POUGHKEEPSIE – The Catharine Street Community Center in Poughkeepsie held its 29th annual Martin Luther King Jr. breakfast at the Majed J. Nesheiwat Convention Center on Friday drawing hundreds of attendees.
Board President Betsy Kopstein Stuts’ welcome message said, in part, “We have come together to commemorate the values and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. We truly appreciate those of you are here not only to honor Martin Luther King Jr. but our amazing students, Destiny Purvis and Anthony Deyoe, and our community honorees Barbara Jeter-Jackson, Community Advocate, John O’Shea, Community Leader, and Mentor, and Stephen Saland, Legal Advisor and Public Advocate.”
The breakfast honored two high-schoolers, Anthony Deyoe, a senior at Stissing Mountain Junior/Senior High School in Pine Plains and Poughkeepsie High School Senior Destiny Purvis. Deyoe was honored for overcoming obstacles in his personal life to achieve many successes in high school including the mastering of the state English Common Core exam. Deyoe is planning to attend the Rochester Institute of Technology next year. Until then, the young man shares his math knowledge with students struggling in the subject. He also volunteers at the New Paltz Rehabilitation and Nursing Center as well as the local food pantry.
Purvis is considered to be a role model for her younger sister. The senior maintains above-average grades while pursuing a rigorous course schedule while also participating on the track team. The National Honor Society member volunteers with the Real Skills After School program, works part-time at a coffee shop and plans to attend the Laboratory Institute of Merchandise with plans for a career as a fashion stylist.
Dutchess County Legislator Barbara Jeter-Jackson, who has represented District 10 since 2002 was honored for her tireless dedication to the city of Poughkeepsie and Dutchess County. Ms. Jeter-Jackson has been credited with helping to revive a defunct CSCC in 1975 while serving as the Executive Secretary. The lawmaker’s commitment to the community includes serving on the City of Poughkeepsie School Board for 16 years and the Poughkeepsie City Council from 1994-2001. The lifelong Poughkeepsie resident currently serves on many boards including St. Simeon Senior Housing Corp., and Real Skills Network, Inc.
Poughkeepsie native John O’Shea and founder of Riverside Bank added the Catharine Street Center Community Honoree award to his well-deserved collection of hundreds of other recognitions from organizations such as Family Services Inc., Dutchess Community College, and the Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse. The decorated Navy veteran started his insurance career in Poughkeepsie when he joined Marshall & Sterling after his military service. He became Vice-president in 1970, President in 1980, and Chairman in 1999.
Former State Senator Stephen Saland or was recognized for his enduring work in the state legislature where he authored nearly 400 laws covering many areas including criminal justice, domestic violence, the creation of the Hudson River Valley Greenway and many others. His most notable vote was the deciding one cast that legalized same-sex marriage in New York in 2011.
The retired senator has been recognized and honored by a host of community organizations in his more than thirty-year career as an elected official. When asked if he missed being in office, he said “Today’s political climate is about being mean-spirited, it’s about name-calling, and it’s a very toxic environment. There’s a total lack of civility and I wouldn’t want to participate in that kind of environment.”
He called Dr. King “an exceptional and extraordinary man who truly preached a message of unity and equality and respect – a message of peace. You don’t find many of those qualities hovering around today, particularly in our political world. People should honor the legacy of Dr. King by embracing his message.”
Keynote speaker Dr. Edward Summers, the executive director of the Bronx Industry Council has ties to Poughkeepsie including having served on the board of the Catharine Street Center. Summers also spent years as a Presidential Fellow/Assistant to the President at Marist College where he obtained his BA in Political Science and Master of Public Administration. The keynote speaker also served as an adjunct professor at the Poughkeepsie college. Summers furthered his education by earning a Masters in Philosophy and a PhD in Public and Urban Policy from the New School.
The energetic address was, according to Summers, was designed to “focus on thinking about the Hudson River Valley as a beloved community and how, at an event that has been held for 29 years has transcended political lines, transcended industry sectors, and has brought the community together to celebrate the legacy of Dr. King.” Dr. Summers called Poughkeepsie a “role-model” for other communities and pointed out that between 1963 and 1968, Dr. King focused on a global community and global injustices and how communities can overcome these injustices.
