Harckham Announces $150,000 in Funding to Pawling to Replace Roof on Murrow Park Lions Building

(Peekskill, NY) Senator Pete Harckham, 40th Senate District, today announced that he is awarding a State Aid to Municipalities grant of $150,000 to the Town of Pawling, to replace the roof of the Lions Building, located in the town's Murrow Park. The building, which was built in 1967, is used for Lions Club meetings and is available to community members for private gatherings.

Both the park and the building have an interesting history. The park, which was originally Burr Farm, was purchased by the Lions in 1965 for recreation and enjoyment by the residents of Pawling. In 1994, the Lions Club gifted the park to the Town of Pawling, after more than 15 years of allowing the town to rent the space. The park was named for Edward R. Murrow, the renowned CBS broadcaster and commentator, who was a resident of Pawling.

Senator Pete Harckham said, “I’m thrilled to support the Town of Pawling with this much needed grant to replace the aging roof on the Lions Building in Murrow Park. Supporting our municipalities to address their infrastructure needs is vital to keep our communities thriving. This building is where the Lions Club and other community members can gather and the new roof will help ensure the building is safe, secure and weatherproof."

James Schmitt, Supervisor, Town of Pawling said, “Murrow Park has been an important part of our community since the 1960’s, with a recreational building that is used as a meeting room for our Lions and Rotary Clubs and other events. To finally get the chance to restore the building to its original glory is exciting. I want to thank Senator Harckham for securing this grant, which is a godsend and a great spark of positive energy for our town. It’s so important for communities to work with our political leaders to find a way to restore old buildings, rather than turning our backs on them."