Mountaindale Scores BIG WIN in Sullivan Renaissance Judging

In big breaking news, Mountaindale has scored a big win in this year's Sullivan Renaissance judging, bringing home Second Place with our 2011 Rails to Trails gateway project, and with that win, a grant of seven thousand dollars. To everyone who helped (we had over 50 volunteers involved in this year's project), congratulations to you all. Your hard work and dedication to community service has paid off in a big way, and has provided the Mountaindale Community Development Project funding to implement new community improvement projects, and improve on some of those (like our hanging basket program) already begun.

We are looking into having some kind of a Thank You dinner here in our hamlet, so if any of you have some thoughts on this, please contact Barb at (845) 434-4747 or Sherwood at 693-4513 with your ideas. Maybe a pot luck dinner? Music? We, as a community, have worked hard for a big part of the spring and summer on our new "Train Garden" in our hamlet's section of the Rails to Trails and other improvements in our community, and we should celebrate our success. While discussing plans for the future, holding a hamlet-wide celebration dinner, in say September, seems like a good jumping off point as we set our collective eyes on tomorrow.

There are so many people to thank for this victory, almost too many to thank in one post. There is Steve Vegliante and all the employees of the Town of Fallsburg who lent us a hand in so much of the heavy lifting. Three Girl Scout troops participated, gave of their time and their talents this year; and almost every business in our hamlet participated with donations of time or money. Upstate Karate and Alexandra's students were such a big help, and Janet's students from Radiant Yoga gave of their time maintaining the hummingbird garden as well as taking up a collection to donate to our cause, and strongly supporting our Art Raffle. Marty Weiner was a rock, always there giving encouragement, and sourcing materials we needed in the building of our train. Raymon helped in our welding, played a major role in making the painting of buildings on Main Street; and the list goes on and on, the circle widening out as businesses and individuals from the larger circle that is Sullivan County stepped in, offered their help and resources in making our Train Garden what it is today...A heart felt thank you to each and every one of you, and we hope all of you can attend our celebration dinner.

In closing, would like to say a special "Thank You" to Erna Hutchinson, Cathy Farris and the Mountaindale Action Committee. Their involvements and actions as related to our project this year have taught me that a small group of dedicated volunteer citizens working together for a common goal can overcome any obstacles, adversities and problems and in the end bring something beautiful to our small hamlet. So thank you for inspiring all of us this year to come together as a team, thank you for inspiring us to redouble our efforts...the MAC's actions this year truly unified us behind the goal of seeing our dream of a Train Garden became a award winning reality, and looking at the fruits of our labors, it is a beautiful train, a beautiful garden.