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Wallkill Valley Times , Wednesday , June 21 , 2017

PUBLIC AGENDA

THURSDAY , JUNE 22

Walkill Town Board , 7:30 p . m . Town Government Center , 99 Tower Drive , Middletown .

MONDAY , JUNE 26

Maybrook Village Board , 7 p . m . Government Center , 111 Schipps Lane , Maybrook . Town of Montgomery Planning Board , 7:30 p . m . Town Government Center , 110 Bracken Road , Montgomery .

TUESDAY , JUNE 27 Pine Bush Board of Education . 7 p . m . Circleville Middle School .

WEDNESDAY , JULY 5 Town of Shawangunk Planning Board , 7 p . m . Town Hall , 14 Central Ave ., Wallkill .

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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 , NY . 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

Pictured outside the new sheriff substation : Shawangunk Supervisor John Valk , Zone Sergeant James Riley , Deputy Sheriff Damon Alberts , Town Clerk Jane Rascoe and Ulster County Legislature Chairman Kenneth Ronk .

By TED REMSNYDER

The Ulster County Sheriff ’ s Office Wallkill substation has a long and storied history in the hamlet , but it wasn ’ t until earlier this year that the outpost finally got the space the officers deserve to do their jobs . The station relocated in January to a multi-room site at 1500 Route 208 after years spent in the plaza further up 208 wedged between Wallkill Body Shop & Glass and Wallkill Karate .

The new site , which is one of four main substations in the county , features additional workstations for the officers , more storage space , expanded bathroom facilities and more room for the police to conduct interviews on site . In a case such as a domestic incident , the officers can now interview the subjects separately inside the building to ensure accurate accounts of events . At the old site , the officers had to bring each subject into the building one at a time .

“ The previous substation , though it worked for many years , was inadequate ,” Zone Sergeant James Riley said . “ At this point , we wanted to have something that ’ s more with the times . With more and more technology equals more and more equipment , so this will definitely better fit our needs . The other substation definitely served its purpose , but after 15 to 20 years it was time to move up .”

The new ground-floor location includes a main processing area and a space for the sergeant to conduct his business . “ When you walked into the front door of the old building , you were right in the office ,” Deputy Sheriff Damon Alberts said . “ We had no separate spacing . This is more professional .” The site also includes a medication drop box that allows residents to safely dispose of their unused prescription drugs . The parking at the site is greatly expanded , as the officers only had a single designated spot at the prior lot , which would fill up quickly with customers from the neighboring businesses .

Having the substation in the hamlet for over 35 years has provided peace of mind for many residents , and the new space should be easier for citizens to access . “ From the county perspective , we ’ re thrilled with this location ,” Ulster County Legislature Chairman Kenneth Ronk said . “ Representing the hamlet of Wallkill , taking the Chair of the Legislature hat off and putting my local legislator hat on , it ’ s something I ’ ve fought to keep here since the first time I ran . Back then , some legislators from outside of the hamlet wanted to move it to the Kingston area and take it away from us in Shawangunk . That was a central point of our campaign that year , and we swept all three seats that represented this area . In talking to my neighbors and friends , it ’ s important to have the Sheriff ’ s Department here . They have a great respect and appreciation for what they do . That ’ s something I always grew up with , knowing that the Sheriff ’ s Department is here .”

During a recent tour of the facility with Ronk , Shawangunk Supervisor John Valk noted that everyone who drives into the hamlet will now pass by the new substation on Route 208 . “ I think the visibility is great , and the police presence ,” he explained . “ We have a limited police department , so they ’ re good backup for our police department . The agencies work well together . My goal at some point , if I ’ m in office long enough , is to find an area where they can share offices .”

The closest substation to the Wallkill branch is located in Wawarsing , and the officers travel far and wide to answer calls . “ We ’ re still a county agency , so there ’ s a probability that we ’ ll end up going anywhere ,” Riley said . “ Some deputies just arrived from North Post today , so that ’ s anywhere north of 299 - Rosendale , etc . This substation primarily covers the Town of Shawangunk , Gardiner , Plattekill , New Paltz , the Town of Lloyd and Marlborough .”

At least one officer is on site at the substation per shift , as Ulster County Sheriff Paul Van Blarcum has set a goal to have at least one deputy on duty per shift at each county substation . “ I know that the Wallkill substation down by the body shop has been inadequate for many years ,” Ronk said . “ John and I have been working for years trying to find a location that would be town-owned or that we could let the Sheriff ’ s Department use . The problem is , a lot of our town property is in areas where it ’ s not visible , like out by the town highway garage . There ’ s no point in having a Sheriff ’ s Department substation that nobody can get to . We had looked at other properties in town as well , but I ’ m just glad that this one came to be .” The station was located at one point near the remote garage , but was moved into town decades ago to increase visibility , and the new updated substation should now further deepen the community ’ s connection to the officer ’ s post .