Wallkill Valley Times Sep. 13 2017

T IMES WALLKILL VALLEY Vol. 35, No 37 3 WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2017 3 ONE DOLLAR Bushmen surge past Valley Central Celebrating Coltrane Page 14 Page 44 www .W allkill V alley T imes . net ‘Radical rezoning’ at issue in Montgomery By RACHEL COLEMAN A proposed local law to rezone three parcels in the town of Montgomery drew criticism during a public hearing on Thursday. “You’re flying in the face of the Planning Board,” said Susan Cockburn. The properties at issue are located along Route 416, Late bus across from Storm King Contracting on Neelytown Road and extending to the town line with Hamptonburgh. The law would change the zoning for the parcels from residential (RA.5) to industrial (ID). The town’s Planning Board noted at their recent meeting that the properties were located in a flood plain and possible flood way, in addition to being located in an area along the Wallkill River that the town’s comprehensive plan advised against development. “I don’t understand how this has come up,” said town resident Cathy Pitts, after calling attention to the planning board’s concerns. Pitts, of Windfall Farms, located on Neelytown Road, said the area floods regularly and there is no room Continued on page 4 Shawangunk Republicans have spoken Ladies leaping School district working with bus company to flatten the kinks By TED REMSNYDER The Valley Central School District administration is working overtime to solve the issues with persistently delayed school buses that have beset the district through the first week of the school year, but a major improvement on delay times might not arrive until the middle of next week. The new five-year bus contract that Valley Central and the Wallkill Central School District both inked with East End Bus Lines earlier this year was supposed to streamline transportation services for both districts, but the transition from previous provider First Student proved rocky as soon as the new school year began. On the first day of classes for Valley Central on Sept. 5, district parents were dismayed when buses ferrying their children home from school arrived two hours late in some instances. Since that opening school day, the delays have been significantly cut, but the buses are still arriving 40-60 minutes late in some cases. At the Valley Central school board meeting on Monday night, the administration revealed that East End has targeted Sept. 20 as the date when Continued on page 5 Watkins turns back challenger Danon at caucus By RACHEL COLEMAN Carl Aiello Dancers from the Take the Leap Dance Studio perform, Saturday, during Gardiner Day Festivities. Photos of Montgomery and Gardiner Days are on pages 22 and 23. With election night still a few weeks away, Shawangunk residents have something a little better than a crystal ball: the results of the Shawangunk Republican party caucus. As no Democratic candidates are being put forward this November, last week’s caucus determined the only names that will appear on the ballot. With only two town council seats up for grabs, the town’s registered Republicans were called upon to choose two of the three candidates nominated for the job: incumbent Adrian “Binker” Dewitt, incumbent Matthew Watkins, or challenger Alex Danon. Complicating their decision was the elephant in the room—the fact that the committee had abandoned Watkins and thrown its weight behind newcomer Continued on page 2 SERVING CRAWFORD, GARDINER, MAYBROOK, MONTGOMERY, PINE BUSH, SHAWANGUNK, WALDEN AND WALLKILL