After being introduced and celebrated by a father, a daughter, a son and several colleagues, Noonday Club�s 2006 Citizen of the Year, Dr. Mark Craft, finally took the podium to speak to the crowd of just over 100 people.

Once he had the room to himself, Craft offered his thanks to his friends and family that had gathered to celebrate his contributions to the Town of Wawarsing and the Village of Ellenville. But Craft wasn�t satisfied to talk about the sentiment of the evening. Halfway through his speech he raised a challenge to both the village and the town.

�I believe it is time for the village and town to create a position of joint economic development officer,� said Craft.

�This individual would not only recruit businesses, help to streamline permits, handle zoning challenges, and secure grants but help existing businesses grow and diversify. We need to actively shape our future,� he continued.

In a follow-up interview Craft was asked what had made him decide to use the spotlight of the Citizen of the Year dinner as a way to publicly request the creation of an economic development officer.

�I've become frustrated with the Ulster County Development Corporation (UCDC). They are supposed to help us,� said Craft, who believes the UCDC could be doing more to keep businesses from leaving the area.

�Horses in the Sun (HITS) brought in $75,000 in sales tax in the first year but they moved to Saugerties five or six years ago. We lost 300 jobs when Hydro left. On the other hand, the Ulster County legislature helped save the hospital, so good things are happening,� added Dr. Craft.

Craft isn�t the only one talking about the position�s creation, nor is he the first.

According to Ellenville Trustee Steve Krulick, the idea of a development officer has been in discussion, on and off, for twenty years. Last year, Krulick, who is also a member and former officer of the Noonday Club, expressed interest in applying for the position and submitted a recommendation of what a joint village/town Development Office should be, which read in part:

�Today, economic development encompasses not only business attraction, expansion and retention, it also addresses tourism, community development, workforce development, and environmental protection. Economic development is the process of improving the economic health of a community by bringing together its assets, resources, and political action into a strategy to bring wealth and prosperity to that area, or to keep the wealth and prosperity from leaking away to non-local, outside ownership.�

Mark Craft agrees, �We must create a balanced plan that addresses the environment, keeping local businesses here, tourism, and attracting outside businesses.�

Village of Ellenville Manager Elliott Auerbach recently sent the following job description to Wawarsing Town Supervisor James Dolaway and is awaiting a response:

�[The economic development officer would] under direction of Wawarsing and the Village of Ellenville (WAVE) Development Corporation play the lead role in the planning and coordination of the joint economic development program, including business recruitment, job development, and business retention. [He or she would develop] marketing strategies designed to promote the Town of Wawarsing and the Village of Ellenville as a business destination. [The EDO would also conduct] research and provide information services on matters of economic health, property tax issues, economic and real estate trends, and county and statewide development.�

When asked, Mayor Jeff Kaplan offered his support for the idea but raised his concerns over how the position would be funded.

The proposed development officer was at one point thought to be a joint venture between the village and town with each paying $35,000 of the first year�s salary. The development officer would be responsible for raising money to pay his or her salary beyond the first year. No decision on the position has been made at this time.

* * * Noonday Award

�It's great to be able to live and work in the place I played Little League as a boy,� reflected Dr. Mark Craft, of Craft Chiropractic, after he was named �Citizen of the Year� at last Tuesday's dinner of The Noonday Club.

Founded in 1923, The Noonday Club is an organization made up of local businesspeople and citizens in southwestern Ulster County sponsoring events and fundraisers throughout the year to support local charities, seniors, and students. They also meet monthly to hear from guest speakers about projects and organizations working to promote and improve the business, cultural, social, and civic climate of the Ellenville/Wawarsing community.

�Three generations of my family have been members of The Noonday Club,� added Craft, whose family was among the early founders of the area, dating back to 1680.

Ellenville Mayor Jeff Kaplan said, �Mark has done a lot for the community � chairing our Bicentennial, the wonderful success of Music in Square, and many other projects.�

�I challenge everyone to take on one project to help the community. There is a quote I like by Indira Gandhi, who said, �My grandfather once told me that there are two kinds of people: those who work and those who take the credit. He told me to try to be in the first group; there was less competition there.�

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