T
IMES
Are kids sleep-deprived?
WALLKILL VALLEY
Vol. 33, No 49 3 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2015
3
ONE DOLLAR
Toys
for Tots
Page 29
www.WallkillValleyTimes.net
Valley Central may consider later high school start time
The right to
bear arms
The board voted 5-2 to allow Valley
Central High School Principal Jayme
Ginda-Baxter to research consensus on
offering high school graduation on a
Saturday morning, instead of the evening. Last year’s high school graduation
ceremony was forced indoors due to bad
weather, which left graduation candidates
with only a couple of tickets each for
Ulster Sheriff urges
licensed handgun
owners to carry them
By JANE ANDERSON
Timing was the main idea during a
short Valley Central Board of Education
meeting Monday night, in which board
members discussed a flexible time for
graduation and consideration of a later
start time during the school year for high
school students.
family members’ admission; what followed next aggravated some parents and
family members. The district recently
began live-streaming the graduation, and
because of that, district officials decided
not to use the cafeteria and auditorium for
overflow, which had been done in the past.
Continued on page 10
Tractors on Parade
A festive beginning to the annual Pine Bush Christmas Tree Lighting celebration was the tractor parade, Saturday, along Main Street. It was
dedicated to the memory of Sgt. Eric Meier who passed away earlier this year. More photos on pages 26-27.
Days after the tragic shootings last
week in California, Ulster County Sheriff
Paul Van Blarcum is urging all licensed
gun owners in his county to carry their
weapon.
“In light of recent events that have
occurred in the United States and around
the world I want to encourage citizens of
Ulster County who are licensed to carry
a firearm to please do so,” wrote Van
Blarcum, Thursday, in a Facebook post.
“I urge you to responsibly take advantage
of your legal right to carry a firearm. To
ensure the safety of yourself and others,
make sure you are comfortable and proficient with your weapon, and knowledgeable of the laws in New York State with
regards to carrying a weapon and when it
is legal to use it.”
Van Blarcum’s post was in response to
hundreds of shootings reported across the
U.S. this year, including the most recent
where 14 people were gunned down in San
Bernardino, Calif., Wednesday when gunmen — a man and a woman — burst into
a social services center and opened fire.
“I also want to remind all Police/Peace
Officers both active duty and retired to
please carry a weapon whenever you
leave your house,” Van Blarcum said via
the Facebook post. “We are the thin blue
line that is entrusted in keeping this
country safe, and we must be prepared to
act at any given moment.”
The position has support among memContinued on page 2
SERVING CRAWFORD, GARDINER, MAYBROOK, MONTGOMERY, PINE BUSH, SHAWANGUNK, WALDEN AND WALLKILL