By Dae Vitale
Greetings from River City.
Grace Episcopal Church joined with over 180 congregations in New York to welcome the Rev. Matthew Heyd as the next Bishop of the Diocese of New York. Heyd was consecrated May 20, 2023 at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in Manhattan.
Heyd, elected by clergy and lay leaders, will be installed as the 17th Bishop of New York in April 2024. He will serve alongside the current Bishop, Andrew Dietsche, until then.
Grace Episcopal Church, in common with all Episcopal Churches, welcomes everyone into its community - regardless of race, sexual orientation, gender identification, or political affiliation.
Mount Saint Mary College’s Center on Aging and DIS-Ability Policy (CADP) and Desmond Center on Community Engagement and Wellness will present an approximately 90-minute public forum regarding the New York State Office of Aging’s (NYSOFA) upcoming Four-Year Plan for the federal government on Thursday, May 25 at 11 a.m. at the College’s Aquinas Hall Theatre and is free and open to the public.
Representatives from NYSOFA and the Orange County Office for the Aging (OCOFA) will be on hand to discuss the Four-Year Plan and how NYSOFA and its network will address federal priorities for older adults in the following focus areas: Long Term Care reform; Continuing to address COVID-19; Targeting and equity and supporting individuals of greatest social and economic need; Building system capacity; and Caregiving. For more information, go to msmc.edu.
During Memorial Day weekend, in honor of those who serve(d) in the US Military, come to Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site, and create your own Badge of Military Merit. General George Washington, while headquartered in Newburgh, created the Badge of Military Merit on August 7, 1782.
The Badge, the first award of its kind to honor enlisted personnel, evolved into the Purple Heart, an award given today to military personnel, officers and enlisted, wounded or killed in the defense of our country.
This craft opportunity is free with admission, which includes a guided tour of the historic Headquarters and the freedom to explore the Museum, including the two new exhibits, George Washington: Perspectives on His Life and Legacy, and The Defense of the Hudson.
The grounds, Museum and historic Hasbrouck House are open on Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 until 5 p.m. For additional information, call (845) 562-1195.
Newburgh Free Library and the Newburgh Enlarged City School District are proud to announce that the 8th National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, Meg Medina, will visit the Newburgh Free Library on Tuesday, June 13. She will also meet with select classes (grades 3-5) from Horizons-on-the-Hudson Elementary School and Balmville Elementary School for a separate student event.
A Community Event will be held at Newburgh Free Library Plaza located at 124 Grand Street beginning at 6 p.m., weather permitting, indoors if necessary. Community members are invited to arrive early at 5 p.m. for music, games and snacks. Folding chairs or blankets are recommended to enjoy the outside festivities.
The National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature is an initiative of the Library of Congress, in partnership with Every Child a Reader, with generous support from The Library of Congress James Madison Council, The Capital Group Companies Charitable Foundation and Dollar General Literacy Foundation.
As National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, Medina will engage readers in book talks across the country through her initiative Cuéntame!: Let’s talk books. Inspired by the Spanish phrase that friends and families use when catching up with one another, Cuéntame! encourages connection among families, classrooms, libraries and communities by talking about books — both books that reflect the readers’ lived experiences and those that expose readers to new perspectives.
She is also the author of picture books “Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away,” illustrated by Sonia Sánchez, Jumpstart’s 2020 Read for the Record selection; “Mango, Abuela, and Me,” illustrated by Angela Dominguez, which was a Pura Belpré Author Award Honor Book; and “Tía Isa Wants a Car,” illustrated by Claudio Muñoz, which won the Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award; and the biography for young readers.
Copies of Medina’s books in both English and Spanish are available to order in advance through Oblong Books, in collaboration with the Friends of the Newburgh Free Library. An opportunity to have a book signed by Medina will follow the event, as time permits. A limited number of free books will also be made available to children, while the supply lasts.
Please, let us be open and honest in all our dealings for the sake of the world. As always, I close with my prayers for God’s blessings on your heads my dears.