At a recent picnic held at Bowdoin Park, Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro announced that the Castle Point VA Medical Center will remain open.

Veterans in the audience responded with resounding applause, including Paul Mazzacone, an Army veteran that served in Germany and the brother of a service member from the Vietnam War. Both received treatment at Castle Point after their military service.

“I’m on cloud nine. I live in Fishkill, and it’s so convenient,” said Mazzacone.

He’s one of more than 7,000 Hudson Valley residents that would have had to seek treatment elsewhere if the closure had gone through.

The picnic took place a day after U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced Castle Point would not close, reversing an announcement made in March.

The initial decision, a result of the Independent Asset and Infrastructure Review Commission Process, was not well received. Mazzacone shared that he attended hearings at the local Elks Club to express his disproval.

“It says a lot that America demanded veterans to fight for the services that they deserve, but we spoke in one unified voice,” said Molinaro, also the Republican candidate for New York’s 19th congressional district seat. “Our country and community is going to continue to fight to ensure that our veterans, our heroes, have the support, services and health care they deserve.”

Keeping Castle Point open was supported by those on both sides of the aisle.

“The fact that it was going to be closed is absolutely infuriating and ridiculous,” said Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan, the Democratic candidate in NY-19 who served two tours in Iraq as an Army intelligence officer and has used services offered at Castle Point.

“To me, the good news here is not only is the facility staying open, but that when we all come together and actually raise our voices and say, 'we’re not going to let this happen,' that it actually works, and that feels really good."

According to Schumer, there are an estimated 40,000 veterans between Dutchess, Ulster, Orange and Sullivan counties, with 52% of them categorized as senior citizens.

“I am so glad Castle Point is not going to close, and I’m sure every veteran will feel the same way,” said Mazzacone.