STONE RIDGE – "The question you might have is, 'What are we transitioning from, and to?'" said Fay Loomis of the Transition Marbletown movement and the Rondout Valley Holistic Health Center, speaking to the Marbletown Board on Tuesday, March 6. "We're transitioning away from the age of cheap energy, pushed by the effects of climate change and economic instability, and we're transitioning to local sustainability — ways for communities to thrive in a very independent way, and keep the work as local as possible."

Transition Marbletown is part of a sweeping initiative to more smartly utilize the resources around us through propitious networking, pooling and sharing. And the Marbletown board endorses the attempt wholeheartedly, as it helps to newly rebrand Marbletown as a center for those who think outside the box.

"Rondout Valley Growers is looking at the bigger picture and trying to get more grass-fed beef out there, because that helps keep our open space, and helps keep our agricultural society functioning — our heritage — which is what Marbletown is all about," said Supervisor Mike Warren, showing just one way in which the community can join hands to become stronger. "And some of our smaller growers are looking to share services, because labor is always an issue for them."

"Thank you — it takes people like you to be the glue and the motivators, and that's a lot of it," acknowledged board member and former supervisor Brooke Pickering-Cole.

"There's just so much happening," said Loomis. "The time is right. It's very inspiring. Several students are now getting very interested in the transition movement. They say it's giving them hope in a world where they don't see a lot of hope."

"We're actually looking forward to the Holistic Health Center becoming a real staple in the community," added Warren. "I think we're actually getting known for this, and it grows exponentially within the town, too. So it's important that we kind of test drive it a little."

The town's innovative track record — including its Hamlet Plan, a Natural Heritage Plan and a Farmland Protection Plan — has proven Marbletown to be more than adept at guiding itself in a positive direction while serving as a worthy prototype for other struggling towns and boards.

Transition Marbletown meets on the second Tuesday of each month, 6:30-8 p.m. at the Marbletown Community Center on Main Street (Route 209) in Stone Ridge, and can be accessed online at www.transitionmarbletown.org.

The Rondout Valley Holistic Health Center (www.rvhhc.org) meets on the third Tuesday of the month, 4 – 8 p.m., also at the Marbletown Community Center.