Close but no cigar: New Paltz school budget fails by 18 votes
Despite majority support at the polls, New Paltz’s school budget still failed Tuesday night – a mere 18 votes away from getting the 60 percent super majority needed to pass a budget above the state tax cap. When it came to whether or not they supported the $50.31 million budget, 1,726 voters said they did...
Highland incumbents to duke it out with newcomers
Highland voters will see a mix of newcomers and incumbents vying for the three open school board seats this May. Incumbents in the race include board president Vincent Rizzi and vice president Regina Tantillo-Swanson. Challengers include some members of the grassroots 60 Percenters group. Voters will also get to decide if they’re happy with the...
Six challengers vie for New Paltz School Board, incumbents bow out
Election Day for the New Paltz Central School District will bring a lot of choices. Voters will have to decide if they’ll support a tax-cap-busting $50.31 million budget, if they’d like the schools to buy $339,000 worth of buses and they’ll have to pick from a crowded field of hopefuls looking for a school board...
SUNY New Paltz inaugurates Donald Christian as president
SUNY New Paltz should evolve to meet the challenges of a post-Great Recession America, and it can do so stressing educational quality, selective admissions and cross-disciplinary thinking, newly inaugurated collage President Donald P. Christian told his audience last weekend. “I tip my hat to the seven past presidents of the modern college at New Paltz,”...
New Paltz aims to be “zero waste” leader
New Paltz will have a lot to prove on its road toward becoming a “zero waste” community, but doing so successfully will make the college town a leader both locally and nationally, said Judith A. Enck, the Region 2 administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency. Enck’s comments came as she addressed a crowd during SUNY...
Village looks to celebrate New Paltz
The Village of New Paltz is about to mark an important anniversary — its birthday. Village Board members have a few ideas for how best to celebrate our hometown. “This year is the 125th anniversary of the Village of New Paltz,” Mayor West explained. “So we want to do something or some things.” Although both...
Lenape land vote to take place on April 10
On April 10, voters in the New Paltz Central School District will go to the polls to decide if $798,000 worth of land adjacent to Lenape Elementary School should be purchased. Citizens will see two questions on the ballot during that special election. Proposition 1 asks voters if they want to tweak the contract of...
New Paltz School Board member Rob Rich resigns
People hoping to run for the New Paltz School Board just got some good news — another seat is open. Trustee Bob Rich announced March 21 that he’s resigning his seat effective June 30. “I wanted to make that announcement now so that the public, people who might be putting petitions in, will know that...
New Paltz voters confused by land grab question; vote is April 10
The New Paltz Board of Education will hold a special vote on Tuesday, April 10 regarding the purchase of land at 301 Route 32 South, adjacent to the Lenape Elementary School. The board finalized its decision to move forward with the vote at a public meeting on March 14 after reviewing results of a community...
Town of Lloyd spreads the word about its revolving loan fund
Businesses in Highland have a little help they might not realize is actually there — the Town of Lloyd revolving loan fund. While that money has been around for decades, not everyone in town knows about it. Town officials have promoted it with advertisements, a glossy brochure and the town website. “We really are trying...
Pop, Rock & Doowop Series in Highland
Summer in Highland might sound a little bit different if Aquanetta Wright has anything to do with it. Newburgh’s very own Ferry Godmother is producing the “Highland Pop, Rock & Doowop Series,” which will liven up Village Field every Thursday night in July and August. The Ferry Godmother and Supervisor Paul Hansut held a press...
Highland church looks to bike blessing, fundraiser for help
Work to save Highland’s landmark First United Methodist Church continues as members of the grassroots Lloyd Development Association and parish volunteers develop strategies to turn the old building into a multi-use community center and live music venue. Last week’s meeting was heated, dipping at times into a combative tone that underlined potential problems with rehabilitating...