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Newburgh Quadricentennial appreciation

In appreciation for all who took part in the recent River Day and seriously contributed to the Hudson River Quadricentennial and Newburgh’s Tricentennial, please include the following note of gratitude.

First, we would like to thank all of the “Young Palettes,” our student artists of public and nonpublic schools in the enlarged Newburgh area, who researched the Hudson River in order to create an artistic work connecting to the past, present or future of the Hudson River and its environment. The teachers who supported Trestle, Inc.’s Quadricentennial project, “Young Palettes Envision the Hudson,” have generously given of their time and talents to guide and support their students. Over 250 amazing artistic renditions have been created with contributions from students in Kindergarten through ninth grade with the passion, enthusiasm, guidance and talent of the following project teachers and their schools: Patti Moresco and Matt Scully, GAMS; Jamie Taylor and Rachel Weidkam, Gardnertown; Liza Mills and Elizabeth Cappello, THA; Katherine Gabriele-Jones, NJH; Melanie Fescoe, Sr. Eleanor Joyce and Kristy Matesic, Nora Cronin Presentation Academy. We thank them as well as the ongoing direction and support from Dr. Saturnelli, Superintendent, Marsha Sobel and Russ Agostaro, Assistant Superintendents, Theresa Brown, Pat Reilly and Peg Burpee, Directors, and the Principals of those representative schools in the Newburgh Enlarged City School District, as well as Sister Ilyana, Founder, Director and Principal of Nora Cronin Presentation Academy.

We thank the Newburgh Free Library for opening their space on May 29th for the “Young Palettes Envision the Hudson” art display, which will continue in the main lobby until the 12th of June for public enjoyment! The opening reception on June 3rd was well attended with pride, smiles and interest by the families and friends of these student artists. The question which continued to be asked, “so, tell me about your piece,” only added to the young artists’ experience. When the Trestle Board explained to the families that their child’s piece of art, attached with their child’s name, will become part of the history of Newburgh and New York State, as part of the Quadricentennial, archived and captured for all of time, they beamed with an even brighter intensity! We thank Chuck Thomas, from the library, and Trestle, Inc. for providing the refreshments. We thank Liza Mills and Liz Cappello from THA, Jamie Taylor and Rachel Weidkam from GAMS for taking their personal time to set up the lobby in such a beautiful array of splendor with their “Young Palettes” pieces of art!

We thank Mr. Carl Aiello and family for allowing the photographic works of Mr. Ralph Aiello to be displayed at St. Mary’s Church during this time of Newburgh’s 300th birthday and the 400th birthday of the Hudson River. These thematic displays will change each week, from River Day on June 7th through the month of June.

And last but not least, we thank Mr. Eric Meah, Mr. Ted Coughlin, and the Youth Group of St. Mary for creating a replica of the Half Moon that decorated St. Mary’s Memorial Day Float for this year’s Memorial Day Parade in the City of Newburgh. The vision, passion and endurance of building a wooden boat became a reality when the sails hung on the mast, and the NYS Quadricentennial flag led us down Broadway, on May 25. We thank Benjamin DeMagistris, Newburgh Construction for donating the lumber; we thank those who added embellishments on the Half Moon, for the youth in neighborhood who helped to create the patriotic palettes and brushes, for THA Art Teachr Liza Mills, her son, Eli, and the Young Palettes and their families who joined St. Mary’s and Trestle, Inc.’s members on the float and in the parade. The “Young Palettes Envision the Hudson” Quadricentennial Project is dedicated to Mr. Michael Settino, past Vice-President of Trestle, Inc. who died this past December, 2008. For all this hard work, we will remember Mr. Michael Settino.

Sincerely yours, with a heart full of gratitude,

Reverend William A. Scafidi
Pastor of St. Mary’s
President of Trestle, Inc.
(June 27)

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