T
IMES
Paving the Oregon Trail
WALLKILL VALLEY
Vol. 34, No 29 3 WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2016
Summer
rec
Summer
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ONE DOLLAR
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Additional state funds to complete job started last year
By TED REMSNYDER
Finding themselves with a more robust
highway improvement fund than they
originally planned for, the Shawangunk
Town Board approved a plan at its July 14
meeting to pave two miles of the Oregon
Trail roadway. One third of the three-mile
route between Wallkill and Walker Valley
was repaved last year, and the rest of the
roadway will be renovated this year to the
cost of $285,000. The town had expected
to have $300,000 for road restorations, but
additional state funding boosted that total
to $385,000.
The funding is coming from the New
York State Department of Transportation
Consolidated Local Street and Highway
Improvement Program. “We never know
how much it’s going to be, and we had
conservatively budgeted it as receiving
$185,000 as revenue,” Town Supervisor
John Valk said. “With the money left
over that we didn’t spend last year, we
Hot rods
Classic cars lined Walden’s Municipal Square last Saturday. Story, photos on page 19.
have $85,000 additional, plus the PAVE
NY money, which they allocated. So we’re
going to put that into the roads. It’s no
good just sitting around not using it.” The
remainder of the highway money will be
divvied up in the coming months between
a handful of local roads. “We have $100,000
to spend,” Valk said. “We’re going to look
at streets in the hamlet first.”
The town is now accepting applications
Continued on page 4
Gardiner
Highway
chief wants
4-year term
By TED REMSNYDER
The Highway Superintendent position
in the Town of Gardiner could be on the
verge of changing to a long-term job, as a
public referendum is set for November on
the proposition of switching the elected
post from a two-year term to a four-year
reign. After the Town Board held a public
hearing at its July 12 meeting that drew
no major concerns from local residents
about the issue, the referendum will be on
the ballot this fall.
The impetus for the potential term
change came from an appeal by current
Highway Superintendent Brian Stiscia,
who contends that giving the office holder
a longer term would allow the department
head to concentrate more fully on the
job without having to focus on getting
re-elected only two years later. “It was
a request that came from the Highway
Superintendent,” Town Supervisor
Marybeth Majestic said. “He believes that
it pulls his efforts away from the job
because he has to campaign.” Stiscia has
another year on his present term, and if
the referendum passes in November, the
new four-year term would apply to the
person elected to the post in 2018.
Prior to last Tuesday’s board meeting,
town officials proudly showed off the
newly-renovated front entranceway to
the Town Hall. The refurbished entrance
includes all-new concrete steps, which
replaced the old setup of concrete
stairs with bluestone pavers. The prior
Continued on page 4
SERVING CRAWFORD, GARDINER, MAYBROOK, MONTGOMERY, PINE BUSH, SHAWANGUNK, WALDEN AND WALLKILL