MARBLETOWN – It's been another successful camp season, said Marbletown assistant recreation director Jill McLean, even with lackluster summer rainfall amounts effecting the depth and flow of the Esopus Creek at Tongore Park. As she added, see, there was still enough water, and more than in previous years given the relative fullness of the Ashokan Reservoir upstream, for the hundred kids registered for camp this year to take turns swimming.

"Parents were giving really good feedback," McLean said, adding that the camp's relaxed nature is what appeals most to parents.

Camp sessions are broken down into three two-week sessions, with elementary aged children attending Monday through Friday mornings and preschoolers on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Campers participated in activities at the town park including arts and crafts, swimming, and various games. There were also day trips, McLean added, with the overall cost for everything varying from $75 to $85 for a first child, with discounts received for sibling registration. The day camp is open to both town residents and others, but first dibs go to Marbletown residents.

Feedback this season, McLean said, indicated that parents would be interested in expanding camp hours into afternoons next year, as well as for a longer season.

"One thing parents face is a need for daycare," she pointed out, adding that the town is now reviewing their budget to see if such an expansion would be possible.

In Wawarsing, the town's summer youth camp concluded August 12 and despite a closed pool (it was getting long-needed repairs), children walked away happy according to Ellenville-Wawarsing Youth Commission program director Cynthia "Sam" Bugna and were able to "go with the flow."

"At camp, we make adjustments all the time. Thunderstorm? Heat Advisory? Phones down? Bus is late? Whatever it is, we make decisions and adjustments every day," Bugna explained. "With 335 people at camp, you have to be able to go with the flow. The pool, unfortunately was a big one and at the end of the day bussing the kids to Kerhonkson was never as good of a plan as having a pool right on site, but you can only do what you can do. The Ellenville pool was in desperate need of repair and hopefully the sacrifice everyone made this summer will make for many happy summers to come as far as swimming is concerned."

Bugna added that even with added bus schedules, the campers didn't feel slowed down or stymied in any way.

"We still had a great collaboration with the library for summer reading, we went on fabulous trips to Albany and New York City and a Fireman's Fair, we played a ton of games, we employed forty-five local people and we fed 17,000 meals through our Summer Food Service Program," Bugna added.

At the end of the day it was a pretty great summer... just as it should be a pretty good school year set to start in a few more weeks.