Just over 40 years ago, on August 19th, 1966 President Lyndon Johnson spoke at the dedication of The Ellenville Regional Hospital. In attendance were both New York Senators, Jacob Javits and Robert F. Kennedy, as well as many New York Congressional Representatives, State Representatives, and local leaders. He was there to celebrate the opening of the new hospital, one of over 8000 health care facilities created in the United States by the federal Hill-Burton program, part of Johnson's Great Society initiative. Such an altruistic endeavor appears quaint to us now since one former president famously declared that government is part of the problem, not the solution. To expect the federal government to actually make life in America better for its citizens seems positively old fashioned. Nevertheless, the visit of a high-ranking government official still generates much excitement, so it was with great hope and anticipation that we welcomed Senator Charles Schumer to Ellenville last week, the first official visit to the area of a United States Senator since Johnson's dedication four decades ago.

Aside from the obvious "star power" and feeling of importance such a visit generates, what can we expect from the interest Senator Schumer has shown us? Clearly Ellenville is on the rebound. Empty stores are slowly finding tenants, buildings are being repaired and built, and local institutions are thriving. While a small part of these improvements are funded by federal programs, the vast majority of the investment and energy is local – local people, local dollars, local initiative. Ellenville is rightfully proud of these accomplishments, and deserves to be recognized for them.

But what Senator Schumer can actually do for our community is unclear. There was talk of reopening a Federal office in the new Village Hall for unemployment and Social Security, a much-needed presence here, but whether that can or will happen is anyone's guess. What he did do was praise us for our tenacity and hope, and hold us up as a model of success to other struggling upstate communities, and for that we thank him.

Interestingly, President Johnson did not mention the community once in his rather lengthy speech, other than to praise in a curious way the region's "typical" New York hospitality. He spoke of national priorities far broader than the day-to-day concerns of a small rural village. That Ellenville wasn't on his mind really did not matter, as the hospital was built and would stay here long after the President returned to Washington. And, in a way, Senator Schumer also left us with something, a sense that most of what is right about Ellenville, and what is helping it move into the future, is Ellenville.

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