WAWARSING – Senator Charles Schumer's office has announced $99,000 in funding through the USDA Rural Development division to come to the Greater Wawarsing Local Development Corporation.

"In tough economic times like these, we must continue to support our small businesses," said Schumer in a press release published last week. "This funding will give small businesses in the Greater Wawarsing community an economic boost. I will ensure that upstate job creation remains a top priority of mine. We cannot forget about our rural workers."

The funding will replenish the GWLDC's revolving loan fund, and the press release says that it will be used to help create up to 29 jobs.

Mike Siegel, the executive director of the GWLDC, is grateful to both Senator Schumer and Congressman Maurice Hinchey for their work in securing the grant funding, and injects a dose of realistic optimism with regards to the figure of 29 jobs.

"I hope that the senator's press release proves to be true," he says with a bit of a laugh. "We're supposed to be giving these loans out to either bring jobs into the area, or retain jobs in the area for businesses that need help retaining jobs. It's a retention and job creation funding tool, and we have to keep our eye on that prize when we're giving out loans.

"The loans are only supposed to be for gap financing purposes, because we can only give out smaller loans in order to make things happen. So they're intended to work in connection with traditional bank loans," he says. Siegel notes that the GWLDC is currently processing about $3 million worth of loans in concert with some of the local banks. This work is a part of the corporation's mission to try and free up some loan money from banks, thereby spurring development.

"We act as an advocate on behalf of businesses in working with the lenders in the area," he says.

In addition to the funding, the GWLDC is also working on several other initiatives to stimulate growth in the town; one such initiative includes working with the town and the various organizations and agencies that manage the staggering 26,000 acres of parkland that reside within the town's boarders — roughly one third of the entire town, says Siegel. In order to take advantage of this huge portion of the town, Siegel hopes to set up a parks manager within the town's municipal structure to act as a liaison between the parks and the town itself, helping to promote the area as a natural destination for tourists who want to hike the area's natural landscape. Promoting plans to provide greater access to the parkland via the town itself is another part of the GWLDC's plans for the near future.