Looking forward 2014 e sub

Hudson Valley Business Review JANUARY 16, 2014 ULSTER PUBLISHING WWW.HUDSONVALLEYBUSINESSREVIEW.COM

New Paltz

Looking Forward 2014

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SECRET SAUCE Five intrepid reporters search for the ingredients that makes for unique community character

Gardiner

Highland

Rhinebeck

Rosendale

Saugerties

Woodstock

Kingston

16, 2014 2 | January Looking Forward

Secret sauce Five intrepid reporters search for the ingredients that makes for unique community character Geddy Sveikauskas

T

he mid-Hudson region is a land of small towns. With just under 24,000 people, Kingston is the largest community by population in Ulster County. With 19,500, Saugerties is the most populous town. New Paltz has 14,000 people. All but a handful of the other local communities boast populations of fewer than 10,000.

Especially at this time of year, people on the streets of these small towns recognize others as their neighbors and often their acquaintances.

They saw the same people on the same streets last winter, and they expect to see them there next winter as well.

Most stores are occupied by familiar specialty retail businesses that employ local people. Most communities boast of the number and diversity of their eating places. Boastful as they are about the qualities of their Main Streets, they know that there’s something beyond businesses that makes their community unique. They usually find it hard to put what that is into words.

More often than not, the secret sauce of special character is in the eye of the beholder. The sense of place that’s at the heart of the Buy Local experience is a subjective thing. Everyone knows where and when to go for a particular product or service, and usually not only who is likely to be dealing with them but also what kind of mood that person is likely to be in. Locals are likely to know not only the name of the server in the restaurant they patronize but also every detail of that person’s personal life; the waitperson in turn knows the same about the customer. That’s how small towns are.

Exurban small towns like those throughout the mid-Hudson region are the same, only different.

This area ain’t just the ’burbs, the green space safely distant from the biggest of all American cities.

I can still remember my own first visit to Woodstock, well before the hamlet got the sidewalks taken for granted today. I liked the village feeling and particularly the view of the mountains beyond. The stores were quaint.

But what really sold me on the place was the number of faces I recognized in the streets from Greenwich Village and the East Village. Didn’t I pass that tall person on St. Mark’s Place just last week? Isn’t that the guy from the bagel place on Second Avenue? Look, that’s the girl from the bookstore on Eighth Street! Hey, there’s my Village sandal-maker drinking a cup of coffee at an outdoor café.

I remember thinking to myself that I’d probably feel comfortable here. If these were the people who lived here, this place couldn’t be all that bad.

The East Village could come to me while I was living in the country!

Only later did I find out there were no good jobs in Ulster County.

The mid-Hudson region still hosts a constant flow of visitors looking to get out of New York City or to buy a second home in the country. Though some of them eventually choose the Poconos,

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the Hamptons or the Jersey suburbs instead and others can’t bear to leave the big city, those that choose the Hudson Valley remain the mainstay of local immigration.

Many of these newcomers choose to settle a preprescribed distance from Times Square. Others fall in love with a particular property. But I would contend that people buy real estate or rent where they feel most comfortable. How else can you explain how people from particular urban communities — even particular zip codes — end up living in the same rural places? Check out how many people from the East Village end up like myself in Woodstock. How those from the East Side of Manhattan settle in Rhinebeck. Upper West Siders in New Paltz. Folks from Queens in Saugerties.

Brooklyn is now moving to Kingston.

And that’s how community character evolves, the new mixing with the familiar, a mélange of constancy and perpetual change.

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hat makes your town a special place to shop? When we decided to focus the 2014 Looking Forward section on that question, we weren’t sure how local businesspeople would answer it. Now we know, and in reading this section you will, too.

We sent out reporters intimately familiar with five communities: Woodstock, Saugerties, Kings-

ton, Rhinebeck and New Paltz. We encouraged them to go beyond municipal boundaries. They did. The reporter on Woodstock, Paul Smart, wrote about Phoenicia as well. The Saugerties reporter, Ashley Drewes, was interested in businesses outside the commercial core of the village. Kingston reporter and Ponckhockie resident Lynn Woods discussed businesses in all three city commercial neighborhoods: Uptown, Midtown and the Rondout. Jennifer Brizzi, who works in Rhinebeck, ventured in her story out to Red Hook and Rhinecliff. And reporter Mike Townshend went outside New Paltz to discuss local businesses in Gardiner, Highland and Rosendale as well.

First-time visitors may come to Woodstock for its artsy image, but they return for its shopping, reported Paul Smart. A surprising number of people return regularly, often for decades. And more off-the-beaten-path Phoenicia has become a cool, unique place on its own accord.

The diversity of the Saugerties shopping experience impressed Ashley Drewes. She also touted interaction “with the shop’s owners and staff, who are always ready to chat and catch up on local news and events.” The big payoff, she said, is “the wonderful people who call this part of the world home.” They don’t call the community Friendly Saugerties for nothing.

Kingston’s changing, said Lynn Woods, and for

On the cover

W

ith Looking Forward 2014’s cover, we’re telling the story of what attracts and lends vibrancy to our local communities. The cover features images from eight different towns. Four photographers (Lauren Thomas, Dion Ogust, Will Dendis and Julie O’Connor) helped bring our cover to life.

Here’s a look at what’s going on in each picture, from the upper left: • In New Paltz, college students wait for food outside the Main Street Bistro. The line of customers waiting outside the Bistro is a weekend happening in the college town. Photo by Lauren Thomas.

• In Kingston, the heart of the city’s Rondout section is ready for business. Photo by Julie O’Connor.

• In Gardiner, Hudson Valley Wine Market owner Perry Goldschein celebrates the grand

opening of his store. Photo by Lauren Thomas.

• In Highland, representatives of the business communities in Ulster and Dutchess counties gather to celebrate a new addition to the Walkway Over the Hudson, the Walkway West Pavilion.

Photo by Lauren Thomas.

• In Rhinebeck, shoppers stroll the street, checking out the holiday decorations near Rhinebeck Wines & Liquor. Photo by Dion Ogust.

• In Rosendale, Wallkill Valley Rail Trail fans, well-wishers and Rosendale residents examine the Rosendale Trestle during its grand opening.

Photo by Lauren Thomas.

• In Saugerties, Bob Siracusano of Sawyer Motors celebrates during the annual Sawyer Motors Car Show. Photo by Will Dendis.

• In Woodstock, a couple walks through the snowy landscape outside The Golden Notebook.

Photo by Dion Ogust.

January 16, 2014 Looking Forward the better. There’s much more here. “It used to be just hot dogs and hair salons,� said activist Rebecca Martin with a tinge of exaggeration, “but over the last five years I’ve found things here I used to have to go to New York City for.� And Robert Tonner of Tonner Doll Company detected a more stable group of retailers coming in. “People come here for dinner,� he said, “then all of a sudden they find Kingston sort of interesting.� The Stockade district is particularly hot these days.

A mix of chi-chi and casual, fancy and downto-earth? That’s Rhinebeck, according to Jennifer Brizzi. With its walkable charm, fun social events and diverse products and services, the compact business community is full of people who know their merchandise. “She knows her inventory,� longtime village resident Judy Scheyer said admiringly about Lila Page, owner of Winter Sun & Summer Moon, “has a passion for it, and it shows.�

The local college may fuel the New Paltz economy, reported Mike Townshend, but there’s a lot more. He quoted planning board and school board member Tim Rogers, â€œâ€Ś It isn’t hard to think of several other unique advantages New Paltz offers.â€? New Paltz may be a hub for the surrounding towns, but the smaller commercial areas in the surrounding towns of Gardiner (cupcake festival), Highland (pizza, Walkway) and Rosendale (pickle and zombie fests) each have their distinctive character and specialty establishments.

I

n common usage, “secret sauces� are ingredients closely guarded by private companies from public disclosure for competitive advantage. Think Colonel Sanders, a Big Mac, Worcestershire sauce, Coca-Cola, Chartreuse liqueur and monosodium glutamate.

By contrast, our local communities hide their secret sauces in plain view. They claim not to know what their secret ingredients are, and many even say that they don’t have any. What’s special is obvious to everyone but the person who has to ask.

And so it is for local pride. Whatever it is, it is accumulated accretively over a long period of

time. It’s an outcome that’s a product of community life that has to be experienced to be known. If you have to ask you’ll never know.

Visitors intuitively understand that. An old English proverb advises that the eyes are the win-

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dow to the soul, meaning, I think, that what we experience through our eyes sticks with us. Stores, restaurants, real-estate offices, banks and village streets are the windows of community souls. What you see is what you get.

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16, 2014 4 | January Looking Forward

So condensed Rhinebeck kicks walkability, specialty shops up a notch

store is unique. We sell a little bit of everything, including things that people actually do need, and those smaller, hard-to-find things.�

Household supplies include oilcloth, egg timers, sewing supplies, lampshades, hats and flip-flops, heirloom-quality cotton flour-sack hand towels, and lots of classic toys from Gumby to Slinky to much more. Not only is the place a museum of antique toys on high shelves (not for sale) but boasts a shop within the shop, the Knitting Garage run by Stickle’s wife Leah, which nestles in a back room.

Matt Stickle’s take on what’s special about Rhinebeck is simple. “Most of the big-box stores are kept out of here,� he said, “seven miles across the river, so it doesn’t affect business.

That’s why Rhinebeck works.�

Another unique favorite is Warren Kitchen & Cutlery, near the intersections of Route 9 and 9G. They have every manner of supply for the cook and host, from elegant to utilitarian — at great prices — from glassware to chef ’s torches to tiny terrines and impressive pepper grinders and much more.

Another store within a store is the knife department, where you can not only get your cutters sharpened expertly and inexpensively but also

Jennifer Brizzi

I

n the Hudson Valley you can barely turn around without bumping into another charming historic town. But there really is no other just like Rhinebeck, a mix of chi-chi and casual, fancy and down-to-earth.

The village part of town has a unique retro character and a walkable charm with original shopping opportunities along its compactly laid out, bluestone-rimmed streets, surrounded by mansions and other historic sites (437 on the National Historic Register), charming inns, B&Bs and restaurants. Nearby is the majestic Hudson River, accessible from the quirky cozy Rhinebeck hamlet called Rhinecliff, less than a 100-mile jaunt by car, train or boat for the toney city visitors who flock there year-round.

Just one of many stores that don’t fit the mold is A.L. Stickle, a 68-year-old variety store right near the main intersection of the village. Stickle’s is the real deal, an updated five-and-dime with plenty of nostalgia and the goods to back it up. “We’re one of the few surviving five-and-dimes left in America,� proprietor Matt Stickle said. “This

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ack in Rhinebeck village, tucked away on Garden Street behind Montgomery Row II, is Rhinebeck Health Foods, a source for all the supplements, healthy foods, gourmet items, produce and bulk items you could want, as well as a yummy lunch spot.

Nearby, in Montgomery Row II, is the Paper Trail, a compendium of all things paper — from elegant or quirky journals, invitations, wrapping paper and greeting cards. One favorite reads, “Dear Fork, I understand that we haven’t spoken since I ran away with Dish. But I thought you should know that you have a son. His name is Spork. He has your hair. Sincerely, Spoon.�

But it’s not all paper, with pens, tableware, jewelry, fragrances, wallets, candles and many more appealing giftables in the large airy store.

Bumble & Hive, on East Market Street, is the only honey store I’ve ever seen with a mind-boggling variety of raw, unpasteurized honeys from all over the world, from mild to strong. Trouble making up your mind? Honey tastings are available at the honey bar. And while you’re there check out the wide line of unique crafts and body-care items.

It doesn’t take more than a few minutes to drive from the Village of Rhinebeck to the outlying Town of Rhinebeck, or from Rhinebeck to Red Hook. And the village is especially walkable, pedestrian-friendly according to Judy Schneyer, a long-time village resident and a realtor with H.H. Hill Realty Services. “What’s nice about Rhinebeck is that everything’s so condensed,� said Debbie Ackerman, who works at Pause Dog Boutique, next door to Paper Trail. “Everything’s within walking distance, not like the mall.�

Another thing she likes about the town is that Rhinebeck is dog-friendly. “They can sit on the patios at Gigi Trattoria and Gaby’s CafĂŠ. Numerous stores are open to people bringing their dogs in, more so than other towns.â€?

‘Everything’s within walking distance, not like the mall.’ — Debbie Ackerman

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you appreciate them even more.� Rhinebeck also draws people visiting the historic sites and the Culinary Institute of America who come up to check out the town, Hanson added.

With its distinctive and singular shops and walker-friendly, people-friendly, and yes, even dog-friendly, appeal, Rhinebeck’s business character appeals to visitors and residents alike.

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Pause offers dog jewelry, dog events like the “Howloween� parade, natural dog treats free of corn, soy or other fillers, eco-friendly and local products, apparel and toys.

Rhinebeck is people-friendly as well, according to Judy Schneyer. Not only is walking about the village a fun social event you won’t experience in towns laid out as all vehicle-mandatory strip malls, but there is also a personal touch. “You’re going into stores and working with merchants that know you,� she said, mentioning an incident when her young son was looking for a birthday present for her.

She also spoke about Suzanna Hermans, coowner of Oblong Books & Music in Montgomery Row I, who knows her taste in books and helps make selections, and Lila Pague, owner of Winter Sun & Summer Moon — an East Market Street shop with a huge eclectic collection of beautiful clothing, jewelry and more from around the world. “She knows me,� Schneyer said, “so helps me find things I might have missed, like shirts within my budget and to my taste. She knows her inventory, has a passion for it and it shows.�

The staff is helpful, too. “They go that extra mile,� she said.

Business owners appreciate the clientele just as

much. “The local people appreciate the business you have and they become loyal to you,� said co-owner Ronald Hanson of R R Corks, a wine and liquor store in Astor Square north of Rhinebeck village. “There are two kinds of people here, people here for generations and the newer group, and they all mix well. They appreciate your business and

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16, 2014 6 | January Looking Forward

Drawing them in

a sudden they find Kingston kind of interesting.”

Businesses and residents alike are coming to Uptown because of its walkability. Bryan Graham, a chocolatier (his company is called Fruition), and his wife, Dahlia — who works from home for a nonprofit based in New York City — moved to Uptown’s Wall Street last August from a house in the country. They were tired of having to drive everywhere.

They are committed to shopping locally. “There’s

Echoing the perennial concern of other local business owners, Karen Berelowitz said better signage is needed to bring more people to Kingston.

Kingston’s great shops need publicity, merchants say Lynn Woods

N

ot so long ago, you could hear a pin drop in Uptown Kingston on a Saturday evening. The place was deserted, and many storefronts were empty.

How things have changed over the past five years. Uptown Kingston is now chockablock with restaurants, cafes and a variety of little shops. Popular night spots such as the Stockade Tavern and BSP keep the streets abuzz into the wee hours, while a variety of service-oriented businesses, such as Kingston Electrolysis and The Salon at Dreamweavers, draw a steady clientele.

“We’re definitely moving in the right direction,” said Robert Tonner, president of the Kingston Up-

education

town Business Association. His company, Tonner Doll Company, relocated to Wall Street four years ago. “What’s starting to happen is a more stable group of retailers is coming in,” said Tonner. “Uptown has interesting spaces, which attract niche retailers. People come here for dinner, then all of

What’s new Uptown?

By Lynn Woods

J

osie and Bob Airhart moved to Uptown Kingston from Brooklyn a dozen years ago and have never looked back. Last summer, Bob donated the Spiegeltent that transformed an abandoned lot in Midtown Kingston into a fun and unique venue for live music. The Airharts appreciate the friendliness of the shopkeepers as much as the variety of stores, most of which were nonexistent a decade ago. Here’s a list of Josie’s personal favorites:

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so much great stuff within a block of our loft,” he said. “The only place we buy meat is Fleisher’s,” a reference to the purveyor of organic and grassfed meats on Wall Street. “The staff is universally the friendliest staff anywhere…Four or five times a week, we go to Outdated Café for breakfast and coffee. Fun things are happening at the galleries, and BSP has incredible acts.”

Graham said he and his wife appreciated the fact that the week before Christmas “a lot of stores

Hudson Coffee Traders: I get my supply of Harney and Sons teas there, holiday gift certificates for friends and colleagues, lunch for myself and my kids when I don’t want to cook -- plus the amazing friendship of the proprietors, management and staff.

Fleisher’s: I remember walking into their shop when it was on John Street, they had a dozen steaks and a basket full of potatoes in the shop.

We desperately need this kind of business Uptown. This is another shop where I purchase for myself and for gifts.

Blue-Byrd’s Haberdashery: John is an absolute gem. I love giving his hats for gifts and a visit to his shop always leaves me smiling.

Bop to Tottom always has a fun this or that and I love the additional items that Karen brought in when she expanded.

Theresa’s is my go-to boutique for baby gifts, that special something for my daughters’ birthdays. Every now and again, I treat myself to something from her exquisite collection of ladies wear.

Blue 57: Carmello is possibly the nicest guy around. I love going into his shop to fill up my liquor cabinet and if he doesn’t have what you want on the shelf, he will get it.

While Exquisite Boutique doesn’t look like much from the outside, you can find an evening gown or cocktail dress for a fraction of the price of regular retail.

Restaurants Boiston’s is my go-to eatery for a fancy dinner, an early night out with the family or dinner solo

at the bar. Maria is amazing, the ambiance is perfect, the food is always fantastic and the service topnotch.

Duo is another favorite spot for lunch and the seasonal groaning table dinners they do are truly special.

I’m super happy that Santa Fe made its way uptown. You can find my mom there every Tuesday enjoying their tequila and taco specials. And it’s another place I’d choose for dinner with a friend or an early family affair.

Vincenzo’s is such a friendly place and their eggplant parm is amazing.

Kyoto Sushi: Their attention to detail is amazing. We have food allergies to contend with, and they always treat us with special care.

The Stockade Tavern: Beautiful space, beautiful proprietors and out-of-this-world cocktails.

Services Kingston Farmers’ Market: The farmers and purveyors who bring their goods to this market are smart, hard-working, wonderful people.

Petalos: I worked in the floral industry in New York City for many years and I know my way around a flower or two; Brian is an exceptional designer with an exceptional list of clientele and his prices are out of this world.

Le Shag Salon: Jen is a master at her trade, and her salon is simple and fresh.

Birch Body Care: Love them, love the vibe, love the massage services.

Yoga House: If it’s Wednesday, I’m here. This beautiful sanctuary provides just the place to work on your body and your spirit.

Nekos-Dedricks: Simply the best, most thorough pharmacy around. I know they always have my best interests and health in mind.

Artcraft has true professionals who are dedicated to their craft. All those online photo processing shops have nothing on them.

Herzog’s: From their design services, paint center and gift shop to the expert staff, they’re always happy to help you find the right kind of drywall screws or joint compound. This place truly is a gal’s dream-come-true hardware store.

Eclipse: Michelle Elise is truly a fine craftsman or -woman. Doesn’t everyone need an expert tailor at least once in their life?

Tech-Smiths: Have a Mac computer, need help? These people are brilliant.

January 16, 2014 Looking Forward

| 7

PHOTOS BY JULIE O’CONNOR

A view of the buildings along Wall Street in Kingston. were open late.”

Haynes Llewellyn doesn’t drive, which was the main reason he and partner Gary Swenson bought a weekend house on St. James Street six years ago. “It was kind of a joke because there was nothing to walk to,” Llewellyn recalled. “But in the last couple of years it’s really been transformed.”

The couple, who say they now spend more time in Kingston than in Manhattan, walk Uptown to lunch every day, and they enjoy shopping for gifts at Art Riot. They love

“There’s so much great stuff within a block of our loft. The only place we buy meat is Fleisher’s.”

— Uptown resident Bryan Graham the Kingston Wine Company, formerly Madden’s Wine Store, located on lower Broadway in Rond-

out, which is owned by a couple from Brooklyn.

They also bring their designer friends to the lofts of talented artisans at the Shirt Factory and other revamped industrial spaces.

“The whole town is about readapted use,” Llewellyn explained. “Kingston is like Berlin.

There’s a lot of good music and a lot of artists coming here.”

Another New Yorker who moved to Uptown Kingston because she doesn’t drive is Giovanna Righini. She and her husband, Derrick McNab, bought a Victorian house, which they are slowly restoring, seven years ago. “I really enjoy that I

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16, 2014 8 | January Looking Forward can get most of what I need by walking to Uptown,” said Righini, who works from home as a film researcher. Much of her shopping is done at Kingston Plaza, and she selects her doctors based on their proximity to her house. “I frequent Half Moon Books all the time. I love the small gift shops.”

When eating out, the couple frequent Boitson’s, Elephant, Yum Yum, and Duo. Plus, “the night life is really wonderful.”

Uptown Kingston could benefit from more variety, residents said. What’s missing are “interesting boutiques,” according to Righini. Llewellyn wishes there were a menswear store and housewares emporium. A Whole Foods-type grocery store selling local food products would be a terrific addition, Llewellyn and Tonner both felt.

D

anielle Bliss, who with her husband, Joe Vinditti, owns Wishbone Letterpress, based in the Shirt Factory, said the couple love the Kingston Farmers’ Market in season.

“It’s one of our favorite places to shop. We also go to the Midtown Farmers’ Market, which is so much cheaper.”

But she bemoaned the fact that while “a lot of local people are making things, there’s not a lot of stores in Kingston that sell locally made goods. It’s very limited. Certain stores have been there forever, like real-estate offices and hair-cutting places.

There are some weird things that are never open and you don’t know what they are. There is a need

for higher-end gift stores that are really curated.”

Patricia Murphy, former president of Friends of Historic Kingston and author of a book on Kingston postcards, has lived in Kingston her entire life. She remembers Uptown when it was crowded with people every Friday night, prior to the building of the malls. “Shopping was a much more personal experience,” she said, recalling that the owner of Yallum’s shoe store, one of the many stores on Wall Street, knew people in the community by their shoe size (if not their name).

Her own late husband trusted a local store clerk to pick out a Christmas gift for his wife.

Murphy misses Mohican Market, which was like “a Vermont country store.” It closed in the mid-1990s. While Murphy is excited to see the storefronts filling up again, she said the shopping is limited. Plus, although “I would very much like to support the local merchants,” high prices make this difficult in many cases.

One problem is that many local residents are unaware of all that’s available. The city needs to better market and brand itself, according to Llewellyn.

Jennifer Schwartz Berky, who owns a planning consultancy and moved to Kingston from Washington, D.C. in 2004, agreed. While there have been huge improvements, “now the question is how do we get organized and keep the spotlight on all the activity and creators of local products,” she said. She thought the solution is “a very focused and ongoing communications plan which Hours: Mon–Sat Email: mwoodjensen@yahoo.com Phone: 845-802-0371 Fax: 845-802-0375 75 Clarendon Ave. Kingston, NY 12401

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Zoning is another tool that could be used to enrich the retail mix. Schwartz Berky — who is the local co-chair of Rethink Local, a nonprofit collaborative of local independently owned businesses — said some cities only allow retail businesses in downtown storefronts. She added that such zoning should be carefully targeted to areas “where the issue of critical mass and specific uses would encourage more foot traffic.”

S

chwartz Berky doesn’t think that the highest and best use for a storefront is necessarily as a professional office even in areas with a high vacancy rate, such as Midtown.

But she thinks that attracting a firm with young knowledge workers to those spaces could bring some purchasing power to the area “and is worth exploring.”

While Uptown is thriving, Kingston’s Broadway corridor, which slices through Midtown, is still somewhat moribund, although a variety of small businesses catering mainly to the Hispanic community have popped up. But at least two businessmen are betting on its potential.

Joe Deegan, a local real-estate broker, recently bought a building on Broadway smack in the middle of Midtown in partnership with insurance company owner Bob Ryan. Deegan and Ryan are encouraged by “the resurgence in arts and antiquing and the like,” as Deegan put it.

The empty storefront on the first floor was recently the host to a Made in Kingston event that showcased many of the local businesses and their products. Deegan normally knows most everyone at a local event, but in this case, “I recognized hardly anyone, which is a tremendously good sign.

I see a lot of youth and vibrancy. It’s very exciting.”

K

ingston’s third business district, the downtown Rondout area, continues to be busiest in the warm months and the waterfront restaurants the main attraction. Its galleries attract crowds on the First Saturday openings, and several relatively new businesses on lower Broadway have established the area as more of a shopping destination — if only people would walk up that hill.

Karen Berelowitz, who opened a local crafts emporium called Karmabee two years ago on lower Broadway, said the lack of foot traffic is definitely a problem. She blamed not just the hill but the infamous teardown of the old commercial district on the opposite side of the street in an ill-fated 1960s urban renewal project.

“Having those historic buildings across the street would make a world of difference,” she said.

The row of brick condos and large island in the middle of the street don’t spell out shopping district. And she cited the age-old problem of Kingston’s disjointed geography and multiple commercial districts.

Echoing the perennial concern of local business owners, Berelowitz said better signage was needed to bring more people to Kingston. “Tourists driving from Rhinebeck go straight to Woodstock,” she said, even though Kingston’s “more subtle” retail mix might have equal if not greater appeal. Signage beginning at the western foot of the Rhinecliff Bridge and directing motorists every half-mile to the Kingston waterfront would help a lot. So would more signage at the Thruway.

“We’re losing a lot of tourists by being so confusing,” she said.

Berelowitz has been able to survive economically by also utilizing the handsome storefront

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January 16, 2014 Looking Forward she rents as a studio, where she spends half her time making her art, preparing for crafts shows, and managing her business. At least half her customers are people from the area who appreciate shopping local. “People find my store and avoid the mall,” she said.

Despite these challenges, there’s no doubt Kingston is on the upswing, feels jazz singer and community activist Rebecca Martin, who lives in the city with her bassist husband, Larry Grenadier, and their young son.

“It used to be just hot dogs and hair salons, but over the last five years I’ve found things here I used to have to go into New York City for,” she said.

“Fleisher’s has totally changed my life in terms of the quality of the meat. The farmers’ markets have really boomed. The winter Kingston Farmers’ Market has a fishmonger” as well as a knife sharpening service once a month, which she utilizes.

Martin is also a fan of Kingston Wine Company.

“They understand the tradition of wine making.”

She goes to the hot yoga class at Signature Fitness, in Uptown, every week, and said her family’s health issues have disappeared since they beagn patronizing holistic health center New Leaf, located on lower Broadway.

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| 9

ley] are remarkable healers. They have literally changed my family’s life.” Martin said her Midtown doctor, Elaine Lindgren, partners with New Leaf, enabling her to combine traditional medical care with naturopathy.

“Everything is here,” Martin concludes. “If I go out to dinner, I’m only going to stay in Kingston.”

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16, 2014 10 | January Looking Forward

A bit of everything Saugerties combines small shops, manufacturing Ashley Drewes

I

“

opened my business here because I know so many local people,” said John Livermore, owner of the Stone Pony Deli on Kings Highway in Saugerties. “You want to be able to do business where you’re comfortable.”

Joe Bailey, who owns From Europe to You, ships his antiques all over the world from his location on Barclay Heights. He has few complaints.

“The town is friendly,” Bailey noted. “The people are friendly.”

“Friendly Saugerties” is not just a slogan. A live-and-let-live spirit manages to coexist with the multi-generational family feuds that enliven small-town community life. Though some complain about the government, it’s hard to find a businessperson who will contend that the populace at large is unfriendly to outsiders.

What’s it like to live and own a business in Saugerties? Saugerties has scenic waterfronts and a rich history. The local economy benefits from a thriving manufacturing sector. Village storefronts have expanded beyond antiques to include a diversity of locally made and imported wares. There are many and varied dining places. An earnest town government aims to promote all these things.

Saugerties seems to have a little bit of everything — but it wasn’t always this way. The town’s core reflects a tenacious entrepreneurial spirit that’s no stranger to adversity. There aren’t many who think of Saugerties as pretentious.

At the heart of Saugerties is its village center, the location of most retail storefronts. Artist Maggie Green, a village resident, sees diversity of business types as what makes Saugerties such a special place. “Saugerties has had some pretty difficult economical times over the years,” said Green. “Recently it seems to have found a balance in the various needs of the community.”

Green elaborated: “The village isn’t just antiques any more. It is diverse. Kitchen wares to karate classes and anything in between are found locally.”

Echoing Green, Saugerties Chamber of Commerce chairman Mark Smith of Pine Grove Lodge B&B sees this diversity as strengthening the experience of shopping locally. “You will find an array of products from mass-produced to handcrafted, locally made — along with the fun of interacting with the shop’s owners and staff, who are always ready to chat and catch up on local news and events.”

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PHOTOS BY DION OGUST

The intersection of Main and partition streets in Saugerties

A fashion show at Dig Boutique.

Smith, whose business is located between Saugerties and Woodstock, touts the strength of local specialty retail. “You can find everything from an upscale shoe store to handmade exotic chocolates,” he said. “Saugerties also has a community hardware store that boasts, ‘If we don’t have it, you don’t need it.’”

Saugerties has many wonderful places to eat, he added, from pizza joints to upscale restaurants with unbelievable waterfall views. It also continues to be a great outpost for musicians, writers and artists to make a home and make some art.

It’s an unassuming community, but there’s a lot going on in the woods and down the driveways.

The village is also where most of the town’s annual festivals take place, including the Village Invasion zombie crawl, the Hudson Valley Garlic Festival, the Sawyer Motors Car Show, the Mum Festival at Seamon Park and the Holiday in the Village. And of course HITS (Horse Shows in the Sun) attracts another upscale summer crowd to the

community for its events. The summer’s Sunset Concert Series at Opus 40 and the town-wide Saugerties Artists Studio Tour are regular events outside the village.

More recently, village business owners have banded together for a monthly open-house event: First Friday. Every first Friday of the month, village businesses stay open late for a night of music and art. At the event’s center seems to be the Partition Street Wine Shop, known to offer cocktail tastings, art shows and live music during First Friday festivities.

Owner Suzanne Balsamo said of her fellow First Friday collaborators, “With few exceptions, village business owners are sweet, smart, and totally cooperative. We like to work together to make this town rock and constantly look for opportunities to do so. First Friday is just one example of how this cooperation pays off. I don’t know if this is unique to Saugerties, but it seems so. I’ve never met a greater bunch of people.”

O

utside of the village, tourism appeal dwindles where community pride flourishes. Locals are the lifeblood of most businesses in the neighboring hamlets. Saugerties, which came later to land-use restrictions than most local municipalities, has a patchwork mix of residential, commercial and industrial uses. People are more prone to working out (or failing to work out) disputes with their neighbors than in more regulated communities.

As Smith puts it, “Saugerties is a very special place to live and work, first and foremost, because of the wonderful people who call this little part of the world home.”

The draw for locals, like tourists, includes the

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himself is from Hurley. The two currently live in nearby Bishop’s Gate housing development.

Hughes observes, “Saugerties is a close-knit community. Families live here forever.”

Like Livermore, Smith and many others, Hughes touts Saugerties’ diversity of food offerings. Hughes also commends town government for promoting Saugerties well.

Further south on Route 9W, Joe Bailey said his business actually rarely sells anything to locals. Because he always had a weekend place in Saugerties, Bailey said the choice of a location to establish his business had been easy for him. He owns his building, an economical location with great visibility for passing traffic. In his nearly 20 years of business, he has never had a problem with town officials regarding restrictions on his outdoor display of merchandise. Nor has he encountered theft or vandalism.

A clerk helps a customer try on a new shoe at Monsanto’s Shoe Store in Saugerties.

culture of the village and the scenic views of the countryside. Many also have deep familial roots that keep them tied to the community.

A lot of locals live just south of the village center, in Mount Marion, and along Kings Highway and Glasco Turnpike. Many use these low-traffic routes to access Lake Katrine or Woodstock.

“I chose to do business here because I was born and raised here; my family is here. And it’s a good place to raise a family,” John Livermore explained.

“I wanted to make an investment in my community. Saugerties has a way cool vibe, with lots of different options.”

Tracy Uhl and Jim Uhl share a strong connection to family. The Uhls’ business, Gym Stars, is located just up the road from Livermore’s deli on Kings Highway. Jim Uhl said his mother and brother have owned studios like it at different locations in Saugerties for many years.

Carrying on the family tradition, Jim built Gym Stars and expanded it, moving from the original location several times before settling on the Kings Highway building. Uhl found the town government cooperative throughout construction. He said his expansion has allowed him to offer more services and to attract more qualified staff.

Another perk to their Saugerties location, added Tracy Uhl, is the business’ proximity to the Thruway.

“We actually get a lot of business from outside of Saugerties,” she said. “Catskill and across the river.”

T

of the village on Route 9W. Current owner Oscar Berganza said his menu attracts mostly locals.

Across the street from the diner, Bill Hughes said he too sees mostly locals in his steakhouse, Hot Rocks. Hot Rocks is located within the parking lot of a strip mall, the center of Barclay Heights commerce, known as Saugerties Plaza (formerly Simmons Plaza). Recent development of the plaza has had a synergistic effect with the growth of his business, Hughes claimed. “When we first came here the plaza was almost empty,” he said. “New ownership developed the plaza. We helped build the plaza, and the plaza helped build us.”

Despite being on what Hughes calls “the slower side of Saugerties,” Hot Rocks has attracted yearround patronage from Saugerties residents. “We don’t go after the HITS community,” said Hughes.

His locally focused approach seems to be working.

Hughes said, “We have 80 percent return business.”

Hughes’ wife is from Saugerties, and Hughes

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All in the family Woodstock’s tight-knit vibe imbues it with charm Paul Smart

M

ost people still come to Woodstock the first time with some idea of its 1960s hippie allure in mind. Or they come with its legacy in mind: a center for the arts, populated by working artists of all sorts.

But they generally return for shopping, despite the slightly higher prices they pay for non-chainstore stuff. They keep coming back for Woodstock’s mix of public events and private businesses. They appreciate the ease with which they find those places that make one feel like locals.

Every once in a while the business community gets worried, as it did a few years back, that there’s a decline in the local business scene. For a while the merchants get very busy and involved, the Woodstock Chamber of Commerce & Arts gets into gear, the town board sets up special commissions and work groups, and before you can say “renaissance” all the spaces along Mill Hill Road and Tinker Street — the burg’s main thoroughfare — are filled again. New ideas, like monthly Friday-night shopping and entertainment sprees, get kicked off. Or the next huge community event like Halloween, second Saturday art openings, the annual Film, Writers’, Comedy or Luthiers’ festivals, or the Christmas Eve Santa arrival extravaganza rolls around.

Then everyone local realizes how communityoriented Woodstock has remained for generations, despite its commercial and professionalized sheen. Moreover, townsfolk seem to reinvigorate themselves to overlook summer traffic crawl and busy sidewalks year-round. They find joy again in sharing the place they’ve decided to call home.

Want to know a secret?

Woodstock business is a family thing. Take a store like Candlestock, a mainstay since the early 1970s for locals and visitors, as much for its waxy-rich interior as its friendly vibe. When owners and founders Dennis and Barbara Moss decided to retire, they ended up passing their baby on to nephew Ben Schachter. Schachter remembers almost growing up in the place, and the Mosses wanted to find something that would pull him back to town from his successful new life in New York City’s financial industry.

Not that Schachter had been dormant as a townie for any length of time. He’s also been a key

PHOTOS BY DION OGUST

member of a beautification committee that’s been quietly spiffing up Woodstock’s hamlet center. It’s almost becoming a pure pleasure to walk around at any time of year. Cool nooks and crannies are almost everywhere you look.

The quirky and handmade have become as unique a Woodstock attribute as its zeitgeist of handmade homes, artist studios (with grand north-facing windows), and domestic New-England-meets-Hudson-Valley aesthetic that’s long made it a mecca for weekending city dwellers. Yes, there are a lot of real-estate offices near the Village Green, shepherded over by so statuesque a Dutch Reformed church that artist John Pike’s rendering of it once appeared on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post. But the brokers and sellers are local characters, too, presiding over locally staffed and ultra-friendly offices that are usually among the winners in each December’s open-house window display competition.

When shops change hands, they tend to end up with friends or with other businesses waiting their turn to move up. Sometimes artists open up a venture in the center of town. Occasionally a longstanding local family brings in an enterprising European via marriage and a whole new take on what the town means takes shape, as in Luc Moeys’ and Mimi Paturel’s Oriole 9 and Yum Yum

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Such deep local loyalties are infectious, it turns out — and key to the lasting quality of the town’s mom-and-pop businesses. eateries right in the middle of things.

At other times old-favorite haunts come back into favor, year after year. Townspeople have come to depend on the ever-growing Sunflower Natural

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Foods Market, The Bear Café, Joshua’s Café with its Middle Eastern cuisine and coffee shop, Sunfrost Farms at which discerning locals gather at the juice bar, Woodstock Meats, Catskill Mountain Pizza, the Wok n’ Roll Café and most of the town’s other eateries.

That’s not to forget its great store-for-all-needs, including bus tickets, H. Houst & Sons, right in the middle of everything. Longstanding clothing boutiques seem to clothe everyone who lives here, as well as provide most gifts from Woodstockers to the rest of the world.

Consider the centuries-old, front-porch space just off the village green that was once Grand’mere’s, selling chocolates and knickknacks — until it moved. Tiny Stainker, who’d worked as a storekeeper for nearly everyone in town, opened her own business in that spot, Lily’s. Now all seems perfect.

Such deep local loyalties are infectious, it turns out. They’re the recipe that explains the lasting quality of the town’s mom-and-pop businesses.

Remember how hard everyone fought a national drugstore chain when it dared to come to town?

It’s been slowly and still reluctantly accepted over the passage of time. Over the year, residents make sure to drop in everywhere when in town — finding refuge in quieter spots when the sidewalks seem overrun with tourists. It is in seasons such as now, or on evenings and opening nights, that Woodstockers truly relish their sense of community with each other.

Once he settled into running his uncle’s business, including making candles himself, Ben Schachter said that what’s always surprised him more than anything about Woodstock has been how many people have been treasuring it for years. They’ve returned to it regularly for decades, “longer than I’ve been alive in many cases.” And that goes beyond what he’s seen through Candlestock.

“People love having unique things made with care, things that are not just a product,” he noted.

“What we do here is much more of an art than a craft, and that aspect of the business has been our most interesting element, as well as the most challenging.”

Now that sounds like a secret recipe…Woodstock to the core.

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There was a time, in memory still, when people talked of Phoenicia — a short but very scenic 15-minute drive west from Woodstock — as a wildWestern Catskillian outpost. It was something of a sidebar hamlet to its better-known neighbor, where Woodstock’s residents and visitors occa-

January 16, 2014 Looking Forward

sionally went to shop and play, they said. But that seems eons ago, given the various national publications naming Phoenicia — a cool, unique place on its own accord — one of the region’s and country’s coolest hidden gems.

What gives? How does such a growing reputation play out in day-to-day life in a summer playground filled with hikers, hipsters, tubers and opera fans every summer and fall?

The place maintains a quirky small-town feel that’s much less urbane than Woodstock’s — or most other local burgs, for that matter. People flock to the local diner under dynamic new ownership on Route 28 and to Brio’s and Sweet Sue’s on Main Street. They marvel at the small-town stores in the hamlet that have lasted for years without much sprucing up, from the old-style Phoenicia Pharmacy and classic old German deli to Morne

| 13

Imports, a catch-all department store and fishinglicense emporium. Everything’s on a two-block Main Street that seems friendly despite severe tribulations of fire and flooding. The Phoenicia Hotel, the streetscape’s main building, an old hotel that Babe Ruth once frequented, is now but a hole in the streetscape.

Mama’s Boy Market took up in a back building on that lot and made it a fun center to things.

The Arts Upstairs, a communal art gallery with heavy hitters and community-wide openings, has been active. So has the treasure store of everyone’s dreams, Mystery Spot — which rose in everyone’s opinion hugely this past year by augmenting its name-artist front-porch music series by taking on of the Alamo Bar & Restaurant’s rough-hewn Davy Crockett statue, which was in danger of becoming obsolete.

Phoenicia’s like that. A diner, old motel or even the community library faces disaster or ruin, and then roars back to life with the help of newcomers and older residents. The place is safe enough for local kids to hang “downtown” and be minded by everyone, but for no one to get bored. Like in other small towns, everyone’s proud to be a character.

But they’ve also become good friends in surviving the floods, snowstorms and waves of tourists that are encountered by everyone living here.

Over the years, Phoenicia has earned its reputation for rebirth many times over. It is truly one of the coolest places anywhere.

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16, 2014 14 | January Looking Forward

PHOTOS BY LAUREN THOMAS

Cars drive up Main Street in New Paltz near the corner of main and Chestnut Street.

Inspired commerce New Paltz area offers diversity, promise, walkability Mike Townshend

T

o many people on the outside looking in, New Paltz would be a totally different place without the college. Merchants have built up a dense village core of specialty shops, bars, coffeehouses and restaurants that appeal to students, tourists and out-of-towners looking for a night life.

SUNY New Paltz is a main economic engine that fuels a local economy which supports more than eight pizza palaces, three Japanese restaurants, three gourmet hot dog joints, two art supply stores and nearly a dozen bars.

Downtown shops like Handmade & More, Cocoon and Rambling Rose Boutique let visitors linger and window-shop for goodies to bring back home. Long-time favorites like P&G’s Restaurant mix and blur with well-liked newcomers like Moxie Cupcake and Dohnut.

Tim Rogers, a member both of the town planning board and of the local school board, has an interesting perspective on New Paltz. Rogers said he lives here because of great public schools, close proximity to New York City, easy access to the Thruway, a middle school in the heart of the community, and a walkable Main Street.

“I agree that SUNY contributes, but it isn’t hard to think of several other unique advantages New Paltz offers,” he said.

He took that very question to Facebook recently, asking people why New Paltz meant so much to them. People answered in droves. They told him they loved rock climbing at Mohonk Preserve, nature in general at Minnewaska State Park, the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail, and the ability to get out

A rooftop view of the hamlet in Highland. Town leaders are hopeful Walkway Over the Hudson will boost the local economy. there and hike. They said they loved the athletic leagues for kids, the Unison Arts Center and the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art, and the wineries and local organic farms.

“I brainstormed my own ideas, and I was pleased so many on Facebook agreed and had other great ideas,” he said.

Helen Gutfreund said she sees New Paltz as a town full of spirit, with an intense sense of community that she feels isn’t guaranteed in other towns. “We provide an authentic alternative to what people have come to believe is shopping,

which is big-box stores and national chains,” said Gutfreund, who is marketing director for New Paltz Regional Chamber of Commerce. “We have a lot of authentic mom-and-pop small businesses that have unique items — things you’re absolutely not going to find in the big-box stores.”

Buy Local isn’t just a catchphrase in New Paltz.

It’s almost a lifestyle, she added. “Right now, at this moment, it’s a winter wonderland out there.

It’s really pretty to look at,” she said, adding that walkability is a plus for the college town. There are a ton of options.

January 16, 2014 Looking Forward

| 15

Left, a crowd gathers to celebrate Eat in the Street in New Paltz. The event promotes a need to eat local, sustainably grown produce and meats; right, opening day crowds pack the Rosendale Trestle, newly reopened late last year. Town officials are hopeful the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail’s newest gem will attract more and newer faces.

Mike Beck, the owner of P&G’s, has seen a lot of change since he took over the iconic bar and eatery in 1981. College students and professors always played a huge role in creating vibrancy in the community, but out-of-towners also help businesses thrive in the summer.

“At some point probably in the Nineties, summer tourism really became a bigger factor in New Paltz,” he explained. “The mountains and hiking.

It wasn’t just climbing any more — it was mountain biking and hiking, and coming up to do all the fall-festival stuff.” Beck said. New Paltz relies on a complex and diverse community to sustain its economy.

artists and hackers, like those at Squidwrench Hackerspace in Studio 81. Downtown restaurants like Sal’s Place and Asian Garden — along with specialty stores like Jacobs Music Center and The Kiltmaker’s Apprentice — have helped keep the historic hamlet alive.

Highland’s other large center of commerce is Route 9W. While ice cream parlor Frozen Caboose, off of 9W, is a direct beneficiary of Walkway, other shops like Bagels & Bites try to appeal to the motorist on the go.

The community’s apple orchards continues to be perennial autumn favorites in Highland, and Apple Greens Golf Course provides holes for golf nuts.

O

R

ver in Gardiner, Highland and Rosendale, talented shopkeepers have found their own ways to draw in customers.

An idyllic small town nestled in the Shawangunk Mountains, Gardiner is home to staples like HiHo Home Market antiques center, The Gold Fox Restaurant, Café Mio and the Village Market & Bakery.

In part because of a timely mention early on by Rachael Ray on national television, the Gardiner Cupcake Festival has blossomed from a small event on Main Street into a virtual Lollapalooza of baked goods. In 2013, to accommodate the nearly 30,000 cupcakes, Cupcake Fest moved out to Wright’s Farm.

Downtown Gardiner got a huge boost in walkability last summer, when a long-germinating project to put sidewalks down Main Street finally came to fruition.

Part of Gardiner’s appeal, too, is how rural it is — how quiet. People who move there tend to be looking for a relaxed atmosphere, albeit one with access to the New Paltz public school system.

When Heidi Hill-Haddard, of HiHo, looks around Gardiner, she sees a lot of talent. “The stores we have are award-winning businesses, because we’ve had to be the best at what we do to be outposts,” Hill-Haddard said. “We’re the best at what we do, so people travel the extra distance to get to us.”

Café Mio and the Village Bakery both have Culinary Institute of America graduates as chefs and owners, for instance. HiHo itself received top honors from the trade magazine Country Business in 2011. Tuthilltown Spirits continues to win accolades for its bourbon, whiskey, gin and vodka.

Hill-Haddard sees what Gardiner merchants have accomplished and it makes her proud.

Thrill-seekers — outside of mountain climbers — also have a soft spot for Gardiner. It’s the home to Skydive The Ranch, the premier parachuting school in the region.

osendale — like Highland and New Paltz — benefits from the last decade of investment into local rail trail systems. After a lot of love, the historic, 940-foot-long Rosendale Trestle reopened last summer as a part of the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail. At a height of 150 feet above Rondout Creek, the reopened rail bridge has a lot of people excited for the town.

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ight now, the Walkway Over the Hudson is bringing 500,000 people annually to both Ulster and Dutchess counties. That makes Highland, where the old railroad-bridgeturned-linear-park lets out in Ulster County, a land of potential opportunity.

Surrounding communities benefit, too. “There’s a big revitalization going on in that whole area because of the Walkway,” Gutfreund said.

If Highland officials and merchants act wisely, they could help usher in a town that looks radically different by 2024. They’re trying.

A push to revitalize the hamlet has attracted

Rosendale has a thriving arts scene. Market Market and Rosendale Café consistently bring in quality live music acts. And artist Scott Michael Ackerman has his Lovebird Studio there. “There are excellent, funky restaurants and cafes where you can hear live music,” Gutfreund said.

Not to mention Rosendale’s famous International Pickle Festival in November, Frozendale Daze in December, the Chili Bowl Festival in February, the July Rosendale Street Festival, and the Zombie Fest in September.

Rosendale is a kindred spirit to New Paltz, though a bit more laid-back without the hustle and bustle of the college. It also draws out an older crowd. Establishments like the Bywater Bistro and The 1850 House Inn & Tavern add a touch of class.

But the town is also known for Rosendale Theatre, which runs art house and indie movies that the bigger cinemas usually don’t screen.

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16, 2014 16 | January Looking Forward

In these rapidly changing times, it is imperative that our customer service at HealthAlliance of the Hudson Valley exceeds patientsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; expectations. Since our medical capabilities are solid, with HealthAlliance hospitals receiving high scores for our clinical quality from many independent rating systems, we aim to improve the patient experience and services.

Furthermore, while most medical facilities are just now planning for drastic changes in the healthcare landscape accelerated by the Affordable Care Act, we have already been planning and adapting for nearly two years to better serve our community.

HAHVâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s latest developments Our most recent advancements have enhanced community accessibility and the quality of HealthAlliance healthcareâ&#x20AC;Ś -Renovations to the Broadway Campus Emergency Department have improved patient satisfaction.

This includes changes to the registration process and our new â&#x20AC;&#x153;autism-friendlyâ&#x20AC;? program. The â&#x20AC;&#x153;autism-friendlyâ&#x20AC;? program provides patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) with a more comfortable experience when visiting the Emergency Department by arranging special training for medical providers, nursing staff and other key hospital personnel.

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Developing the medical perimeter

HAHVâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vision for the future

,GHQWLI\LQJ D V\VWHP DIĂ&#x20AC;OLDWH DQG SDUWQHULQJ ZLWK FRPPXQLW\ physicians will aid us in determining the outcome of the overall consolidation and facility redesign of HealthAlliance. These two processes, in tandem, will incorporate other acute care partners and non-hospital providers to create an all-encompassing medical perimeter and ensure access to a wide variety of added consumer-driven medical services. Additionally, our electronic medical record system will allow for physicians and RWKHU KHDOWKFDUH SURYLGHUV WR DFFHVV WKHLU SDWLHQW¡V Ă&#x20AC;OHV DQG in the fourth quarter of 2014, patients will have access to their records as well.

For now, both the Maryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Avenue & Broadway campuses will remain operational while we focus on our goal of becoming a destination site, both locally and regionally.

Our plan will ensure an improvement in the communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s overall health status, enhanced facility quality and performance, convenient and accessible services, and most importantly, streamlined, state-ofthe-art, exceptional healthcare close to home.

As the largest employer in Ulster County, we never forget our responsibility to deliver healthcare services and secure the current and future economic stability of the region. Every effort will be made to maximize job retention, improve community access to services and ensure we meet the current and future needs of our community.

We ask that you, as our neighbors, friends and family, stay local for your healthcare needs while we evolve and VWUHQJWKHQ RXU VHUYLFHV 7KRXJK FRQĂ&#x20AC;GHQW LQ RXU PRGHO DV LW SURYHV WR EH WKH PRVW ORJLFDO DSSURDFK WR SODQQLQJ our future, we need your continued support in order to be successful.

Please visit the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Transformation Updatesâ&#x20AC;? section of our website to view frequently asked questions and track our progress.

Exceptional Healthcare Close to Home

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