Vol . 35 , No 2 3 WEDNESDAY , JANUARY 11 , 2017 3 ONE DOLLAR

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www . WallkillValleyTimes . net

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By TED REMSNYDER

When an unexpected explosion rocked the Town of Shawangunk on the afternoon of Dec . 31 , it wasn ’ t an early New Year ’ s Eve fireworks celebration that shook local buildings and blew a window out at one neighborhood home . It was a blast emanating from the Iron Sword facility .

As residents reported at the Town Board meeting on Thursday night , the explosion , which occurred at

By TED REMSNYDER

Streets throughout the Village of Walden will soon be spared the battering provided by a daily influx of enormous trucks after the village board passed the first local law of the year at its meeting last Tuesday . The legislation , which was approved unanimously , bars trucks and tractor trailers weighing 10,000 pounds or more from travelling on all village roads except for the eight streets designated as the Truck Route System . Local deliveries will still be allowed if drivers use the proper routes to reach their destination .

While the village already has weight limits on the books for 65 village streets , the new law was deemed necessary to further protect local roads from the outsize wear and tear inflicted by heavy truck traffic . The legislation , which was in the works for several months , was written in consultation with the Walden Police Department , and is expected to cut down on the amount residents need to pay to maintain damaged roads . From now on , massive trucks in Walden will only be

Continued on page 4 approximately 2 p . m ., resulted from a Tannerite target being detonated at the construction company ’ s shooting range . Locals testified at the meeting that the unofficial target range has been a worsening problem in the town for several years , and Shawangunk Police Chief Frank Petrone said that the department has responded to a dozen complaints about the range .

Tannerite exploding targets are set off by highvelocity gun blasts and the product uses a mixture of ammonium nitrate and aluminum powder to produce

Carl Aiello

An American Bald Eagle surveys the scene on the frozen Wallkill River , from his perch above the river ’ s west bank recently . dramatic explosions that mirror action scenes straight out of a Hollywood movie . Petrone explained during the meeting that regulations limiting the Tannerite targets are lax and that the explosions are becoming an increasing problem throughout the county .

The New Year ’ s Eve detonation startled Bobby McMann , who lives on Route 300 near the Iron Sword complex . “ It knocked the pictures off my wall ,” he

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By RACHEL COLEMAN

The Montgomery Town Board held their annual reorganization meeting on Thursday , making several appointments , including that of John Pennings to the post of town historian .

“ I ’ ve always had a love of history ,” John Pennings said after the meeting .

Pennings has quietly served as town historian for the last six months , after being appointed by Supervisor Mike Hayes on June 9 .

Prior to his appointment , the position had remained vacant for several months , after Hayes chose not to reappoint longtime historian Suzanne Isaksen last January .

Pennings said he expressed interest in the post to the town supervisor upon his

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SERVING CRAWFORD , GARDINER , MAYBROOK , MONTGOMERY , PINE BUSH , SHAWANGUNK , WALDEN AND WALLKILL