The new owners of the Fallsview Hotel, in a media release, state that their facility will focus on, "individual and family well-being, offering specialized programs for stress management, weight loss and deep relaxation."

As reported in last week's issue of the Ellenville Journal, the Fallsview Hotel has been sold to an ownership group that includes a man known as Dr. Ilchi Lee. The organization that he is associated with, Dahn Hak Yoga, has been the subject of criticism and warnings that portray the leader and his 50,000 members nationwide as a cult.

One such story that has often been reported in conjunction with the Dahn Hak organization is the story of Julia Siverls, a 41-year old college professor living in New York City who was seeking to attain the rank of "master" in the organization's spiritual hierarchy.

Reports say that in 2003, Ms. Siverls went to the organization's Sedona, Arizona headquarters to complete her training. Her last task prior to attaining "master" was to join four other people in a 20-mile hike up Tiger Mountain in Arizona. She and her companions were given three 10 oz. bottles of water and a few pieces of fruit for sustenance and were required to carry backpacks full of rocks that weighed somewhere in the vicinity of 25-40 pounds. This weight was said to represent the hikers' personal troubles.

Roughly a third of the way through the hike, Ms. Siverls collapsed and died of dehydration. Initially, the family was informed that Siverls died peacefully. They came to their own conclusions after they received the police report.

The Siverls family filed an $84 million wrongful death lawsuit against the spa retreat giant. The case is still pending.

While Ms. Siverls is the most severe allegation, others have come forward complaining of high-pressure sales tactics and being duped out of large sums of money. Some unhappy customers have contacted the Better Business Bureau and received refunds for their trouble.

While many questions need to be answered about the new tenants of the old Fallsview Hotel, the most pressing one for local taxpayers is whether the facility will be placed on the tax roles. The Ellenville Journal has obtained a letter to the Ulster County Industrial Development Association from Joel Hoffman from Nevele, LLC stating, "The purchaser is aware that the property will go on the tax rolls and be subject to real property taxes."

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