CENTRAL VALLEY – State Assembly
Speaker Carl Heastie will head back to Albany with some verbal and visual
input on issues of concern in the 99th Assembly District, represented by
fellow Democrat James Skoufis.
One headache, destined to get worse, is Route 17 Exit 131 in Central Valley,
just off the Thruway and a gateway to the Mid Hudson Valley and the popular
Woodbury Common Shopping outlets.
“As it continues to be a problem and as was discussed, it’s
going to be an even bigger problem with a casino coming, with other economic
development coming in this immediate area, so we do need to get this done,”
Skoufis said.
Several local residents and officials agreed, and during impromptu chat
with the two lawmakers, they noted near-gridlock conditions on 17 and Route
32, on weekends, especially as holiday shopping draws near. They have been
pleading for some kind of a fix, for years.
Heastie said it “comes down to dollars and cents” in deciding
how much might be available for specific projects.
“You know one of my colleagues says this is a local concern and he
has members of the committee who say this is a local concern,” Heastie
said. “So really, just gives a visual, you know, to me, that this
is something important to him and the district that he represents, so the
negotiations and discussions that I have with the Governor and the Senate,
it just helps us to kind of, I’d say, push these things forward a
little bit.”
Other stops on Wednesday’s tour included meeting privately with business
leaders in Cornwall, a walking tour of downtown Goshen, and visits to Soons
Orchard, the National Purple Heard Hall of Honor and Stewart Airbase, where
Heastie Skoufis were joined by Assemblyman Frank Skartados.
