Mid Hudson Times Mar. 07 2018 | Page 4

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Mid Hudson Times , Wednesday , March 7 , 2018

Fresh Start Café launches new breakfast setup

RECAP ’ s Fresh Start Café in Newburgh launched a new setup this month that streamlines the restaurant ’ s customer breakfast experience . Diners can visit the café at 280 Broadway for a new self-serve continental breakfast bar featuring hot drinks , bagels , fruit , yogurt and more . The café has long served breakfast and decided to incorporated customer suggestions regarding options . “ People are rushed in the morning and don ’ t have time to wait ,” said Charlene Woodson , Training & Services Manager who oversees operations at the cafe . “ People understand this is a training program , but speed is the nature of take-out breakfast orders . Now customers can get in and out faster by preparing items themselves .”
The breakfast bar is open 8:00 a . m . -1:30 p . m . and offers bagels , muffins , and specialty breads and baked goods such as crumb cake , banana bread , zucchini bread , and sweet potato bread . Also available are yogurt , oatmeal , homemade granola , and whole and fresh cut fruit . Coffee , hot tea , hot cocoa , orange juice , apple juice and water are served .
The café , which is open to the public on weekdays for breakfast and lunch , is an employment readiness program that trains public assistance recipients for positions in the fast-paced food service industry . Breakfast setup is done by trainees who monitor its operation as they learn time management , quality control , loss prevention ,
Trainee Vernell Cassidy sets up the continental breakfast bar at Fresh Start Café in Newburgh .
expiration , and inventory . The Newburgh location currently works with 13 trainees .
About the Program Fresh Start Cafe is a job readiness program to help people on public assistance gain the skills and confidence to succeed in today ’ s job market . Under the guidance of culinary trainers in a restaurant setting , trainees learn versatile culinary techniques and customer service skills . Focus includes hands-on experience with teamwork , communication skills , conflict resolution , time management , and job interviewing . Cafés in Middletown and Newburgh serve breakfast , lunch , soups , and baked goods . Lunch specials are available as well as catering and holiday special orders . A third café is planned for the newly-restored Mill at Middletown complex .
About the Agency
RECAP ’ s programs include nutrition and advocacy , Head Start , addiction services , supportive housing , job readiness with Fresh Start Café , and Orange County Reentry . The agency was established in 1965 after President Lyndon Johnson ’ s State of the Union Address a year earlier encouraged Americans to eradicate poverty and build a “ Great Society .” A model called the Community Action Program was created and agencies sprung up across the country .
RECAP celebrated 50 years of services in the Hudson Valley in 2015 . Visit www . recap . org for information about programs , fundraisers and events .

Mayor Judy Kennedy is honored

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back on the tax rolls , saving tax payers millions .” “ We discovered PFOS in our water ,” Abrams said , speaking of the chemical perfluorooctane sulfonate ,

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found throughout the city ’ s drinking watershed and reservoir at Washington Lake . The city and state quickly addressed the problem , once it was discovered , by switching to Catskill Aqueduct water and installing a new filtration system at the city water treatment plant , “ at no expense to the city ,” Abrams pointed out .
Other accomplishments include the city skatepark at Delano-Hitch Park , Tyrone Crabb Park , People ’ s Park at the Newburgh Waterfront , a seven-year contract for city police , offering city minutes and agendas in Spanish and a $ 175,000 settlement with McGoey , Hauser and Edsall , the engineering firm involved in the costly city courthouse debacle .
“ We successfully headed off a woodchuck attack at Washington Lake ,” Abrams threw in for good measure , describing an effort to stop woodchucks from destroying a dam at the lake .
The way forward
I really want to thank you for dealing with a lot of ( crap ),” Stuart Sachs said to Kennedy . “ You ’ ve shouldered an awful lot . You maintained vision , you ’ ve maintained hope and you maintained an excitement about the City of Newburgh , which has served us all so well .”
Many speeches that evening centered on the city ’ s renaissance and the hope that Kennedy inspired that helped drive it . “ Newburgh has turned the corner ,” said Omari Shakur . “ We ’ re getting ready to go up . How do we do that ? We go up together .”
Shakur recalled running for mayor against Kennedy in 2015 . “ We lost the primary ,” he said , referring to his and Kennedy ’ s loss in the Democratic primary that year . “ Somebody said , ‘ What are you going do with your 250 votes ?’ I said , ‘ I ’ m going to stay home .’” But , Shakur said he was inspired by Kennedy ’ s spirit . “ We sat down and we said , ‘ We ’ re going to fight ,’” he said , speaking about his decision to support Kennedy ’ s campaign as the Independence Party candidate for mayor . “ That ’ s what she did .”
Kennedy won the race , with help from Shakur and other supporters like Councilwoman Karen Mejia . “ The one thing that I ’ ve learned from Judy is don ’ t take no for an answer ,” said Mejia . “ From government , the first answer should not be no , but ‘ How can we ?’ I think that is how the city has been able to move forward .”
Though they sometimes disagreed , Michelle Bosch told Kennedy , “ I ’ ve garnered so much respect for your fight and your sense of humor and your belief in what is right … you brought that back to a place that was losing it quickly ,” Bosch said to the mayor .
Kennedy took it all in while seated in a large chair next to her son Kyle Kennedy , who , she said , carried a “ huge ” load during her illness , turning down work offers to care for her . “ Thank you , Kyle ,” she said . Applause followed .
“ This city is at a tipping point ,” she said , returning to the topic of Newburgh . “ One thing that I started out working for was to change perceptions in the City of Newburgh and do that by working with the press instead of against it , and drive the story instead … Yes , we ’ ve got a way to go . Yes , we ’ re not there yet . And , yes , we ’ re on the way . That ’ s the message .”
Kennedy spoke directly to the assembled audience . “ No matter what happens here with my health , you all have a ball to carry ,” she said . “ And , I count on you to carry it all the way to the top .”