T IMES
WALLKILL VALLEY
Amid grief,
Walden
trustees
conduct
business
Vol. 35, No 17 3 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 2017
3
ONE DOLLAR
Viking bats
erupt
Page 36
www .W allkill V alley T imes . net
End of watch
Decorated police officer laid to rest
By TED REMSNYDER
Tragedy struck Walden last Tuesday
morning when police officer Dustin
James was killed in an off-duty motorcycle
accident in the Town of Gardiner, but
government business had to go on that
evening as the Village Board held its
previously scheduled meeting. While the
evening’s agenda was shortened due to
James’ passing, the board unanimously
adopted its 2017-2018 budget during the
session. The approved $8,114,210 spending
plan stays within the state-mandated tax
cap and includes a 2.75 percent tax levy
increase.
An initial tax cap rate of 1.15 percent
was boosted to 3.07 percent during the
budget process once a 1.01 growth factor
was added in.
“For whatever reason there was a
growth factor two years ago in the Village
of Walden,” Village Manager John Revella
said. “It could have been because of
housing increases, population, industry.
The state comes up with the formula.”
The increase allowed the village to stay
under the cap, as the administration
worked with the village department heads
Continued on page 4
Bob McCormick
The flag-draped coffin of Dustin James is led into the Holy Name of Mary Church in Montgomery, Friday. James, a Walden Police Officer
and part-time Village of Montgomery police officer, was killed in a motorcycle accident last week.
An often-decorated police officer was
laid to rest Friday, three days after a fatal
motorcycle accident. Hundreds of police
officers from throughout the region
gathered at the Holy Name of Mary
Church in Montgomery to pay their last
respects to Police Officer Dustin James.
James, 31, was off-duty when the
accident occurred at 11 a.m., Tuesday,
the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office
reported. It happened at the intersection
of Bruynswick Road and Route 44/55 in
the Town of Gardiner. The two vehicles
collided at the intersection, deputies
said. The driver of the car was identified
was Alejandra Rodas-Perez, 19, of
Bloomingburg.
James was a full-time officer in the
Walden Village Police Department and
a part-time officer in the Village of
Montgomery Department. He joined
Montgomery in December 2015. He began
his career with Walden PD on January
1, 2007 as a part-time dispatcher. On
August 17 of that year he was hired as
Continued on page 2
SERVING CRAWFORD, GARDINER, MAYBROOK, MONTGOMERY, PINE BUSH, SHAWANGUNK, WALDEN AND WALLKILL