Renaissance men and women

By CHRIS CONROY

	TRR photo by Chris Conroy Sullivan Renaissance originator, Sandra and her husband Alan Gerry are pictured during the presentation ceremonies for the 2002 Sullivan County Renaissance competition August 25 at the opening day of the Bethel Fall Harvest Market. (Click for larger image)

SULLIVAN COUNTY — The results are in and everyone’s a winner… some just have more cash to show for it.

August 25 marked the end of the second annual Sullivan County Renaissance community development award season. Twenty-nine projects were carried out by community groups all over Sullivan County, ranging from small (such as the Hurleyville group’s new welcome signs) to medium (like Narrowsburg’s eagle garden and park enhancement) to the huge (Neversink, Roscoe and Woodridge groups all took on the task of improving their entire corridor). In the end, only three from each scope category took home the big bucks, but every community benefited. The announcement of those elite nine groups was made at the first Bethel Fall Harvest Market of the year.

Choosing the winners wasn’t easy. In fact, third place awards in each category were added late in the judging to allow for recognition of more projects.

“Wow… what a day for Sullivan Renaissance, what a day for so many proud communities all over Sullivan County, what a day for the state of New York and what a day for the United States of America!” said Ted Blowes, chair of the project judges. “… every community in the United States could benefit from a Sullivan Renaissance program. I’m blown away!”

The first place prize of $20,000 in Category C (for multi-element projects) went to Monticello for reclamation of DeHoyos Park in the village. Roscoe received $10,000 for second place for its new welcome sign and corridor improvements. Wurtsboro came in third and won $5,000 for running its own beautification contest and for multiple main street projects.

The Category B (more than one element) winner was Rock Hill, which received $7,500 for creating a veterans monument at the volunteer ambulance building. Callicoon placed second and got $5,000 for enhancing Callicoon Creek Park. The third place award of $3,000 went to Kauneonga Lake for erecting a gazebo and enhancing the park around it.

First place award of $3,000 in Category A (single element projects) went to White Sulphur Springs for its firefighters’ park project. Hurleyville finished second and won $1,500 for welcome signs. Hankins won the third place prize of $1,000 for beautification at a stone arch bridge.

The prize money came from a number of sources, including corporate sponsorships, the Gerry Foundation and the Beaverkill Foundation. The $56,000 awarded in 2002 was a considerable step up from the $33,000 given away in 2001, especially considering the $9,000 in third place awards was added at the last minute at the request of the judges.

Compared to the cash spent by the groups on their collective projects, the money awarded is only a drop in the bucket. When contest officials totaled all the receipts for purchases made by the groups, the grand total spent on projects came to $493,000. That amount does not include donated time or items.

All 29 projects received framed certificates of excellence from Sullivan Renaissance 2002, as well as individual certificates from Congressman Maurice D. Hinchey, State Senator John J. Bonacic and Assemblyman Jacob E. Gunther III.

“Now we’ll be able to run electricity to the park,” said Leon Smith of the Bethel First group. Smith, other Bethel residents and others have been working for years on the Kauneonga Lake gazebo park. On the 4th of July when they held a concert in the newly erected gazebo, power had to be borrowed from Stufftopia, the antique store across the street.

Projects were judged for aesthetic improvement, collaboration, youth involvement, visibility, permanence and an ability to be maintained. The team of nine judges from outside Sullivan County was headed by Blowes, an official with the National Communities in Bloom Program in Ontario, Canada, the beautification competition that helped inspire the Sullivan Renaissance program. Other judges were: Lou Heimbach, Irene Lakstutis, Woody Levitan, Mary Lewis, Donna W. Moramarco, Dan O’Neil, Dr. Sonja Skelly, and Richard Weir III.

Sullivan Renaissance is a joint program of the Beaverkill Foundation and Sullivan First. Additional grants were made possible by Clough, Harbour & Associates; Community Bank of Sullivan County, First National Bank of Jeffersonville, Jacobowitz & Gubits; NYSEG, Park Place Entertainment, Sullivan County Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Time Warner, Times Herald-Record, Villa Roma Resort, Yeager Realty and Zubatkin Associates.

Sandra Gerry, who initiated Sullivan Renaissance, thanked and congratulated all the participants, saying, “We have much to be proud of this year, as we applaud your extraordinary effort and all the hard work that has gone into each and every project.” She said the program would continue next year.

For more information call Sullivan Renaissance at 845/295-2445.