ULSTER HEIGHTS – The proprietors of Camp Yeshiva Meor Hatalmud, an Orthodox Jewish summer camp looking to set up on the property of the former Four Seasons bungalow colony on Geiger Road, have been working tirelessly to bring the property up to the Town of Wawarsing's specifications, much to the approval of Wawarsing's Building Code Enforcement Officer, Barron Berg.

"They worked hammer and tong over there," he says of the work being done at the site. "They had so many contractors in, they were virtually getting in everybody else's way — people for paving, bringing in the gravel and compacting it, putting in the septic systems, and all the piping that was required, renovating the buildings. They really had a full-court press going on there, and they really did a very credible job."

Berg says that the camp is all set to open for business, and that the only improvements left to be done on the property are detailed on a punch-list of "non-critical items" that will be taken care of.

"I'm going to be going back there on Friday to do a re-inspection," says Berg, adding that "they're okay with the health department," too. The Ulster County Health Department's approval of their septic system was a crucial part of their being allowed to open. Berg says that the health department's official approval will come as soon as the person who's supposed to sign the paperwork returns from a short leave of absence.

Reports that the proprietors of the camp are performing their renovations and improvements properly comes in stark contrast to the ongoing crisis at the Homowack lodge in Mamakating, which is currently housing a similar type of camp, but amid a staggering list of building violations and safety concerns. Scrutiny of the application for the camp on Geiger Road arose when the Wawarsing Planning Board overturned their initial decision to decline their application after a special meeting was held at Town Hall.

"They did do everything by the book," says Berg of the camp.