Editing thread back to original name.
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I posted this thread titled, "Bethelites Now Performing Community Service", and it was read 66 times in 12 hours.
Every time that I think that this group of xjws can't disappoint me any more, they do.
Well, let's try a "title" more suited to this community's interests.
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http://www.recordonline.com/archive/2002/01/27/bedell27.htm
January 27, 2002
New park two years ahead of schedule
Neither snow, nor ice, nor cold over the past 12 months has deterred volunteers from taking 83 acres of overgrown brush and woodlands and creating a picturesque park.
Located on Route 52 in Walker Valley in the Town of Shawangunk, it has been named the Verkeerder Kill Park after the freshwater stream that borders the property.
Almost before the main road was graded, a flagpole was cemented in place and the Stars and Stripes hoisted high. The flag seems to wave as incentive to create a peaceful and beautiful place for people to enjoy for many years to come.
It's been a dream for Warren Moore and Richard Greer, co-chairmen of the project.
Now, a green-and-white sign painted by state prisoners and anchored with an American flag marks the entryway to the park. A sign is posted saying, "There's no ice skating today.''
Still, dozens of passersby drive up the dirt road almost in disbelief. There, under an open pavilion, is the ice rink. When the cold weather passes, the structure, which is wired for electricity and cable TV, will hold dozens of picnic tables. There's a smaller pavilion about 500 feet away. Reservations for the pavilions will be handled by Peg Tremper, town clerk, at 895-2611.
Children's playground equipment is in place at both pavilions and is being used by the public.
A cinderblock building with a tin roof has been wired and is ready for toilets to be installed.
One hundred yards away, a trail leading to the Verkeerder Kill, a Class A trout stream, is about half-finished. A basketball court has poles for baskets cemented in place, and brush has been cleared and the ground graded for a sand volleyball court and soccer and softball fields.
"It was exactly a year ago this month that our committee started meeting weekly to clear brush,'' said Moore, a retired contractor. "We've exceeded expectations and are two years ahead of schedule.''
The committee has worked comfortably within its $95,000 budget, thanks to volunteers from Ulster, Sullivan and Orange counties.
All the heavy-duty equipment has been donated by the Boniface family, which owns Pine Bush Equipment. Jehovah's Witnesses from the nearby Watchtower Farms put in the road, donated top materials, carted shale and dug holes. Scott Smith put up the steel for the buildings, Mark Watkins of Triple M General Construction in Pine Bush has volunteered for hundreds of hours, and Greg Greer Jr. built the entryway stone pillars.
Volunteers as young as James Webb, 7, a student at Pine Bush Elementary School, have regularly visited the site and helped in many ways. But there's lots more to be done.
A Community Day is in the works for spring.
"It will be a great way for the public to see what we've done,'' said Greer, an IBM manager who has been ankle-deep in mud many times while laying drainage pipes and cables.
Meanwhile, the Town of Shawangunk Police Department continues to patrol the site regularly and volunteers continue to meet from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
"When the ice is frozen for skating,'' said Moore, "we'll have a table for donations of skates that people can borrow. And if people have skates they'd like to donate, we're happy to receive their calls.''
Moore can be reached at 744-3346.