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Week 5

New Harbor might not be New York but that doesn’t mean it sleeps. Things are constantly changing, and it is important for public figures to keep their hand on the pulse of the city and the events that are shaping daily lives. In this week, you’ll find The New Harbor Gazette among the hot spots. Take a moment to read the stories in the featured publication and then explore other areas of the city to see what people are saying. Do these events bring out any policy changes that you’d like to see made?

The New Harbor Gazette

New Polling Data Reveals Davenport Gets Boost from Peacetree

Independent Candidate Mary Davenport may now be seeing the benefits of her endorsement last week by the environmental group Peacetree. According to a new ABS/Gazette poll, Davenport is favored by 30% of the electorate. Democratic challenger Alec Coppel leads with 32%, and Mayor Samuel Taylor holds 27% of the electorate. 11% of voters remain undecided.

Davenport is up five percentage points from the same time last week, prior to the Peacetree endorsement and Taylor’s announcement of the next city budget.

According to Davenport, “These are poll numbers; they never tell the whole story. If support is building for our campaign, that is wonderful news, but it will be nice to see all this campaigning end and the real work of governing begin.”

Philanthropist Robin Walker donates funds to rid the harbor of mussels

Robin Walker of Robin Walker Enterprises wants to see an end to the Zebra Mussel problem in New Harbor. According to Walker, “These creatures are pests and they are wreaking havoc on our manufacturing plants, on our water treatment facilities, on some of our most pristine waterfront coastline and residences.”

Walker said he will give $15 million dollars to the city and the next city mayor if he or she will help implement a mussel clean-up plan devised by Walker and Airhart Plumbing and Filtration Systems Inc. The plan calls for the use of in-line filtration, chlorination, pumping, and mechanical scraping to rid the sea floor and water in-take pipes of mussels.

For many manufacturing plants, costs average hundreds of thousands of dollars per year to keep the mussels away. The question remains: can Walker afford all that?

“Let’s start taking cracks at the problem,” said Walker. “This is hurting my business and it is hurting other businesses and residents. I know Mary Davenport has been raising this as a major issue on the campaign trail. Whether it’s she or another candidate -- someone needs to take this up.”

Ports Chief Scott Blasts Taylor’s Budget Cuts

Port Authority Chief Tad Scott is ticked and he’s letting people know it. Last week, Mayor Samuel Taylor slashed the Port Authority budget for the coming year by 10 %, and that caught Scott off guard.

“We complain about Zebra Mussels in this town, and rightly so. But we are also dealing with some bigger problems here. I’m talking about human trafficking right here in our port, trading human beings for sexual exploitation and forced labor. Where will the funds to stop that come from?”

According to Scott, “We need to go after traffickers and make sure the Port Authority and law enforcement are working together to rescue the victims of these heinous crimes.”

“And what about drug smuggling? We have so many kids on the streets now doing drugs? Well where’s the money to catch the drugs at their source?”

In an earlier statement to the Mayor, Scott wrote that the budget cuts we’re a “misstep” and a “hindrance” to the safety and security of New Harbor in dangerous times.

The Mayor’s office has not returned calls by Gazette staff to discuss the cuts to the Port Authority’s budget.

Boy fatally shoots kid sister in tragic accident

Last night a twelve-year old boy fatally shot his nine-year old sister while the two were playing in the basement of their parent’s home on the 1200th block of Mumphrey and Hobart Streets In New Harbor. Police are still investigating the shooting, but based on preliminary reports, the boy found his father’s gun in an unlocked safe in the basement. The children were playing “Cops” when the gun went off and fatally wounded the girl.

According to Lucy Ravine, a neighbor, “No one would have thought this possible. They are a good, close family. I am sure no harm was intended. This is a tragedy.”

Several weeks ago, City Councilman Alec Coppel introduced a bill to the City Council that would effectively ban all handguns from city grounds. In the past year over 240 people were shot in gun-related violence, including 68 under the age of 16. While Mayor Taylor and Independent candidate Mary Davenport believe Coppel’s bill goes too far against 2nd Amendment rights, this case will almost certainly raise the call for greater gun control in the city.

According to Coppel, “This is what happens when children get near handguns in the home. Tragic, terrible things and this is just another needless, preventable death. This poor girl has left us and a city grieves. Our hearts go out to her parents and brother.”

Reaction Points around town

Post Office

“Miss Mary D. has been in this town a while -- she assisted me when I came to her homeless shelter many years ago and got me this job at the post office! She’s always been a quiet player but now she’s taking the town by storm. Coppel – he’s bad news. He’s suffering by being connected to these heavy-duty polluters when he used to be the big environmental man. This gives Miss Mary D. the edge. She’s got moves and a fresh take on how to run the city. She’s above the Taylor-Coppel fray. The Peacetree endorsement is a feather in her cap. Miss Mary D. is going to take over City Hall!”

- Bertrand Gallow, Postal Worker, 53, Independent

Threads and Things

“You saw that in the papers today – little boy shot his sister when they were inside playing? Now that’s a crying shame -- a God-awful tragedy. This whole town’s being torn up by guns and violence and it’s enough. We need to get these guns off the streets. I used to think, OK, a man has a right to protect his home and his property. Government can’t take that away. But this is wrong. Government’s got the right to protect the safety of the people. We don’t need guns if they’re leading to this kind of accident. I like the Coppel legislation: ban the guns; ban ’em all!”

- Jake Morrell, Tailor, 57, Democrat

DiBiers Brewery

“Robin Walker thinks he knows how to attack the Zebra Mussel problem but $15 million is a drop in the bucket. If Robin thinks he’s going to get to the bottom of the mess, he’s going to go broke trying. The costs to clean up a single manufacturing plant can be hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. Think of how many plants – active and dormant – that lie on our waterline. We’re talking about a clean-up effort in the billions of dollars. And these mussels multiply like lighting, so once you’ve got them cleaned up they’re coming right back. Don’t get me wrong, I wish Robin the best of luck – I would take his money to clean up my water intake. But I’m just not sure his money is being well-spent.“

- Cynthia DeBiers, Plant Owner, DeBiers Brewery, 48, Democrat