Esi Lewis will deliver the 2024 Dennis O’Keefe memorial lecture
The Friends of the Sojourner Library at SUNY New Paltz invite the public to the annual Dennis O’Keefe memorial lecture on Thursday, September 26, 5 p.m., in the Coykendall science building auditorium on the SUNY New Paltz campus.
This year’s lecture is titled “The Dr. Margaret Wade-Lewis Center: Building Black History.” The talk will be delivered by the center’s president, founder and executive director, Esi Lewis, Esq. The event is free and open to all, with light refreshments to follow.
Lewis will describe the center’s achievements and goals, sharing details of local history and culture. She will also outline the process the center is going through and describe the need for community support.
In addition to her work with the center, Lewis currently serves as Ulster County’s chief diversity officer and as a council member on the New Paltz Town Board.
For additional information, visit olsent@newpaltz.edu.
Public hearing focusing on good-cause eviction will be held September 25
The New Paltz Village Board will hold a public hearing on September 25 for a local law to be created under the state good-cause eviction framework. During a discussion ahead of the hearing Brahvan Ranga, a representative of the advocacy group For the Many, encouraged the “strongest possible legislation” allowed under that scheme. Deputy mayor Alexandria Wojcik noted that if exemptions were limited to a single rental property per landlord, and if the exemption for “luxury” apartments was restricted to those for which the rent is now 345% of the market rent, the number of households under protection would jump to over 1,300, as opposed to about 500 under the standard rules that Wojcik suggested the governor recommends.
The law, if passed, would allow tenants to challenge rent increases that were more than the five percent plus the rate of increase in the consumer price index; landlords would be able to maintain higher increases if they can justify them to a judge. Lease renewals would be the default, with a list of specified “good causes” that can be used to justify not renewing a lease. Other protections would also be included.
— Terence P Ward
Prepared
The New Paltz Emergency Preparedness Committee has a new appointed representative from the village, Stana Weisburd. Weisburd will replace Autumn Seguin, who was formerly the project manager working on mayoral and trustee issues in the village government. The committee develops plans and coordinates responses in regard to a variety of emergency scenarios, and includes representatives of local governments along with those to speak for the various emergency services, including police, fire, rescue and their colleagues on campus.
— Terence P Ward
Hunt for lead in October
New Paltz trustees took some administrative steps last week to secure close to $200,000 in funding to study how many private water lines in the village might still include lead. This is part of a federal push to chase down these remaining sources of toxic lead in communities around the country. Staff members must complete the first steps in this study by October. The ultimate goal is to identify and find ways to replace lead pipes that lead from the village water system into private buildings.
— Terence P Ward
Inquiring Minds hosts workshop on new book for children and teens
Inquiring Minds Bookstore will host local authors Mala Hoffman and Lucy Moran as they present a program on their newly published book Dispelling the Shadow: Activities Exploring Life and Death for Young People. The event will be held at the Elting Memorial Library on Wednesday, September 25 starting at 6:30 p.m.
Dispelling the Shadow, which was published in August, provides a framework, including activities, discussion prompts and resources, to allow young people at varying age levels to begin to confront death and grief with compassion and curiosity. The workshop is for all ages and will include several activity stations. Copies of the book will be available for sale at the event and refreshments will be served.
Hoffman is an educator with an MA in curriculum and teaching from Teachers College, Columbia University with nearly two decades of teaching experience. Her articles on educational issues have appeared in Gifted Child Today as well as other journals and newspapers. She is also a published poet.
Moran is a certified holistic sex educator and loss companion. She is a graduate of the Institute of Sexuality Education and Enlightenment (ISEE) and The Dying Years End of Life Doula training. She is a member of the National End of Life Doula Alliance (NEDA) and is currently focused on supporting people through the complexity of pregnancy loss.
For more information or to register for the event, contact the Elting Memorial Library or visit https://www.eltinglibrary.org/calendar-1#/events/BcfC058kBH/instances/AeFGcLb2xw/.
New Paltz rabies clinic
A rabies clinic for dogs and cats, offered by the Town of New Paltz dog control officer and the town clerk’s office will be held on Wednesday, October 9 from 4 to 5 p.m. at the town highway garage, located at 52 Clearwater Road in New Paltz.
Vaccinations for rabies are $15 each and will be administered by Dr. Laurie Stein, the traveling veterinarian. Heartworm medication is also available. Rabies certificates will be presented at the completion of the vaccination. These certificates are essential for licensing dogs where they reside, as required by NYS law.
Dogs must be leashed and cats must be in carriers.
Cash or check only. For additional information, call 845-255-0100, ext. 1.
Repair Café In New Paltz on September 21
Celebrate the end of summer at the Repair Café on Saturday, September 21 at the United Methodist Church. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., highly skilled coaches will be on hand to diagnose and fix a wide variety of items including mechanical, electrical, digital, wood, sewing and textiles, jewelry, welding and tool/knife sharpening.
Weather permitting, this will be an outdoor event. So bring a broken but beloved item to be fixed by experts who are also your neighbors.
Plus: Bring a food item for the Family of New Paltz
For more information about Repair Café, visit www.repaircafehv.org. New Paltz Repair Café meets at 1 Grove Street in New Paltz.
The Town of Gardiner seeks volunteers
The Town of Gardiner is looking for volunteers for the planning board, parks & recreation committee and the board of ethics. All interested parties, should contact supervisor Marybeth Majestic by September 30 at 845-255-9675, ext. 101 or at supervisor.tog@gmail.com.
Volunteers needed in New Paltz
The Town of New Paltz is looking for volunteers to serve on the bike-ped committee, environmental conservation board, planning board — two alternate positions, public access committee and zoning board of appeals.
Interested parties may submit a letter of interest and resume to the supervisor’s office at P.O. Box 550, New Paltz, NY 12561 or email assistant@townofnewpaltz.org.
Join the family! 
