A Fruitful Tu b’Shvat to One and All
/Anyone up for some grapes, figs, dates, pomegranates and olives? For 24 hours starting Sunday night, Jan. 16, Jews worldwide will be eating these fruits (and drinking four types of wine) to celebrate the “Birthday of All Trees.”
This holiday, called “Tu b’Shevat” in Hebrew, translates as “the 15th of the month of Shevat.” It is not mentioned in the Bible, but began with the farmers of Israel asking how they could carry out faithfully the Bible’s commandments. Leviticus 19:23 says, “When you enter the Land and plant any tree for food, for three years its fruit shall be forbidden to you, not to be eaten.” The farmers, who planted hundreds of trees each year, asked, how could they know exactly when three years had passed after each tree’s planting? The rabbis settled the matter, declaring that the 15th of Shevat would be the ‘Birthday for All Trees,” no matter when they were planted.
The holiday has evolved into a way to educate people about the benefits of trees: absorption of carbon dioxide; delivery of oxygen; temperature moderation and energy savings for renters and homeowners; removal of toxins from the air, soil and water; neighborhood beautification; and many more. When we plant, we are providing our neighbors and future generations with many good things. And when we damage a tree, we are cutting off the very branches we are perched upon as a society.
In 2022, Tu b’Shevat will fall on the same day we celebrate the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This coincidence should remind us that we ourselves are, in a way, trees whose limbs, like Dr. King, can bear good deeds – the “fruits” of our labors.
You can “act locally” by having trees planted in the City of Newburgh, which is down nearly 4,000 trees from the number we had just a few decades ago. Simply make a check of any amount payable to the City of Newburgh, with “tree donation” in the memo line, and mail it to: Comptroller, 83 B’way, Newburgh, NY 12550.
Happy Tu b’Shevat, everyone!
Trees provide beauty as well as clean air.
YIKES, WE'RE PAYING HIM FOR TWO MORE YEARS?!
/For me, today’s story in the Times Herald-Record https://bit.ly/3mHQJ0z about the Newbugh School District’s settlement with our disgraced Superintendent raised eight questions and a comment. 1. What is Padilla's reason for resigning, if "there was no wrongdoing"? 2. Why did the Board give him a raise of $30K/year and extend his contract through 2026 when a grand jury found he was overseeing a district with "systemic failures"? 3. Why are we paying him $279K/year for two more years of non-work? Common sense says it must be because he, in exchange, is doing something for us. If that "something" is turning in his resignation, well ... see Question #1. 4. What was "misinformed" in our local newspapers' stories on his disappearance since last August? I thought our reporters’ only problem was that Padilla and the Board members all clammed up and wouldn’t talk to them. 5. Is the district still using the APEX system to raise the grades of athletes? If not, what has replaced it, and how is it working? 6. Is Padilla still treasurer of the Council of School Superintendents? If so, they should be ashamed. 7. About the two investigators we taxpayers hired, who the agreement says reached "inconsistent conclusions." Did each one decide there was not enough evidence to find him guilty or not-guilty, or did one find him guilty and the other, not-guilty? 8. Why were two investigators hired at all, instead of the School Board just accepting the recommendations of the first one? And finally, a comment about the group Padilla founded, the NYS Assn. of Latino Administrators and Superintendents. Did anyone else notice that its acronym is " NYS, ALAS?"
Check out the Ecotarium's Vacation Week Programs!
/I’m not linking to this only because it’s my my daughter Rachel doing the experiment … i’m linking because it really is a great science museum that’s not too far to get to from Newburgh!
https://bit.ly/32xkqKQ
GOOD-BYE CHRISTMAS TREE –- HELLO PINE CHIPS!
/FREE RECYCLING of CHRISTMAS TREES!
9-Noon on Jan. 8 at the Recreation Center , 401 Washington St., City of Newburgh
The City of Newburgh’s wonderful Department of Public Works employees will chip your Christmas Tree for free! It’s noisy; it’s fun to watch; KIDS LOVE IT! You can drop off your tree (remove all decorations first) any time from now through Jan. 8th, 2022. On the 8th, volunteers from the City’s Conservation Advisory Council will be at the Rec Center, giving out recyclable leaf bags, filled with fresh pine chips. Pine chips are great for protecting trees and plants. If you don’t have a yard of your own, make a nice warm bed for a Street Tree on your block by placing the chips around the base of it..
FREE CIDER & DONUTS – SERVED UNTIL NOON!
MASKS REQUIRED
Co-Sponsored by City of Newburgh’s Conservation Advisory Council and Department of Public Works
Recycle tree; get cider and donuts!
Best Journalism Story of the Year
/Despite my enduring disdain for spelling the word “lead” as “lede” — a fad that emerged sometime after my first go-round at the Times Herald-Record in the early 70s and, sadly, never faded — i must admit that i treasure every word of this New Yorker item. I laughed ‘til i gasped for breath, and then kept laughing, and i know i’ll go back to it whenever my spirits need a lift in these dark weeks and months. Here it is: https://bit.ly/3qiBA6T
What Have Trees Ever Done for Me?
/TREES PROVIDE MORE THAN YOU MIGHT THINK!
ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS:
Trees absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen.
Trees remove ozone, pollution & particulate matter from the air.
Trees serve as food and shelter for other wildlife.
Trees help retain stormwater, reduce flooding and prevent pollution from entering groundwater, streams and rivers.
PUBLIC HEALTH BENEFITS:
Trees filter the air and reduce pollutants in the air that trigger respiratory ailments such as asthma.
Trees shade playgrounds, sidewalks and parks, encouraging physical activity and overall fitness.
MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS:
Trees are aesthetically pleasing—beautifying our neighborhoods and streets.
Trees can help to reduce crime.
Trees enhance our emotional and mental health.
Trees can even encourage drivers to slow down.
ENERGY SAVINGS:
Trees reduce the need for air conditioning in the summer by shading buildings.
Trees help cool down the City of Newburgh
Trees reduce the need for heat in the winter by serving as windbreaks.
ECONOMIC BENEFITS:
According to the City’s Tree Inventory, Newburgh’s street trees bring the City an annual economic benefit value of over $500,000.
Greenhouse Gas Benefits by CO2 absorption: $4,267.76
Water Benefits by preventing flooding and runoff: $42,390.66
Energy Benefits from shading and cooling: $208,445.08
Air Quality Benefits by producing oxygen: $31,089.04
Property Benefits from beautification: $222,083.22
TOTAL: $508,275.76
Trees help raise property values and discourage redlining practices that harm black and brown neighborhoods in many ways, such as higher than market mortgage rates that can put homeownership out of reach.
The environmental benefits of trees increase as a tree grows in size.
So it’s in everyone’s interest to help trees grow and thrive!
Celebrate at Crabb Park, 2 pm This Satuday!
/Join the COMMUNITY TREE CELEBRATION on Saturday, Nov. 6 from 2:-4 pm at Tyrone Crabb Park, corner of South and Liberty streets in the City of Newburgh! 🌳 Neighbors, Friends, refreshments & Music with DJ Park Truth 🌲 Meet & Greet our Environmental Justice Fellows 🌳 Learn about the Many Benefits of Urban Trees 🌲 Enjoy a free, Hands-On, Tree-Care Workshop 🌳 And while you’re there, fill out a survey to Make Your Voice Heard !
The Environmental Justice Fellowship is a collaborative program of the Conservation Advisory Council, Outdoor Promise and the Greater Newburgh Parks Conservancy. Together, we are working to create a strong, community-led movement to plant & care for trees in the City of Newburgh and to build BIPOC leadership in environmental justice work. We are thrilled that the Fellowship was made possible by partnering with the Arbor Day Foundation and TD Bank. Many thanks to additional supporters of this celebration: Dreamburgh, The Kitchen, Scenic Hudson, and the fabulous folks at the City of Newburgh Dept. of Public Works!
Newburgh’s Environmental Justice Fellowship resulted in the planting of 32 new trees in our city — 16 thanks to a grant from the Arbor Day Foundation and TD Bank, and 16 “matching” trees from the City’s Conservation Advisory Council. None of this would have been possible without the hard work of the City’s Department of Public Works employees, who dug all those tree pits and — literally — did the heavy lifting. THANKS, JOHN, STEVE AND JIM!!
Literary Legislator Lujan
/
Proud to have voted for Kevindaryan Lujan for re-election to the Orange County Legislature. He’s the youngest, most progressive, and smartest guy in the room. PLUS, he knows a good book when he reads one!
YOU write another book! YOU write another book!
/In what i presume to be an effort to be helpful, the publisher of all three of my novels sent me an email today entitled, “19 Tips for COVID-Safe Book Marketing.” Tip Number One: “Social distancing requirements offer a lot of free time. Use that time productively by writing another book, since it is more efficient to market two books than one.”
Dear Outskirts Press, i plan to reply, Pardon my inefficiency, but i think i’ll just market my book by promoting the one i already wrote.
Meanwhile, if readers are moved to use their time efficiently by ordering “Louey Levy’s Heading Home” this week or next, and asking friends and family to do the same, i’d be very appreciative. You can get it at Amazon and Barnes and Noble, as well as directly from Outskirts.
Chock Full o' WHAT, Then???
/Chock Full o’ Nuts coffee wants you to know that their coffee is NOT chock full o’ them. They put this gigantic notice on their cans. Did you ever notice that?
What is this world coming to, pray tell? Next they’ll be telling us that Mars Bars are not made on Mars.
i guess “Chock Full o’ Coffee” just wouldn’t have that ring to it.
Got Your Perfect Holiday Gift Right Here!
/"Louey Levy's Heading Home," the third and final novel in my “Louey Levy” series, has been published! Get it from Amazon (where it’s 10% off right now, i see) or Barnes and Noble, OR, buy directly from the publisher, Outskirts Press. In your browser, just type bit.ly/3BBbzED and scroll down to see the book, with its red cover featuring a big ol' home plate.
This book is about more than one woman's journey through adulthood:
It's about the slow death of newspapers.
It's about how family, faith and friends can lift you over the rocks on your path.
It's about the necessity of abortion availability for a myriad of reasons.
It's about the failures and triumphs of organized labor.
It's about the delights and vagaries of memory.
Most of all, it's about the improbable and even miraculous ways G-d can lead us to love.
Order now: Chanukah is right around the corner!
Coming Soon: Louey Levy's Heading Home!
/Excited to say that the third novel in my “Louey Levy” trilogy is in the “galleys” stage and should be published before Thanksgiving! Click here for a sneak peek at the cover: https://bit.ly/3kuEBQ6
The book follows Louey through her journalism career and is dedicated to “everone who has ever spent a miserable and gloriously happy time newspapering.”
An Open Letter to the DMV
/Dear Friends at the DMV:
I received in the mail today your letter addressed to one Sidney Albert Ferguson III. This was the fancy, birth-certificate name of my friend Boomer, who stayed at my house for a few months once in the early 2000’s. Ordinarily I would not open someone else’s mail, but I was sure Boomer wouldn’t mind, as he’s been dead for four years.
You said you were writing due to his “failure to answer one or more traffic tickets,” and that you were now offering him a payment plan with “no additional fines, surcharges or fees.”
Friends, Boomer’s service in Vietnam left him permanently suspicious of government projects like wars and ticket-payment plans. By the time I met him, he was a colorful, homeless and much-loved Newburgh character, well-known to residents and the police. Garrulous and generous of spirit, he had a lot of good ideas. One was a project called “Cans for Cancer” — a series of vending-machine-sized “redemption centers” where the nickels from all those empty cans and bottles would automatically be sent to cancer-research organizations. Before he could bring this idea to fruition, however, Boomer himself died of cancer.
Well, I see that I have veered into the “off-topic” lane. I began writing to you merely in the hope that you will save some nickels as well, by removing Boomer’s name from your mailing list.
By the way: This suggestion comes with no fines, surcharges or fees.
Sincerely,
Genie Abrams, Newburgh, N.Y.
Jimsonweed, in Newburgh? Really?
/When Gene Autry wrote, “Back in the Saddle Again,” he must have been high on jimsonweed. The song, extolling the virtues of the cowboy culture of the great southwestern U.S., has a verse that goes: “Where the longhorn cattle feed on the lowly jimsonweed / I’m back in the saddle again … “
I’m here to tell you that if any longhorn cattle, or any other breed, ever ate jimsonweed, they’d hallucinate, get sick and die. Here’s a tidbit from the Michigan State University Agricultural Extension: Jimsonweed has long been known to be toxic to all classes of livestock and to humans as well. Horses rarely consume Jimsonweed if other forage is available because of its foul odor and taste. All parts of the Jimsonweed plant are poisonous; its toxicity is caused by tropane alkaloids. Symptoms of poisoning in horses may occur within minutes and may include: seeking water to drink, dilated pupils, agitation, increased heart rate, trembling, convulsions, coma and possibly death.
And the Cornell University College of Agricultural Sciences adds this quaint story:
In 1676, British soldiers were sent to stop the Rebellion of Bacon. Jamestown weed (Jimsonweed) was boiled for inclusion in a salad, which the soldiers readily ate. The hallucinogenic properties of jimsonweed took effect. As told by Robert Beverly in The History and Present State of Virginia (1705): The soldiers presented "a very pleasant comedy, for they turned natural fools upon it for several days: one would blow up a feather in the air; another would dart straws at it with much fury; and another, stark naked, was sitting in a corner like a monkey, grinning and making mows at them; a fourth would fondly kiss and paw his companions, and sneer in their faces with a countenance more antic than any in a Dutch droll.
"In this frantic condition they were confined, lest they should, in their folly, destroy themselves - though it was observed that all their actions were full of innocence and good nature. Indeed they would have wallowed in their own excrements, if they had not been prevented. A thousand such simple tricks they played, and after 11 days returned themselves again, not remembering anything that had passed."
You’d think that longhorn cattle would know better than to eat something whose common names include “mad apple” and “stinkwort.” Anyway, folks, please keep your kids and your longhorn cattle away from my front garden, because look what’s in bloom there:
Jimsonweed! It belongs in Texas. And yet here it is in Newburgh. A bird must have planted it, if you know what i mean.
Democrats in Orange County's District 4: Please vote for Lujan on June 22!
/I urge my fellow Democrats in Orange County Legislative District 4 (that’s YOU, City of Newburgh and Town of Newburgh!) to join me in voting for our incumbent, Kevindaryan Lujan, in the primary on June 22. (Early in-person voting begins at Newburgh’s Activity Center, 401 Washington Street, on June 12.)
As a progressive activist, Lujan is accessible and responsive. He articulates the people’s positions on issues such as:
TRANSPORTATION: He is working to have buses running to and from the right places at the right times, to connect people to employment zones.
HOUSING: He advocates for affordable housing, to help people stay in their homes with the help of federal funds.
DIVERSITY: He is a leading voice for training on equity and inclusion in hiring for public jobs.
HEALTHCARE: He collaborates with organizations such as RECAP, Nobody Leaves Mid-Hudson and others to achieve racial equity in healthcare, throughout this pandemic and beyond.
Lujan is not only Orange County’s youngest legislator, he’s also our best. Please vote in the primary to keep him working for us all.
Kevindaryan Lujan’s the Man for the City and Town of Newburgh: Please VOTE for him in the Democratic Primary, coming up on June 22!
Meet Newburgh's Environmental Justice Fellows!
/Meet the Newburgh Environmental Justice Fellows
Four skilled and smart young women of color have been selected as the inaugural class of Environmental Justice Fellows in Newburgh, a program funded by the Arbor Day Foundation and TD Bank.
A partnership among the city’s Conservation Advisory Council (CAC) and two nonprofits — the Greater Newburgh Parks Conservancy (GNPC) and Outdoor Promise — won the $19,000 grant that created the program. Rooted in community engagement and outreach through a range of traditional and social media platforms, the program will culminate in the October planting of 16 trees throughout the city, a celebratory event, a program report with data and recommendations, and an online street-tree course available to the greater Newburgh area.
The four Fellows will be walking through the city, listening to residents’ concerns about trees and educating folks about the benefits of restoring Newburgh’s tree canopy.
The four Fellows chosen to serve in the 28-week Environmental Justice Fellowship program are:
Heidy Bonilla. Originally from Honduras, Bonilla is a highly motivated student and fluent Spanish-speaker who looks forward to working with residents who want to improve their environment but don’t yet have the communication skills to do so.
Ameesah Cotten. Born and raised in Newburgh, Cotten is a two-sport college athlete who thoroughly understands the connection between environmental justice and her chosen academic major, public health.
Kathryn McKenzie. McKenzie grew up in Newburgh and is a professional dancer and avid student of herbology. She brings boundless energy to the complex intellectual, social and physical tasks involved in the Fellowship.
Marichen Montiel. Montiel graduated from the Nora Cronin Presentation Academy and NFA and is now a student at Mount Saint Mary College, where she founded Sustain MSMC, a conservation group on campus, and also serves on the Environmental Stewardship Council there. She, too, is a fluent speaker of Spanish.
The Fellowship is designed to train and support these talented and service-minded young women in tree-based environmental justice work at the community level. They will use their new street tree skills to engage their families, friends, neighbors and local businesses in thinking about how best to dramatically increase the number of trees in Newburgh. The four Fellows will be walking through the City listening to residents’ concerns about trees, educating folks about the benefits of restoring Newburgh’s tree canopy and motivating Newburghers to take action.
“These dynamic women will be coming to your neighborhood soon. Be sure to give them your honest opinion about what you see as the pros and cons of having a tree in front of your building,” said Genie Abrams, a volunteer with the CAC.
Kathy Lawrence, board chair of the GNPC, added, “Each of our Environmental Justice Fellows brings unique strengths to this program. We are excited to have these committed, enthusiastic young women serving as teachers, role models and stewards of our environment.”
Ronald Zorrilla, executive director of Outdoor Promise, said, “Trees clean the air, soil and water, regulate the temperature outdoors, reduce flooding and noise, are associated with reduced incidence of asthma and other lung diseases, and provide shade and beauty for everyone. The planting of more trees will benefit the health of our residents and help redress the longstanding disparity between the health of our black and brown residents and the general population in Newburgh.”
The Arbor Day Foundation is the largest nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees. Their vision is to help others understand and use trees as a solution to many global issues, including air and water quality, climate change, poverty and hunger.
TD Bank has a long-standing commitment to enriching the lives of its customers, colleagues and communities. Through its corporate citizenship platform, TD aspires to link its business, philanthropy and human capital to help people feel more confident about their finances and their ability to achieve their personal goals.
Kat McKenzie
Heidy Bonilla
Ameesah Cotten
Marichen Montiel
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.”)
Apply Now to be an Environmental Justice Fellow!
/Black and Latinx Newburghers ages 19 to 24: Apply at https://bit.ly/3dpMMti to be an Environmental Justice Fellow! It’s a 28-week paid opportunity to learn and teach your neighbors about the benefits of tree canopy in urban areas. This program is funded by a grant from TD Bank in partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation. Check it out!
Become an Environmental Justice Fellow!
/Calling all Black and Latinx residents of Newburgh between the ages of 19 and 24! Apply now for an Environmental Justice Fellowship (stipend: $1,400 for the 28-week program). Your training will be paid! To read all about it and apply, click here: https://bit.ly/3dpMMti