Vol. 36, No. 20 3 WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2018
3
ONE DOLLAR
Schedule
of events Tartaglione to
defend title
Pages 19-22 Page 39
w w w .W a l l k i l l V a l l e y T i m e s . n e t
Wallkill mourns Dennis O’Mara
Former Board of Education President dies of fire-related injuries
The Wallkill School District is in
mourning this week, following the
death of former School Board President
Dennis O’Mara who died Sunday in a
fire in Chatham, NY.
“It is with great sadness that I share
with you that Dennis O’Mara passed
away on Sunday,” said Superintendent
Kevin Castle, Tuesday, in a prepared
statement. “Recently Dennis retired
from the Board of Education after
serving for 28 years. While on the
Wallkill Board of Education, he
served on many committees and was
a visible supporter of many home and
away athletic activities and concerts
that he attended. Dennis ensured that
all students were provided a variety
of learning opportunities in order to
prepare them to be college and career
ready.”
O’Mara, 71, who recently relocated
to Chatham in Columbia County,
sustained significant burns following a
fire in his Chatham Manor Apartments
home Sunday morning. Emergency
responders rescued O’Mara, who was
a wheelchair user and trapped in the
apartment, according to the Chatham
Fire Department.
O’Mara was treated by the Chatham
Rescue Squad and then taken to a
landing zone at the Columbia County
Fairgrounds. He was airlifted to
Westchester Medical Center’s burn unit,
but later succumbed to his injuries.
A 1965 graduate of Wallkill Senior
High School and a retired IBM employee,
O’Mara had lived in the area for most
of his life. He was first elected to the
school board in 1990. During his tenure
on the school board, he was a fixture
at sporting events and other school
activities.
Storm leaves
thousands
without power
By JASPREET GILL
[email protected]
Dennis O’Mara was honored at the 2007 Wallkill Saint Patrick’s Day parade.
“Dennis was an outstanding and
excellent role model for both adults
and students. The Wallkill learning
community was fortunate to have
him as an acquaintance and friend,”
Castle said. His guidance and direction
as a board member strengthend the
bond between the community and the
district.”
More than 60,000 Orange County residents
were left without power Tuesday evening
as hail, heavy winds and thunderstorms
caused power outages, road closures,
downed wires and a tornado warning
throughout the region.
Orange
County
Emergency
Management reported a quarter of an inch
of hail in the Pine Bush area. Road closures
led to a delay in residents being able to vote
for the district’s school board and budget
elections. A power outage at the high school
left residents unable to vote for a short
period of time, while roads going towards
Crawford were closed off completely due to
downed power lines and fallen trees.
Branches were scattered on Albany Post
Rd and Hill Avenue was temporarily closed
off while the fire department was in the
process of removing a fallen tree.
The National Weather Service issued
a severe thunderstorm watch in effect
until 11 pm on Tuesday night with wind
gusts reaching speeds up to 80 mph with a
looming threat of tornadoes.
A tornado watch was issued for Ulster,
Sullivan and Dutchess counties until 8 pm
while the rest of the Hudson Valley region
was under a severe thunderstorm watch
until 11 pm.
In the Village of Walden, Village
Manager John Revella declared a state of
emergency beginning at 6 pm on Tuesday
due to damages caused by the storm.
The Orange County Government
Facebook page urged residents to monitor
their local media for the latest updates
by subscribing to NY-ALERT, a free
notification service by calling 1-888-697-
6972.
SERVING CRAWFORD, GARDINER, MAYBROOK, MONTGOMERY, PINE BUSH, SHAWANGUNK, WALDEN AND WALLKILL