Spring Valley residents and local officials gathered Sunday to officially open the village’s new community center, named for the late Rockland County legislator, teacher and activist William “Bill” Darden.
Officials on hand for the ceremony included Mayor Noramie Jasmin, Ramapo Town Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence, Ramapo Councilman Daniel Friedman, Rockland County Legislator Tony Earl, and former Mayor George Darden, brother of Bill Darden.
Bill Darden was instrumental in obtaining funds to clean up the lake in Memorial Park, near where the community center bearing his name now stands on a raised foundation off Dr. Berg Lane.
The $800,000 center was built at no cost to the village. At 6,000 square feet, it holds a dance studio that doubles as a 60-person meeting space with a flat-screen TV, a kitchen, a concession stand, a computer room, an exercise room and an arts and crafts room. A deck surrounds the building and leads to a wheelchair ramp.
The village used a $30,000 grant from the county Health Department to buy treadmills, stationary bikes, weight-lifting equipment, the Wii Fit station, outdoor sports equipment and to install the dance studio supplies.
The center is free and open to the public. For more information about using the space for group events and operating hours, call Village Hall at 845-352-1100.
