Wallkill Valley Times Oct. 28 2015

TIMES WALLKILL VALLEY Vol. 33, No 43 3 WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015 3 ONE DOLLAR Top seed in tourney Page 56 www.WallkillValleyTimes.net Race for Montgomery Town Supervisor heats up By RACHEL COLEMAN After four terms, Montgomery Town Supervisor Mike Hayes is once again seeking re-election, but this year he faces a challenger—Mayor Dennis Leahy of Maybrook. It has been at least three elections since town residents were presented with more than one option for supervisor on Election Day, as Supervisor Mike Hayes has run uncontested. This year it’s a different story, with the mayor of Maybrook—one of the three villages located Pine Bush settlement within the town—throwing his hat into the ring. “I feel like I’ve made a difference on a village level and I’d like to do so on a town-wide level as well,” said Mayor Leahy. Leahy has served as an elected official in the Village of Maybrook for 14 years. For the first six years he was a trustee and for the last eight years he has served as mayor. During those same eight years, Hayes has been the town supervisor for Montgomery. If re-elected, this would be his fifth two-year term. “There are still some things I want to work on,” said Hayes. Hayes said he has been trying to improve the town’s infrastructure and would like to see the expansion of water services in the Neelytown Road area completed. The town recently formed the Neelytown West Water District; however, the actual water line has not yet been Continued on page 6 Theme park coming? Party time Insurance co. must pay district’s $4.48 million claim, judge rules LEGOLAND reps to visit Montgomery and Maybrook By RACHEL COLEMAN By JANE ANDERSON Taxpayers in the Pine Bush Central School District are off the hook: the state Supreme Court has ruled that the district’s insurance carrier must pay the $4.48 million claim from Pine Bush’s recently settled civil lawsuit. Justice Elaine Slobod ruled that Graphic Arts Mutual Insurance Company, a member of Utica National Insurance Group, must pay the claim that Pine Bush filed after the June settlement of a federal civil-rights lawsuit. The insurance carrier initially denied the district’s insurance claim. A hearing was scheduled yesterday for arguments regarding the amount of the payable claim. “I am very appreciative of Judge Continued on page 4 Rachel Coleman Christopher Bilodeau took second place for his age category and pauses for a moment with his sisters, Rebekah and Arianna, who came dressed as a tea bag and the tooth fairy, Saturday, at the Coldenham Fire Department’s annual Halloween Party. After they were turned away by officials in the town of Haverstraw, LEGOLAND amusement park developers are now being courted by several communities in Orange County, including the towns of Wallkill and Montgomery and the village of Maybrook. “A theme park in the Town of Montgomery would create about 1,000 jobs, bring in taxes, and opportunities for restaurants and small businesses,” explained Maybrook Mayor Dennis Leahy. Mayor Leahy said he contacted Orange County Executive Steven Neuhaus last Thursday to ask that Maybrook and Montgomery be added to the list after learning that the county executive had invited LEGOLAND officials to visit possible sites. The company is reportedly “open” to the idea of locating in Orange County. Continued on page 4 SERVING CRAWFORD, GARDINER, MAYBROOK, MONTGOMERY, PINE BUSH, SHAWANGUNK, WALDEN AND WALLKILL