CITY

Fitzpatrick Resentencing Delayed until September 16

Conor Fitzpatrick of Peekskill will now have to wait until the fall to find what a judge decides to do in her resentencing for his guilty plea in a massive identity theft case.

Federal Judge Leonie M. Brinkema of the Eastern District Court in Virginia was scheduled to resentence Fitzpatrick on July 8, but both the defense and the U.S. Attorney’s office have agreed to set a new date of September 16. 

Fitzpatrick’s attorney Peter Katz said the parties need more time to prepare their arguments. A press spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s office declined to comment.

Fitzpatrick pleaded guilty to three felony counts and received a sentence of time served (17 days) and two years of home arrest, followed by 18 years of supervised release along with restitution from federal Judge Brinkema in July of 2024. He operated an online forum that sold millions of stolen records containing personal identification data.

However, the U.S. Attorney’s office in the Eastern District of Virginia went to a federal appellate court in October 2024 and argued that, when compared to federal guidelines, Judge Brinkema was wrong to drastically downgrade the sentence Fitzpatrick received. The appellate court agreed with the government in its ruling this past January, ordering him to be resentenced. 

– Jim Roberts

Police Department and Quality of Life Report

City Manager Matthew Alexander reported on quality of life and the police department at the Common Council meeting on Monday, July 14.

From the police department, there were four open container arrests, three warrant arrests, two taxi violations, three disorderly conduct arrests, a double-parking incident that resulted in a crack cocaine arrest, one in-park-after-dark arrest, and one case of selling merchandise in the park without a license.

The building department did weekend code enforcement on June 8 and June 29, focusing on violations that can only be observed on weekends, such as work being done without a permit, noise, and improper use.

The department issued 19 rubbish and litter violations, which Alexander said held the top spot for June. There were 18 overgrowth complaints, seven instances of violations for work being done without a permit, four overcrowding incidents, six fire safety violations, and five nuisance complaints such as insufficient water, graffiti, posting of signs, sidewalk issues, and roosters.

The Department of Public Works has paved 91 tons of blacktop so far in 2025. The department received a hot box, a piece of equipment used to take hot asphalt, that Alexander said has greatly increased the city’s ability to respond to potholes on a more timely basis.

– Eric Harvey

WCC Peekskill to Offer Weekend Business Management Classes

SUNY Westchester Community College is launching a Business Management Weekend Series designed to help busy non-traditional learners achieve academic and career advancement through SUNY WCC’s Peekskill Center.

The program allows students to earn up to 12 college credits while balancing work, family, and other commitments. Courses are offered in a hybrid asynchronous format, which means that students can do the work flexibly on the weekend with reduced seat time. This allows them to do half their in-course requirements online. 

The series includes six courses held on Saturdays and Sundays, aligning with the first semester of SUNY WCC’s program in Business Management and allowing students to earn credits toward an Associate of Science degree.

“This series is ideal for people who have difficulty finding time to pursue their own educational advancement due to too many demands on their time,” said Dr. Sherry Mayo, Director of the SUNY WCC Peekskill Center. “This series is perfect for those looking to start their pursuit of a college degree or wish to accelerate their progress.”

The courses offered are Writing & Research, Business Organization & Management, Computer Information Systems, Statistics, and Marketing, and Macroeconomics. Courses begin September 23.

For more information about the Business Management Weekend Series, please click here.

Blondery Hosts Harlem Renaissance-Style Rent Party to Raise Money 

The Blondery, a woman-owned and Black-owned luxury bakery, raised $1,765 at a Renaissance-style rent party on Sunday, July 20, to help pay $40,000 in back rent, its owner shared in a social media post on Monday, July 21. 

Owner Auzerais Bellamy posted on social media on June 22 to say she found a 14-day notice taped to the door of the bakery warning if she did not pay or make a plan, eviction proceedings would begin. She owed her landlord $40,000 by July 15 but said she was unable to pay it.

On July 17, Bellamy wrote on social media that she paid what she could but that she lost 30 percent of her business due to what she attributed as the economy, diversity equity inclusivity rollbacks, and more.

“Blondery is at a crossroads,” Bellamy wrote. “The truth is, we need help. Rising costs, structural barriers, and the challenges of running a small business in Peekskill have pushed us to the edge.”

An advertisement for the party said there was a make your own cake activity exclusive to early guests, a spin the wheel game, a raffle for some Blondery products, music, light bites, beverages, and a whiteboard session,tasting, and Q&A with Bellamy.

“While paying off this balance won’t fix our business model, I do believe it’s important for Blondery to have a home while we figure out where we’re headed next (because yes, we are moving) and how we’ll restructure,” Bellamy wrote ahead of the party July 17.

A GoFundMe launched by Bellamy on July 1 has raised over $20,540 as of this writing.

– Eric Harvey

Government Proposes Two-Year Limit on Federal Housing Money

The Trump administration is proposing a two-year time limit on rental assistance currently funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). HUD pays to support approximately 1 million households nationwide living in public housing and 4 million more through Section 8 vouchers.

Elderly and disabled people would be exempted. Exempted households would make up about half of the nearly 5 million households getting rental assistance, according to published reports. “Long-term government assistance without any incentive dis-incentivizes able-bodied Americans to work,” a HUD spokesperson said.

Studies estimate that 1 million low-income households, most working families with children, could be at risk of losing their government-subsidized housing. The average household in HUD-subsidized housing stays about six years.

Opponents to the proposed time limits are warning the results could devastate working families who can’t earn enough to meet the skyrocketing cost of housing where they live. Landlords who accept Section 8 vouchers in privately-owned apartments count on the certainty of guaranteed rental payments from HUD.

The Peekskill Housing Authority houses 277 families in three properties through HUD’s public housing program. Private landlords throughout Peekskill receive Section 8 vouchers to subsidize the rent for their low-income tenants.

The U.S. House appropriations committee is taking up HUD’s 2026 budget while the Senate’s budget plans for the agency have not yet been released.

– Jim Roberts

Jobs Program Will Be Held August 12 through October 28

Homeless Remedies Inc. is hosting a jobs program to build skills that will help lead to a career path and find employment opportunities.

Classes will be held every Tuesday, August 12 through October 28, at the Peekskill Field Library. Spanish bilingual classes will be held from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., while English classes will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Those looking to sign up can scan the English or Spanish enrollment form on the flier above or register in person on August 12 at the Field Library.

Church of the Assumption to Host Immigration Workshop

A “Know Your Rights” immigration workshop will be held at the Church of the Assumption on Sunday, July 27, at 11 a.m.

The event sponsored by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Peekskill branch will have presenters, including attorneys and immigration advocates, who will be available to answer questions.

The City of Peekskill previously shared information for immigrants to understand their rights at the Immigrant Legal Resource Center. Those interested in helping others understand their rights can look at the red “know your rights” cards on the resource center’s website.

TOWN OF CORTLANDT

Westchester County Clerk Mobile Office: Tuesday, August 5

Need a U.S. Passport? The Westchester County Clerk’s Mobile Office will be stationed outside Cortlandt Town Hall on Tuesday, August 5, from 10 a.m. to1 p.m.

A newsletter from the Town of Cortlandt stated that due to the U.S. Department of State requirements, the office can no longer accept renewal applications (DS-82 Renewal by mail). The DS-82 must be mailed to the U.S. Department of State by the applicant. 

The office said that although individuals cannot leave their DS-82 with the department to mail, its staff is available to assist in completing the form and get their photo taken.

Blood Drive at Cortlandt Town Hall: Monday, August 11

Roll up your sleeves and make a difference. Donate blood at the Cortlandt Town Hall Blood Drive on Monday, August 11. 

The New York Blood Center’s busmobile will be stationed at Town Hall from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The county urges individuals to remember to eat, hydrate, and bring a photo ID. 

Appointments are preferred; however, walk-ins will be welcomed if space permits. To sign up, click here or call (800) 933-2566.