Kennedy reads a favorite scripture from the Bible before
taking the oath on it. Also sworn in was Harvey, center.
Judge Eddie Williams, right, did the honors.
NEWBURGH – Two months after surviving a two-way challenge to her political future, Democrat Judy Kennedy began her second term as Newburgh’s mayor.
She started with a “vision.”
“And that is that vision that has been holding me and pushing me forward because I see the greatness; I know that it’s there,” Kennedy said. “And we, as adults and leaders have to be the example for our youth. You can’t say ‘do as I say, not as I do’. Nobody follows that example.”
The inauguration ceremony was held in a packed auditorium at Excelsior Academy, in the Newburgh Free Academy North.
Kennedy didn’t miss the opportunity to address a large part of the audience.
“Our young people now have a positive, health, happy future to look forward to, and many of them are staying right here Newburgh and adding to the success of that city,” Kennedy said, speaking directly to the large contingent of students. “Newburgh had become the cool place to live in this Hudson Valley.”
Also taking the oath was new Councilman Torrance Harvey, who got down to specifics about his vision of what needs to be done.
“We’re going to continue to repave the roads. We’re going to continue to get buildings up to code. We’re going to continue to once again restore this city, this great historical American city back to its greatness.”
Harvey concluded by citing the wisdom of Martin Luther King Jr.
“He once said that ‘… our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that really matter’.”
