Improvements sought for Galeville Park
By TED REMSNYDER
When the Wallkill Youth Football League kicks off its season in September at Galeville Park , the organization could be unveiling a new snack shack that would benefit the entire community . League President Ray Kozireski presented an update on the group ’ s latest proposal during the Town of Shawangunk board meeting on Thursday , as the group wants to erect a 17 ’ x 20 ’ food stand at the public park in order to sell hot dogs , hamburgers and other assorted snacks during its youth pigskin contests .
The football league , which features games between kids ages 6-13 , is funding the project on its own , and would donate the building to the town upon its completion . Last year , the league built an equipment shed near the field to store its gear and the organization has worked to enhance the park , recently planting trees and improving the flagpole at the site . The food stand would include rollup serving windows that could be closed when the shack is not in use and grills would be placed outside of the stand to cook the lunch items . Picnic tables could eventually be installed on the outskirts of the building . At the meeting , the town board told the league to move forward with its plan .
“ They ’ re going to solicit donations from contractors , then it will be a total donation and the town will own it ,” Town Supervisor John Valk said . “ They ’ ll use it during football season and if other leagues use the field for different events , they can use it . Right now they ’ re using the pavilion and it ties up the pavilion , so that would free up the pavilion if they build it .”
The upstairs level of the structure would house a public address booth that would give the league ’ s announcers a better vantage point to call the action down on the field . A number of local contractors and businesses have stepped up to help out the youth athletic league , which is operating on a limited budget . “ We ’ re going to put a lot of money into this project ourselves , but we have companies like Hudson Valley Mason Works and local concrete companies that are making generous donations to doing this ,” Kozireski said .
Kozireski , who ’ s quick to point out that he ’ s just a small part of a league that has been growing for two decades , has been blown away by the altruism of local residents . “ The community and the board members that are involved now , as well as the parents and cheerleaders , everybody donates their time ,” Kozireski said . “ From the youth program all the way up to the high school program , there ’ s a real sense of community . You get parents whose kids are now in high school and five years later you still see them at the games . It ’ s just great how everybody gets involved and tries to do things for the youth in the area .”
The nonprofit organization would use the money from the food sold at the new stand to cover its expenses and pay the referees that work the games every weekend . The league currently sells food at the park ’ s pavilion , but the setup is not ideal . “ We ’ d be able to keep things in there during the season , so we wouldn ’ t have to move them in and out ,” ” Kozireski said of the proposed space . “ With the pavilion we have to move things in and out every Sunday because that space is open to the public if they want to rent it . The shack would be closer to the field , which possibly would lead to more sales and more money coming into the program to help the kids .”
The league is optimistic it could have the snack shack up and running when games start this fall . “ We are hoping to get it finished before the season starts ,” Kozireski said . “ We have some money to put into this , but it ’ s a decent sized project , and without the help of all of these local people it would be hard for us to do . It ’ s all lined up . We just have to put all of our ducks in a row . As long as these companies are good to go , which they told me they are , it ’ s going to happen this year .”
The league ’ s board members and parents will man the food stand during the football season , but the building would also be a boost to soccer and lacrosse leagues that could utilize the stand during their games as well . The football league would get priority use of the structure during its regular-season schedule . “ We have access to it during our season , but it belongs to the town ,” Kozireski said . “ So if it ’ s not during our season , it is open to other sporting events or for however the town sees fit to use it .”
The town board also held an executive session at the end of its meeting on June 2 to discuss incentive zoning for the long-delayed Wallkill Center Properties development . The project , which has been in the works for over a decade , has stalled in recent years . The developers have not
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Wallkill Valley Times , Wednesday , June 8 , 2016 3
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