Strawberry Festival, a Manor marvel

Farm fresh strawberries, teddy bear stroller parade and welcoming atmosphere showcase town’s renewed spirit

	TRR photo by Richard A. Ross Mikaela Stahl of Liberty pulls a teddy bear laden wagon in the Teddy Bear Stroller parade at the 15th annual Strawberry Festival in Livingston Manor. (Click for larger image)

By RICHARD A. ROSS

LIVINGSTON MANOR, NY — The sun was shining on Livingston Manor for its 15th annual Strawberry Festival on July 5 as people poured into the town that has resurfaced as one of Sullivan County’s prime examples of revitalization. The beautiful hamlet on the banks of Willowemoc was aglow with its new shops, street signs and flowers as the festival drew shoppers and oglers alike.

One prime attraction the annual teddy bear stroller parade, featured children in riding strollers or walking with their teddy bears in tow. The youthful exuberance of a street filled with children was an apt metaphor for the newfound life in a town, which many people once felt could never be revived.

Shirley and George Fulton deserve all the credit for the festival. Long before the current wave of construction, the Fultons were the town’s prime movers. The increased popularity of the Strawberry Festival attests to their undying efforts when it comes to moving the town forward.

Recently Gerard Ilaria and Steve Wilkinson of the Livingston Manor Development Corporation have played a key role in the town’s renewal through their purchase and renovation of buildings that now house thriving businesses.

The fair was located at Waterwheel Junction, site of The Wildlife Gift Shop and George H. Fulton Land Surveyor. The environs were populated with vendors including Betty Mears, a retired Livingston Manor School cafeteria aide who was selling her handmade yarn designs. Barry Foster of Hot Corner Sports had a table with baseball cards and sports memorabilia. There were face painters, food purveyors and many other craftspeople. Above all, what was most prevalent was a feeling of community pride. The fair provided a chance for townspeople and visitors to co-mingle and converse.

The subject of the town’s recent development was on the mind of Sharon Roehrig, a former Manor resident who left the town when she was eighteen.

“I was happy to leave, there was nothing here. As I got older I liked to come back to go hiking. It is beautiful here but the town was very depressed. Now it’s really exciting. I’ve met some of the shop owners and they have such a good attitude. Now we’re part-time residents who split our time between here and New Jersey.”

During the heat of the midmorning, ten-year-old Sarah McKenna of Staten Island suddenly had a seizure and passed out. Lying prone on the floor of one of the display tents, Sarah’s face turned ashen and she failed to respond. Screams from her mother sent people scurrying to find Ralph Bressler of the Livingston Manor Volunteer Ambulance Corps. Bressler rushed to Sarah’s aid and applied cold compresses while monitoring her vital signs. Within a few minutes, the little girl was revived. George Fulton offered his air-conditioned office while they discussed whether Sarah should be taken to the hospital. That care and attention said a lot about the atmosphere in Livingston Manor, a place where people care and are ready to help one another.

Later this summer, the Livingston Manor Fire Department will host the seventy-fifth anniversary of Sullivan County Firefighters. On August 1, there will be a Mardi Gras parade and on August 2, the Manor fire company will host a parade, fair and fireworks that will draw fire companies from all over the county. The first Sullivan County Firefighters’ celebration was held in Livingston Manor seventy-five years ago.