Indeed, it was a small group that decided to attend the first in a month long series of Friday night meetings about gang prevention in the Ellenville-Wawarsing community. The meeting, hosted by the African American Men's Association, featured local resident Jim Graham, a gentleman known only as Minister Spirit, and Tyjuan Price, an area resident who was arrested in the drug sweep conducted by URGENT (the Ulster Regional Gang Enforcement Narcotics Team) on June 28.

Also in attendance were candidate for town highway superintendent Gil Davis, local fire chief Fred Dupont, and candidate for Ulster County Legislature Susan Nibe. Graham and Spirit spoke about their concerns regarding the “glorification” of negative behaviors through all types of media. The two men are hoping to set a “moral standard” through a series of programs and activities directed at the area's youth.

On a table in the small meeting room sat a copy of the July 5 issue of the Ellenville Journal that featured video clips of the YouTube music video, “Four Block/What It Is”. The video gained regional recognition as sources inside the URGENT task force alleged connections between those appearing in the video and those arrested in the highly publicized drug sweep.

Halfway through the meeting, Price, who appeared in the music, expressed his opinion that local media outlets had rushed to judgment in connecting the video's participants with gang activity.

In fact, Price was critical of URGENT's reporting of the sweep and claimed it was more of a public relations event than a successful show of law enforcement - an assertion that has been heard in other places throughout the community.

“They [URGENT] do a raid to make themselves look good. They didn't do anything. They didn't stop nothing. In reality, all they did was give us more hype,” said Price. What Price means by “us” is his fledgling record label, Four Block Records. Price claimed that there were no organized gangs in the Ellenville area and he asked, “Do you see graffiti marking up territory around here?”

Price went on to say, “Ellenville don't do nothing for nobody. There isn't anything to do around here but get in trouble.”

Confessing to having a turbulent past, Price argued, “I have two children. I'll do what I have to do and the rents around here are too expensive for [work at] McDonalds.”

Republican candidate for the Ulster County Legislature and president of the local Kiwanis Club, Susan Nibe asked to speak, and offered words of encouragement to Price. She told him to “stick to the straight and narrow.” She also told the group that local residents need to demand more help from their village, town and county officials when dealing with these and other issues. Nibe implied that this is help she would fight for should she be elected this November.

The meeting closed with both Jim Graham and Minister Spirit, who both profess to be deeply religious men, hoping that this may be the start of local houses of worship working together to reach out to the area's youth and provide them with positive activities and role models.

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