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Wallkill Valley Times, Wednesday, April 10, 2019
Wallkill beautification efforts moving forward
By TED REMSNYDER
When the new bridge over the Wallkill
River opened last year with an expansive
sidewalk for pedestrians to walk along the
span, a small three-quarter acre parcel
of land was left undeveloped next to the
bridge. With an aim to beautify the area
for the benefit of the community, the local
chapter of the Lions Club has approached
the Town of Shawangunk about turning
the empty land into a small public park
area.
At the Town Board’s April 4 meeting,
Ulster County Legislator Ken Ronk
updated the council on his efforts to
facilitate the transfer of the property
from the county to the town so that the
plot of land could be transformed into
a park space with a small patio area
with picnic tables. “Issue number one
is making the parcel safe,” Ronk told
the board. “Because right now there’s
nothing but a couple of trees, one large
tree, from stopping a car from driving off
the road and into the river. The county
is not interested in retaining ownership
of the property. The biggest issue that
we have as a county is that we have 20
towns, three villages and a city, so we
can’t operate a third of an acre park in
each one of the towns. But what we can
do is that it’s a tax foreclosure property.
It’s been on the tax sale several times, I
believe it’s the third or fourth time it’s
been offered for public sale, so we have
the ability to offer it to the municipality
free of charge.”
The county will deed the parcel to the
town if the board approves the plan, and
Ronk said he’s working with the office of
former County Executive Mike Hein to
install a guardrail with an opening near
the site, which would allow pedestrian
access. There would be no official parking
spaces at the site. “When they built the
bridge, they left a pile of dirt there and it’s
kind of messy, so the Lions Club got this
idea to clean it up,” Town Supervisor John
Valk said of the proposal. “They found
out that the county owns it for unpaid
taxes. They have an idea about making
it a nice place to sit because we have that
beautiful sidewalk that goes across the
bridge and this would let people enjoy it.”
Approximately three years after the
Shawangunk Main Street Revitalization
Committee launched a fundraising
campaign to purchase an old-fashioned
community post clock for the hamlet,
the effort is in its final stages. Organizer
Richard Barnhart reported to the board
during last Thursday’s meeting that the
group has now raised 96 percent of the
$30,000 needed to buy, install and maintain
the digital clock. “This has been carrying
on for three years and we’d really like
to wrap it up and get it done,” Barnhart
said. “We put a final push on to contact
people and businesses who might want to
invest so that we can get this thing cast
and produced so we can get it installed.”
The group needs $25,000 to purchase
the clock, which includes flourishes
like the ability to play holiday-themed
music, but will raise additional funds
for improvements to the area of the rail
trail where the clock will be set up. “We
hope to collect more than that for the
ongoing maintenance and upkeep of
the clock,” Barnhart said. The Fair-Rite
Products Corporation, Walden Savings
Bank and Wallkill Valley Federal Savings
and Loan have all donated $5,000 apiece to
the project, and Barnhart noted that the
organization had raised $2,600 over the
past week in donations for the project.
The group hopes to have the clock,
which was funded totally by private
donations, up and running in time for
Weekend of Wallkill in September. “It’s
something that people have donated to
three years ago and they’re wondering
when it’s going to happen,” Valk said.
“It’s something that was spearheaded by
the residents, not by the town. It’ll clean
up the head of the rail trail a little bit.
The sign there is very dilapidated, so it’ll
breathe new life into the head of the rail
trail.”
Crawford Craft re-opens in Pine Bush
By LAURA FITZGERALD
[email protected]
Crawford Craft is back and ready for business.
Located at 82 Main Street in Pine Bush, the laid-
back gastropub reopened in November after a six-month
hiatus while owners Michael and Sindy Moroney sold
another restaurant in Middletown.
The trendy restaurant sells craft beer, cocktails, and
elevated bar food, including burgers, appetizers, wings,
tacos, sandwiches and more. The beers are a mix of local
and out-of-state brews, emphasizing quality and flavor.
“We get the best craft beer we can,” Michael said.
The Moroneys described the restaurant as the perfect
place for a long, casual meal or drinks shared with family
and friends.
“People kind of sink into the place here,” Michael
said. “Most tables, they’ll stay for a couple of hours. Even
after their meal, they hang out.”
However, 82 Main Street has not always had such
a family-friendly reputation. The bar was originally
opened by Michael’s father as the Grasshopper Tavern in
2012.
Michael’s father also ran the Cove in Middletown,
which he opened in 2009. He planned to the run the
Grasshopper and sell The Cove in his retirement, but
life had other plans. His father died six months after he
opened the Grasshopper, leaving the place to Michael.
Michael commuted for one year from Manhattan to
take care of the businesses before the couple decided to
move to the area in the summer of 2013.
“If we didn’t step in the businesses would have
folded,” Michael said. “It was the only way to really
Sindy and Michael Moroney recently reopened Crawford
Craft, a laid-back gastropub in Pine Bush.
salvage anything from my father’s life.”
Then, a stabbing at The Cove prompted the couple
to revamp the bar as Scotchtown Craft, which softened
the place from its earlier rough-and-tumble personality.
Business exploded.
The couple then set their sights on the Grasshopper,
renovating the place themselves. By now, the bar had
turned into a heavy drinking bar, causing more stress
and lost sleep for the Moroneys. Crawford Craft was
opened in January 2017.
“It was phenomenal; it took off,” Michael said. “They
were both riding high and 2017 was a huge year for us.”
The Moroneys ran the two restaurants simultaneously,
working 70 and 80 hour weeks and leaving little time for
themselves or their family. Finally, the couple realized
something needed to change.
“We just looked at each other and were like, ‘What
the hell are we doing?’ We just decided to close it down,
and business was good. It was too much for us. We got
overwhelmed and we were burnt out,” Michael said.
“But it was the best decision we have made in a long
time,” Sindy said.
So, the Moroneys sold Scotchtown Craft so they could
focus on Crawford Craft. While the restaurant still keeps
them busy, they have more time for their family and
themselves.
“We enjoy it now,” Michael said.
And, with less management, oversight and stress, the
couple can enjoy running the restaurant and doing what
they do best: pouring good drinks and cooking quality
food. Michael manages the bar while Sindy runs the
kitchen.
“We’re both good at this,” Michael said. “I think it’s in
our blood and we enjoy it, connecting with people. I enjoy
making people a nice drink and making them a nice meal.
Sindy is the same, she puts love into the food she cooks.”
Future plans include the addition of a Saturday
brunch and potentially an outdoor seating area.
But right now, the couple is focusing on creating an
enjoyable experience for their customers.
“People come in here and they leave happy,” Michael
said.
Crawford Craft is open from 5 to 9 p.m. for dinner and
until 10 p.m. at the bar Tuesday through Saturday. To
learn more, call 845-524-4926 or visit Crawford Craft on
Facebook.