Sen. Metzger Announces $100K in State and Municipal Aid Grant for Emergency Shelter Project

Town of Wallkill, NY...State Senator Jen Metzger (SD-42) today announced $100,000 in State and Municipal Facilities Capital grant funding to equip a catering facility at the Town of Wallkill’s Golf Club to be an emergency shelter for Circleville residents. The grant will enable the town to pay for a back-up generator and other improvements so that the building can serve this dual purpose. Senator Metzger made the announcement at the site of the future shelter, and was joined by Town of Wallkill Supervisor Frank DenDanto, Commissioner of Public Works Louis Ingrassia, Jr., Circleville Fire District President Patricia Bedford, and Orange County Legislators Michael Paduch and Robert Sassi, among others.

"Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and severe with climate change, and a key part of strengthening our resilience is making sure we have adequate emergency shelter capacity in our communities," said Senator Jen Metzger. "The grant will provide the hamlet of Circleville with its own emergency shelter, and will effectively double the emergency shelter capacity for the town's 30,000 residents."

During Hurricanes Irene and Lee, flooding made the roads impassable leaving Circleville isolated from the rest of the Town. Residents of the Hamlet area were left without power and potable water for over two weeks. 

Town of Wallkill Supervisor Frank DenDanto III said, “Within the past decade, our town has faced the growing challenge of climate change. It is undeniable that the weather has had an increasing destructive impact. As recently as a few short weeks ago, sections of our community struggled with days of no power brought on by a simple, yet increasingly forceful tropical storm. It is no secret that these instances are growing in frequency and severity.

“This new Circleville Shelter will expand the town’s ability to provide shelter, water and power to a section of the community that would otherwise be left to fend on its own in the most severe of storms,” DenDanto continued. “Senator Metzger’s leadership and commitment to the safety and resilience of our community is a cornerstone to the town’s ability to expand this service. Thank you to the Senator for her continued support.”

Louis Ingrassia Jr., Town of Wallkill Department of Public Works / Office of Emergency Management Commissioner said, “Senator Metzger providing this much needed funding to the Town of Wallkill is greatly appreciated. This Grant will allow us to better provide an Emergency Shelter in the event of a natural disaster for our residents in the more rural areas of our Town that may not be able to reach our Town Community Center during a prolonged Emergency. This Emergency Shelter in Circleville will serve the larger local community as well, as we will become a more resilient and safer community where residents will not have to navigate dangerous and impassable roads to reach an Emergency Shelter. Once again, thanks to Senator Metzger who has become an integral part of our Town of Wallkill leadership team during her tenure in the New York State Senate.”

Jen Metzger represents the 42nd Senate District, which includes all of Sullivan County and parts of Delaware, Orange, and Ulster Counties. Senator Metzger serves as Chair of the Agriculture Committee and sits on the Environmental Conservation, Education, Health, Energy and Telecommunications, Local Government, Women’s Issues, Domestic Animal Welfare, and Legislative Commission on Rural Resources Committees. 

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