Mouth That Roars

Bill Liblick has made a name for himself of National TV Talk Shows where he spouted his outspoken views from the front row. Now he offers you his opinion every week in the "MOUTH THAT ROARS" Column in the Sullivan County Post.

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June 19th, 2014

Join Call for Change

The time has come for all of us to come together and to take back our streets from crime and this Saturday you can speak out and join in “A Local Call for Change.”

The event organized by Sullivan County activist Janette Williams whose son Carl was murdered back in 2009 will be held from 11am – 6 pm at De Hoyos Memorial Park on Haye Street in Monticello.

Along with the support of the Recovery Center, Detective Will Young, District Attorney Jim Farrell, Sullivan County Legislator Cora Edwards, Monticello Trustees Carmen Rue and Larissa Bennett, along with Monticello Judge Josephine Finn and many other officials the event will feature a panel of speakers (parents who have lost their children due to acts of violence), a skit on the importance of good decision-making, festivities for children, along with many other activities.

Janette Williams asks – “When you lose a loved one to an unnecessary act of violence, where do you turn? How do you heal? How do you move forward? Where do you begin?”

Acknowledging that there are many people in her position, Janette told me, “If you’ve also experienced the tragic death of a loved one or know someone who has, those are the questions we are faced with daily. There are many individuals and families in our community who are victims of crime – whether it is assault, murder, burglary, robbery, or any other drug or alcohol-related violations. Though the offenses vary, the need is the same – a need for a safer community, supportive networks, a need for a voice, for compassion, and a need for CHANGE.”

“When Carl was murdered and the police were not getting any cooperation from the public I organized an anti violence march that took place on October 9th 2009. My purpose then was to appeal to the public for help. Shortly afterwards arrest were made. It is now five years since Carl’s death and I wanted to remember him in a meaningful way.”

DA Jim Farrell told me, “I hope that the community comes out in force to support the local call for change and unites together, as one, to take back our streets from the violence that has so often plagued them. Too many people have been casualties of the violence and it’s high time to say “NO MORE!”

Sullivan County Legislator Cora Edwards, Chair of Public Safety and Law Enforcement Committee said, “We are working to bridge the gaps in our community. We are uniting everyone to send a stronger message to our children: “We care about your safety and well-being. We want you to have a happy and healthy childhood.”

Edwards has been on a mission on her own to get people involved in fighting crime with her “Stepping Up to Safety” meetings.

Her last meeting was held Wednesday night. The discussion focused on the 15% drop in Sullivan County’s burglary rate over the past year as reported by Sullivan County District Attorney Jim Farrell, and ways to sustain the momentum.

Edwards who began the ‘Stepping Up to Safety’ Initiative last year said, “We’ve had four meetings since starting last year. Established Neighborhood Watch groups have shown strong committment, such as the Loomis area of Liberty, Foxcroft Village in Fallsburg, and in Monticello. They have helped other communities that would like to form their own groups. All the local Law Enforcement Agencies in the County have been generous with their time at the meetings we’ve had. It is a great forum for communities to support each other from different parts of the County. The meetings are open to the public. Everyone is welcome.”

For more information, call Legislator Cora Edwards at 845-807-0435.

Janette Williams exclaims, “For Sullivan County it can no longer be business as usual. There is no easy answer, but the sooner we are able to regain our streets, the sooner we’ll be able to heal.”

For further information or how to assist with supplies needed for the “A Local Call for Change” event on Saturday June 21, 2014 at 11:30 AM, please contact Janette Williams at (845) 807-6139 or Lisa Schmidt at (845) 794-8080, ext. 117.

Bill Liblick has made a name for himself on National TV Talk Shows where he spouted his outspoken views from the front row. Now he offers you his opinion every week in the “MOUTH THAT ROARS” Column in THE SULLIVAN COUNTY POST.

 

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