Assemblyman Brian Maher made a guest appearance at the town of Shawangunk’s October 3 meeting, surprising residents and officials with a special present: a $75,000 check toward capital improvements, providing the town with ample funding for recreation projects.

Maher announced that $50,000 of the check would fund a brand-new, ADA-compliant boat launch and dock on the Wallkill River, including all the necessary equipment for visitors with disabilities to board and exit the water. He mentioned that the Town of Montgomery installed its own ADA-compliant dock last May in Benedict Farm Park, greatly expanding the park’s accessibility, and he seeks to help other municipalities secure those amenities.

“In the Town of Montgomery, I don’t know if anybody’s been there at Benedict Farm Park, but we have a beautiful handicap-accessible boat launch on the Wallkill River. We all know it’s an untapped resource, people come from all over to be able to use it, and there are not enough activities for those that have a handicap,” Maher said. “For Shawangunk, we priced it out and the dock was about $50,000 total, so I was coming here to announce that we have $50,000 to fully fund that.”

The remaining $25,000 will go toward funding a refrigeration system for Popp Park’s ice rink, a project that the board and Wallkill Lions Club have been working on since March.

Previously, the Lions Club relied on natural temperatures to keep the ice rink frozen, but due to climate changes, the rink has become harder to manage over the last few years. A refrigeration system would maintain the ice rink’s temperature all season long, expanding the opportunities for community events and school athletic integration.

The Lions Club is currently fundraising and seeking grants to cover the refrigerator unit’s cost, which was estimated at $110,000. Maher’s contribution will chip off a large chunk of the price.

“The Lions Club is moving forward with the plan of purchasing the removable ice skating rink for Popp Park to be installed in the pavilion annually throughout the winter…this isn’t just for public skating or an event we host, this could be something big for the school through the athletic departments, for all the students,” said David LaSpada, president of the Lions Club. “We are in the process of working on grants, and we have three potential funding streams through the Lions organization. We also began a public campaign for fundraising.”

Town Supervisor Ken Ronk Jr. and the board were thrilled with Maher’s check and they asserted that the money would go a long way to enhance the town’s recreation.

“On behalf of the Town of Shawangunk, our taxpayers, and the Lions Club, thank you very much. The boat launch has been a dream of many organizations, including the Vision of Wallkill and the Lions Club, and we’ve tried to maximize the use of the river down there at Popp Park,” Ronk said. “Your assistance and generosity with bringing this money back to us is going to provide a lot of joy here in the town, and allow us to use the best resource we have in the hamlet.”