Poughkeepsie Alliance Honors Five at Ceremony

By RJ Smith

POUGHKEEPSIE – Poughkeepsie Alliance unveiled the Corey Ingram Circle and Champions Walk this past Thursday morning. Held in the city’s Boys & Girls Club, the ceremony welcomed several honorees nominated in recognition of their outstanding achievements.

The ceremony’s introduction was conducted by Mario Johnson, a member of the Poughkeepsie Alliance. “There are many people who helped make this happen,” Johnson said. “We want to make sure that the main focus of today is on Corey Ingram, as well as the heroes who have done so much for our community.” Johnson invited Chris Kroner to the podium, who has worked with MASS Design and is a member of the Poughkeepsie Alliance.

“In 2017, a committee was created in order to talk about what our goals were for the traffic circle,” Kroner said. “It was important for it to not only be a part of the city of Poughkeepsie, but the greater area of Poughkeepsie in general. A few months later, unfortunately we were all saddened to hear of the passing of Corey Ingram. This circle should honor the people and the city of Poughkeepsie, and what it should mean to the people of this city. We started talking about what these champions might actually teach us. One idea present in the city gateway was to honor Corey and Poughkeepsie. We pitched three projects out there. We started talking with school systems, the housing authority and coming up with ideas. We wanted to make sure it was something that would last.”

Kroner was quick to acknowledge that there was still work to be done. One goal held involves keeping a focus on the idea behind the project. “The idea behind the project is not done,” Kroner said. “We have five individuals that have been selected by the committee. The idea is that every year or every couple of years we can grow this community of monuments into something that is a much more celebratory walk.”

Mayor Yvonne Flowers stepped to the podium following Kroner. “I want to thank the Poughkeepsie Alliance for their contributions,” Flowers said. “I also want to thank MASS Design for the countless hours spent coming up with a design for the Champions Walk and selecting the first community champions to be honored. This was a collaborative effort with a lot of hands. The Champions Walk was created to honor individuals who have made significant contributions in our northside community, as well as the entire city of Poughkeepsie. Just imagine what it will be like when our children are walking through that area and actually witness the people who contributed to their community.”

The first line of Champions selected include Theodore “Tree” Arrington, founder of Relationship, Empowerment, Affirmation, Leadership (R.E.A.L) Skills Network, the late Corey Ingram who died while serving on the USS John McCain in 2017, Dutchess County Legislator Barbara Jeter-Jackson, Wesley J. Lee, founder of Saving at Risk Youth for Corporate America, Perinella “Penny” Lewis, former 5th Ward Councilwoman, and community activist and scholar Lorraine Roberts.

The ceremony was concluded following a march to the round-about down the block from the Boys & Girls Club building. It was there that the selected honorees stood amongst each other before the ribbon was cut, thus ending the unveiling of the Corey Ingram Circle and the Champions Walk honorees.