Newburgh: Tree City, USA!

Newburgh has once again been designated a “Tree City, USA” by the National Arbor Day Foundation. This means we plant trees to shade, clean, and protect our city’s natural environment for the benefit of our own and our kids’ future. Yesterday we planted a beautiful Kwanzan Cherry Tree on Liberty Street in front of the Flour Shop, to match the other gorgeous cherry trees on that street. Come and check them out!

Newburgh’s Acting City Manager Joe Donat joined DPW workers, City Council and Conservation Advisory Council members, business owners and city activists like Dr. Hannah Brooks and her little friend Hudson in planting a cherry tree yesterday on Libert…

Newburgh’s Acting City Manager Joe Donat joined DPW workers, City Council and Conservation Advisory Council members, business owners and city activists like Dr. Hannah Brooks and her little friend Hudson in planting a cherry tree yesterday on Liberty Street. Thanks to everyone who participated!

You Know You're Old When ...

The TH-Record did a feature on me today (“The Addled and Anile,” i think, is the title of their new section) and you might enjoy not only reading the “story” on Page A-7 but also knowing that the ads on the bottom of the page were for two elder-law firms and the paper itself. I guess that’s where they’re going now, playing to their drooling and dribbling remaining readership.

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Jazz at Atlas Kicks Off New Season on March 30; Tickets Available Now!

Jazz at Atlas (J@A) will kick off its 2019 season with a concert by the acclaimed and innovative trio Thumbscrew. The group will perform on Saturday, March 30 at 8 PM at 11 Spring St., just off Liberty Street in downtown Newburgh. There is ample onsite parking. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door — tickets are available now at https://thumbscrew.brownpapertickets.com.

Thumbscrew features three gifted musicians and composers — guitarist Mary Halvorson, bassist Michael Formanek and drummer/percussionist Tomas Fujiwara — performing their own compositions and selected standards with an exacting prowess wedded to a liberated swing. 

Guitarist and composer Mary Halvorson has been described as "NYC's least-predictable improviser" (Howard Mandel, City Arts), "one of the most exciting and original guitarists in jazz—or otherwise" (Steve Dollar, Wall Street Journal), and "one of today’s most formidable bandleaders" (Francis Davis, Village Voice). In recent Downbeat Critics Polls she has been celebrated as guitarist, rising star jazz artist, and rising star composer of the year. One of New York City's most in-demand guitarists, Halvorson is also part of several collaborative projects, most notably Thumbscrew.

One mark of bassist Michael Formanek's versatility is the wide range of distinguished musicians he's worked with. While still a teenager in the 1970s, he toured with drummer Tony Williams and saxophonist Joe Henderson; starting in the '80s he played long stints with Stan Getz, Gerry Mulligan, Fred Hersch and Freddie Hubbard. Formanek is also a composer and leader of various bands. His occasional groups include the 18-piece all-star Ensemble Kolossus, which recorded their first CD of all-Formanek originals for the prestigious ECM label. The CD, The Distance, was released in 2016 and in addition to numerous other accolades, earned a five-star review in Downbeat. Formanek also teaches bass, composition, and improvisation in a wide range of locations in the US as well as internationally.

Tomas Fujiwara has been described as "an artist whose urbane writing is equal to his impressively nuanced drumming" (Troy Collins, Point of Departure). He’s an active player in some of today’s most exciting music. In The New York Times, Nate Chinen says Fujiwara “works with rhythm as a pliable substance, solid but ever shifting. He has a way of spreading out the center of a pulse while setting up a rigorous scaffolding of restraint ... A conception of the drum set as a full-canvas instrument, almost orchestral in its scope." Fujiwara also has many experiences outside the jazz realm, including a five-year run with the Off-Broadway show Stomp and performances with the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Fela!, featuring Patti Labelle.

Jazz at Atlas is a cooperative project of musician, writer and multimedia artist James Keepnews, and music researcher, radio host and Triple Point Records owner/producer Ben Young. Along with presenting performances by world-renowned creative musicians, J@A also offers listening sessions, dialogues with artists and classes covering the entire spectrum of creative music.

Upcoming concerts in J@A's 2019 season include:
4/20: Sun of Goldfinger —
 Returning to the Hudson Valley after their memorable closing set for the 2015 Beacon Jazz Festival, alto saxophonist Tim Berne, electric guitarist David Torn and drummer Ches Smith will be touring in support of their debut recording for ECM Records.

6/22: Ticonderoga — Four phenomenal musicians — Joe McPhee, Jamie Saft, Joe Morris and Charles Downs — invoke the spirit of the late John Coltrane and their own unique musical paths to forge a stirring, passionate fire sermon of a quartet.

7/27: Darius Jones' Shades of Black — Called "the most visceral and distinctive alto saxophonist of this era" by The New York Times, composer/altoist Jones convenes a quartet of outstanding talents featuring Sam Newsome on soprano saxophone, Cooper-Moore on organ and Michael Wimberly on drums.

10/5: Karen Borca Quartet — Borca, an innovative, under-recognized bassoonist, with decades of experience in the ensembles of such major artists as Cecil Taylor, Jimmy Lyons, William Parker and others, leads this thrilling quartet of veteran creative musicians including Warren Smith on vibes, Hilliard Greene on bass and Jackson Krall on drums.

Thumbscrew, one of the most innovative and talented jazz trios in the nation, will be playing at Newburgh’s Jazz at Atlas on March 30.

Thumbscrew, one of the most innovative and talented jazz trios in the nation, will be playing at Newburgh’s Jazz at Atlas on March 30.

Meals on Wheels Needs Volunteers!

Here’s one plate we can all step up to: Meals on Wheels of Greater Newburgh is looking for volunteers. Adults of any age can help by driving or delivering the hot, nutritious meals that are cooked fresh each morning Monday through Friday at MOW headquarters at 35 Cerone Place. Volunteers arrive at 10:45 am to gather up the meals, and usually finish making their “rounds” by noon.

“You can volunteer to help out for just that hour or so on any particular weekday you want, or on any combination of days – or on all five weekdays, if you prefer!” said Executive Director Robin Bello. Volunteers usually go out in pairs – one drives, and the other knocks on doors of our clients, who can’t cook for themselves, to hand-deliver these much-appreciated fresh meals.

“Some recipients request, and receive, frozen meals to see them through the weekend, as well. We make special meals for those with diabetes, and we deliver special ‘treats’ on holidays like Christmas and Valentine’s Day. Our volunteers often say it’s the most rewarding work they’ve ever done. And the camaraderie that develops among our volunteer teams is another factor that really makes this work so special,” added President Carole McDermott.

MOW of Greater Newburgh, a 501 (c)(3) charity founded in 1972, serves the homebound in the City of Newburgh and the Towns of Newburgh and New Windsor.

To volunteer or for more information, call Ms. Bello at 845-562-3490 between 9 am and 1 pm any weekday, or visit www.MealsonWheelsNewburgh.org and follow the prompts.

Call 845-562-3490 TODAY to volunteer just an hour a week for Meals on Wheels. I love doing it, and so will you!

Call 845-562-3490 TODAY to volunteer just an hour a week for Meals on Wheels. I love doing it, and so will you!

"First, They Came for the Reporters ... "

“ … we don’t know what happened after that.”

That’s the wording of a two-panel cartoon quoted in a recent column by the great Texan, Jim Hightower. (If you don’t read his newsletter, The Hightower Lowdown, you should start today.)

It sort of says it all.

That column was censored by the Creators Syndicate, which distributes his column to newspapers nationwide. The story behind that chillng decision is detailed in the Texas Observer, and you can read it here: http://bit.ly/2PSuDp0.

Basically, the column calls out the thieving newspaper chains that are destroying real journalism. These “hedge-fund scavengers know nothing about journalism and care less.”

High on his list of such villains is GateHouse Media, owner of, among dozens of other papers, the Middletown Times Herald-Record, which has been shedding reporters and copy editors at an alarming rate. They’re down to just eight beleaguered reporters now.

G-d help us all.

Jim Hightower, Poet, Philosopher, Cowboy and Hero.

Jim Hightower, Poet, Philosopher, Cowboy and Hero.

Happy Birthday, Frederica!

Happy Birthday to Newburgh’s own Frederica Warner, who turns 101 today! (Yup, 101. She was born before women could vote in the U.S.!) She has too many achievements to list here, but probably her greatest was founding Meals on Wheels of Greater Newburgh. Our Meals on Wheels delivers fresh, hot, nutritious meals to the homebound and needy. Volunteer or donate in Frederica’s honor by calling 845-562-3490 or by going to mealsonwheelsnewburgh.org, anytime. Here are two great stories about Frederica:

http://bit.ly/2QyjVck

http://bit.ly/2Em6h56

Happy 101st Birthday, Frederica! And many more!

Happy 101st Birthday, Frederica! And many more!

Let's Play Newburgh Water-Main Break Bingo!

After watching Newburgh’s Water and Public Works Departments work this afternoon on our FOURTH WATER-MAIN BREAK IN 24 HOURS, I have invented a game that will surely be the hit of the winter season: “Newburgh Water-Main Break Bingo.”

 FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY! Start playing today.

To begin: Make a grid five boxes wide by five boxes long. Write the word “Broadway” in the center box.

To play: Fill in the rest of the boxes with the names of any 24 streets in the City. Whenever there’s a water-main break on any of the streets you’ve named, put an “X” over that street’s name. When five in a row of your streets, either across, vertically, or diagonally, experience a break, YOU WIN!*

*Multiple winners are allowed; indeed, they are expected. What do you win, you ask? Well, for one thing (in fact, the only thing): PROMINENT MENTION on Nextdoor Newburgh; on this very website (www.TheNewburghNews.com); and on my Twitter account, which has TENS of followers!

MUST BE A NEWBURGH RESIDENT. ONLY ONE WINNER PER FAMILY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.

 

 

Newburgh’s DPW and Water Department workers, supervised by Water Chief Wayne Vradenburgh, work on their FOURTH (4TH) water-main break today. This one was on Ann Street between Mill and William streets.

Newburgh’s DPW and Water Department workers, supervised by Water Chief Wayne Vradenburgh, work on their FOURTH (4TH) water-main break today. This one was on Ann Street between Mill and William streets.

Newburgh's Jazz at Atlas Presents the Wayne Horvitz Trio Saturday Night



For the final concert of its 2018 season, Jazz at Atlas is presenting the acclaimed pianist, composer and bandleader Wayne Horvitz, leading a trio featuring Geoff Harper on bass and Eric Eagle on drums, in advance of their new recording on Songlines Records, The Snowghost Sessions. The Wayne Horvitz Trio will perform at Atlas Studios on Saturday, Dec. 1 at 8 PM. Atlas Studios is at 11 Spring St., Newburgh. Ample onsite parking is available. Tickets are $20 the night of the concert and $15 in advance. Advance tickets are available at https://waynehorvitz.brownpapertickets.com.

A noted figure in NYC's Downtown music scene of the 1980's and 90's — and, alongside John Zorn, Bill Frisell, Fred Frith and Joey Baron, a founding member of the barrier-breaking band Naked City — Wayne Horvitz is a composer, pianist and electronic musician who has performed extensively throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America. Along with, he h Naked City, he has performed and collaborated with such noted artists as Butch Morris, George Lewis, Robin Holcomb, William Parker, Julian Priester, Michael Shrieve and Carla Bley, among others. He has also produced records for Fontella Bass, World Saxophone Quartet, Human Feel, Marty Ehrlich, The Living Daylights, Bill Frisell and Eddie Palmieri. He has received commissions from the NEA, Meet the Composer, Kronos String Quartet, Seattle Chamber Players, BAM, and Earshot Jazz. Past collaborators also include Paul Taylor, Liz Lerman, Bill Irwin and Gus Van Sant. He has been the recipient of numerous awards including two MAP grants and the NEA American Masterpiece award. He is the music programmer for The Royal Room, a performance venue in Seattle, Washington, and a professor of composition at the Cornish College of the Arts. 

Jazz at Atlas is a cooperative project of musician, writer and multimedia artist James Keepnews; and music researcher, radio host and producer Ben Young. Along with presenting performances by world-renowned creative musicians, JAA will also be offering listening sessions, dialogues with artists, and classes covering the entire spectrum of creative music in all its varied manifestations around the world and throughout its history.

Horvitz is a damn fine musician with an ear for a groove." — Alternative Press

"On piano, Horvitz is economical yet lyrical, never venturing far from the strong melodic hooks which characterize his compositions, but constantly working small surprises. An irresistible antidote to gray days." — The Wire UK

 

Wayne Horvitz brings his trio to Newburgh’s coolest venue, Jazz at Atlas, this Saturday!

Wayne Horvitz brings his trio to Newburgh’s coolest venue, Jazz at Atlas, this Saturday!

Big-Band Jazz Coming to Newburgh's Jazz at Atlas This Saturday!

“Matt Lavelle is one of the bright lights in today's avant-garde jazz scene, his trumpet and clarinet exploding with passionate spirit and unwavering intent."
  — Florence Wetzel, All About Jazz
 

Jazz at Atlas is proud to present the first big band as part of its live music series, the fiery artistry and lionhearted bravado of 

Matt Lavelle and The 12 Houses Orchestra


Matt Lavelle and The 12 Houses Orchestra will perform at Atlas Studios, 11 Spring St., Newburgh, N.Y. on Saturday, September 29 at 8 PM. Tickets will be $30 at the door and $25 in advance. Get your advance tickets now at https://12houses.brownpapertickets.com.
This daring ensemble features many leading lights of the most forward-thinking wing of NYC jazz, while also boasting some of the most eclectic instrumentation of any big band playing today. This performance will mark the first appearance in the Orchestra by the acclaimed violinist and long-time member of the legendary Cecil Taylor Unit, Ramsey Ameen. For their Jazz at Atlas concert, the 12 Houses Orchestra lineup will include:

Matt Lavelle: compositions, conduction, trumpet, alto clarinet
Ramsey Ameen: violin
Sweet Lee Odom: alto and soprano saxophones, clarinet
Charles Waters: alto saxophone, clarinet
Ras Moshe: tenor and soprano saxophones, percussion 
Linda Sikhakhane: tenor saxophone
Art Baron: trombone 
Mary Cherney: flute 
Jack DeSalvo: guitar
Chris Forbes piano 
Anais Maviel: vocals
Ar'Braf-Brafmatic: rapping
Mark Hagen: bass
Jeremy Carlstedt: drums 

Matt Lavelle is a trumpet, flugelhorn, bass and alto clarinet player, composer, writer and educator based in New York City. He began his music career with Hildred Humphries, a swing-era veteran who played with Count Basie and Billie Holiday. He has played in ensembles led by Sabir Mateen since 2002. In 2005, Lavelle began studies with Ornette Coleman. Lavelle was a member of the Bern Nix Quartet from 2010-2017. Lavelle recorded with Giuseppi Logan in 2010. In 2011, Lavelle created the 12 Houses Orchestra. Lavelle records for Unseen Rain and has just released a record on the legendary ESP-Disk record label, a duo with drummer Reggie Sylvester titled Retrograde.

Lavelle has played and collaborated with Ornette Coleman, William Parker, Warren Smith, Henry Grimes, Bern Nix, Eric Mingus, Sabir Mateen, Roy Campbell, Daniel Carter, Jemeel Moondoc, Mat Maneri, Ras Moshe, Hilliard Greene, Steve Swell, Matana Roberts, Jack DeSalvo, Charles Downs, Tom Cabrera, Francois Grilliot, Giuseppi Logan, William Hooker and many others.

Lavelle published his first book, New York City Subway Drama and Beyond, in 2011. In 2013 he published a second book titled The Jazz Musician’s Tarot Deck. Lavelle is also the author of the blog No Sound Left Behind: http://www.nosoundleftbehind.com. He teaches Jazz History for the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University.

Don’t miss Matt Lavelle and the 12 Houses Orchestra, Sept. 29 at 8 pm at Jazz at Atlas, 11 Spring Street in Newburgh. See you there!

Don’t miss Matt Lavelle and the 12 Houses Orchestra, Sept. 29 at 8 pm at Jazz at Atlas, 11 Spring Street in Newburgh. See you there!

Mollie Tibbetts's Murder Proves We Should "Build That Wall"

Iowa college student Mollie Tibbetts was brutally murdered by a Christian recently. That should be the last straw.

When Timothy McVeigh, a Christian, killed dozens of innocent Americans in Oklahoma, our country did nothing about it. When two Christian kids in Columbine High School killed a dozen other students and a teacher, that didn’t spark any action, either. Christians have also murdered Alston Sterling, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, Philando Castile, Jordan Edwards and too many others to name.

Speaking of “too many others,” how about the thousands of Americans whom Christians have lynched? (“Lynching,” to be clear, means, with no trial, hung from a tree, often after torture, and left to dangle in public to terrify black people.) 

The solution is obvious. We need security, people! We must build a wall to keep Christians out of our country. Or if we don’t have the guts to do that, at least deny entry to people from majority-Christian countries.

Who’s with me?

Ted Daniel at Atlas July 21 to Celebrate Music of Jazz Legend "King" Oliver

Jazz at Atlas will present lifelong Hudson Valley resident and celebrated trumpeter, cornetist and composer Ted Daniel and his ensemble, the International Brass & Membrane Corps (IBMC), at Atlas Studios, 11 Spring St. in Newburgh, NY, on Saturday, July 21 at 8 PM. General admission is $20 at the door. No advance tickets will be available.

The IBMC brings a contemporary reading to the early New Orleans jazz of Joseph “King” Oliver and features leader Daniel on cornet, Marvin Sewell on guitar, Joseph Daley on tuba and Newman Taylor Baker on drums. This group was conceived as a flexible and expandable creative music performance group, which utilizes instruments from the brass and membrane instrument families.

The evening will be not only a concert, but also a party: IBMC is celebrating the release of their new CD, Zulu’s Ball -- Ted Daniel Plays the Music of King Oliver, on Altura Records. 

Daniel has lived most of his life in Ossining. A leading figure in the NYC loft jazz scene in the 1970s, Daniel has recorded and performed with such other major artists as Sam Rivers, Archie Shepp, Dewey Redman, Andrew Cyrille, Billy Bang, Henry Threadgill, and Defunkt while also leading groups of his own. His IBMC is a powerful quartet of equals with equally long histories in the music and demonstrates how even the oldest forms of jazz can be approached with both respect and contemporary freshness.

Jazz at Atlas is a cooperative effort of musician, writer and multimedia artist James Keepnews and music researcher, radio host and producer Ben Young. Along with presenting performances by world-renowned creative musicians, JAA also offers listening sessions, dialogues with artists and classes covering the entire spectrum of creative music.

Daniel studied trumpet in elementary school, and began his professional career playing local gigs with his childhood friend, the legendary guitarist Sonny Sharrock. Daniel briefly attended Berklee School of Music and Southern Illinois University, before a tour of duty with U.S. Army Bands. After his discharge from the Army, Daniel attended Central State College, Ohio, on a full music scholarship, where he met and studied with Dr. Makanda Ken McIntyre. He earned a bachelor of music degree in theory and composition from the City College of New York.

He recorded Sonny Sharrock's first album, Black Woman. His second recording was with a band he co-led (Brute Force) with his brother, Richard Daniel, produced by Herbie Mann. Since then, Daniel has participated in more than 30 published recordings.

Daniel has held workshops at Amherst College, Bennington College, Williams College and the University of Hosei in Tokyo, Japan. He has also conducted a seminar in Madrid, Spain, and led summer music workshops for high-school and college-age students. Daniel has produced three albums under his own name: The Ted Daniel Sextet on Ujamaa Records, Tapestry on Sun Records, and In The Beginning on Altura.

Daniel has been the recipient of an NEA compositional grant and also won a "Talent Deserving Wider Recognition" Award from Downbeat Magazine.

In 2008, Porter Records reissued Daniel’s Tapestry album, with a bonus track from the original performance of 1974 recorded at Ornette Coleman's Artist House. Daniel has also formed a duo called Duology with Michael Marcus on B-flat clarinet and Daniel on trumpet and assorted brass. Their first release, the self-titled Duology, on Boxholder Records, won excellent reviews. Duology's second CD on Soul Note Records, entitled Golden Atoms, was released in June 2008. In May 2009, Ujamaa Records released the Ted Daniel Trio CD The Loft Years, Volume One.

 

Cornetist Ted Daniel and his band, the International Brass & Membrane Corps, will play at Newburgh's Jazz at Atlas July 21. It will be a celebration of the release of their new CD. Don't miss it!

Cornetist Ted Daniel and his band, the International Brass & Membrane Corps, will play at Newburgh's Jazz at Atlas July 21. It will be a celebration of the release of their new CD. Don't miss it!

Great Jazz Concert this Saturday in Newburgh!

Put this on your "Don't Miss" list: The jazz group Broken Shadows will be playing in Newburgh at 8 pm on Saturday, May 19 at Jazz at Atlas, 11 Spring Street. The cats are: Tim Berne on alto sax; Dave King on drums; Chris Speed on tenor sax and clarinet; and Reid Anderson on bass. Admission is $20 at the door. (The tricky part is FINDING the door! It's on the "big" part of the parking lot, not the smaller part that you see when you first drive through the gate. When the loading dock is straight ahead of you, you're there!)

Jazz at Atlas is in the heart of downtown, just a half-block off Liberty Street. Calabash (Caribbean Island cuisine) and Seoul Kitchen (Korean delights) are on the corner, and Liberty Street Bistro, Ms. Fairfax and Caffe Macchiato are just steps away. Come and enjoy great live music, and a great evening out!

Broken Shadows will be playing some great sounds for us on Saturday. Just $20 at the door!

Broken Shadows will be playing some great sounds for us on Saturday. Just $20 at the door!

Too Nice a Day to Stay Inside

It was just too warm and sunny today for the students of Nora Cronin Presentation Academy to stay inside. Coach George Bowles took them for a walk on the bluff, where they enjoyed the view ... and goofing around ... on this beautiful spring day.

The Nora Cronin girls had fun on the bluff this afternoon.

The Nora Cronin girls had fun on the bluff this afternoon.

The Three Musketeers of Nora Cronin

The Three Musketeers of Nora Cronin

Eulogy for Judy

Several people have asked me recently if they could have a copy of the words i spoke at the Transition Service for Judy Kennedy on Thursday, April 18th. i wrote it out, and here it is:

The life of Newburgh’s Mayor Judy Kennedy can be defined by the one word it revolved around: The word is LOVE. I remember when she invited me to join, with a dozen or so pastors in the city, a group that wanted to move the city forward together, by each one promising to exhort his or her own congregation to build, clean up, care for and watch over their own neighborhood or their own block. They tried to think of a name for themselves and finally Judy came up with the idea of “Let Our Victory Emerge” –or something like that – anyway, the acronym was: LOVE. It was the Love Group. Of all the umpteen nonprofit, ad-hoc groups that have come and gone in this city, that was my personal favorite.

Judy read and became absolutely fixated on a book called “The 4 Agreements,” by Don Miguel Ruiz. Is there anyone in Newburgh to whom she didn’t quote from that book? She gave it to friends and colleagues and read from it many times at City Council meetings. The 4 Agreements are so simple, we probably all have them memorized: 1. Be impeccable with your word; 2. Don’t take anything personally; 3. Don’t make assumptions; and 4. Always do your best. Those are great examples of things that are simple, but not easy. Judy continually tried to live by them.

“The 4 Agreements” ends with a section called a “Prayer for Love.” In this “prayer,” an “old man” is speaking of his “teacher,” and I take that “teacher” to be G-d. The “old man” in the prayer says of his teacher that he “took a beautiful flame from his heart and opened my chest and put that little flame inside it … I felt intense love, because the flame he put in my heart was his own love. It was a fire that doesn’t burn, but purifies everything it touches. And that fire touched each of the molecules in my body, and every emotion of my mind, and all those emotions transformed into an intense love  … But the fire kept burning and I had to share my love. I decided to put a little piece of my love in every tree, in every flower, in the grass, in the earth, and in every animal in the world, and they loved me back. I put a piece of my love in every crystal, every stone, in the dirt, in the metals, in the oceans, the rivers, the rain and the snow. And still my love grew more and more. I decided to give my love to the air and the wind, and I turned my head to the sky, and put a little piece of my love in the moon, the sun, the stars, and they loved me back. And I put a little piece of my love in every human, and now wherever I go, whomever I meet, I see myself in their eyes, because I am a part of everything, because I love.”

Love, most of all, was what Judy celebrated and what she promoted. Of all her official duties as Mayor, the one she delighted in most of all was performing weddings. Judy believed in love, and she still believed in that now old-fashioned procedure of calling your dearest family members and friends together and making them listen-up – in effect, swearing on your relationship with them --  and saying right out loud that you will honor and support and be true to this person financially and emotionally and physically, in sickness and in health, and you will love this person until death parts you. Not that you won’t disagree, and not that you won’t change, but that you will love this one forever. She told me about one wedding she performed at City Hall where the happy couple arrived at three pm, and she had to leave at four. They put a little wedding cake on the big table in her big office … and they waited. And waited. And waited. It seems the two people who were to be their sort of “wedding party” had been delayed. Judy reminded them that she had to leave at four. At 3:30, after some frantic phone calling, they told her that these two people would be there in 15 minutes. Twenty-five minutes later, they still weren’t there, and it was now five of four. Judy asked them if they had the ring. They said yes. And she said, “OK, this is a great lesson for you. Marriage doesn’t always go the way you want it to and things don’t always turn out the way you planned, but you can still make it work. And you might as well learn that right at the start.” And then and there, she performed the ceremony, they all had a piece of cake and so far (so far as I know), lived happily ever after.

And now death has parted us from Judy. But not from her spirit; not from her love, for her molecules have now dissolved and enveloped all of us, and she has become love itself. Today we each have a little piece of her love in us. Be in touch with that love today, treasure it, and please, let it help you guide your way on.

Celebrate Judy's Transition to the Life Eternal

To celebrate our beloved Mayor Judy Kennedy's transition to the Life Eternal, come to the Newburgh Armory Unity Center on S. William St. at 11 AM on Thursday, April 19.  The formal program includes music, speeches and poems. After the formal program there will be a half-hour set aside for 2-minute-maximum reminiscences by anyone who wants to speak. Judy asked that there be NO cut flowers; instead, bring live plants (which will be planted around the city) or make donations to: Newburgh's ShotSpotter program (make checks payable to City of Newburgh, and put "ShotSpotter" in the memo line); Habitat for Humanity of Newburgh; or the Newburgh Ministry.

Judy lived to bring people together. Let's gather in her honor on Thursday.