Keep Newburgh Beautiful #BeKindBeCool

I grew up in a very clean community in Colorado. And when I moved here, I absolutely loved it. I love the history here. I love the people here, but I hate the trash. We did 50 flyers all over Du Bois the other day. I put them in people's doorways and stuff. I'm hoping we get a bunch of people from up there because there's a lot of kids up there. I had time. I was like, I can pick up trash and nobody's, nobody's going to be mad at me and it will help the community, so. I mean, we got to work together to achieve one accomplished goal and that's keeping our community clean and safe. Everybody got their own thing, right? So that's, that's how you make a community better. To make people feel hopeful that somebody cares. Everybody should know that somebody cares. Hello everyone. Today, I'm in Newburgh, New York State. I have been invited by Linda and Maggie to see what they're doing to improve the situation in this city that has a very interesting historical past. Unfortunately, Newburgh had to face some challenges in the last few decades. A lot of improvements though, and a lot of hope. And they're going to go and clean up a nearby street. But the goal of Keep Newburgh Beautiful is much more. To show the community that good things can be accomplished when people get together. This location has a constant problem of dumping, of needles, of, there's no reason for it. And also we're not sure who owns it. Like these people maybe own this part but that part is city owned. And so it's kind of, you know, we worry that it's never cleaned up but the needles are my biggest motivation. When I first started working in Newburgh in 1989, it was the crack epidemic was around. They had police officers on horse patrols. So I've seen it at really, really bad point in time. And then I saw it come back. The streets were being cleaned. The houses were being done. And right now it's on another upswing. It's going to be nice. And people that are getting these new buildings are actually taking care of their new buildings. It's the start of something good, I hope. So Newburgh, I hope, is on its way back. So one thing I don't really understand about a messy situation like this is how people can live nearby. So all these apartments that you can see around here, I mean, you have a dumpster here is a health hazard and you don't feel compelled to do anything in a way or another. See, that's why you gotta be careful. Look at the needle right here. See that needle? So I'll tell you this, man. You know, being born and raised in Newburgh, New York, I actually left the town on a full scholarship to play football in Kentucky. Played in Texas, Seattle, Washington, Nashville, Tennessee. My name Jahad Morris. So if y'all know Newburgh, you know Jahad. And cleaning Newburgh and no ifs, ands, or buts about it, man, without a shadow of a doubt. I made myself available immediately and seeing what I could do to help. But yeah, so I got a group of kids also. So I got about 130 kids within the area. So we actually do the Newburgh cleanup. So we do different parts of Newburgh. But part of them and being in my scholarship program is to volunteer. I can bring more people for sure. So Maggie, Newburgh is considered the most dangerous city in New York State, but what's your experience? I'm not gonna say that that's not true, but I have raised all four of my children here. My children used to go to school and then other kids, they'd go to band camp and the kids would say, aren't you scared to live in Newburgh? And of course they'd make jokes and go, yeah, we carry a knife to school every day, which is totally not true. The crime that happens here tends to be sort of the drug related, and sadly is kind of a haven where you can come and sort of hide out a little bit. And I think that's why that happens. But I think that there's a dark cloud that's over this and the media perpetuates it. It's like they like to have a place to say, well, this is the worst place. And I'm like, it's got its bad stuff, but so does all the other places. More people participating. This is why we do what we do, is because Newburgh is full of all these wonderful people, beautiful historic places. It's just, this is the step we concentrate on because this shouldn't be here in such a caring and lovely community. So that's like the point. We also have guys helping from this SNUG organization. With SNUG, we're a gun violence prevention organization. And what we're doing today is we're doing a proper barbecue for our community. And we're also going around cleaning our streets because a lot of times we see a lot of garbage laying around the streets. So we're giving back and we're helping the garbage man keep our community clean and safe. So we're going around cleaning the garbage. And is there anything that you would like to change with the snap of a finger? Only thing I wish I could change with the snap of a finger is everybody participating and doing their part. And a lot of people don't care. So what I would like to do is make more people care more. Because the more people care, the more things will change faster and easier. Now, let's be clear. This street is a bit of an exception, of course. It's not that every single place in Newburgh is a dumpster. I read that once Newburgh was a major industrial hub, a rich city, sadly that disappeared. By the way, I'm driving on Broadway right now. And based on the buildings I can see around here, it seems that this place, Newburgh, is really interesting. Yes, there are definitely places that look a bit in a rough shape. But now let's go to the place that Linda told me might be the most important one in Newburgh from a historical perspective. And I have to say, this might be one of the most important places in the whole of New York State. So what's the historical significance of Newburgh? Well, this building behind me used to be George Washington's headquarter during the Revolutionary War, of course. And as you can see, that's the Hudson River. This is a beautiful view of the whole area. Look how neat this is. Beautiful day, of course. American flag. This is really, really important. So this is also where peace was a sign and where George Washington refused to be crowned the first king of the United States of America. Now, of course, George Washington refused. And well, you know, the whole point of the war was to not have a king telling people what to do. This is a beautiful area. I have to say that the one behind me is called the Tower of Victory to celebrate 100 years of the end of the Revolutionary War. And yeah, the whole area is fantastic. Very well kept. It's a beautiful day as well. And yeah, very much recommended to come here and check this place out. Let me know in the comments if you like history, if you have ever been to Newburgh, if you visited this place, which, by the way, they also have a museum. This is a statue dedicated to the so-called Minutemen. Those were the people that during the Revolutionary War were ready to go in combat with one minute notice. And these were not trained soldiers. These were regular people, mostly farmers, I guess, who were aware that if you don't step in, you're gonna lose everything. Okay, I guess we agree that's a beautiful place. If you're in Newburgh, go visit it. Now, I think it's time to go back to Maggie and Linda and see how it goes. Let's go. How's it going, Maggie? Good. Disgusting. Frustrating. Good. The smaller stuff is actually harder than the bigger stuff. The bigger stuff we can like yank out of there and then there's just a pile of debris. I wish I had a pitchfork. It's at my house. But I mean, I look at it as a spiritual thing too. You know, I'm not gonna push my spiritual beliefs, but I think that, you know, when I first started, I was like, this is my service. You know, it's my service to do this and I'm gonna do it whether anybody does it with me or not. You know, and Linda's been doing it with me since then. So she's amazing. So that's my only other thing, so. And this is one of those acts of kindness that might seem small, but personally I think it really gives hope to the local community and it can have a ripple effect because when people see a situation improving, I think people will get involved. How's the grilling going? People's going on. Yeah, but they're not done yet. We out here, man. We just out here feeding the community now. We did a great job cleaning up. Got the bin full. So now it's time to get our bellies full, you know? Love ATV. Great, Marco. You're doing a great job. Good job, my man. Take care. Thank you. See you next time. We got a lot of hot dogs. Hi! Oh my God, Andrew Drake! Oh my God, the twins! I have known her for, I knew her mother. This is how, I knew her grandmother, her mother, and her, and here's her kids. That's how long I've been in Newburgh. Hi, you guys. I remember when you were born. You know, we came to help you. Yeah, you did? Yes, ma'am. Oh my, when you finish eating, are you guys gonna help me across the street? You guys can open up the garbage bags and give people rubber gloves. I don't want you going in the alley, though, because it's really dirty. All right, good job, babe. Bye. Thank you. Bye-bye. Say bye-bye. Bye-bye. If you really understand the makeup of the community, like the urban renewal, growing the urban renewal, it used to be prosperous here, man. Very, very prosperous. We had a skyline down there, so it was, this was gonna be the capital. So it was either Newburgh or Albany, way back when, right? So they knocked our buildings down. As they knocked our buildings down, we also had a mass let go from the Stewart Airport plant, right? So now you got people without jobs all across the community. So that's when drugs ran rapid, you know, through our community. But in saying that, man, you know, a lot of these buildings were abandoned. The city, you know, they tried to let, you know, they gave us an opportunity to kind of grab hold, to be homeowners. A lot of our community didn't take advantage of it. And, you know, new people are coming in, or have moved in, and the face of the community is changing. But with that being said, it's more safer, and it's more prosperous, even for our young kids. You know, so we working, man. We working, man. But I'm gonna put this in. I'll be back. Yeah. Take care. Trash. So, Maggie. Yes. Success. Yes. Amazing. Amazing job from you guys. She's like crying at all the people who show up. And this is why I love Newburgh. Very happy to do this, actually. Yeah, thanks for inviting me. I'm just very touched by your office. I'm looking forward to giving you the Linda tour of Newburgh. Yeah, for sure. That's actually a very good idea. Yeah. It's been a pleasure. Thanks a lot. You're welcome. And good job, babe. Thank you very much. And you keep being great, too. Adios. All right, I had a great time with the guys. I am honestly touched by their hearts, their efforts in doing something that can be meaningful and can improve the situation. And again, you might say it's a small thing, but to get to big things, you can start with small steps. Anyway, see you next time, guys. Ciao.