"Seldom do major cities (think Detroit facing bankruptcy), no less a Hudson Valley village like Ellenville — written off by media as seedy with a depressed downtown and the county's highest unemployment rate — face the possibility of a restart, a revitalization, if not a rebirth," runs the preamble to this omnibus package, presented several times in recent weeks. "This is no time for a single Plan B focus or nice-to-have program that will require too much time to determine its outcome... I respectfully recommend that the Ellenville Million committee opt for a multi-level, fully integrated approach focused on creating, marketing and attracting tens of thousands of people annually to a revitalized downtown district; areas for outdoor activities (hiking, running, cycling, birding, hang-gliding, walking) in town and along the Shawangunk Ridge and Canal Trail; retraining residents for 21st Century jobs; engaging ECSD students in helping one another educationally; and growing the tax rolls and revenue."

The ideas Rabkin has suggested include: $50k to establish a Berme Road parking area as gateway to Shawangunk Scenic Skyway for hikers; a $50k fund for 100 local residents to enroll in BOCES or SUNY Ulster courses to retrain for new jobs/careers; $200k to market the Town of Wawarsing, Village of Ellenville and surrounding hamlets, attracting new businesses and tourism, including $35k to hire a part-time development consultant to target/attract tri-county regional retailers to open an Ellenville/Wawarsing location, $10k to rebuild a first-class Ellenville web site, $15k to offset village taxes for all vacant storefront owners who light their interior window areas from dusk to 9 p.m., a $20k program to offset costs for four local landscapers to develop sites on Routes 209 and 52 using existing signs, $20k to fund a local beautification program/contest for local businesses and residential areas, a $50k fund for new retailers to offset first-year local taxes, a $40k fund to promote Wawarsing/Ellenville-based outdoor events to attract tourism, and $10k for a public relations firm serving as a central point of contact for the town and village to generate positive branding and news.

Continuing, Rabkin suggests $100k to develop the vacant Schrade site into a regional Southwest Ulster County food warehouse distribution center, with Duso, Freskeeto and Ellenville Vending as anchors; a $75k grant to Shadowland to purchase/install a digital movie projection system for first-run films; a $25k matching fund to Shadowland to further develop critical year-round programming, including their Center/Market Street location; $25k to market a specially-designated year-round, downtown, "Ellenville thEATERY" district; a $50k grant to ArtsWAVE, including $25k to hire a director for reviving the non-profit group; $120k for a three-year ECSD "Students Helping Students Succeed" mentoring program; a $50k matching fund with ECSD to turn the school's 500-plus seat auditorium into a site for up to twelve regional, statewide and national theatrical, musical and dance performances each year; $50k to develop/market a year-round concert series at Norbury Hall promoting local ethnic group's musical heritage; $50k to complete development of the Hunt Memorial Library into a marketable property, attracting new businesses and jobs to the downtown Ellenville thEATERY district;$50k to assist the Nevele in redeveloping/converting existing plans from a casino resort to a year-round, family resort hotel/conference center with a music focus; and $100k to convert the vacant Nu-Design Furniture or JM Originals buildings into a community youth center, only a block away from the ECSD grounds.

"I am a strong believer in shared responsibility and community building. The above plan needs volunteers of all types to share a responsibility in its success, working with outside professionals, when/where necessary," Rabkin concludes. "Direct participation by people from every part of the Town and Village, including business owners, retailers, shopkeepers and chefs; doctors, lawyers, accountants and financial advisors; clergy; educators; public officials; and parents and students from low- to high-income households is essential, if not critical."

Presented by Martin Rabkin, MartinRabkinInk