PORT JERVIS – When lifelong resident Jacqueline Dennison was sworn in as a Fourth Ward Councilwoman in Port Jervis on January 1, she quietly made history by becoming the first person of color ever elected to the city’s common council.
Dennison, who turned 64 on January 21, was born and raised in Port Jervis. She says she is very proud to have been elected to serve on the common council of her hometown, and to be a ‘first’. Yet she also feels there is no need for any special attention to race, religion, or other personal factors as she and others serve their city.
“No. Just, no,” she said.
Dennison said she is of course proud of this distinction but suspects the reason it took until 2023 to elect a person of color to the council is a simple one.
“My best guess is that none ran,” she said. “It’s a guess, because I really don’t know.”
Dennison hopes at some point Port Jervis will also elect a first female mayor. While there have been female mayoral candidates in the past, none has yet been elected. This is a fact Dennison feels is destined to change.
“There are female mayors and governors across the county,” Dennison noted. “Port Jervis will eventually elect its first woman as mayor.”
Dennison, born to Edward P. and Nellie L. Keys at Sunnyside Hospital, Port Jervis, grew up in a large, close family. She has six brothers and one sister; numerous cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews, two sons and a daughter of her own, and 10 grandchildren.
What she enjoys most when she’s not working at her teaching assistant position with Middletown School District is being with her grandchildren, dancing, doing puzzles and coloring, and she considers herself a ‘sports nut.’ She is currently looking forward to the new experiences being a councilwoman will bring.
“What I want to accomplish most is trust. Trust that I’ll listen to the citizens of the city. That I will provide answers to their questions or problems,” she said.
The flow of illegal drugs and absent/slum landlords are a focus of hers, and she is glad to be on committees that can help.
“I am fortunate that the committees I wanted to be a part of, I am. Those committees being CDA, Police, and Codes,” she said.
She also sees some of the biggest challenges for Port Jervis and its citizens to be reliable transportation to shop or get to health-related appointments, both in and out of town, and affordable housing.
“Affordable does not always translate into safe or suitable,” she noted.
Dennison is looking forward to the days and months ahead, and to tackling issues of importance in her hometown.
“Port Jervis is home. It’s teaming with history. It’s blessed with natural beauty. The people here know one another, and always step up to support or help each other. There really is no place like it,” she said.
“I don’t intend to waste this opportunity to be my absolute best for myself, my family and for those that live in the City of Port Jervis.”
