Wallkill, Orange County, New York

: "Another Wallkill is a hamlet in Ulster County."

Wallkill is a town in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 24,659 at the 2000 census.

The Town of Wallkill is centrally located in the county. Interstate 84 crosses the south part of the town and crosses New York State Route 17 at Middletown. Routes 6 17K, 211 and 302 also cross portions of the town.

History

The early patent was dated 1724, but little was done for decades to develop and settle the region. The town was established in 1772, but part of the town was lost upon the formation of Ulster County, New York.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 62.8 square miles (162.5 km²), of which, 62.2 square miles (161.0 km²) of it is land and 0.6 square miles (1.5 km²) of it (0.92%) is water.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 24,659 people, 8,866 households, and 6,330 families residing in the town. The population density was 396.6 people per square mile (153.1/km²). There were 9,283 housing units at an average density of 149.3/sq mi (57.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 80.70% White, 9.34% African American, 0.30% Native American, 2.39% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 4.31% from other races, and 2.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 13.40% of the population.

There were 8,866 households out of which 36.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.6% were married couples living together, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.6% were non-families. 22.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.22.

In the town the population was spread out with 26.2% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 30.9% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $51,625, and the median income for a family was $57,088. Males had a median income of $40,145 versus $29,788 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,654. About 7.7% of families and 8.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.6% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over.

Government

The current supervisor of the Town of Wallkill is John Ward. The town also has four councilmen: John King, Eric Valentin, Kevin Mulqueen, and Nina.

Police Department

The Town of Wallkill Police Department is a full-time police force, led by Chief Robert Hertman and Deputy Chief John Quinn. The Town of Wallkill Police Department is one of the first, if not only, police departments in the nation to be placed under a Federal Monitor and to have come off the same. The Town of Wallkill is one of the biggest townships in Orange County in both size and population, yet the Police Department appears to be understaffed by most other agencies in the area's who share the same traits.Fact|date=July 2008 One reason for this is a low salary (Town of Wallkill Police Department is one of the lowest paid in Orange County) as well as not having a contract signed since 2006. The Town of Wallkill also suffers from an influx of new officers only to see them leave soon after. As of 2000 the T.W.P.D. has lost over 30 officers leaving to go to other Police Departments, and only 1 officer to retire. That retirement was the first and only retirement in over 25 years of the police departments being in existence.

The Wallkill Police Department has seven sergeants, two of which are on injury. 3 Detectives, 1 Traffic division officers, 1 Community Policing officer, 1 D.A.R.E. Officer, 1 School Resource officer, and one G.R.E.A.T. Officer (vacant position). The Department also has 2 officers assigned to the Evidence collection division. The Patrol division has 17 officers, 2 of which are on injury, and 1 part time officer. The Communication Division is composed of 5 Full Time dispatchers and 4 Part time dispatchers, 2 parking enforcement officer and 1 Animal Control officer. The Department also had an Emergency Response Team(E.R.T.), or S.W.A.T. team which was only used a few times before officers resigned from the position.Fact|date=July 2008

Fire Departments

The Town of Wallkill is broken into Six Fire Districts: the Circleville, Howells, Mechanicstown, Silver Lake, Pocatello, and Washington Heights Fire Districts.

Shopping

The Town of Wallkill is home to many retail stores, shopping centers, including the first Lloyd's Supercenter, and restaurants, many of which are located along New York State Route 211. The Galleria at Crystal Run, which opened in 1992, and Orange Plaza are located in the town.

Town of Wallkill Golf Club

The town is home to the Town of Wallkill Golf Club. This 18 hole town-owned course opened in 1991 and was designed by landscape architect Steve Esposito.

Town of Wallkill and Woodstock

The Woodstock Ventures Team was a group of men set up to find a location for the 3 Day Festival, the following is the story between Wallkill and Woodstock:

The Woodstock Ventures team scurried to find a site. Real estate agents across the mid-Hudson were scouring the countryside for land to rent for just a few months. Feelers went out in Rockland County, then in Orange. For $10,000, Woodstock Ventures had leased a tract of land in the Town of Wallkill owned by Howard Mills, Jr. "It was a Sunday in late March," Joel Rosenman said, One of the member's of the Woodstock Ventures team. "We drove up to Wallkill and saw the industrial park. We talked to Howard Mills and we made a deal." "The vibes weren't right there. It was an industrial park," John Roberts interjected, yet another member of the Woodstock Ventures team. "I just said, 'We gotta have a site now.'"

The 300-acre Mills Industrial Park offered perfect access. It was less than a mile from Route 17, which hooked into the New York State Thruway, and it was right off Route 211, a major local thoroughfare. It has the essentials, electricity and water lines.

The land was zoned for industry; among the permitted uses were cultural exhibitions and concerts. The promoters approached the town planning board and were given a verbal go-ahead because of the zoning. Nonetheless, Michael Lang was unhappy with the site. It was missing the back-to-the-land ambience Woodstock Ventures was selling. "I hated Wallkill," Lang said. Ventures set to work on the Mills property, all the while searching for an alternative.

Rosenman told Wallkill officials in late March or early April that the concert would feature Jazz bands and folk singers. He also said that 50,000 people would attend if they were lucky. Town Supervisor Jack Schlosser throught something was fishy. "More than anything else, I really feel they were deliberately misleading the town," Schlosser said. "The point is, they were less than truthful about the numbers. I became more and more aware, as discussions with them progressed, they did not really know what they were doing. I was in the Army when divisions were 40,000 or 50,000 men," he said. "Christ almighty, the logistics involved in moving men around... I said at one point, 'I don't care if was a convention of 50,000 ministers," I would have felt the same way."

Notable people from Middletown

Matt Morris Former MLB Pitcher

Joe Nathan Current MLB Pitcher, Minnesota TwinsRob Affuso- Drummer for hard rock band, Skid Row from 1987-1996

Additional information about Wallkill

Town of Wallkill is also home to the Orange County Fair each summer.

Communities and locations in the Town of Wallkill

* Baileyville -- A hamlet near Howells, located on NY-211 near the west town line.
* Crystal Run -- A hamlet south of Michigan Corners, near Interstate 84 at County Road 83.
* Circleville -- A hamlet north of Middletown on NY-302.
*East Middletown -- A village southeast of Middletown.
* Fair Oaks -- A hamlet north of Middletown, on NY-17.
* Higland Lake -- A small lake near the west town line.
* Highland Lakes State Park -- An undeveloped state park in the northern part of Wallkill.
* Howells -- A hamlet northwest of Middletown and north of Baileyville.
* Maple Glen -- A hamlet near the west town line.
* Mechanicstown -- A hamlet southeat of Middletown.
* Michigan Corners -- A hamlet near Scotchtown east of Middletown on NY-211.
* Middletown -- The City of Middletown borders the west side of the Town of Wallkill.
* Milburn -- A hamlet by Highland Lakes State Park.
* Phillipsburg -- A hamlet southeast of Middletown on the Wallkill River and NY-17.
* Pilgrim Corners -- A hamlet bordering the west side of Middletown on NY-211.
* Rockville -- A hamlet north of Middletown.
* Scotchtown -- A hamlet east of Middletown on Route 101.
* Silver Lake -- A small lake east of Middletown.
* Stony Ford -- A location near the east town line at the Wallkill River on County Road 53.
* Van Burenville -- A village to the northeast of town near Mount Hope.
* Washington Heights -- A hamlet northwest of Middletown.

References

External links

* [http://www.townofwallkill.com Town of Wallkill]