2

Wallkill Valley Times , Wednesday , July 4 , 2018

PUBLIC AGENDA

TUESDAY , JULY 3

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 .

THURSDAY , JULY 5 Montgomery Town Board , 7 p . m . Town Government Center , 110 Bracken Road , Montgomery . Shawangunk Town Board , 7 p . m . Town Hall , 14 Central Ave ., Wallkill .

TUESDAY , JULY 10 Gardiner Town Board work session . 7 p . m . Town Hall , Route 44-55 , Gardiner . Pine Bush Board of Eductaion , 7 p . m . School District Office , Route 302 , Pine Bush .

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

CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS calendar @ tcnewspapers . com

TO REACH THE EDITOR editor @ tcnewspapers . com

FOR THE SPORTS DEPARTMENT sports @ tcnewspapers . com

PUBLIC NOTICES legals @ tcnewspapers . com

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 , N . Y . 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

By LAURA FITZGERALD lfitz @ tcnewspapers . com

The park offers a beach and pond with lifeguards on duty . Village of Walden recreation coordinator Michael Bliss said the village hauls in 300 meters of sand from Long Island for the beach . The park also has three pavilions , a state-of-the-art playground and a mile-long leisure path .

“ It ’ s just a way to cool down in the hot summer ,” Bliss said .

A lifeguard sat in his tower and kept watch over the water on a lazy Friday afternoon . Tobias Craner , another lifeguard , stood under the shade of a tree , preparing to leave for his lunchbreak . A pillow and sleeping bag sat on the grass next to him for breaks or when the beach is empty .

He said he enjoys the perk of being outside . The beach is quiet , except during summer camp , when it hosts one of the largest camp programs in Orange County .

“ It ’ s a lot of kids ,” Craner said . “ That ’ s kind of cool interacting with some of the kids . Some of them just play in the sand and others go for a swim .”

Walden resident Sara Estabrooks lounged in a tent while watching her baby and three children . Her boy built a sandcastle as she spoke . She could keep watch of her children from the shore while they learned to swim in the shallow lake .

“ They love to practice their swimming ,” Estabrooks said . “ It ’ s perfect for their swimming because it ’ s gradual so they can wade out far enough and feel comfortable and not be in over their heads .”

Estabrooks and her family just moved to the area and were looking for a place to go for the kids . She found the beach online and bought a season pass . This was the fifth day that week she took her family to the park . She said she wants her kids to have time outside and the beach was the perfect place to go .

“ Just being outside is a big thing for them so having a place just for them to swim and cool off and just kind of get outside and relax is really good for us ,” Estabrooks said .

The park and beach are open every day from 12 - 6 p . m

Estabrooks said she enjoys the quiet atmosphere of the beach ; it reminds her of the beach her family used to go to at their last residence .

“ I ’ m excited that this beach kinda feels like home for them ,” she said .

The park is a place for everyone to enjoy , from new residents to those that have lived in Walden for years . Local residents Nicole Demshick and Tracey Malloy sunbathed on the sand . They said they have been going to the beach for six years .

“ It has everything , it ’ s the perfect place to go ,” Malloy said .

However , Malloy said the beach used to have paddle boats and a trampoline ,

Sunbathers Nicole Demschick ( left ) and Tracey Malloy ( right ) enjoy the beach on a Friday afternoon in June . and she wishes the village parks and recreation department would bring that back .

For others , the park is reminiscent of childhood .

Long-time Walden resident Jackie Roebuck has fond childhood memories of playing at the park and swimming in the “ mudhole ,” or what she calls the beach . Her grandmother lived down the street , so she and her cousins and friends used to ride their bikes to the park to swim , play in paddle boats , hang out at the pavilion or throw a fishing line in the water .

She said she went to the park for summer camp as well . Her favorite activities were playing capture the flag in the woods , playing on the playground , or playing with water guns . The best day was always t-shirt tie-dying day , led by local counselors she looked up to .

The park was also an opportunity for generations of residents to come together . Her parents also went to the beach as kids , and her grandparents used to take her as a child . It was a place for everyone to come together and enjoy themselves .

“ It was just a good place in the community for people to make really fun memories ,” Roebuck said .

The park and beach are open every day from 12-6 p . m . The park is free , and day passes range from $ 2 to $ 4 for the beach , depending on age and Walden residency . Individual season passes are $ 35 for Walden residents and $ 50 for nonresidents , and family passes are $ 50 for residents and $ 75 for non-residents .