Mid Hudson Times Jul. 26 2017

T IMES NATIONAL NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION FIRST-PLACE AWARD FOR GENERAL EXCELLENCE, 2016 MID HUDSON Vol. 29, No 30 3 JULY 26 - AUGUST 1, 2017 Page 36 SERVING NEWBURGH AND NEW WINDSOR Catch and release advisory for PFOS-laden waters The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has issued a catch-and-release advisory for fish contaminated by perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) in Newburgh and New Windsor. These streams and lakes include Beaver Dam Lake, Moodna Creek, Washington Lake, Masterson Park Pond, Silver Stream and Recreation Pond, thought to be the chief delivery point for PFCs flowing from Stewart Air National Guard Base and into the local watershed. A stream between Stewart State Forest and Beaver Dam Lake is also included in the advisory. “What we find is the levels of PFCs ONE DOLLAR Newburgh man wins Gardiner 5K DEC: don’t eat the fish By SHANTAL RILEY [email protected] 3 in the fish are high enough that a catch- and-release advisory should be in place,” said DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos. Fishing itself is fine, Seggos said, but “don’t consume the fish.” Seggos was joined by city and county officials at the City of Newburgh water treatment plant on Monday to make the Continued on page 4 Flying through the air with the greatest of ease By SHANTAL RILEY [email protected] Shantal Riley Members of the Zip Zap Circus School train kids on the trapeze on the Safe Harbors Green last week. The summer program was offered through Safe Harbors of the Hudson, Zip Zap Circus and the Boys and Girls Club of Newburgh. WWW.MIDHUDSONTIMES.COM Addicts get second chance at city Drug Court Friends and family gathered in a courtroom last week to celebrate two men and the beginning of the rest of their lives. It was graduation day at City of Newburgh Drug Court. “I came here for a shoplifting charge,” said Carl Banks. “I was 58-years-old, standing before a judge for petty larceny... that’s when I said I wanted to change.” Banks graduated from the City of Newburgh Drug Treatment Court Program, which offers reduced sentences to people struggling with alcohol and drug addiction. The program offers a second chance to offenders caught up in the cycle of addiction. The program also offers a veterans’ track, designed specifically to serve veterans. “I thought I was here for punishment,” said former program participant Rolly Bain, speaking during the ceremony last Wednesday. “It was really a blessing.” “I was tired of doing jail time,” said Banks after the ceremony. “I wanted to change my life. I wanted to become a productive citizen.” Now free of a years-long heroin Continued on page 4