Dear Friends and Members,
2016 was a great year for the Mountain Top Community! The Hunter Foundation has been very busy moving forward several initiatives that will positively impact the Village of Tannersville and the surrounding Mountain Top region.
GOOSEBERRY CREEK:
After last year’s successful grant award of $150,000 from the Department of State, the process has begun to revitalize the Rip Van Winkle Lake. This effort was officially named “The Gooseberry Creek Revitalization Strategy”. The grant allowed us to bring together Planners, Engineers, Designers, Botanists and Biologists to study the existing state of the Rip Van Winkle Lake and then, with Public input, to formulate a revitalization plan.
Setting up within the Mountain Top Library for 2 full weekends, the team held public information brainstorming meetings and then performed a “design charrette”, which means that they rapidly sketched the public ideas into fully formed conceptual art and plans. Those plans could then be translated into construction documents and project estimates. It was an amazing process of public engagement. We’re very excited to release the final plans, once they are completed, for public review. We have also applied for a 1.5 million dollar implementation grant. We have high hopes of getting all of these projects funded via grant awards in the years to come.
FROMER HOUSE:
In 2014 the Hunter Foundation purchased the historic Fromer House property adjacent to the Hunter-Tannersville High School. Our plans are now to develop this property into a working organic farm that can complement HTC and the Mountain Top Library as an educational resource for the Village, as well as to sell the products to local businesses. Two tenant farmers will reside within the Barn apartment building, which is being completely renovated. Additionally, a large greenhouse will be installed at the rear of the property, along with in-ground beds. Site preparations have already begun and we look forward to seeing this project come to fruition early next year.
FARMERS’ MARKET:
The Tannersville Farmers’ Market inaugural season was an amazing success this summer, offering local produce, food products, art and other items for sale on Sundays in the municipal parking lot behind Last Chance Cheese Restaurant. It was a welcome addition to our vibrant Village and plans are already underway for expanding the market next summer.
MURAL:
We also welcomed a new, yet familiar, addition to the Village of Tannersville: Rip Van Winkle has come to sleep on the side of the Tannersville Antiques Center on Main Street! A very accomplished muralist, Justin Badenhorst, came from South Africa to Tannersville and, over the course of a ten days, sketched and painted an amazing mural of Rip Van Winkle on this large wall, turning it into a tourist attraction. Not only does Rip now reside at the Antiques Center, but you can also search for the nine Dutchmen Justin painted in various places throughout the village. We are developing a social media-focused marketing campaign that will invite visitors to “Search for the Dutchmen” and post their pictures online.
2016 was a very busy year for everyone at the Hunter Foundation and our plans are to be even busier next year.
2017 is the 20th Anniversary of the inception of the Hunter Foundation! We thank you for your support and partnering with us on these efforts. We also wish you a healthy and prosperous 2017!
Sincerely,
Sean Mahoney and Elena Patterson, Co Chairs