Port Jervis News...

Issue 41 — May 16, 2013
UpFront Hosts
PJHS Arts Show

PORT JERVIS — The Port Jervis Council for the Arts is sponsoring the PJHS student art show and sale at Upfront Exhibition Space on Saturday, May 18, from 6 to 9 p.m.

Port Jervis High School art teachers: Bess Moran (Art Curriculum Coordinator), Eleanor Horst, Ashley Kaufmann, and tech teachers: Kyle Hyziak ( Tech Coordinator) and Tracy West-Barnes, have inspired and challenged students to explore and create new forms of self-expressive art through a variety of mediums and techniques.

A variety of works include: ceramics, printmaking, drawing, painting, collage, mixed media, digital photography and 3-D design.

Collaboration between the art and tech department teachers, students, gallery artists and the community, plays an integral part for these emerging artists to share their creativity and experience showing their work in a gallery setting along with other gallery artists.

This important event, sponsored by the Port Jervis Council for the Arts, encourages students, teachers, gallery artists and the community to help support these young and talented artists by attending the opening show and sale.

Live entertainment will be provided by selected students from Port Jervis High School. Refreshments will also be served. The show will run for one week ending May 25.

Upfront Exhibition Space is located at 31 Jersey Avenue, in Port Jervis, and is open Thursdays through Sundays from noon to 5 p.m.

You can also view by appointment by calling 845 - 856-2727.

 

 
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Forged Oxycodone Prescriptions
Passed In Port Jervis Pharmacies
By Ken Baumel

PORT JERVIS — An alert pharmacist in Port Jervis flagged a suspicious drug prescription to the city Police Department last Friday, which led to the arrest of nine members of a suspected New York City-based drug ring working in Port Jervis, according to Police Chief William Worden.

Port Jervis City Police detectives reportedly found a pattern in which nine persons with New York City addresses had been coming to Port Jervis and presenting prescriptions for various quantities of 30-milligram tablets of oxycodone, a pain-killing drug.

Police and pharmacists determined that the prescriptions were forged on what appeared to be legitimate New York State prescription paper.

City police also determined that small groups of New York City residents were apparently coming to Port Jervis to fill prescriptions and then returning with the filled prescriptions to New York City.

Police are investigating the feasibility that the groups might have been recruited, were driven to Port Jervis, with each individual in the group having a forged prescription in his or her name.

Worden said that oxycodone is a highly addictive narcotic drug. It is a common street drug that is abused by people who want to get high.

The drug is highly marketable when recycled on the street, having a typical market value of $15 to $20 per tablet.

Port Jervis police arrested the following nine people suspected of using forged prescriptions.. for complete story, get this week's issue.

Voters Approve Purchase Of New Port Fire Truck
By Ken Baumel

PORT JERVIS — Three times since fall 2009, the city Fire Department drew losing hands as city residents nixed department referendum proposals to replace the city’s only ladder truck with a new one, but on Tuesday, residents finally gave the Department a winning hand, approving the referendum by a margin of 417 to 111.

City Fire Chief Jeff Rhoades said that the Maghogomock Hook and Ladder Fire Company will finally get their 22-year-old truck replaced with a new one.

Before the vote, the department established that the lowest of six bids for a new truck is $804,033, which is $65,000 less than the department’s estimate in 2012 and over $20,000 less than the referendum proposal in October 2010. Also, prior to January, the city retired several long-term debts so that it has more than enough money to cover the debt from the new truck without resorting to a tax increase.

Regarding the public vote of confidence, Rhoades said, “The public finally supported us. It was a long time coming. I guess the time was right.

“We did our homework and it paid off. It was a win-win situation. We got the city, the residents, fire department, and the Common Council the best deal.

“We’re relieved. The Department Truck Committee was there when they were counting the votes. After we found out, we sent out the news to everyone in the Department by pager.”

Mayor Russ Potter said that the cost of maintaining the current truck was getting unacceptably high because some parts are no longer being made. Some replacement parts have to be custom made. While waiting for parts to be made, the truck might be sidelined.

Potter said that on Monday, the council is scheduled to approve the (canvass of the) vote and approve the truck purchase.

Rhoades said, “With the council approval, we can order the truck. The company that’s building it told us that it would take about 300 days from the day they start building the truck for us to get delivery.

“So, we expect delivery about a year from now. We just hope our current truck holds up until then.”

 

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