Vol . 35 , No 6 3 WEDNESDAY , FEBRUARY 8 , 2017 3 ONE DOLLAR

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www . WallkillValleyTimes . net

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By JESSICA COHEN jcohen @ tcnewspapers . com

Where acrobats once swung from rafters , other art may soon take form . The Big Apple Circus rehearsal facility in Walden will become Polich Tallix Fine Art Foundry after the property sale closes in late February , according to Adam Demchak , executive vice president and general manager of the foundry , now in Rock Tavern . In addition to the purchase price of $ 2.5 million , the company will invest $ 1 million in renovation and equipment .

The company casts and fabricates sculpture for artists whose work populates galleries in New York and beyond , as well as the Oscar statuettes , Demchak said at a Town of Montgomery Industrial Development Agency meeting this week . He represented the foundry , owned by Dick Polich , at a public hearing for their proposal for financial assistance in the form of ten years of tax exemptions for sales , mortgage , and real property taxes on purchases and improvements for the facility . The IDA approved their request , which would save the company “ a touch

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Residents appeared before the Montgomery Town Board last week to complain about the condition of the former Benedict Farmhouse on property acquired by the town 15 years ago .

By JESSICA COHEN jcohen @ tcnewspapers . com

Residents denounced Town of Montgomery officials for neglecting Benedict Farmhouse , the building department , and the ethics committee , at a town board meeting last week .

Initiating the confrontation was Bruce Shafer , who encouraged numerous residents to attend the meeting . His grandparents had lived in the farmhouse

before it was sold to the Benedicts . He said he had asked Hayes several times over the last year about upkeep for the farmhouse , owned by the town for 15 years , and about the plaque town officials promised to mount in honor of Shafer ’ s mother . She had donated $ 50,000 to the town to build Burnett Pavilion . Meanwhile the house is overgrown and needs paint .

“ We don ’ t have an exact plan yet ,” said Town Supervisor Mike Hayes , referring

to the farmhouse . As for the plaque , he said , “ I ’ ve priced out a bronze plaque , the size of letters , and availability .”

Joan Buck Smith , a historic preservation board member and former town councilwoman , asked town board members to organize a committee to take action .

“ I ’ m here to speak up in favor of fixing up the house ,” she said . “ I was a friend

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