В Вилтоне открыт рыболовный парк имени ветерана Роя Макдональда

WILTON, N.Y. — Wilton residents have a new space to enjoy the outdoors while honoring a longtime public servant and the brave men and women who risk their lives serving our country with the official opening of the Roy McDonald Veterans Fishing Park. “The town of Wilton is proud to dedicate this new park to all who have served in the military. However, we want to specifically honor former town supervisor Roy McDonald today,” Town Board Councilman Ray O’Conor shared during the ribbon-cutting ceremony. McDonald has served as a NYS Senator and NYS Assemblyman, as well as the Wilton Town Supervisor for 23 years, and also the Wilton County Supervisor and Chairman of the Saratoga Board of Supervisors. According to the NYS Senate Website, some of his achievements include the creation of the 3,000-acre Wilton Wildlife Preserve and Park, building the Town’s Gavin Park Complex, the Wilton Veterans’ housing facility – among others. McDonald is also a decorated veteran of the Vietnam War, having served as an Artillery Forward Observer with the U. S. Army’s First Cavalry Division and participated in numerous combat assaults on the South Vietnamese-Cambodian border, as well as in Cambodia. He was recently recognized as one of the honorees at the Veterans and Community Housing Coalition’s Veterans Ball, and the Friends of the New York State Military Museum named him their 2025 Veteran of the Year. The park, which is located on the east side of Northern Pines Road, between Gailor and Ballard Roads, features a loop stone dust path that leads to a fishing pier that overlooks the Snook Kill River – which is stocked each spring with primarily brown trout by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. The park’s path cuts through a pastoral setting surrounded by wetlands, and in spring will feature many flowers and blooms that residents and visitors can enjoy, along with the scenery of the Snook Kill. The project was spearheaded by O’Conor; Director of Planning and Engineering Ryan Riper, and Highway Superintendent Mike Monroe, with technical assistance from Doug Heller of the L.A. Group. The park will be open from dawn to dusk seven days a week, and though Monday served as its official ribbon-cutting and opening, O’Conor noted that residents have already begun to use the park, riding their bikes and enjoying the scenery and new pier. “This has been town-owned land for a very, very long time, and at one time was a park, but when we built Gavin Park many years ago, this property was unused,” O’Conor explained. “A couple of years ago — what planted the idea in my head was my grandson and some of his friends who live here; they love to fish. This property is within bicycle-riding distance of most of the subdivisions here in town. So we talked about it amongst the town board and the town staff, and decided we would build a fishing pier along the Snook Kill.” “I’ve been down here to check on things almost every day, and almost every day there are kids down here…even if you don’t like to fish, this is such a tranquil setting. You can walk a couple of 100 yards down to the pier and feel like you’re out in the middle of nowhere.” The Saratogian got the chance to speak with McDonald and his wife, Angela, while they were walking around the park, with McDonald sharing that he was feeling very honored. “I get to see my people,” McDonald said with a smile. “They and this (the park) are really nice…Certainly I didn’t do all this, but I tried to be someone who helped people, and this is a big honor. I’m really happy.”