement, combined with a horrid pandemic, makes this the year that can change everything. First, though, some questions need to be answered.

A meaningful Fourth of July to all!

Mama Roux Forgives You!

Just when Mama Roux. our fabulous Louisiana-themed restaurant at Liberty and Broadway, was about to re-open after being closed for 150,000 years (it felt like) due to the COVID-19 crisis, some idiot smashed their font window. Did Stirling, the proprietor, curse the perpetrator? Did she seek revenge, or even restitution? No, she did something quintesentially Newburgh. She forgave him. At first I had no words for this response, but then two words did come to mind: “Amazing Grace.”

Can’t wait to visit Mama Roux’s new outside seating area and bar, adjacent to the wonderful restaurant at Liberty and Broadway in Newburgh.

Into the Woods and Through the 'Hoods

Today i took a “loop hike” along the new Quassaick Creek Trail. i call it my “Into the Woods and Through the ‘Hoods” walk, because the route i take runs beside the scenic creek, past the ruins of some of Newburgh’s long-abandoned mills and factories, under the amazing arches of the Mill Street Bridge and along the overpass spanning Walsh’s Road, and then emerges onto Rt. 32 for a brief “road walk” before heading down S. William to William Street and through the Heights back to my house.

i was lucky to have my daughter Rachel Quimby, who’s visiting from Worcester, Massachusetts, as my adventuresome companion. It’s a rare day that is this picture-perfect.

There are few prettier places in Newburgh than our new trail, which I followed “Into the Woods and Through the ‘Hoods.'“ Hope to see you out there!

Taking Care of Newburgh's Downing Park

Alison Filosa of the Newburgh Conservation Advisory Council took advantage of one of the last nice days we’ve had (it’s going to freeze and snow this weekend, they say) to cut back and bag the dead grasses at Newburgh’s Downing Park. I wish everyone had her energy and commitment.

Alison whacked and bagged dead grasses for us recently, and directed a helper at Downing Park. As an employee of the Newburgh Community Land Bank and a key member of Newburgh’s Conservation Advisory Council, she’s one of Newburgh’s unsung heroes.

Six Trees Grow in Newburgh

A miracle happened in Newburgh on April 25: On the 360 block of Liberty Street, my new friend Kula, her husband Steve, and their wonderful, energetic and friendly neighbors planted SIX syringa reticulata ("Ivory Silk lilac") trees, which will help mitigate climate change and provide peace, beauty, shade, cleaner air and soil, and less stormwater runoff for years to come. 

It was a magnificent group effort that should stand as a model of community activism here in Newburgh. From coming to a CAC meeting to explain their idea, to choosing the species they wanted, to following through with Central Hudson to get the sites OK'd, to rustling up a truck and delivering and unloading the trees and topsoil, to providing the shovels, wheelbarrows, dollies and other tools, hose and water, to  -- by the way -- negotiating all of this during a worldwide pandemic, these folks saw this project through to its very successful conclusion. No glitch along the way, including a mixup with a nursery employee not understanding the payment situation, could stop them! They have my complete admiration (can you tell?) and deserve the thanks of all.

The City of Newburgh’s Conservation Advisory Council, of which i am a proud member, provided the money for the six trees and six bags of topsoil (and also some muscle and cheerleading, as my pal Alison Filosa and i lent a hand, along with Mayor Harvey and Council member Anthony Grice), but it is “Kula and the Gang” (as i will forever call them) who are our true Newburgh Tree Heroes.

Feel free to organize your own neighbors to do the same thing. Conservation Advisory Council meetings are open to everyone.

It takes a village to plant a tree, but “Kula and the Gang” planted SIX on Liberty Street on April 25!

Meet Me at GritWorks, 3 pm on March 7!

Hey! Learn all about the new Greater Newburgh Parks Conservancy and how these great folks are helping to make us all greener and healthier. I’ll be there talking about the City’s Conservation Advisory Council, which works closely with this “sister agency.”

See you there!

These are some really good people, trying to get more and bigger and better parks and green spaces around here. Hope to see you at this meetup!

February Meetup At Crystal Lake!

Scenic Hudson is once again holding its Winter Fest at Newburgh’s hidden gem, Crystal Lake. There’ll be arts and crafts, fat-tire biking, guided hikes, snowshoeing, baked goodies and hot chocolate, environmental and historical info about the area, and much more … and it’s all FREE! I’m sooo looking forward to it!

This is such a good time! Take a guided hike, see the lake, ride the fat-tire bikes and try snowshoeing, enjoy arts and crafts for the kids, and much more, while enjoying baked goodies and hot chocolate or coffee around a cozy campfire. See you there!

Join Me in Early Voting!

I’m proud to have voted today, even though I could have waited until Nov. 6. I have never failed to vote in my life, and I have always done so on Election Day. So when the Two Ladies came to my door yesterday and asked me to vote early, i told them, “Don’t worry; I’ll vote on Election Day.” But they made a very good point: A lot of good people worked very hard to enable Newburgh residents to vote early. There are too many people here who fail to vote on that ONE DAY because they’re sick; because their ride failed to show up; because they had to work, or they had to work overtime; because it’s raining and they have no way to get there; or because they just plain FORGOT. This cures all of that. Voting early adds my voice (and ballot) to say HURRAH to those who fought for it.

In Republican-infested Rensselaer County, the legislature failed to put ANY early-voting polling placesin Troy, where most people (and most Dems, students, and people of color) live. Instead, they’re way out in the rural and suburban parts of that county.

NEWBURGHERS: PLEASE VOTE EARLY, so that the large number of early voters will convince our politicians to keep our polling place (the Activity Center, 401 Washington Street) as the early-voting site forever. In fact, next election season, they should ADD another Newburgh site. The library or 123 Grand Street are both in heavily populated areas, and as for location, they are to northeast Newburgh what the Activity Center is to the southwest of the city. COME ON OUT AND VOTE EARLY!

All this AND a sticker that says, “I VOTED TODAY!” Do it!