CITY
Pugsley Park murals return after wind damage
Ten murals that were taken down at Pugsley Park due to wind damage were returned on Friday, April 18.
Peekskill Arts Alliance Vice President Larry D’Amico told the Peekskill Herald that the artwork wasn’t substantially damaged. “Some have a few scratches, but they aren’t aesthetically compromised,” D’Amico said.
Each piece was fastened to a fence along the park’s western wall on several banners, which were designed with mesh materials to let wind pass through.
This precaution, D’Amico noted, was obviously not enough, given the recent wind damage.
Before putting the banners with the murals back up, D’Amico said they cut vent holes in them and used stronger zip ties.
The installation was part of the City of Peekskill’s Making Connection mural series in 2024. Each mural was created by Peekskill Arts Alliance artists. Three other murals were also created and installed on the other side of the park.
– Eric Harvey
Urban Land Institute to hold panel on Peekskill Waterfront South
The Urban Land Institute will be conducting a two-day Technical Assistance Panel (TAP) workshop with volunteer experts for the City of Peekskill on June 5 and 6.
The in-person workshop will focus on the potential of Louisa Street and lower South Street to create new opportunities for housing in an area that will serve as a gateway between the city and its waterfront.
The panel will provide recommendations on the correct uses and densities to support development on three city-owned sites, as well as improvements to public spaces, streetscape, urban design, and transportation. This will assist the area in transitioning from a marginal industrial area to a thriving mixed-use residential neighborhood affordable to a range of incomes, the institute said.
Director of Planning Carol Samol told the Peekskill Herald the panel is a planning exercise to get different perspectives on the area’s potential and does not affect the status of the proposed SOLO project on Lower South Street that is being developed by Ken Kearney.
Some questions the institute is seeking to answer are what are the essential elements of an area-wide plan to support housing growth, how the city should develop or leverage its own properties, and what site plan principles should be applied to 1005-1007 Lower South Street to ensure the development feels like a residential neighborhood that remains connected to the larger area.
– Eric Harvey
African American Civil veterans in local cemeteries honored by students
Fourteen African American Civil War veterans buried in local cemeteries were honored by the Black Diamonds Academic Success Program, in collaboration with Tim Warn and the Peekskill American Legion, on Sunday, April 27.
The initiative was introduced by Warn, Chair of Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber of Commerce, who annually organizes the placement of flags on veterans’ graves throughout Peekskill.
In a press release from the Black Diamonds, Executive Director and Founder Martin McDonald said the initiative brought 10 students from the Black Diamonds program to locate, clean, and memorialize the historic gravesites. Each gravesite was marked with an American flag in recognition of the veterans’ courage and sacrifice.
“It made me feel good to show my respect and honor some men who may not have been honored for their service,” one participating student, who was not named, said in the release.
The release stated students reflected on injustices the soldiers faced, including inadequate supplies, poor equipment and unequal treatment, expressing “a profound sense of pride and connection to the history of Black veterans who fought valiantly for a country that did not fully recognize their rights or humanity.” They were also moved by two soldiers who had served with the famed “Fighting 54th” Massachusetts Regiment, portrayed in the film Glory.
“Today showed that our young people get it,” said McDonald. “I am so proud of these young men who volunteered their time to connect with and honor a chapter of our history that must never be forgotten.”
– Eric Harvey
Field at Depew Park to reopen May 5 after several seasons of maintenance
The long awaited reopening of the playing field at Depew Park (formally named Nicholas J. Colao Memorial Field) is scheduled for May 5.
On Monday, April 21, Site Manager and Community Hub Director Johnathan Zamora gave the news to the Common Council, saying the city is currently working on putting organic fertilizer as a final treatment and cutting the grass.
The announcement followed the April 7 council meeting, at which Councilmembers Ramon Fernandez and Dwight Douglas bemoaned the fact that the field had been unused for nearly a year and a half.
Douglas noted that the field was installed in the fall of 2023 and not used throughout 2024, saying its inactivity was both “ridiculous” and “unbelievable.”
But the reason the field was not open, Zamora said, was due to the grass needing to knit successfully and set in. He added the knitting component has repeatedly been interrupted as a result of kids jumping the fence and playing games on the field.
“We’re looking to [open the field] very, very soon,” Zamora said. “The city did invest a lot of money into that field and if it’s used at too early of a stage, a lot of that gets torn out.”
On April 21, Zamora said that this spring will be the third and final growing season for the grass to properly knit.
[Correction: The original version of this article mistakenly identified the shuttered field as Torpy Field, which has been in uninterrupted use by the Peekskill City School District.]
– Eric Harvey
Elementary school embraces AI for automatic feedback to students
Students at Hillcrest Elementary School are utilizing generative artificial intelligence for a pilot homework online writing program.
The school’s principal, Crystal Hernandez, said the program provides students with differentiated assignments based on their proficiency level and interests.
If a student has interest in baseball, they will get a passage about baseball. If a student is reading at a third grade level, they get a passage at a third grade level, and will be asked to answer a fourth grade level question, Hernandez said.
“The best part is that it provides automatic feedback to students in the moment, giving them a mini teacher right on their shoulder when they’re home,” Hernandez said.
In addition, the program provides teachers with insights the following day about how their students did in a summary format, saving teachers hours of looking through every single notebook of a child, Hernandez said.
Hernandez said the program got off the ground with Janice Reid, Director of Technology, and her team, as well as support from the Board of Education, Woodside Elementary Principal Rebecca Aviles Rodriguez and Superintendent of Schools Dr. David Mauricio.
– Eric Harvey
Body recovered from Riverfront Green Park
A body was discovered near the Peekskill boat launch at the Riverfront Green Park on Sunday, April 27.
City of Peekskill Police Lt. Adam Renwick told the Herald the case has been assigned to the Peekskill Police detective bureau and is currently under further investigation. (Photo by Dave Mueller)
– Eric Harvey
Peekskill man arrested for Leandra’s Law
A Peekskill resident was arrested in the Town of Cortlandt for driving while intoxicated and with a two-month-old child in the vehicle.
Angel P. Quichimbo, 38, was charged with aggravated driving while intoxicated with a child passenger (a violation of Leandra’s law), driving intoxicated after a prior conviction within the last 10 years, aggravated unlicensed operation, and multiple vehicle and traffic law violations.
New York State Police say on April 25, a traffic stop was conducted on a 2016 Jeep Compass traveling on State Route 9 in the Town of Cortlandt for violations of Vehicle and Traffic Law within a designated work zone.
The driver, identified as Quichimbo, 38, exhibited signs of intoxication during the stop, according to police, and was administered standardized field sobriety tests, which he failed. Also present in the vehicle at the time were two adult passengers and a two-month-old child.
Quichimbo was taken into custody and transported to State Police Cortlandt. There he submitted toa chemical breath test that yielded a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.13 percent. A BAC above 0.05 percent is legal evidence of impairment.
He was arraigned in the Town of Cortlandt Court and issued an appearance ticket returnable to the Town of Wappinger Court on April 30 at 4 p.m.
– Eric Harvey
Man arrested in gun incident has extreme risk protection order on him
Court records show that the Peekskill man arrested last week in relation to a report of a man with a gun has had a temporary extreme risk protection order filed against him.
Last week, on April 22, City of Peekskill Police responded to a report of a man with a gun near Ridge and Franklin Streets for an incident one witness reportedly said stemmed from a complaint about road work.
Eric Gordineer, 33, was taken into custody and the following day was charged with criminal possession of a weapon, menacing, and harassment.
Prior to that incident, City of Middletown Police Officer Justin Quiles applied for a temporary extreme risk protection order against Gordineer, alleging he was likely to engage in conduct that would result in serious harm to himself or others.
On June 3, 2024, Quiles responded to a reported walk-in aggravated harassment complaint from a woman who said that Gordineer, who had been hanging out at her and her husband’s home, was asked to leave after an argument about Gordineer’s ex-girlfriend escalated.
After leaving, Gordineer allegedly began repeatedly calling and texting both of them, repeatedly making threats to fight the husband and “beat his ass.” Later that night, Gordineer posted on social media images of him holding a crossbow, pickhead axe, and a black handgun, according to Quiles.
Quiles said Gordineer contacted both of them again, threatening the husband and stating, “Do you think number [one] that all I got is a crossbow [sic] and [two,] do you think I need anything[?] I will meet you right now any place you’d like [except] on your property.”
This, according to Quiles, concerned both the wife and husband because they knew Gordineer had a history of drug abuse, mental health issues, and violence. The following day the husband requested a full stay-away order of protection, for the safety of his family.
The temporary protection order was granted by the Westchester County Courthouse and will expire June 12, 2025. Gordineer was charged with one count of aggravated harassment in the second degree.
In 2013 Gordineer was charged with criminal trespassing, assault, and criminal possession of a weapon after an arrest in the City of Cortland (in upstate New York) in 2012.
Peekskill Police Department make narcotics arrest during traffic stop
A Peekskill man was arrested and charged with several narcotics charges after a traffic stop on Friday, April 18.
The City of Peekskill Police Department stated that at about 4:39 p.m., officer Mark Frascello conducted a traffic stop on the 1000 block of Park Street. The driver, Kenyatta Burnett, was operating the vehicle in violation of aggravated unlicensed operation in the third degree according to police.
Police say they also found Burnett in possession of approximately 3 grams of cocaine and 5.2 grams of MDMA (ecstasy).
Burnett was charged with three counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, class B felonies, and one count of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fourth degree, a class C felony.
He was later arraigned in court and released on his own recognizance. His next court appearance is May 7.
– Eric Harvey
TOWN OF CORTLANDT
Hendrick Hudson Central School District reopens nomination period
The Hendrick Hudson Central School District has reopened the nomination period for the Board of Education Trustee after a candidate withdrew his candidacy.
On April 26, at 2:45 p.m., the district clerk of the school district received notification that Trustee candidate Ryan Arecco withdrew his candidacy. Those remaining on the ballot are Alexis Bernard, Allison Hooban, Jeremy Basso and Erica Mills. The reopening of the nomination period is in accordance with Education Law Section 2018.
A petition for nomination for Trustee, signed by at least 33 qualified voters of the district, may be filed with the District Clerk no later than 5 p.m. on Monday, May 12.
Petition packets can be obtained by contacting District Clerk Carmen Koch at the District Office, 57 Trolley Road, Montrose, NY 10548, [email protected], or (914) 257-5112, during regular business hours (Monday to Friday at 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
After the closing of the reopened nomination period and the redrawing of ballot positions, absentee and early voting ballots will be sent to individuals on Tuesday, May 13.
Applications for absentee and early voting ballot applications should be submitted in original form, with an original signature. To receive a ballot by mail, an application must be submitted no later than May 13; to pick up a ballot in person, an application must be submitted by May 19.
Absentee and early voting ballots must be filled out and delivered to the District Clerk by 5 p.m. on May 20 in order to be counted.
– Eric Harvey
STATE
Harckham packaging reduction bill sees support from poll respondents
A poll from Siena College Research Institute reported nearly three quarters of respondents favored requiring companies with an annual net income of over $1 million to reduce packaging on their products.
This is a key component of the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (PRRIA) sponsored by state Sen. Pete Harckham and Assemblywoman Deborah Glick, a release from Harckham’s office said.
“We know that a majority of New Yorkers support legislation to fight our packaging waste crisis, but this new poll confirms and quantifies just how broad and sizable that support is,” Harckham said.
The poll was conducted between March 17 to 24 with 618 state residents and included questions on several environmental issues. About 73 percent of respondents favored the key component from Harckham’s bill to reduce plastic packaging waste, with no demographic gender, age or regional group issuing less than 70 percent support for the bill.
“Residents are deeply troubled by the growing amount of waste that is created daily, the gargantuan costs related to the removal of this waste, and the many toxins and carcinogens that are both present and prevalent in plastic waste,” Harckham said. “It’s time for us to leverage this overarching concern into real action.”
The act aims to significantly reduce packaging waste by requiring companies to reduce overall packaging use, improve reusability, fund recycling infrastructure, support municipal recycling programs and eliminate toxins in packaging materials. It has advanced to both the Senate and Assembly Environmental Conservation Committees.
– Eric Harvey
Levenberg and Lawler criticize Homeland Security letter telling thousands to leave U.S.
Assemblywoman Dana Levenberg and other speakers gathered in Ossining on April 23 to speak out against a Department of Homeland Security letter that was sent out to more than 900,000 people that falsely said they must “deport” themselves from the United States.
The event was organized by Open Arms for Refugees and attended by co-founder and lead coordinator Ted Buergrer and fellow co-founder Levenberg. U.S. Reps. Mike Lawler and George Latimer, who were not present, sent statements of support.
“Do not attempt to remain in the United States – the federal government will find you,” the letter from Homeland Security reads.
In a press release, Buerger said he was with one recipient when they received the letter, a woman who fled Afghanistan facing danger from the Taliban.
“I saw her face turn pale, her joy…replaced with panic,” Buerger said. “While they were able to confirm with an attorney that [she] was not subject to summary deportation because she had legally filed for asylum, [she] remains deeply shaken.”
Levenberg told attendees that current law pertaining to refugees was created in response to the persecution and displacement that took place during and after World War II. Her mother survived the Holocaust as a hidden child in the Netherlands and came to the U.S. as a refugee during the postwar period.
“America can and should be a beacon of safety and hope, but this letter is causing despair,” Levenberg said. “For us to say that we are going to send the most vulnerable people back to the most dangerous places in the world is completely unacceptable.”
In a statement, Lawler said he shared concerns regarding the letter and will work with federal and local partners to address the issue.
“Such miscommunication undermines trust and stability for vulnerable communities,” Lawler said. “My office has assisted numerous Afghanistan [sic] refugees since I took office in 2023, and I am committed to ensuring that all residents, including those seeking refuge, are treated with fairness and respect under the law.”
– Eric Harvey
Attorney General sues over cuts to billions in state education funding
Billions of dollars in education funding are at risk, Attorney General Letitia James said in a press release.
On April 25, James led a coalition of 18 other attorneys general in suing the Trump Administration over its “unprecedented and unlawful requirements” for states to end diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices in schools.
The United States Department of Education alerted state education agencies on April 3 that to continue to receive essential funding, they must sign a new certification affirming they do not engage in undefined “illegal” DEI practices, James said. New York State’s Department of Education did not sign the April 3 certification.
The coalition seeks a court order that declares the April 3 certification unlawful and stops it from being implemented.
“Every student has the fundamental right to learn in an environment that is welcoming and open to everyone,” James said. “The Trump Administration is illegally trying to stop efforts that prevent discrimination in our schools, support students with disabilities, and provide resources for students in need while jeopardizing billions of dollars in essential federal education funding.”
James and the coalition argued the certification demand violates the Administrative Procedure Act and is contrary to numerous laws, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and federal laws prohibiting federal interference with state and local education policies. The coalition also stated it violates the Constitution by withholding funding that Congress appropriated and places unlawful conditions on federal funds.
