TIMES
WALLKILL VALLEY
Guns
remain a
hot topic in
Walden
By TED REMSNYDER
The issue of gun control and common-sense gun safety measures continues to be hotly contested throughout the
country in the hothouse atmosphere of
a Presidential election year and in the
midst of a spate of mass shootings nationwide.
In its Village Board meeting on Jan.
5th, the Walden trustees talked about a
small sliver of the matter, continuing
their discussion about H.R. 218, a federal bill known as the Law Enforcement
Officers’ Safety Act, which was signed
into law by President George W. Bush in
2004. The law allows retired police officers
to qualify for permits that would allow
them to carry concealed weapons in any
state in the nation.
Police Chief Jeff Holmes gave a presentation to the board last Tuesday about the
police department’s forthcoming proposal
to offer qualification sessions for the village’s retired officers and for former cops
from other towns who work for Walden.
While retired officers can currently go to
private carriers to apply for the permit,
the police department wants to offer 218
training at its own facility. While the
cards do allow retirees to carry guns
across state lines, the 218 permit does not
supersede the laws of any states that ban
gun possession in certain areas.
Holmes said the program won’t cost
the village any money from additional
Continued on page 5
Vol. 34, No 2 3 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016
Vikings rally
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Newburgh
Page 34
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ONE DOLLAR
Arabian
Nights
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www.WallkillValleyTimes.net
Denardo faces up to 7 years
Ex-Wallkill Fire Commissioner sentenced in $240,000 theft
Former Wallkill Fire District board
chair Michael Denardo was sentenced
in Ulster County Court for stealing nearly $240,000 from the district,
State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli
announced.
“This was a shameful crime of someone
sworn to protect the public,” DiNapoli
said. “It is also a warning to fire district
officials throughout New York: Always
safeguard your assets with checks and
balances. I thank District Attorney
Carnright for bringing Mr. Denardo to
justice and helping us recoup the stolen
funds.”
Denardo, 39, of Wallkill, was sentenced
to 2 1/3 to 7 years in prison and must pay
$239,622 restitution. His three-year scam
was initially revealed in an audit and
investigation by DiNapoli’s office, which
found that Denardo convinced the treasurer to give him blank checks and another board member to sign them. He deposited the checks, laundered the money
through his wife’s account and submitted
fake bills to the district.
According to the State Comptoller’s
report, “The Wallkill Board of Fire
Commissioners did not establish adequate internal controls over the cash
disbursements process. As a result, 12
checks totaling $241,893 were written to
the chair’s wife, of which $239,622 was
inappropriate. The chair represented
$228,871 of this amount as reimbursement
for payments to the District’s contracted
architect, which neither the Chair nor his
wife had made. To obtain reimbursement,
the Chair submitted falsified invoices and
supporting documentation for nonexisContinued on page 2
Winter is finally here
Jane Anderson
Canada geese enjoy the last bit of open water amid the encroaching ice on the Bashakill in Wurtsboro, as snow squalls blow in on Tuesday
afternoon.
SERVING CRAWFORD, GARDINER, MAYBROOK, MONTGOMERY, PINE BUSH, SHAWANGUNK, WALDEN AND WALLKILL