Town of Shawangunk Councilman Alex Danon said social media has been buzzing lately about loud bangs rocking the town late into the night. The same disturbing reports also came from Montgomery, Walden and Pine Bush, he said.

Police Chief Gerald Marlatt acknowledged that he’d heard of the residents’ concerns about the loud noises, but he couldn’t shed much light on the situation at the April 20 Town Board meeting.

“As well as strange sightings in the sky and stationary lights which I’ve seen myself,” Marlatt responded. “I have no idea what it is. They’ve had every suggestion from sonic booms to this, that and the other thing.”

Marlatt said the noises have been heard all over the Catskills and Hudson Valley.

“It’s not exclusive to our area,” he said. “It’s all over the place. It’s Sullivan County. It’s Ulster County. It’s Orange County.”

Marlatt said the only local thing he could think of was perhaps the sonic booms were coming from planes flying out of nearby New York Stewart International Airport.
You’re not going to see it,” he said. “It’s subsonic. It’s a military base. Even though the airport is denying it, the airport is not the military. And I don’t think the military is openly going to say, ‘Oh yeah, we’re test flying this or test flying that.’ But other than that, nobody has actually seen anything or has any credible evidence that says what it could possibly be or even where to look.”

In other business, the Town Board approved former board member Matthew Watkins as a part-time municipal code officer.

Deputy Supervisor Adrian “Binker” DeWitt, who ran the meeting in the absence of Supervisor John Valk, said Watkins was hired to help the town catch up on work that wasn’t done in the absence of Building Inspector/Code Enforcement Officer Robert Wallner, who been out for a couple of weeks due to illness.

“We were kind of backed up with inspections,” DeWitt said. “We brought on a part-timer (Watkins) to help (Wallner) and between the two of them they’re getting caught up. We’re going to continue to use him to fill in because it’s a busy time of the year.”

Watkins, who will start at $21 an hour, will probably remain in the position through the end of the fall, DeWitt said.

The board approved $1,000 to hire an additional part-time employee to assist new planning board and highway department secretary Mary Ann Longano.

Planning Board Chair Mark Watkins said he had spent 30 hours in the office one week trying to help with the work.
We’re falling behind left and right,” he said. “I don’t think people realize how much work the planning board is alone without the highway department (work). There is just so much to learn. (Highway Superintendent) Rich (Blazeski) needs help too. We’re just trying to do the best we can. And we’re fortunate enough that we can work together on it.”

The town is still accepting applications for kids to attend the summer camp that will be held Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 5 through Aug. 11 at the Verkeerderkill Park.

Town of Shawangunk and Crawford residents can send their first child to the camp for $600. The nonresident cost is $675 for the first child. Additional children can attend the camp with a $25 per child discount from the original fee.

The price includes breakfast and lunch daily and three field trips.

Other activities include sports and karate, hiking and science projects, arts and crafts and water sports.

The camp is available for boys and girls. For more information, visit www.shawangunk.org or call camp director Gillian Batchasingh at 917-848-8633.