As a recent immigrant to Ellenville (from NYC), I was very interested and impressed by the "History of Wawarsinck" exhibit at the Hunt Memorial Building. Learning the background of one's (new to me) home town is always revealing and the Hunt exhibit provided my wife and me an instant primer on the events surrounding the settling and founding of our Town and Village. Danyel Rubin did an outstanding job of researching and selecting items for display and did so in a very attractive linear fashion which, as it happens, also provides the onlooker with a terrific tour of the Hunt. I don't know how long the exhibit runs but I urge all residents to check it out.

Ray Faiola
Ellenville

"Enough is Enough" a recent Journal article expresses the sentiment of the Sullivan County Partnership for Economic Development concerning the delay of the Yukiguni Maitake mushroom project in the Town of Mamakating. It is noteworthy at the recent legislative public hearing conducted by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation on the project no one from the the Wurtsboro business community spoke in support of this project or its delays. I say "Enough is Enough" to the Partnership and other outside interests telling Mamakating residents what is good for our community.

Richard W. Morris
Wurtsboro

I read the local papers everyday, and there seems to be nothing good in the papers about Ellenville, or the surrounding area.

All you read about is this place is closing, more and more people losing their jobs. Now the largest place to close its doors is the Nevele Grand, one of the biggest and oldest resort hotels in the area.

In the last 4 ½ years, over seven hundred people have lost their jobs, and lively hood in and around the Ellenville area. I know that don't seem like a lot compared to the rest of the country, but for this small town area it's a big problem.

The person against Walmart who has a business in this village claims Walmart only pays $10.46 an hour. Well to me that's a hell of a lot better than your other local stores pays their help. Let me ask you a question: What do you pay your help at Image?

Ellenville not only needs a Walmart, it also needs some kind of industrial business where people can get up and go to work and bring home a decent paycheck, and not depend on food stamps or soup kitchens, etc.

Some people want to turn Ellenville into an artist community. How do you people expect to sell your art, when no one has a job? If I have a choice of putting food on the table for my family or anyone else's, or buy a painting, guess what I am going to do. Sure you sell your art work, and put clothes on your back and food on your table - but what about the person who doesn't have that painting to sell, or a job.

As for you people who call yourself transplants, you haven't been here long enough to know what the real Ellenville was like, when there was two movie houses, clothing stores, three barber shops, two bakeries, a rail road station, and many, many, more factories than there are now. People were happy then, there were places to go and things to do and you didn't have to leave town.

I have lived in the Ellenville, Kingston, and Kerhonkson area all of my 64 years, except for the eighteen months I spent in Germany in the military. I've seen a lot of changes, and none are for the good. I hope I live here long enough to see Walmart come.

Raymond C. Smith
Ellenville

I remember when Jamesway came, did they have such a time getting the permits and building as Walmart does? We all shopped at Jamesway, but we also made our stops at the local businesses also. I remember sitting at the counter at Eddie's Country Store enjoying ice cream after picking up plumbing supplies and paint! Jamesway was here at that time.

Then Jamesway shut down, we all made the extra trips to Kingston or Middletown when we could not buy it locally - which was often. The local business had their chance to expand their stock, show us what they had, I believe the Christmas holiday was underway, Gosh, they didn't even dust off their existing merchandise! Their prices where much higher, but when you count the time and gas expense to travel out of town you figured it was worth it. However, just like today, the local businesses don't (and probably can't) have the variety. I find myself hoping against hope that one of the dollar stores has the item I need.

I feel badly for our seniors and other townspeople who do not have transportation and must rely on the buses. The "next town over" is just too far to not have a shopping center! Don't even get me started on local jobs for our youth and towns people who only can work part time. It's been too long folks, too many "stalls".

Dorene Lovelace
Wawarsing