Serving the Towns of Wawarsing, Crawford, Mamakating, Rochester and Shawangunk, and everything in between
(none)   
SJ FB page   
 

Gutter
Thank You!
Your Generous Support Has Given Us A Big Boost
Read more...
Ellenville's Chamber A Key Player
EWCOC Accomplishments Keep Growing...

ELLENVILLE – Speaking with long-time residents and business owners, a lot has changed in Ellenville over the past two decades. When he was a kid, said village mayor Jeff Kaplan, you could roll a bowling ball down Canal Street at night and never hit a car. Marcus Guiliano of Aroma Thyme Bistro added that when he opened his restaurant fourteen years ago, there were no others on the block. Now, Canal Street is known as restaurant row.

The word, Kaplan said, is getting out that Ellenville is "the place to be." And getting that word out, in big part, has been the accomplishment, as well as the mission, of the small, but dedicated volunteer staff of the Ellenville/Wawarsing Chamber of Commerce.

EWCOC, as many know the entity based in the revived Hunt Memorial Building, is not a large chamber like that of the county, or such regional entities as those overseeing commerce in the Rondout Valley or New Paltz areas. The Ellenville/Wawarsing COC works primarily on a volunteer base.

"We can only do as much as our volunteers can do," said Dr. Mark Craft, chamber president, noting how the organization first started in 1950 does a lot with what they've got. "Our mission statement is 'Make Ellenville a better place to live and work.' Every project, every activity we do is geared towards that."

In August, the chamber hosts Ellenville's annual Blueberry Festival, and in December puts together a month of activities as the Wawarsing Wassail. In addition, they're planning to repeat last year's Taste of the Town events, as well as their first-ever business expo in the spring... for networking and a chance for the general public to get a sense of the local business community's achievements and challenges.

Also in 2017, the chamber plans to again offer a scholarship to a graduating Ellenville High senior who demonstrates a commitment to community service.

Among 2016 achievements that Craft highlighted was the production of a video on the village, available on the EWCOC website and paid for by the county tourism department, as well as much work with other local entities such as the village lighting committee and the Noonday Club, raising funds for projects that included $1,300 for lighting from the Taste efforts.

The cost of EWCOC membership, at $85 a year, allows the printing of brochures, booth discounts at various events, and a regular flow of meetings that feature both mixers and guest presentations.

"Chambers can be extremely beneficial, but it takes a lot of resources," noted Guiliano. "Ellenville, for the size of it, has a great chamber. I look forward to the mixers and to the Blueberry Festival and while their website has come a long way, improving it even more could give us all an added boost. We want traffic in Ellenville... we all want Ellenville to be better."

Guiliano added that he's personally looking into starting a separate restaurant association to "talk shop" on a regular basis.

Meanwhile, Kaplan added, the entire village and surrounding community has come to rely on their well-organized chamber for assistance in lighting, parking and aesthetic issues that come up.

"A strong chamber of commerce is important to the success of a municipal government, particularly in a village where you have a bulk of your business," Kaplan said. "The fact that you can have difficulty parking downtown... it is very exciting to municipal government to have parking problems!"

Contact the chamber at [email protected]/845-647-4620. Office hours are currently 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday.



Gutter Gutter
 
 


Gutter