The peaceful Carmel gathering, sponsored  by the Hudson Valley Community Coalition and the lower Hudson Valley chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union, was meant to spark the attention of local representatives to take action. The vigil was held outside the office of Rep. John Hall.

For more on the story, check it out here.

Meanwhile, here are some photos I took of the vigil.

Here’s Skirianos talking about what impact the incident has had on his diner: http://www.lohud.com/article/2009910050328

Oct. 15th – Letters from an American Farmer by J. Hector St. John de Crevecoeur

Nov. 5th – The Transplanted by John Bodnar

Dec. 3rd – A Different Mirror by Takaki

Contact the library to register for the series and to receive the books.

Matthew Neuringer and Joseph DePaola said they were deeply offended by Lynne Eckardt’s comments concerning their Save our Southeast party line. Last month, Eckardt posted online her thoughts concerning a contractor law the Town Board is reviewing that would crack down on illegal hiring in the town. Her statement: “Why else do you suppose the SOS logo is still the symbol of choice? Probably because KKK was already taken.”

Neuringer and DePaola said the comments insulted them and their families and are asking the Town Board to consider removing her from the ARB. Neuringer said he is of Jewish and Puerto Rican descent and DePaola said he is a practicing Roman Catholic with Italian roots.

To read more about the story, check it out here.

Interestingly, one commentator on the story noted that the “KKK has been dead for years,” which piqued my curiosity.

A little historical research on the group shows that they formed in Tennessee in 1865 following the Civil War. Presently, the KKK is not one organization but includes several small chapters throughout the country. There are an estimated 5,000 members spread across more than 100 chapters, according to the Anti-Defamation League.

The League says issues involving gay marriage and immigration have recently fueled KKK activity.

The report, entitled “Climate of Fear: Latino Immigrants in Suffolk County,  N.Y.,” documents numerous hate crimes committed against Hispanics and a volatile environment created, in some instances, by community leaders. Researchers for the Center spent months interviewing immigrants, religious figures and business owners.

A bilingual hotline has been set up—800-328-2322—to report crimes committed on Long Island against Hispanics.

Two scholars conducted a study, asking 2,100 Ohioans about their attitudes toward four particular groups: Europeans, Asians, Middle Easterners and Latinos. The survey asked specifically about “each group’s intelligence, income levels, self-sufficiency, ability to assimilate, and proclivity toward violence.”

The results are not as predictable as one would think. Check out the article here.

The program will provide some Danbury police officers with federal training to enforce immigration laws. Danbury officials voted in favor of the measure in February 2008. At the time, some local businesses protested the partnership, shutting their doors for a day.

Earlier this summer, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced that the 287(g) program would receive an overhaul and that it would specifically target illegal immigrants who pose a criminal threat.

To read more about the Danbury/ICE partnership, check out the Danbury News-Times story here.

During the meeting, Ball presented a list of plans to crackdown on drinking and driving, as well as ways to make it harder for contractors and landlords to hire and house illegal immigrants. Some of these ideas included installing an ignition lock in the vehicles of first-time DWI offenders and creating a law in Putnam County making it illegal to hire people off the streets.

He also suggested making English the official language in Putnam County.

Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. John Hall, D-Dover Plains, has invited officers from 53 law enforcement agencies throughout five counties to participate in a training session with Immigration and Customs Enforcement in order to foster better working relationships between federal and local officials.

Ball is running against Hall in 2010.

To read more about Ball’s meeting written by my colleague, Michael Risinit, go here. To read more about Hall’s upcoming training session, check it out here.

Since the June 8 crash in Brewster that claimed the lives of a mother and daughter at the hands of a suspected drunk driver who police say is unlicensed and in the country illegally, there have been a deluge of DWI arrests in Putnam County involving illegal immigrants. It seems as though immigration is called with more frequency on these cases.

Here’s one such story I wrote for today’s paper and online. As I was writing it yesterday, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office reported another drunken driving arrest of an Ecuadorian man living in Danbury. A federal detainer warrant was also placed on him.