Author Archives: Heather Yakin

Heather Yakin

Welcome to The Middletown Report.
The Middletown Report will endeavor to feature snippets of news from the city, some of which won’t make the print edition, and some of which will be additional information.
If have a Middletown tip or a suggestion, please contact Middletown reporter Heather Yakin via e-mail: hyakin@th-record.com

Mayor: Bad news on the financial front

By Heather Yakin | Published: March 11, 2010 | 0 Comments
Middletown has a million dollars less in its coffers than expected, and taxpayers will be feeling the brunt of this into the fall budget season, said Mayor Joe DeStefano. DeStefano attributed the budget discrepancy to a bookkeeping error during 2009. Essentially, he said, the city moved money from its debt service fund to the general fund [...]
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Masi tries to revoke aldermen’s insurance

By Heather Yakin | Published: February 24, 2010 | 0 Comments
First Ward Alderman Joe Masi tried to keep a campaign promise Monday night at the Common Council meeting. He sponsored a resolution to revoke the city’s practice of giving aldermen the option of either city-sponsored health insurance or a buyout of the policy — a perk that costs taxpayers roughly $71,000 in 2010, Masi said. “I hope [...]
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You (officially) have a new police chief

By Heather Yakin | Published: February 8, 2010 | 0 Comments
The Common Council Chamber was packed with a standing-room-only crowd as Mayor Joe DeStefano swore in new police Chief Ramon Bethencourt Monday night. Bethencourt then presented badges to three newly promoted lieutenants and three newly promoted sergeants The city’s police commission voted the promotion late Monday afternoon. Bethencourt, a senior lieutenant who has been acting chief since [...]
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Students donate for Haitian relief; teachers lose hair

By Heather Yakin | Published: February 5, 2010 | 0 Comments
The kids at Middletown schools collected $8,834.42 for the Red Cross Haitian relief effort. The Twin Towers Middle School kids collected more than $2,000 and as a reward, two of the teachers – Richard Brown and Mark Horler – agreed to shave their heads. Publicly. The event was held Friday in Twin’s auditorium, and the kids roared [...]
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Return of the Safe Yield Study: Common Council

By Heather Yakin | Published: January 25, 2010 | 0 Comments
Middletown’s Common Council tonight approved a proposal for professional services from Clark Patterson Lee — an engineering firm we’ve heard of before — to do an updated safe yield study on the city’s water supply, with a cost capped at $50,000. Voting for the measure were aldermen Joe Masi, Ashok Sabnis, Scott A. Smith, Bill Himaras, [...]
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Someone wants to save the Chorley School

By Heather Yakin | Published: January 22, 2010 | 0 Comments
The Preservation League of New York State has put Middletown’s own J.W. Chorley School on its list of “Seven to Save in 2010.” The League puts out its Seven to Save list annually, and the properties in question are often quite distinctive — this year’s other listings include the historic district in the hamlet of Renssalaerville, [...]
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Welcome back

By Heather Yakin | Published: January 4, 2010 | 0 Comments
Wow, it’s been a while since the blog’s been active. My apologies. Needed a little break after the election season. Tonight, of course, is the city’s annual reorganization meeting, and Joe DeStefano will be sworn in as Middletown’s mayor (again). J. Miguel Rodrigues will be sworn in as Common Council President. Your new aldermen will be [...]
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DeStefano, Kitson debate summary

By Heather Yakin | Published: October 21, 2009 | 0 Comments
Middletown mayoral candidates Joe DeStefano and Jim Kitson debated Wednesday afternoon at the Middletown Kiwanis club meeting at Southwinds. The Kiwanis debates are pretty friendly affairs, although they ask some pretty pointed questions. The format was this: Opening statements; rebuttals; questions from the floor; and closing statements. Kitson won the coin flip – and opted to speak second [...]
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City budget fun, 2010 edition

By Heather Yakin | Published: October 8, 2009 | 0 Comments
MIDDLETOWN — Middletown’s preliminary budget proposal for 2010 is looking very scary for taxpayers. Right now, with only rudimentary cuts made to department-head requests, the mayor’s proposed budget shows a 23 percent spending increase over this year. “It’s only the very beginning,” Mayor Marlinda Duncanson said, and as the Board of Estimates and then the Common Council [...]
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A call for party unity

By Heather Yakin | Published: September 18, 2009 | 0 Comments
Having won a rather decisive victory in the Democratic mayoral primary, Joe DeStefano is calling for unity in the party. The current mayor, Marlinda Duncanson, remains on the general election ballot on the Working Families line, so it’ll still be a three-way race with Republican Jim Kitson come Nov. 3. “I think the number of voters in [...]
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