Joe Kenner, 34, who moved to Port Chester from Elmsford in 1998 was sworn in and later said that he hoped to inspire not just minorities but also young professionals to get involved in local government.
Greg Adams, a 14-year Port Chester resident was sworn in and later said that he was sympathetic to Hispanics and grateful to them for instigating the lawsuit.
HEADLINE:
SOURCE:
Journal News
Reporter:
QUOTE:
"It's disappointing that they don't have a Hispanic on the board, considering the Latino population of Port Chester is 50 percent if not more. It should have been a historic moment to represent the Hispanic community - and I don't think it was because there weren't qualified people. It was because of whatever political reasons that were behind it. It's a shame." Blanca Lopez, one of the trustee candidates that was rejected by Republican trustees because of her position as chairwoman of the 2006 village Democratic campaign.
STORY:
Two black men were sworn in last night as the newest members of the Board of Trustees, bringing the first minority voices to the board in the village's 139-year history.
Village officials have hailed the addition of Joseph Kenner and Gregory Adams as a historic moment for Port Chester, which has come under attack during the past year after allegations of discrimination against Hispanic voters surfaced. Many residents also praised the appointments as progress in a village that has been polarized by a federal voting rights lawsuit that contends the village's election system illegally disenfranchises Hispanic voters.
But some question why the board passed over three Hispanic candidates and chose two black men, when African-Americans represent 7 percent of the village's 28,000 residents and the Hispanic population hovers around 50 percent......
Source URL: http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007711140377
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