Wallkill Valley Times Feb. 13 2019

Vol. 37, No. 7 3 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2019 3 ONE DOLLAR Valentines for Vets State qualifier Page 18 Page 36 w w w .W V T I M ESON L I N E . c om Shawangunk reports a reduction in crime By TED REMSNYDER The Town of Shawangunk experienced a small, but noticeable, drop in year-to-year crime numbers in 2018, according to statistics provided by Shawangunk Chief Walden warns residents to shovel their sidewalks of Police Gerald Marlatt. The agency head delivered the figures to the Town Board during his monthly report during the council’s Feb. 7 session, and the stats show that the police department had 2,925 calls for service in 2018, down from 3,354 calls in 2017. Arrests were down slightly from 133 to 128 year-to- year, while 379 tickets were issued by the department in 2018, down from 382 in the prior year. Traffic accidents in Continued on page 23 Crawford clerk resigns Gliding on ice Allegations of irregularities in reports surface By LAURA FITZGERALD [email protected] By TED REMSNYDER With winter still in full swing and more snowstorms surely headed to the region in the coming weeks, the Village of Walden is urging residents to shovel their properties promptly after each storm as a matter of public safety. A total of 36 homes in the municipality have been cited this winter for failing to shovel their sidewalks within 24 hours, an infraction that comes with a $220 fine. Three dozen properties have been fined this season for failing to comply with the village code, which stipulates that the entire width of the the sidewalk, or four feet (whichever is wider), must be cleared off by the homeowner within a day of each storm. A number of the properties that were fined were repeat offenders, as no one is residing in the homes. “Some of them were abandoned houses, so there’s nothing we can do about those, except go and do it,” Village Manager John Revella said. “We do know which ones those are Continued on page 23 Bond Brungard Eric Orr slides the stone for a team from Wallkill’s fire departmen, Saturday during the annual Walkill Lions Curling Tournament. Story on page 34. Crawford Town Clerk Jolene Roy has voluntarily resigned following an ongoing investigation into irregularities with the town’s finances. An irregularity was noted in reports submitted by the town clerk during a normal review of the town’s business practices in fall 2018. Further review involving the police department and other auditors revealed further irregularities. “All of these facts combined led us to believe that the town clerk’s actions rose to the level of improper conduct,” Town Supervisor Charles Carnes said. After review the matter was turned over to the State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation for further action. As of Feb. 12, no arrests had been made. Jessica Kempter, Deputy Town Clerk and Confidential Secretary to the Supervisor, stepped in temporarily as town clerk and will hold the elected office until elections in November. The town is Continued on page 23 SERVING CRAWFORD, GARDINER, MAYBROOK, MONTGOMERY, PINE BUSH, SHAWANGUNK, WALDEN AND WALLKILL