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March 20, 2018 - In This Issue:
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A Message From Mayor Steve Noble:
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Dear Friends,
While the forecast is calling for more snow in our area this week, Spring is officially here! This week's issue includes a lot of bright and cheery updates to get you ready for the season, including registration details for the Summer Parks Program, the launch of our first city-wide "Paint the Town Yellow" campaign, and much more!
Now is also the perfect time to reconnect with neighbors and work together. This Thursday, we will be hosting a community workshop on equitable development. This event is a great opportunity to have important conversations about how we can move our city forward together and ensure that every community member benefits from future growth and development. I hope to see you there!
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Kingston to host Equitable Development Community Workshop
Thursday, March 22nd at 6:00pm at City Hall
Mayor Steve Noble is pleased to announce a community workshop regarding "equitable development" to be held on Thursday, March 22nd at 6:00pm at City Hall, located at 420 Broadway.
This event is a follow up to the successful public workshop held in May 2017 and supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through its Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities Program. The purpose of the program was to help the community evaluate its priorities to work toward equitable development and support community goals for housing, local businesses, jobs, transportation, and preserving opportunities for residents. In part, the U.S. EPA defines equitable development as "...a range of approaches for creating communities and regions where residents of all incomes, races, and ethnicities participate in and benefit from decisions that shape the places where they live." Kingston was one of only 25 communities nationwide that received assistance in 2017 through the U.S. EPA Building Blocks program.
As part of the May 2017 workshop series, participants were tasked with creating broad goals and proposed actions or initiatives to achieve those goals. The goals identified by the community participants included:
- Strengthen existing neighborhoods and provide access to economic opportunity
- Maintain neighborhood culture through economic change
- Complete sidewalk network and make streets safe for all users
- Sustain and create affordable housing
- Communicate effectively among community
The purpose of the upcoming Community Workshop is to introduce the concept of Equitable Development to the broader public, review the proposed goals, actions and initiatives from the May 2017 workshop, determine any progress that has been made in achieving those goals or barriers to success, identify missing goals, actions and initiatives, and set next steps.
The format of the Community Workshop will include: opening remarks from Mayor Noble; a recap and review of the initial goals and actions proposed by community members at the first workshop; and participation in focus groups regarding the five major identified goal areas.
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New Ladder Truck Arrives in Kingston
The Kingston Fire Department's new tractor drawn aerial, also known as a tiller truck, arrived safely on Monday evening. Mayor Noble, Fire Chief Mark Brown, Alderman Doug Koop, members of the Kingston Fire Department and local residents welcomed the new truck at the Wiltwyck Fire Station on Frog Alley. Chief Brown reiterated how important this new truck is in order to provide the high quality of services offered by the Department.
The delivery of this new truck is one of many accomplishments of the Department in the past year. Progress made in 2017 includes:
- The Kingston Fire Department responded to 4,890 calls
- The Department continued to be on the front lines of the opioid crisis and delivered resuscitation and life saving measures to 47 individuals
- The Department became the Confined Space team for Ulster County
- The Department received a SAFER grant, which allowed for the hiring of 4 new firefighters
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Save the Date
Ribbon Tying Ceremony
Tuesday, April 3rd
6:00pm
City Hall
Mayor Steve Noble is pleased to announce the City of Kingston's first city-wide "Paint the Town Yellow" campaign to shine a light on depression. This 10-week campaign will include art shows, speakers series, workshops and other events and will run through the end of May, Mental Health Awareness Month.
On Tuesday, April 3rd at 6:00pm, the Paint the Town Yellow campaign kicks into high gear with a "celebration of optimism" at City Hall, located at 420 Broadway. The event will feature a yellow "ribbon-tying ceremony" - an action of optimism and unity to brighten the world through collaboration - and the unveiling of an art exhibit on the ground floor created by local artists. More details to follow soon!
For a full calendar of events and updates, visit the Paint the Town Yellow Kingston Facebook page here.
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Upcoming Ward Meetings
Ward 6
Alderman Tony Davis is pleased to announce a Ward 6 meeting will be held on Saturday, March 24th, Noon-1:00pm, at Alderman Davis' home, 84 Emerick St.
Alderman Davis has also announced that Amee Peterson of the City of Kingston's Office of Economic and Community Development will be in attendance to share information about the Office's services and answer any questions constituents may have.
For additional information, please contact Alderman Davis at
[email protected] or at 845-340-8461.
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Ward 4
Alderman Rita Worthington is pleased to announce that a Ward 4 meeting will be held on Monday, April 9th, 6:00pm-7:30pm, at the Everette Hodge Community Center (located at 15-21 Franklin St.)
The topics will include: 1) Vision from past to present; 2) Owner occupied properties and rentals; and 3) Q&A period.
Guests will include: Amee Peterson and Steve Knox from Office of Economic and Community Development and Ulster County Legislator Lynn Eckert.
For additional information, please contact Alderman Worthington at
[email protected].
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Distinguished Artist Awards Announced
Award Ceremony to be held on Friday, April 13th at 5:30pm at City Hall
Mayor Steve Noble and the City's Arts Commission are pleased to announce the recipient of the inaugural Distinguished Artist Award. This first award is presented to not one person, but a married couple: Kingston residents Julie Hedrick and Peter Wetzler. Both are extremely talented artists and longtime advocates for the arts in Kingston.
"Kingston has truly become a City of the Arts," said Mayor Noble. "We are so grateful to all of the local artists who have contributed to our community and we are proud to celebrate with our first Distinguished Artist Award given to Julie Hedrick and Peter Wetzler." Ward Mintz, Chair of the Arts Commission stated, "The Kingston Arts Commission is proud to have initiated the Distinguished Artist Award and congratulates two talented artists who combine a commitment to their art forms with a commitment to the city's cultural life."
Peter Wetzler is an award-winning composer-musician-music director scoring for film, theatre and television. Julie Hedrick is a painter and poet. She is the recipient of a Pollock-Krasner Foundation grant and is represented by the Nohra Haime Gallery in New York. Julie and Peter, who often collaborate on various art projects, have lived and worked in a converted church in the Rondout neighborhood of Kingston since 1986.
For the award, there were 18 nominations for 16 individuals. Nominees had to be residents of the City of Kingston for at least two years. Artists in any discipline could be nominated: music, theatre, dance, literary, visual, or media arts. The recipients were chosen based upon the level of their artistry, commitment to the art form, commitment to the community, and recognition in the field locally, nationally or internationally.
The panel for the Distinguished Artist Award was comprised of five Kingston residents: Bryant "Drew" Andrews, Executive Director, Center for Creative Education; Ione, author, playwright/director and poet; Brian Mahoney, Editor, Chronogram Magazine; Isabel Nazario, Associate Vice President for Strategic Initiatives, Rutgers University; and Aaron Rezny, food and still life photographer. Although the panel realized it was somewhat unusual to recommend two artists for the award, they felt that the two, as a couple, have contributed so much to the arts and culture of Kingston and that their individual talents, as well as their collaboration, were significant.
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awards ceremony will take place on Friday, April 13 at 5:30pm in Kingston City Hall. The event is free and open to the public. For more information about the event, please call 845-334-3964 or e-mail [email protected].
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Ulster County Citizen's Police Academy
April 16, 2018 - June 18, 2018
The Citizen's Police Academy is a nine week program designed to give the participants a working knowledge of the law enforcement function within Ulster County. It consists of a series of classes and discussions held once a week, in the evenings, from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. Class size is limited to approximately 40 attendees. There is no cost to anyone who enrolls.
The classes will provide an in-depth view into various aspects of law enforcement. It is an educational and informative program that allows citizens the opportunity to learn about the issues that affect law enforcement efforts in Ulster County, and how to develop a partnership with law enforcement. This program also allows the participants a unique "hands-on" opportunity in a variety of law enforcement tasks and responsibilities.
Each week we also feature a "Meet the Chief" session at the beginning of each class. Police chiefs and other law enforcement agency heads from throughout the county will be present to discuss their agency's current initiatives.
View the Citizen's Police Academy Overview
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Community Spotlight
Get it fixed for free at the next Repair Cafe in Kingston!
Date: Saturday March 24, 11:00am to 3:00pm
Place: Clinton Avenue Methodist Church (122 Clinton Ave.)
Repair Cafe is a free community meeting place to bring a beloved but broken item to be repaired...for free! The repairs are done by experts who are also your neighbors! The kinds of repairs offered at a Repair Cafe are amazing and include all kinds of mechanical, electric and electronic items, digital devices, clothing & textiles, jewelry, things made of wood, knife sharpening, and metal welding. Plus, a free bicycle tune-up & repair clinic courtesy of Bike-Friendly Kingston.
Bring something that needs fixing and check it out! Se habla Espanol.
Kingston's Repair Cafe is sponsored by Kingston Transition, Kingston's Climate Smart Commission and Bike-Friendly Kingston.
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City of Kingston Parks and Recreation Department
Annual Report and Department Overview
Mayor Noble and the City of Kingston's Parks and Recreation Department are pleased to announce the availability of the 2018 Parks and Recreation Department Brochure,
which provides an overview of the City's incredible parks, facilities, programming and events. In addition, the 2017 summary of department accomplishments and offerings is now available.
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"Mondays with the Mayor" on
Radio Kingston
"Mondays with the Mayor," which runs every Monday between 3:30 and 4:00pm on Radio Kingston (1490 AM or
RadioKingston.org
), will be on a short two week hiatus. Tune in on Monday, April 9th for the next new episode! Until then, check out the archived episodes below!
Topic: International Day of Happiness and Paint the Town Yellow
Topic: Introduction to City of Kingston grants
Topic: Special events and film productions in Kingston, as well as constituent services
Topic: Recap of Black History Month celebration and upcoming Parks and Recreation events and programs
Topic: Overview of City of Kingston communication tools
Topic: Economic and Community Development overview and updates on the Downtown Revitalization Initiative in the Stockade District
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City of Kingston Parks and Recreation Department
Summer Parks Program Registration Now Open!
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Upcoming Municipal Meetings
Wednesday, March 21st
Live Well Kingston Commission
4:00pm
City Hall, Conference Room #1
Laws and Rules Committee
6:30pm
City Hall, Conference Room #1
Agenda
Thursday, March 22nd
Equitable Development Community Workshop
6:00pm
City Hall, Council Chambers
Friday, March 23rd
No meetings scheduled at this time.
To stay up to date on all municipal meetings each month, check out our monthly calendar
here. Most meeting agendas and minutes can be found
here.
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Kingston Happenings 
The City of Kingston often receives requests to share upcoming events happening in our community. Our partners at
KingstonHappenings.org
do an excellent job of centralizing this community information. So while our website is the best resource to gain information about City of Kingston sponsored events and important municipal information, Kingston Happenings can give you a greater preview of community events. Check them out today!
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