Monticello, NY – Last week, Speaker Carl Heastie continued his annual statewide tour, visiting the Town of Liberty Summer Camp at Hanofee Park as well as the site of a future Head Start and childcare center in Middletown with Assemblymember Paula Elaine Kay. “It was great to be with Assemblymember Kay today visiting the Town of Liberty’s Summer Camp at Hanofee Park and seeing the restoration and renovation work being done with the O&W building in Middletown. It’s impressive to see the preservation of a historic building to meet the needs of today’s community.” Speaker Heastie said. “Programs like this summer camp and Head Start give children a safe place to learn and grow and have fun, and give parents peace of mind that their child is in good hands.”

“Thank you to Speaker Heastie for joining us today to see the way communities in the 100th Assembly District come together to support children and their futures,” Assemblymember Kay said. “The Town of Liberty’s Summer Camp at Hanofee Park provides fun and educational programming for kids here in Liberty while school is out, while the Head Start and childcare center that is being built by RECAP and the City of Middletown will prepare those children for a bright future and restore a piece of the community’s history.”

Together, Speaker Heastie and Assemblymember Kay visited the Town of Liberty’s Summer Camp located at Hanofee Park, announcing a total of $2,365,000 to improve and revitalize the camp. This funding includes $1 million to redo the basketball court and dock; $1 million to redo the pool, pickleball and tennis courts; $250,000 to update the kiddie pool; $100,000 to purchase a bus for children to get to and from camp; and $15,000 for basketball hoop nets and scholarships for students to attend camp. The Summer Camp at Hanofee Park is a day camp that serves children from ages five to 13 with a variety of activities and programming. In 2025, PepsiCo closed its Liberty manufacturing plant, laying off nearly 300 employees. While some families relocated, others have struggled to find work. Many of those families have children in the camp.

Speaker Heastie and Assemblymember Kay later visited the future site of a Head Start and childcare center in Middletown. They announced $1 million for the renovations of the Head Start program run by RECAP. Built in the 1890s, the O&W building once served the community as a train station, and is being renovated and converted by the Regional Economic Community Action Program (RECAP) and the City of Middletown. The project will maintain the historic façade of the building, and include 10 classrooms, a multipurpose room and an outdoor playground, provide quality jobs and expanded access for families seeking child care. Once completed, this project will yield 34 new jobs and open up 85 additional childcare slots to total 74 staff members and admission to 222 children. RECAP is responsible for $10 million of the project, and has currently raised $4 million. The $1 million announced today will help ease the burden as RECAP and the City of Middletown continue to renovate.

CEO of RECAP, Charles Quinn, said, “This investment by Speaker Heastie and Assembly Member Kay is incredibly meaningful to our organization and the families of the City of Middletown. We at RECAP are committed to expanding childcare access in the region and this financial support will help make that possible. I can’t thank both Speaker Heastie and Assembly Member Kay enough for their visit, partnership and their dedication to our city and our children.”

Mayor of the City of Middletown, Joe DeStefano, said, “Speaker Heastie and Assembly Member Kay’s support for our city has never wavered, and this is yet another example of that commitment. This investment adds to a growing list of projects that the City of Middletown has partnered with the state on over the past two years, providing significant relief for our residents. Thank you to Assembly Member Paula Elaine Kay and Speaker Carl Heastie for delivering this special news this week. Your support will undoubtedly be felt by the families who will benefit from expanded access to child care.”