Mid Hudson Times Aug. 09 2017

T IMES NATIONAL NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION FIRST-PLACE AWARD FOR GENERAL EXCELLENCE, 2016 MID HUDSON Vol. 29, No 32 3 AUGUST 9 - 15, 2017 Rally for Ryan Page 36 3 ONE DOLLAR NW girl cast in musical Page 27 SERVING NEWBURGH AND NEW WINDSOR Acting police chief on medical leave Community Situation brings city residency requirement to the fore By SHANTAL RILEY [email protected] City of Newburgh Police Lieutenant Joe Cortez has been placed on medical leave after three months of serving as the acting head of the City of Newburgh Police Department. His departure has put the city’s residency requirement for department heads into sharp focus. Cortez abruptly went on medical leave early last week. Lieutenant Aaron Weaver has since taken over as acting head of the department. “My intention is to maintain Lt. Weaver during Joe Cortez’s convalescence,” City Manager Michael Ciaravino said, for the sake of continuity at the police department. “I anticipate that Lt. Weaver will stay in command until a new police chief is named.” Cortez was the third man to serve as de facto police chief in the last year. Weaver will be the fourth. The situation has drawn attention to the city’s 2015 rule that department heads must live in the City of Newburgh. “In order to protect the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of the city where emergencies and emergency work arise, it is necessary that the officers and Continued on page 2 Anybody remember the Macarena? weighs Newburgh schools bond project Public forums Aug. 9, Aug. 16 By SHANTAL RILEY [email protected] DJ Ming Ampil demonstrates some dance moves for partiers Sunday afternoon at the St. Francis of Assisi Parish Picnic. WWW.MIDHUDSONTIMES.COM The Newburgh Enlarged City School District hosted the first of three community forums this month to discuss a proposed project to rebuild and renovate schools throughout the entire district. With the slogan “Becoming Future Ready Now,” the project will involve massive upgrades to school buildings and facilities on each school district property. If the project is approved by the Board of Education, voters will decide on a bond to pay for the plan sometime next year. “This is not just about next year, this is about ten, fifteen years down the road, and constructing facilities that our students need to be competitive in the global market,” said district Superintendent of Schools Roberto Padilla at the Board of Education Auditorium last week. Some of the larger projects being proposed include the construction of a new school at New Free Academy Main Campus and a pre-kindergarten center next to Meadow Hill School. “Right now, we have pre-Ks spread out in several Continued on page 3