Greetings from River City. “If we cannot stand up for our children, we don’t stand for anything.” The words of Marian Wright Edelman are as prescient today as they were when she  said them, perhaps more than ever. It is impossible not to understand that children are being looked upon as commodities, used as pawns by adults. To paraphrase Jesus, “It would be better to have a millstone hung round one’s head and be thrown into the sea, than to harm a child.” I’m afraid there are many millstones being hung round many heads, these days. 

The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. is proud to announce the John T. Kenney VFW Post 973 in Newburgh, New York celebrated 100 years of serving the needs of local veterans and their families on September 15, 2022. A special dinner was held on Saturday to commemorate the event.

The Centennial Anniversary Award Citation is presented to the Post in recognition of 100 years of outstanding service to the community.

Fritz Mihelcic, national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S., congratulated all members of the Post, “I send my sincere thanks and appreciation to the members of VFW Post 973 for their outstanding record of service to the community, veterans and to the nation over the past 100 years.”
 

Ann Street Gallery presents Anthology:   Ann Street Gallery is pleased to present our first Emerging Artist Fellowship Exhibition, Anthology, which opened Sept. 22 from 6-9 p.m., featuring the work of Kammy Daydream, Myra Grice, Fernanda Mello, Neen Rivera, and Angelís Wong. The exhibit runs to Nov. 19.  
 
 Due to planned road reconstruction and paving operations along Third Street, parking along both sides of Third Street will be prohibited in the area between Robinson Avenue (9W) and Johnston Street from October 3 through October 14. Residents and visitors to this area can park along the side streets on nearby City Terrace, Carpenter Avenue, Carter Street and Johnston Street.  

Alternate-side street sweeping parking restrictions will be temporarily suspended on these side streets in this area during this road work to increase available parking. Parking will also be available along Haible Way through Downing Park in the area between Carpenter Avenue and Third Street.  

Alternate-side street sweeping parking restrictions are suspended between the dates of October 3 through October 14 on the following streets: Carpenter Avenue (between Third Street and Carter Street); City Terrace (Between Third Street and Carter Street); Carter Street (Between City Terrace and Robinson Avenue/9W); Johnston Street (Between Campbell Street and Farrington Street). 

Temporary NO PARKING signs with effective dates will be posted within the construction corridor ahead of the Oct. 3 start date. Please pay attention and obey all posted road closures and no parking restriction signs during the posted times to facilitate the planned construction activities. The City of Newburgh appreciates the public’s patience during completion of this road reconstruction and repavement project. 
 
Shannen Dee Williams, Associate Professor of History at the University of Dayton, will present “America’s Real Sister Act: The Hidden History of Black Catholic Nuns in the United States” at Mount Saint Mary College on Monday, Oct. 3 at 7 p.m., in the Kaplan Family Library and Learning Center. This free event is open to the public. The Mount is at 330 Powell Ave. Williams is a historian of the African American experience with research and teaching specializations in women’s, religious, and Black freedom movement history. She is also the author of Subversive Habits: Black Catholic Nuns in the Long African American Freedom Struggle. 

The talk is part of the college’s annual Founders Week which honors the legacy of St. Dominic de Guzman and the Dominican Sisters, whose vision guided the creation of the college. The Catholic and Dominican Institute has sponsored the Founders Week celebration at the college every year for more than a decade. 
 

Mount Saint Mary College’s Center for Adolescent Research and Development (CARD) will present “The Butterfly Effect: Inspiring the Empathetic Leaders of Tomorrow” by guest speaker Ian Hockley on Oct. 12 at 7 p.m., a free event, in Hudson Hall, open to the public at 330 Powell Ave.  

Hockley is co-founder and executive director of Dylan’s Wings of Change, an organization dedicated to his son’s memory with a mission to inspire empathy, courage and hope. During his talk, Hockley will look at several issues of youth development: social isolation, worsening behavioral standards and the need for adults to foster important core values.  

Today, much of youth development occurs outside the home: at school, during recreational and social activities and through social media interactions. These environments inherently contain the risk of significant negative influences. Hockley will speak about the power of empathetic leadership and the implications seen in youth development. The Mount Saint Mary College Center for Adolescent Research and Development (CARD) is a clearinghouse for research initiatives. These include the psychological, social, cultural, educational and health-related issues endemic to contemporary adolescents and young adults. For more information, visit msmc.edu.  
 
Deacon Jack Seymour Food Pantry Hours: Friday, 9 a.m. - 12 Noon; Saturday, 8:30 a.m. – 12 Noon at Sacred Heart School Gym, 240 So. Robinson Ave. In your goodness, please bring tuna or canned chicken to church next weekend to be distributed to the less fortunate in our area.  If something is on sale and of good value, please feel free to donate that as well. If your child needs volunteer hours, the Food Pantry will coordinate service hours; however, you must pre-register with Curt Bourdage at (845) 863-6504. 

 As always, I close with my prayers for God’s blessings on your heads, my dears.