Interns infuse Sullivan Renaissance with energy and verve

MOUNTAINDALE, NY – “I take great pride not only in my own gardening efforts, but in anything that will make Mountaindale look better,” says Leo Pucklis, a seventeen-year-old gardening intern who is working with the Mountaindale Action Committee, one of two town groups engaged in beautifying his home town as part of this year’s Sullivan Renaissance project. Such an infusion of youthful energy and pride spells hope not only for Mountaindale, but for other villages, hamlets and towns throughout the county where young people are working as gardening interns with Sullivan Renaissance this summer.

Renaissance means revival or rebirth, a term that aptly describes the process engaged in by local communities working to revitalize themselves through a host of imaginative projects including gardens, landscaping, providing main street corridors with facelifts, and creating and beautifying parks. That mission has been greatly enhanced by this year’s inclusion of youthful interns.

Pucklis says he was chosen by Erna Hutchinson of the Mountaindale Action Committee because, “she knew I’d be the right one to get the job done.” That job included plantings behind the Mountaindale Fire and Ambulance building, planning and digging out a triangular garden on Hiatt Road, and building planters and filling them with colorful perennials at the three signs that are gateways to the town. “I’ve lived here my entire life and I’d love to see Mountaindale come back to life.”

That vision is shared by Mountaindale’s second intern, Ashley Hunter, a junior at Fallsburg High School who is working with the Mountaindale Community Development Project (MCDP), a not-for-profit organization headed up by Barbara and Ken Schmitt, ably assisted by ex-Californian dynamo Alex Schafran. Hunter has been working with Tina Kassebaum on planting, watering and deadheading flowers in MCDP’s nascent Musical Park, situated in front of the old elementary school, and in maintaining flower boxes located along Main Street. “I’ve really enjoyed working with Tina and learning about flowers,” says Hunter. “It’s great to get youth involved in Sullivan Renaissance,” notes Hunter, who sees the benefits of MCDP’s Renaissance as long term. The work involves installation of a game field at the entrance to Mountaindale’s Rails for Trails, a rock garden and a new trail leading to the soon-to-be-opened Sandburg Creek Park, which has been dug out by six kids employed by The Center for Workforce Development under the direction of Neeve Preston. Workforce Development’s crew has employed the six kids for 26 hours a week for six weeks, and according to Barbara Schmitt, “the youth employment crew has been really helpful.” Hunter’s gardening adorns the new music park, which will house a homemade organ built out of 3-inch PVC pipe and a companion vibulon, a type of xylophone which is in tune with the organ. “Hopefuly, all the work we’re doing will help Mountaindale by attracting more people,” says Hunter.

Across the county gardening intern Ben Tonjes, under the direction of Jody Moran, was busy watering and mulching the new plantings that adorn the Jeffersonville Elementary School, a historic landmark. A few miles away, Michelle Beirne was spending her summer mornings seeing to the plethora of beautiful hanging flower planters in North Branch and maintaining the lovely small garden in the center of town, still graced by American Flags from July 4.

Patty Knack started out working as an intern in Hortonville, planting, mulching and watering plants by the Town Hall. “It makes everything look nicer and it provides a nice peaceful place for people young and old to sit by the creek,” she says. “Patty is so responsible,” says supervisor Cindy Herbert. “She’ll do anything. She watches the weather and knows when to water,” added Herbert. Knack just started working in Callicoon on the Renaissance project at the Youth Center. The original intern didn’t work out so Knack is balancing working on both projects with her commitment to Sullivan West’s summer league basketball program. Such boundless energy and commitment exemplified by Knack and some of the other interns holds great promise for the future of Sullivan County’s unique and diverse communities.

The interns have worked ten hours a week for ten weeks with their designated supervisor and in conjunction with a master gardener who served as the intern’s mentor. In addition to Pucklis, Hunter, Tonjes, Beirne and Knack, this year’s crew include, Amanda Cusamano in Cochecton Center, Julio Ayala in Fallsburg, Kayla Gager in Forestburgh, Cody Houghtaling with Liberty LEAP, Ricky Pena in Long Eddy, Casey Grey in Neversink, Tyler Salovin in Rock Hill, Mark Lagatutta in Swan Lake, Dana Burkart in Woodbourne, Jamie DeFazio in Woodridge and John Grogan in Wurtsboro.