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Wallkill Valley Times , Wednesday , August 30 , 2017

PUBLIC AGENDA

WEDNESDAY , AUGUST 30 Village of Montgomery Planning Board , 7:30 p . m . Village Hall , 133 Clinton St .

THURSDAY , AUGUST 31

Crawford Town Board , 7 p . m . Town Hall , 121 Route 302 , Pine Bush .

TUESDAY , SEPTEMBER 5 Walden Village Board of Trustees , 6:30 p . m . Village Hall , 1 Municipal Square . Town of Shawangunk Planning Board , 7 p . m . Town Hall , 14 Central Ave ., Wallkill . Montgomery Village Board , 7:30 p . m . Village Hall , 133 Clinton Street .

EARLY DEADLINES

The office of the Wallkill Valley times will be closed Monday , Sept . 4 in observance of Labor Day Deadlines for all display , classified and legal advertising for the Sept . 6 edition is Friday , Sept . 1 at 4 p . m .

HOW TO REACH US

OFFICE : 300 Stony Brook Court Newburgh , NY 12550

PHONE : 845-561-0170 , FAX : 845-561-3967

Emails may be directed to the following : ADVERTISING advertising @ tcnewspapers . com

By GARY M . AYD

Although the event ’ s initial purpose was to help those families in need with back-to-school supplies , no child is turned away . The event has traditionally raised $ 4000- $ 5000 worth of supplies to stuff the some 400-500 backpacks given away . Saturday ’ s event was estimated to hold with those historical benchmarks .

In addition , one of the core sponsors of this event , Fidelis Care provided significant support to the drive . In addition to the packs given away on site , the company , powered in no small part by Anthony Rodriguez , the company ’ s local community relations specialist , was also planning to giveaway another 600 or so later Saturday at the celebrate Maybrook Carnival at the little league field .

“ There ’ s simply no better feeling than helping kids ,” Rodriguez said . “ Being able to make a difference in their lives is a wonderful feeling .” “ If an organization reaches out to us and needs our help we will help them .” Indeed , Fidelis has given away some 20,000 backpacks since July according to Rodriguez .

Additional longtime sponsors like Hunter Insurance , Walden Savings Bank , and Richard Baxter and Curasi Realty were on hand . Baxter , as he has done in previous years worked as the event MC .

“ It ’ s just a magnificent event , and we took it to a new level this year ,” Longtime sponsor and organizer Keith Hunter of Hunter Insurance said , referencing the presence of two drones capturing the

Volunteers Felicia and Jake Wehr pitched in by providing free back-to-school haircuts

day ’ s proceedings . “ Our gratitude really does go to Fidelis ,” Hunter said . “ They have given away something like 20,000 backpacks in the last 10-weeks .”

Longtime volunteers , like Felicia Wehr and her college age son Jake of Crawford pitched in , helping give free haircuts to kids in attendance . “ We come every year and just love it ,” Wehr said . “ It really is a special event and it helps the kids so much .”

A bounce house and water slide were also present for kids to engage with , and to top it all off , mother nature couldn ’ t have been nicer with weather in the midseventies and not a cloud in the sky .

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WEBSITE www . timescommunitypapers . com

The Wallkill Valley Times , ( USPS 699-490 ) is a weekly newspaper published every Wednesday at Newburgh , N . Y . 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 , N . Y . POSTMASTER : Send address changes to Wallkill Valley Times , 300 Stony Brook Court , Newburgh , N . Y . 12550

Dickie Baxter was Master of Ceremonies . Hundreds of backpacks are given away annually .