TheBreez – Vote and stuff!

Quote of the Day

“I dissent.” — The cutest, most lawful, most feminist, and most notorious Halloween costumes, you may have missed this Halloween. (Also, hard not to vote tomorrow with the mental image of these adorable RBG’s shaking their heads in disappointment.)

“Take me, Spanish Caravan”

The Story

Thousands of migrants make their way through Central America and are nearing the United States.

New? Or used Caravan?

Although some of us haven’t heard of a migrant caravan before late this summer, every year migrants make the trek to the United States seeking asylum. And though you may have heard of the caravan only recently, it has been in the news since April, as part of an ongoing wave of migrants, although it hasn’t hit the same pages in the papers as politics until the past couple months.

Caravan response…

Back in April, Trump vowed to meet the migrants with a militaristic response. That has only grown, since then. Now Trump plans to deploy troops in numbers that out-proportion that of the troops in Afghanistan. The number grew from just under one thousand, to over 5,000, and now about 15,000 to assist Border Patrol and other U.S. agents. The President clarified Friday that the military “won’t have to fire” on travelers. (The fact that citizens even had to be concerned about that tho…)

USMCA, Caravan, and afta NAFTA…

Back in October, Trump renegotiated NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement, and announced the successful re-agreement between the United States, Mexico, and Canada, the USMCA. Last week, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R -SC) warned Mexico: turn the caravan around or the US will pull this agreement over. This was another economic threat, to follow up those from the President.

Reception of the caravan…

While some smaller groups have made it to the border, the immigration debate has flared up (just in time for midterm elections, what a surprise!), and the ignorance has flared up as well: starting with, well, a caravan of alternative facts. The worst may be when journalists get it wrong, and let’s say, call the caravan a “ragtag army of the poor” (shame on you AP). Trump fanned the flames, claiming that most of the migrants were “hardened criminals” but really they’re mostly women and girls, and children and babies, traveling in such a large group for their own protection. For Democrats, the question of the caravan is pretty straight-forward and a lot simpler to answer than subjects such as ICE, to shrink or to abolish? Or the White House-led debate on crime. Or how exactly to win in the healthcare department.

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Shepard Smith (on Fox, no less!) said that the caravan wasn’t a big deal, and was only being blown out of proportion to fire up the Republican base for the midterms. (Basically!) For more info, here’s a link to PolitiFact. Now go out there and vote tomorrow if you haven’t already!

Caught in TheBreez

And in local news…

In a recent poll conducted on Nextdoor, the top issues affecting the local community include the following topics that may lead to future investigations:

1. Rising housing costs (residents say: thanks pot)

2. Municipal broadband

3. Crime rates and justice:

1. Car Break-ins

2. Porch pirating (when people steal your fresh swag from Amazon right off your stoop)

3. Front-yard Thievery and Destruction

4. Neighborhood Watch program revitalization

Colorado tho…

Colorado has a referendum that’s catching eyes on the ballot for tomorrow: slavery. Yeah, you read that right. Two years ago, Coloradans failed to repeal the Constitutional amendment allowing for slavery in the prison system. Tomorrow, Coloradans may actually vindicate themselves. Fingers crossed and all, but this isn’t solely a CO issue; this is a national problem inherent in the interpretation, by some, of the 13th Amendment of the United States’ Bill of Rights.

Speaking of voting…

Get all the deets on the midterms from PBS, RealClearPolitics, and FiveThirtyEight. Whether you’re from New York, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Arkansas, Florida, or one of the other 31 states engaged in gubernatorial elections, you can find a fun interactive map of all the action here, but don’t forget to Vote Smart no matter what the race is. There’s a lot at stake and 435 House seats to fill. Have fuUun!

Back to prison…

VICE released a new docu-series following the criminal justice system’s biggest issue. One which has over 100,000 individuals wrongly convicted. The series is called “Innocence Ignored.” (Another thought on the justice system: could the legal/judicial system be overhauled by artificial intelligence?)

#MeToo

Since late last year, the #MeToo Movement has been on fire. From actors to Supreme Court Justices, the movement now has a new target in its sights: unfair practices from large corporations regarding sexual harassment. Looking at you Google!

What’s transpired…

Here’s the wrap in recent transgender news: after Trump came for the community, attempting to define it out of the UN’s Human Rights protections, universities, over 1600 scientists, about 60 corporations, and activists, all had something to say: no you don’t. The struggle continues in states across the U.S. this midterm, however, such as Massachusetts. If you find yourself on Netflix looking for a documentary to educate yourself further about the community, give Katie Couric’s Gender Revolution a gander.

Okay, the obligatory Trump wrap up…

1. Some may not believe that Trump has always been so hard on trans people as he has been lately. Well, here’s some reading on that, because he has.

2. Speaking of his actions… here are his Presidential Actions and bills signed into law in the first 500 days. Or even better, a timeline of everything he’s done thus far. And a look at how much effect he really has had on the economy (Obama would disagree)

3. Since taking office 28 staff members of the White House have left or plan to leave by the end of the year. Here’s more about what Trump has done to fill vacancies.

And in news, that won’t make you want to tear your hair out… unless you’re a fan of anyone but.

The Red Sox. They won the World Series, for the fourth time this century! Boston was abuzz with excitement, celebrating with a parade, after totaling nine wins overall since 1903. Not a baseball fan? Well, how about them trades in football, eh?

Don’t forget, your weekly dose of science…

Science isn’t sexy? Tell that to these photos! Ow ow! Still no? You actually like politics more? (Really!?) Well, you’re in luck.

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“If you’re good at something, never do it for free.” — The Joker (Heath Ledger). The Dark Knight (2008).

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Port: The City Still Wearing the Derby

PORT JERVIS, N.Y. — On a chilly Monday evening, as cold wind found scarce passage through the council chamber’s windows, the meeting began.

The building’s heating, whether being either not up-to-date or simply with a thermostat in the wrong person’s office, did little to make it any better.

Kristin Trovei, one of the Third Ward’s councilpeople, pulled a coat over her arms, “a Maria [Mann].”

This, the public was informed, is the room now slated to be the polling location for the Second Ward. The, perhaps only, upside to this is that because Port Jervis will not be able to recycle sooner than hoped,  continued global warming could make November, hopefully a small fraction closer to melting people all over the ballot.

Since the last Common Council meeting Mayor Kelly Decker received a single piece of correspondence from the office of the governor of the state of New York, Andrew Cuomo.

The subject  was presumptive release.

The high school teacher and former police officer, following Regis Foster’s report on last month’s Police Department statistics, spoke very grimly of the policy’s effect on the drug war at home, combating Representative Sean Patrick Maloney’s opioid epidemic.

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“228 tickets….16 simple assaults.”

Regis Foster

For Mayor Decker, the focus is  where I left off last:
the Soap Box Derby.

Well, of course, the wooden cars used to go “thirty miles an hour” down Sussex Street!

The grade of the hill at Church Street with other changes They’re down to 24-5 miles an our with a hill which has a gradient of only

Port

Home of the World’s Largest Soap Box Derby.

Jervis

Coincidentally, the separate entity presented plans.

The vision for the future of the Derby was read to the council and public by mother and Derby-er, Tanya Addy, whose proposal included a summary of a new schedule and the expectations of a welcoming community on Church Street rather than its home, for the past eighteen years, on Sussex Street’s hill.

The new hill is designed to cut costs, make the event easier for everyone and help busy families in a fun way.

Stanley Siegel, Fourth Ward’s Councilperson commented that the adjacent hill, Seward Street, was a mid-50’s “sleigh riding” joy created by community.

Councilperson for the Third Ward and Recreation Committee liaison to the Common Council, Gina Fitzpatrick, stated that the presentation was not initially made to the Recreation Committee for any sort of city assistance although the Derby will be aided by DPW, the Department of Public Works. Vehicles included to be made clear.

 

Losing Books is Why I’m Choosing Scribd

I love reading. One of my favorite things to do, is read several books on a subject, all at once, and take notes on their overlap and relativity. My goal with my reading like this, is something I picked up by going to college.

You’d go to class, and be expected to have read 30 pages out of five books, on one or two subjects, per class. That’s what I’m doing now. I’m building my own classes.

I start by researching the different classes in a study that I want to learn. For instance, I’m currently studying the same classes you can find syllabi online for in journalism. This means, I’m replicating assignments from home, and reading all the same books.

This also means that in between jobs, I have at one time, at least a single book on me. Here is where the title of this article comes in. I lost a book the other day.

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The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved the book. It’s amazing how informative novels can be. Especially on a psychological level.

I didn’t reeeeally finish the book. I lost it… But I got passed all the parts, I think, that I had wanted, and set out, to read.

I aspire to be a journalist. So I definitely add this to that shelf. A great a starter for a young self-taught journo and citizen journalists everywhere.

View all my reviews

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The book was an intro to journalism and the newsroom novel. It kicked butt for how much of an easy read it was, it’s subject matter of course, the vocabulary, the characters, the smaller stories, and the way each perspective was linked together. It was a beautiful book while I had it.

Well, somewhere between having a shit day, and reading, I lost my book. I put it down. Someone recognized  for all of its glory. Whatever. The point is this: I cried.

Those tearsmeant a lot to me. I was at the end of the book. The final pages were within sight.

While,it would be tragic to lose all of my books at once, perhaps there’s something good in a Kindle Fire or something. I don’t know yet, because I’ve never tried it. Well, that time has come.

I’m going to dip my toes into e-reading. Especially as someone that’s looking at publishing an e-book or two, I figure, it’s about time that I know what the market is like.

I’m starting simple however. I’m enrolling for Scribd, and starting with Audiobooks. I’m going to finish off the hard copies in my stack of books, and then I’m going to see how many of those journalism class books I can find on there, and hopefully for free.

Stay tuned for updates!
Do you use an e-reader or Scribd? Tell me about your experience!

#MeToo

#MeToo is about to have its own section in the news portion of my website. The occurencesare far too often, and the relevance this has on myself and readers is far too great to more or less relegate it to a US & Global category. Stay tuned to see how that turns out, also there may be personal stories or graphic content: Trigger Warning.

2018’s Port Jervis Women’s March

PORT JERVIS, N.Y.  — Yesterday, Saturday, Jan. 20, over 200 individuals came in respects to sister marches happening across the state, and around the nation, in solidarity with disempowered women and especially those most at-risk with the current Presidential Administration.

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“Ignite people into action.”

Patty Baughman

At the St Peter’s Lutheran Church in Port Jervis an estimated 250 individuals gathered for the first anniversary of the March. Last year, in sheer protest of President Trump’s inauguration, 800 demonstrators, according to organizer Patty Baughsman, packed the streets for the 1.5-mile march through Port Jervis. This year, in respect to those less able to make the hike, the March route was cut short to a tenth of a mile, with handfuls staying behind at the Church.

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Get another idea of what it was like here.

Here you’ll find the top five greatest signs at Port’s Women’s March.

First organized, last year, as the brain-baby of her friend, Gaye Hartwig, the March was pulled together by Baughman a week before the event.

In addition to suggesting the work of Sojourners, a faith and political organization in Washington, D.C., when asked what Hartwig would hope people took away from what she had to say Saturday, she answered that it could be summed up by verse:

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

Matthew 25:40, New International Version

A half-dozen women spoke across several topics all including the importance of getting involved, supporting those that are marginalized, and of course, getting out the vote. Pastor Aaron Baughman closed the preceding speeches before the event-goers moved to the street to demonstrate and protest.

The women who spoke ranged from members of the Church and the community to local activists and politicians. After Patty Baughman opened the floor this was the lineup:

• Gaye Hartwig
• Aileen Gunther — New York Assemblywoman  D-Forestburgh (keynote speaker)
• Melissa Martin — full-time mother and community activist
  
• Pramilla Malick — Protect Orange County Chair, and a recent candidate for office
  
• Julika von Stackelberg — Cornell Cooperative Extension Orange County, Parenting and Family Life Educator
• Michele McKeon — RECAP, Chief Operating Officer

Audio samples, so that you can be there without being there, and transcriptions, for continued discussion, forthcoming.

An Ending Note here:

It was interesting to see many women, children, and men (sadly no doggos tho) wearing pink, eared hats. The Pussyhat (like “pussycat”) as a number of ralliers had relayed, including member of the local activist group DemBones, Linda Louise, that the hat was a response to “grab them by the pussy,” a statement made by Donald Trump as “locker room talk” prior to the 2016 Presidential race.  However, this topic was avoided in the recent Times Herald-Record article about the event, avoiding the controversy of the word. Louise commented that the hat is to fight back against the misogyny of Trump, and not to perpetuate transmisogyny as someone she follows on Twitter, Tamela J Gordon, believes.

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This post is in addition to Silence and Strategy, the Weekly Photo Challenge by the Daily Post, as well as their Daily Prompt, respectively.

 

 

 

Port: 2018’s First Common Council Meeting

 PORT JERVIS, N.Y.— Monday evening at 7:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers of City Hall at 20 Hammond St, regular Common Council meeting hours began again for the new year.

A familiar face returned: Dominick Santini IV. The Port Jervis Republican who ran in 2017 for the First Ward replaced the city’s resigned predecessor, Sarah Hendry whose comments on leaving can be found here.

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“I too would like to welcome my new partner in crime.” 

Regis Foster

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Save-a-Lot and nail salon are both coming
to the strip mall by Burger King and Rite Aid,
by Mar. 31 of this year.

Kelly Decker

After the youth report, a short discussion about dog parks in the city, the “Great American” building’s progress report and the Christkindlmarket discourse between Mayor Kelly Decker and a resident, public comment concluded with a reading of a seven-minute open letter to the city, elected officials, and most of all, the Fourth Ward.

2017 Fourth Ward candidate for Common Council and local activist Jill Lindner read the letter during her time at the podium for public comment. In her piece, she outlined the benefits and importance of a community-owned garden that not only revitalizes the aesthetic of a neighborhood but would educate and feed neighbors, making an area taken off the tax rolls worthwhile in doing so. You can read the full letter here, courtesy of Ms. Lindner and BriennaParsons.com.

What can’t be read in Lindner’s letter, yet she spoke of at the meeting, was that residents of the Fourth Ward who she had spoken to about the idea, were in support of not allowing the Salvation Army to simply purchase the plot and remove it from the tax rolls. Lindner also said that the North Street community garden in the Fourth Ward, that Siegel had suggested later in the meeting was slated for clearing, to make room for the Waterpark Project, and that the garden idea had been receiving a negative spin from the representative since her meeting with Decker and Lisa Randazzo, urging her to consider the Front and Seward cross street corner property which is planned to be demolished.

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“Not sure that site would be in the best interest of anybody.”

Stanley Siegel

Following the outset of the meeting with public comment, minutes were approved and the council jumped right into committee reports. Beginning with Siegel and following to pay the bills ($296,913.29) with the Third Ward’s very own Finance and Insurance Liaison, Kristin Trovei concluding with numerous. resolutions of gov housekeeping.

1. Designating Officers
2. Newspapers, Radio & Television — The Times Herald-Record is where official documents will be publicly published.
3. Banking and Depositories
   
4. Standard Workday and Reporting for Retirement Benefits
   
5. Dual Signature Requirement for Disbursements
   
6. Community Development Agency Shared Service

Full resolution documents or details
should be made available through the city website.

Of notable news, Christmas tree pickup is continuing, parking is still blocked from streets until Apr. 1, as well as the Department of Public Works pickup calendar — should similarly be made available through the city website. Additionally approved during the report by George Belcher, councilman for the Second Ward, were the project resolutions for the bridge over the Neversink River and roadway to the city line. A multi-million-dollar cross-funded project to re-engineer the highly trafficked street.

Regis Foster, a councilman for the First Ward, reported for the Police Committee and rattled off several impressive policing statistics.

Mayor Decker moreover updated the council on an upcoming Deerpark-Port Jervis Annexation meeting. “The old Dick’s Concrete” location is to be annexed by the city. This meeting will certainly be covered by this journalist. 

The State of the City Address
is set to be held
in the Council Chambers,
January 24

 

Afterword a section called old business was held, in it, many condolences were expressed to Councilman-at-Large, David Bavoso. His family is in a period of bereavement. Many “well wishes” came from roughly everyone.

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Port Jervis is “a community
and there’s always something to rally around.”

David Bavoso

Besides in old business, Fourth Ward Common Council representative Stanley Siegel, regarding the award ceremony for the Patriot Pen, Voice of Democracy contest at the VFW Naval Ship said that it was “really great,” with youth speaking about democracy, “to listen to their vision of America.” Port Jervis not only has been hosting the event since 1970 but the venue is the only one like it in the country confirmed by Decker and Siegel.

Siegel ended his OB segment with a note on local activism. On Saturday, “two dozen” people met to protest for an accessible train station, with Siegel calling on Senator Chuck Schumer directly to no avail. He also had a note an upcoming taxpayer’s group with details coming in the following days, and an update on the warming station which needs volunteers and supplies.

—
This journalist is also a recognized Voice of Democracy, receiving commemoration for her Patriot Pen January 17, 2010.

Fun Fact About the Author

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Document Request or Tip?

2 Women Dead in Warwick Car Accident

Police say four people were inside the car when it rolled over into a yard. The two women were pronounced dead at the scene, while the two men were taken to area hospitals.

via Two Women Dead After Crash In Orange County, New York — CBS New York

The Breez – Jan. 4, 2018 – #10: Happy New Year!

Quote of the Day

“I will be announcing THE MOST DISHONEST & CORRUPT MEDIA AWARDS OF THE YEAR on Monday at 5:00 o’clock.” — President Donald Trump on Twitter, Tuesday. “Stay Tuned!”

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Happy New Year!

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Preface

We’ve been gone a while, for the holidays, we missed you, and we’re glad to be back! Now that we’ve gotten all the celebration out of us, let’s get down to business: a lot is slipping by us. We really did miss our readers, so please enjoy: a triple threat!

The Story

ICYMI: Net Neutrality was repealed Dec. 14, last year, forcing states to clamor for their own version of the protection, which in New York, is of little importance to anyone but Ars Technica. What matters is the utter vitriol that causes the man-behind-the-plan to recoil from such events as the Consumer Electronics Show  in five days, where he was slated to speak and entertain open discussion “SuperSession”. Republican Federal Communications Commission chairman Ajit Pai practiced the party-politic and aimed to remove the overreach of federal government, returning the question to the states.

Andrew Cuomo,

The governor of New York State isn’t focusing on Internet freedom though, he’s with New Yorkers and digging his soles into the mud on this one. Cuomo misheard, but rather well. While we were calling his attention to taxation malfeasance, we had two completely different notions.

Pigs at the trough…

“The first federal double taxation in history, violative of states’ rights and the principle of equal protection.” – Cuomo

The new tax law as Cuomo put it would be like welfare to the Republican states where the cuts will likely be heaviest effectively treating “New York and California as piggy banks.” While it may only be pandering, it has a lot of truth to it. Especially in Port Jervis, taxpayers are treated as piggy banks year–after–year.

Silent Night

As a $15.7 million budget passed six to three, five councilmembers who were in support of their constituents, turned into only three that wouldn’t use them as piggy banks. Regarding the vote, and previous meetings, two councilpeople spoke about a feeling that they shared: rendered silent, as if being railroaded. Where are you Cuomo?

theBreez

Taxpayers look and see that working in public service earns you a raise every fiscal year and wish that their wages didn’t stagnate, and their quality of life didn’t teeter on imbalance. With double taxation, fees, and more double taxes, Port Jervians certainly pay more than only the $1.14 tax hike that City Clerk-Treasurer Robin Waizenegger based on an assessed home market value of just under an eighth of $1 million and certainly nowhere near the average for a city that has greater than an eighth of its population in poverty. Happy New Year.

(also I wonder which eighth of Port Jervis that could be….)

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Bombogenesis

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The Story

The word sounds pretty crazy. As it should! The term is meteorological, and it evokes a particular image: a bomb.

In detail…

We’re all familiar with the explosive, in at least a cartoon-sense, so when put in front of the root of this term, -genesis, we can figure a bomb that starts somewhere. To meteorologists, this image is more readily available.

Those studying weather look at pressure in lows and highs. Every pressure “system” they watch and gauge are seen in cyclonic parts. A bombogenesis is no different.

The bomb- part of the word refers to the “explosive development,” or radical change of a particular pressure system. Low-pressure systems that are outside of the tropical climate, or “extratropical.”

What’s happening?

The “explosive cyclogenesis,” or bombogenesis, is moving as a cyclone, a particular weather pattern. In the United States, we’re most concerned because it’s rank with climate change evidence. Snow is falling as far into the tropics as Florida.

theBreez

Florida has snow?! Not only that, but the entire Deep South is in deep trouble as records are made in the below-freezing temperatures.  Luckily for them, I’ll be posting a broke-girl dunkaccino recipe in the coming days — stay warm!

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The Peanut Gallery

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The Story

Essence, not for you? “Bright” wasn’t too great? And don’t scare easy? Well, here’s something interesting to talk about as you get stoned with the guys building Mike Tyson’s new weed ranch (HnY Calif.): who’s better hung?

Bad Blood

After having broken up with boyfriend, Steve Bannon, President Donald Trump is moving on. That’s correct bih, he’s redirecting harder than Paul Manafort right now. Trump is throwing out everything that reminds him of their time together.  

The Long Game

Ever since he heard the news, President Trump has incorporated McDonald’s every where possible, even brunch, claiming that he eats so much out of fear of being poisoned. He’s stocking up, having planned ahead for this very moment: the Long Game. This event is characterized, and depicted, by the words Trump chooses to share with North Korean despot Kim Jong-un, pushing buttons of all kinds, even the fries.