Although the late Mr. Marcus “Mickey” Millspaugh was most likely a good man, why did the late State Senator Bill Larkin give a $150,000 grant for a boat launch in the village of Walden in his name?  Was the late Mr. Millspaugh a heavy donor to Senator Larkin, hence the grant?  

To my understanding a grant needs to be used within a specific amount of time.  The contractor who won the bid for the project can’t be bothered to respond to John Revella,  Walden Village Manager as to when the project can be built.   

While reading the Wallkill Valley Times I noticed that there are two other organizations more deserving of $150,000 than a boat launch.  The two organizations are not state or local government and would not be eligible for the grant, sadly. The first is the American Legion Post 521 Osborn-Fitzsimmons in Montgomery.  They need repairs to their building and are not renewing the lease on Heather’s Childs Place, which is a daycare center.  The other is the Walden Humane Society.  They are in desperate need of a new van for transporting cats and dogs.   

The $150,000 (ideally both receiving $75,000) would be money better spent on the American Legion Post 521 and the Walden Humane Society instead of a boat launch for a small stretch of the Wallkill River between the falls and a dam. 

Priorities – a boat launch isn’t one of them.