Wallkill Valley Times Apr. 17 2019 | Page 2

2 Wallkill Valley Times, Wednesday, April 17, 2019 IN THIS ISSUE Calendar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Crossword. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Letters to the Editor. . . . . . . . . . 8 Montgomery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Obituaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Opinion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Pine Bush. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Police Blotter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 School News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Service Directory. . . . . . . . . . . 32 Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Walden.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Crawford Small Business and Tourism Center opens PUBLIC AGENDA THURSDAY, APRIL 18 Shawangunk Town Board, 7 p.m. Town Hall, 14 Central Ave., Wallkill Crawford Town Board. 7 p.m. Town Hall, 121 Route 302, Pine Bush. MONDAY, APRIL 22 Maybrook Village Board, 7 p.m. Village Hall, 111 Schipps Lane. Public hearing to override tax cap. Town of Montgomery Historic Preservation Commission, 7 p.m. Town Government Center, 110 Bracken Road, Montgomery. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24 Wallkill Board of Education, 7 p.m. Leptondale Elementary School. THURSDAY, APRIL 25 Valley Central Board of Education, 5:15 p.m. Administration building, 944 Route 17K, Montgomery. BOCES Vote and Election and Tenure Review. HOW TO REACH US OFFICE: 300 Stony Brook Court Newburgh, NY 12550 PHONE: [phone], FAX: [phone] Emails may be directed to the following : ADVERTISING [email protected] CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS [email protected] TO REACH THE EDITOR [email protected] FOR THE SPORTS DEPARTMENT [email protected] PUBLIC NOTICES [email protected] WEBSITE www.timescommunitypapers.com The Wallkill Valley Times, (USPS 699-490) is a weekly newspaper published every Wednesday at Newburgh, NY 12550, with offices at 300 Stony Brook Court, Newburgh, NY. Single copy: $1 at newsstand. By mail in Orange, Ulster or Sullivan Counties: $40 annually, $44 out of county. Periodicals permit at Newburgh, NY. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Wallkill Valley Times, 300 Stony Brook Court, Newburgh, NY 12550. Crawford Town Officials and a host of dignitariies were on hand last week for the opening. By LAURA FITZGERALD [email protected] The Crawford Small Business and Tourism Center, which will promote tourism and serve as a resource for area small businesses, had its grand opening last Thursday. “The Small Business & Tourism Center, located conveniently in the center of Town, will serve as a resource for visitors and community members alike,” Crawford Director of Community Services Domanie Ragni said. “We look forward to promoting local Tourism and our wonderful small businesses. The natural next step is to attract even more! We’re already a wonderful destination and are working towards bringing things to the next level.” Business owners and community members attended the event to tour the new center, interactive kiosk and Taste NY display. Domanie Ragni, Director of Community Services for the Town of Crawford, said the interactive kiosk will search area businesses based on the user’s preferences. For example, if the user wants to explore area wineries, the kiosk will pull up a list of wineries, putting Crawford businesses first. The store also boasts a Taste NY display. The program was launched by Governor Andrew Cuomo in 2013 and promotes the diversity of food and beverages grown and made in New York through local Taste NY centers. The center will boost business development and sustainability and serve as a central location where potential, new and/or existing business owners can call or meet with a liaison to all town hall departments. The ceremony included a ribbon cutting, where several local and state government representatives spoke, including Town Supervisor Charles Carnes, Orange County Legislator Rob Sassi, Orange County Director of Tourism Amanda Dana and New York State Senator James Skoufis. “Thriving local businesses and successful tourism play crucial roles of the economic growth in the Hudson Valley,” Skoufis said. “Having this type of resource for people to go to will help generate access to opportunities.” John Tarolli, partner with Pine Bush engineering and surveying firm MNTM, said he was happy to see the town promote small businesses, especially on Main Street. He said a thriving Main Street is key to a prosperous local economy because it encourages people to stop in the town. “[The center] promotes the perception that Pine Bush is a growing and vibrant community, and if that perception is realized, more people will stop by,” Tarolli said. Ragni said the center contributes to Crawford’s overall vision of creating a thriving, walkable downtown in Pine Bush. “The easiest way to attract walking- traffic to Main Street is through the creation of an appealing, interesting place to visit,” Ragni said. “Our beautiful, historic shopping district now boasts a great variety of wonderful restaurants and shops, with more coming soon! Most importantly and by design, it’s all connected by convenient walkability.” Located at 85 Main Street, the center will initially be open on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., but might expand its hours. Town Supervisor Charles Carnes (left) and Orange County Legislator Rob Sassi cut the ribbon at the grand opening for the Crawford Small Business and Tourism Center. They are joined by Amanda Dana, Orange County Director of Tourism and Domanie Ragni. Director of Community Services for the Town of Crawford.