Murrell holds county gavel, promising ‘stable’ taxes

By Doug La Rocque

For Capital Region Independent Media

COXSACKIE — There were more than a few moist eyes and tears shed at the inaugural TOP 5IVE Community Changemakers Awards Ceremony at The Wire in Coxsackie on Friday evening, March 31.

The event was the brainchild of Capital Region Independent Media (CRIM) Publisher Warren Dews Jr., whose idea was to have the Southern Albany, Greene and Columbia county communities nominate people or businesses that have helped bring about a positive change in their community, uplift the spirits of those around them and generally make the lives of the people they touch happier and more productive.

It was an idea that was very well received and the communities responded with great nominees.

Initially, four categories were identified with five winners for each. According to Dews, these categories will change each year. For 2023, area youth, black/indigenous people of color (BIPOC), women and businesses were selected.

The winners were profiled in the Ravena News-Herald, The Columbia Paper, Greenville Pioneer and online at TheUpStater.com. Those selected joined with the event’s sponsors and CRIM personnel to receive their awards at a gala banquet at The Wire in downtown Coxsackie.

“I was actually holding back tears all night because being in the room with these amazing people really touched my heart,” Dews Jr. said.

Here are the award winners in each category:

YOUTH:

• Fathima Chowdhury – The junior at Hudson High School is a member of the National Honor Society, student council and president of the school’s Multicultural Club. While accepting her award, Chowdhury said it’s humbling to be recognized for all the efforts she put forth in her school and community. “I am so proud to represent Hudson and its youth,” she said.
• Alivia Ortiz — A junior at RCS High School, she excels in sports and the arts. Ortiz said she is proud to be honored but felt “it is important to recognize all in the RCS community who put forth so much each day.”
• Hunter Smigel — The Greenville High School senior is very active in Future Farmers of America (FFA) programs and is the student representative to the school board. Smigel perhaps summed up what many were thinking when he said, “It’s awesome to see an event like this that brings the community together.”
• Lanija Williams — The RCS junior has a special interest in art and working with children. She is a recent recipient of a national arts award from Howard University and credits her community and school “for helping me do a lot more than I thought I could do.” Williams is also a strong advocate for diversity in her community.
• Olivia Ruso — The Greenville High School senior is involved in sports, theater and community service. She hosts a Spartanville Spotlight show helping to keep her classmates apprised of what is going on in their school.

BIPOC:

• Claire Cousin — The executive director of the Hudson/Catskill Housing Coalition said succinctly, “I love my community and I love to be of service to it.”
• Vern Cross — The host of a popular radio show shining a light on topics as suicide, mental health and many others, Cross talked about the “all-hands-on deck” approach to helping the community deal with the important problems they face today.
• Mayor Kamal Johnson — Johnsonis the first African-American mayor of Hudson, elected in 2019 and re-elected in 2021. Noting the award is not about him but all of those in the city, he further stated he is “inspired by our youth and looks forward to their amazing accomplishments.”
• Elena Mosley — The Claverack resident is the founding member of Operation Unite New York in Hudson, whose mission is to produce well-rounded progressive youth. Mosley said she has found a calling in working with youth and families and urged all to “do good and have fun.”
• Pastor Victor Harris — The director of the Albany Adult & Teen Challenge in Ravena works to help those “suffering from the scourge of addiction” through a faith-based program. He wanted to “thank God for his sovereign goodness” for their success.

WOMEN:

• Dr. Elizabeth Boomhower — Raised in Greenville, Dr. Boomhower returned to her hometown following completion of her chiropractic education to open her own care and wellness practice.
• Tina Dipper — The Hudson resident is the executive director of the Perfect Ten Afterschool Program for girls in the city that includes yoga, horseback riding, outdoor nature classes and more. While accepting her award, Dipper said, “It warms my heart to see people take time to honor those who do such great work for their community.”
• Rebecca Flach — Flach currently holds leadership positions in three not-for-profit organizations in the RCS area and says she “is so thankful for all who put forth so much for the community.”
• Marilyn Peters Houghtaling — Houghtaling isactive in many programs in the RCS community, particularly Pop Warner football, and said she “is really proud of their youth programs” and urged all to “keep doing what you are doing because it’s really amazing.”
• Jennifer Moore-Warren — The Coxsackie native is involved in many aspects of her community, particularly firefighting and EMS. “I was raised to be a quiet servant. You see what you have to do and just go do it.”

BUSINESS:

• Columbia County Habitat for Humanity — The organization rehabilitates and builds homes for low-income families. Executive Director Al Bellenchia said, “We have an aggressive building plan over the next two years.”
• Plaza Diner – A staple in the Hudson area, the restaurant offers a diverse cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Manager Ally Alesi said their customers are like family and whenever we can, “We are proud to give back to our community.”
• Ravena Shop ‘n’ Save – Manager Kyle Smith was humble in accepting the award. He said, “We have so many fantastic employees working at the store. They are the ones who deserve the honor.”
• TCI of New York – Born 60 some years ago in Coeymans, the firm offers a one-stop management solution for the recycling, disposal and repair of transformers and other oil-filled electrical equipment. Company representatives told those at the gala “we are so privileged to be part of this community.”
• Unbridled Thoroughbred Foundation – The 30-acre facility in Westerlo is an advocacy and rescue organization. Founder Susan Kayne said, “We have had the privilege of rescuing hundreds of horses and saving them from the slaughter pipeline.”

At the conclusion of the evening’s festivities, CRIM President Mark Vinciquerra said “It was our pleasure to host this inaugural event, which brought together 20 unbelievably deserving honorees from our publication’s area. We look forward to continuing to host and modify this event in the future.”

The gala was catered by the Firehouse Café & Bistro of Adams, Massachusetts, with the Bronte Roman Jazz and Pop band providing the music. The primary sponsors of the festivities included Shop ‘n’ Save, Lafarge Holcim and TCI of New York.

Dews said organizing and hosting the event honoring local leaders and changemakers was a rewarding experience.

“Bringing people together through the pages of our newspapers (print and digital) and in person is what I LOVE about my job,” Dews said.

Check out a photo gallery from Friday’s event at https://theupstater.com/2023-top-5/

Here are more photos from Friday’s event: