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Wallkill Valley Times, Wednesday, June 5, 2019
IN THIS ISSUE
Calendar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Crossword. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Letters to the Editor. . . . . . . . . . 9
Montgomery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Obituaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Opinion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Pine Bush. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Police Blotter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
School News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Service Directory. . . . . . . . . . . 31
Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Walden.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
PUBLIC AGENDA
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5
Climate Smart Gardiner Task Force. 7
p.m. Town Hall, Route 44-55, Gardiner.
THURSDAY, JUNE 6
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
MONDAY, JUNE 10
Valley Central Board of Education, 6:30
p.m. Administration building, 944 Route
17K, Montgomery.
Town of Montgomery Planning Board,
7:30 p.m. Town Hall, 110 Bracken Road,
Montgomery.
CORRECTION
In last week’s “Wallkill observes Memorial
Day” story, Sergeant at Arms Al Smiley and
Post Post Chaplain John Nodop laid the
memorial wreaths. The information was
incorrect in last week’s paper.
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 :
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[email protected]
CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS
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TO REACH THE EDITOR
[email protected]
FOR THE SPORTS DEPARTMENT
[email protected]
PUBLIC NOTICES
[email protected]
WEBSITE
www.timescommunitypapers.com
The Wallkill Valley Times, (USPS 699-490) is a weekly
newspaper published every Wednesday at Newburgh,
NY 12550, with offices at 300 Stony Brook Court,
Newburgh, NY. Single copy: $1 at newsstand. By mail
in Orange, Ulster or Sullivan Counties: $40 annually,
$44 out of county. Periodicals permit at Newburgh, NY.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Wallkill Valley
Times, 300 Stony Brook Court, Newburgh, NY 12550.
New bookstore opens in Pine Bush
By LAURA FITZGERALD
[email protected]
B
roadleaf
Books
owner
Alex
Jakubowski ran his hand over books
nestled on the shelves, pulling out his
favorite titles. The Bird Artist by Howard
Norman. Classic titles from J.R.R Tolkien.
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.
“The thing about being in the
bookstore is there are so many things I
want to read,” he said.
Packed tight with books, the shelves
around him were categorized with
laminated labels. He strolled through
the little store, pointing out the sections;
fiction, mystery, romance, children’s; and
less traditional sections, like paranormal,
folklore and outdoor living. Jakubowski
estimates the store has more than 45
categories of books, with about 50
categories in his personal collection.
For the past six years, Jakubowski and
his wife, Amanda Crowell, loaded up their
car with tents, collapsible bookshelves
and piles of books before arriving at
festivals to sell their wares. They also sell
their collection online through Amazon.
While they always had their eye on a
brick-and-mortar store, the pieces fell
into place when a friend of a friend found
the space on Main Street in Pine Bush.
The couple opened the store earlier this
month.
The couple stock the store from their
personal collection in their home’s
basement, which Jakubowski estimates
stands around 50,000 titles. The store can
only hold a fraction of that.
Books have been a life-long passion
for Jakubowski. As a kid before the
internet, he would crack open the set of
encyclopedias his father bought when he
needed to conduct research for school
projects. What started as quick references
often turned into hours of immersing
himself in the volumes, jumping from one
entry to the next.
Another gateway for a young
Alex Jakubowski recently opened Broad Leaf Books on Main Street in Pine Bush.
Jakubowski was comic books, which
turned into an interest in science fiction
and fantasy. He borrowed his parent’s old
books and turned to his older brothers’
bookcases when he needed something to
read. One book always led to the next.
His natural love of reading led him
to study English in college and become
an English teacher. He has 30 years of
experience teaching English, including 26
years at SUNY Orange.
When you hold a used book, you become
a part of the chain of people who have
held that book before, becoming a part of
its shared history, Jakubowski said.
There is a whole history and body
of knowledge when you enter a book,
Jakubowski said.
“You never know, when you open
a book, where it’s going to take you,”
Jakubowski said. “There is always that
history and excitement of another shared
experience.”
Jakubowski sees the store as a
community space for people to find
books, meet friends and potentially have
a space for small events like book clubs
or readings.
“I like the idea of having people be able
to come in and feel comfortable, do a book
club or sit down with some friends or have
a cup of coffee and chat,” Jakubowski
said. “It’s nice to have a community
space.”
Most items in the store ranges from 50
cents to $5. Broad Leaf Books also sells
vinyl, CDs and DVDs.
The store accepts donations of used
books. Most of the couple’s inventory
comes from donations from libraries,
bookstores and family and friends.
Located at 85A Main Street in Pine
Bush, the store is open Wednesday
through Fridays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.,
Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and
Sundays from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. To learn
more, visit broadleafbookstore.com, call
313-5806 or email broadleafbookstore@
gmail.com.
Montgomery appoints new Highway Superintendent
Todd Page is the new Town of Montgomery Superintendent
of Highways and Farr Engineering is the new interim building
inspector.
Page will take over for Charlie Woznick, who is retiring, on
May 31. Page was the deputy superintendent of highways and has
been with the Town of Montgomery highway department for his
entire career of 30 years.
Shawn Meres, who has been with the department for 13 years,
will step in as the deputy superintendent of highways.
In a meeting on May 30, the town board appointed Farr
Engineering as the interim town building inspector, to fill in
for Walter Schmidt while he is on an approximately four-week
medical leave of absence.
“We’re just here to help the town for four weeks,” Principal
Jim Farr said.
The firm will carry out the regular duties of the building
inspector in Schmidt’s leave of absence, including zoning
determinations, inspections, etc.
Farr also recommended the town contract outside architects
for code review of large projects, such as Project Sailfish and
Medline.
- Laura Fitzgerald