The Hunter Foundation Incorporated
                    "Partners in Improving our Communities"                      
Since 1997
www.hunterfoundation.org
Celebrating our 20th year in 2017
A Note from our Co-Chairs
Dear Friends and Members,
2016 was a great year for the Mountain Top Community! The Hunter Foundation has been very busy moving forward several initiatives that will positively impact the Village of Tannersville and the surrounding Mountain Top region.
GOOSEBERRY CREEK:
After last year's successful grant award of $150,000 from the Department of State, the process has begun to revitalize the Rip Van Winkle Lake. This effort was officially named "The Gooseberry Creek Revitalization Strategy". The grant allowed us to bring together Planners, Engineers, Designers, Botanists and Biologists to study the existing state of the Rip Van Winkle Lake and then, with Public input, to formulate a revitalization plan.
Setting up within the Mountain Top Library for 2 full weekends, the team held public information brainstorming meetings and then performed a "design charrette", which means that they rapidly sketched the public ideas into fully formed conceptual art and plans. Those plans could then be translated into construction documents and project estimates. It was an amazing process of public engagement. We're very excited to release the final plans, once they are completed, for public review. We have also applied for a 1.5 million dollar implementation grant. We have high hopes of getting all of these projects funded via grant awards in the years to come.
FROMER HOUSE:
In 2014 the Hunter Foundation purchased the historic Fromer House property adjacent to the Hunter-Tannersville High School. Our plans are now to develop this property into a working organic farm that can complement HTC and the Mountain Top Library as an educational resource for the Village, as well as to sell the products to local businesses. Two tenant farmers will reside within the Barn apartment building, which is being completely renovated. Additionally, a large greenhouse will be installed at the rear of the property, along with in-ground beds. Site preparations have already begun and we look forward to seeing this project come to fruition early next year.
FARMERS' MARKET:
The Tannersville Farmers' Market inaugural season was an amazing success this summer, offering local produce, food products, art and other items for sale on Sundays in the municipal parking lot behind Last Chance Cheese Restaurant. It was a welcome addition to our vibrant Village and plans are already underway for expanding the market next summer.
MURAL:
We also welcomed a new, yet familiar, addition to the Village of Tannersville: Rip Van Winkle has come to sleep on the side of the Tannersville Antiques Center on Main Street! A very accomplished muralist, Justin Badenhorst, came from South Africa to Tannersville and, over the course of a ten days, sketched and painted an amazing mural of Rip Van Winkle on this large wall, turning it into a tourist attraction. Not only does Rip now reside at the Antiques Center, but you can also search for the nine Dutchmen Justin painted in various places throughout the village. We are developing a social media-focused marketing campaign that will invite visitors to "Search for the Dutchmen" and post their pictures online.
2016 was a very busy year for everyone at the Hunter Foundation and our plans are to be even busier
next year. 2017 is the 20th Anniversary of the inception of the Hunter Foundation! We thank you for
your support and partnering with us on these efforts. We also wish you a healthy and
prosperous 2017!
 
Sincerely,
Sean Mahoney and Elena Patterson, Co Chairs

First Year Successes
Mama's Boy Burgers

As we eagerly look forward to the future, it's worth mentioning the fantastic first year success of three local businesses whose inception was made possible, in part by the Hunter Foundation. Mama's Boy Burgers, Hudson Chatham Winery, and Wellness RX have quickly become staples of the Mountain Top Community.
Mama's Boy Burgers proves that their slogan "Great Food in The Great Outdoors" is far more than just a catch phrase. Occupying the former site of the iconic Smiley's Ice Cream Shop on Main Street, Mama's Boy offers locally sourced grass-feed gourmet burgers, crispy fries, Hoffman's Hot Dogs, 32 flavors of delicious ice cream and many tastier menu options.
Now, we are excited to announce that the same formula that has made Mama's Boy an unequivocal success story is being applied to pizza! That's right; coming soon to Tannersville, Mama's Boy Pizza, located directly across the street from Mama's Boy Burgers will offer authentic mouthwatering pizza at an affordable price. Mama's Boy Pizza will be a welcome addition to the many fantastic eateries and shops on Tannersville's vibrant Main Street.

Hudson-Chatham Winery

Hudson Chatham Winery is a must stop for any wine connoisseur or self-proclaimed "foodie". Located in a beautifully restored building at 6036 Main Street in Tannersville, Hudson Chatham Winery offers an amazing selection of wine, local beer, ciders and gourmet food. Stop by to see for yourself and while visiting partake in a tasting to sample their savory, expertly crafted wines paired with a selection of cheeses and other delectable accompaniments. The Winery also serves as a prime location for private functions andparties
Wellness RX

In a world of "big box" pharmacies Wellness RX serves as a reminder that professional, compassionate healthcare can still come with a personal touch. Located in the Astor House in Tannersville, Wellness RX offers all the modern conveniences people have come to expect from a chain pharmacy with what pharmacist Edward Ullmann calls a "Patient Centered Holistic Approach". In addition to filling prescriptions and selling traditional over the counter remedies, Wellness RX offers a section of holistic health services and products. More than just healthcare, the pharmacy also features a wide selection of gifts, cards for every occasion and other must have items.

Accomplishments in 2016

  • RVW Lake Park improvement grant match of $133,000 to the Village
  • Successfully started Tannersville's first Farmer's Market
  • Received a Smart Growth Grant award for two information kiosks
  • Pocket Park project underway at the former site of the Gotay building
  • Hotel Mountain Brook purchased by innkeepers Terrence and Amy Maul
  • Rip Van Winkle mural and nine Dutchmen painted by South African artist, Justin Badenhorst
  • Tannersville Antique & Artisan Center and Antique Annex welcomed over 20,000 visitors through the doors to shop over 80 diverse vendors! Manager Rick Thomas reports sales have exceeded expectations and many customers return often to find new treasures.  One-of-a kind gifts for unique people!
Anything Else?

  • Sponsored Fourth of July Fireworks Celebration at Colonial Golf Course
  • Assisted Hunter-Tannersville School District with funding for the 7th grade camp-out at Lake George
  • Provided beautifully renovated accommodations for 23Arts and Catskill Jazz Factory artists and performers
  • Paint Project funded touch-ups at Tannersville Laundromat and a new look for the Kaaterskill United Methodist Church Parsonage
  • Assisted with "bell tower" repairs at Kaaterskill UMC Thrift Shop in Hunter
  • Working with WARF Professional Trail Crew to complete a new multi-use trail system from Hathaway to Route 23A in Hunter
  • Donated two set ups and a manifold to the Hunter Stone Carving Seminar doubling the air-line capacity

Looking Back to 1930

Excerpt from Tannersville, The Examiner, Catskill, NY
Thursday August 14th, 1930 , page eighty-eight Centennial Edition
Tannersville Is the Last Word in Beauty, Sanitation, and Health
IT IS SAID . . .
Tannersville, by reason of its ideal location in the most attractive part of the Catskills, has unlimited possibilities for development, making it the leading winter resort in the State of New York.
IT IS ALSO SAID . . .
Go to Tannersville, the Heart of the Catskills above the clouds, where the skies are bluer, the air is purer, And sometimes said, Men's hearts are truer.
 
-Milo Claude Moseman

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The Hunter Foundation, Inc | 5994 Main Street, PO Box 563 Tannersville, NY 12485| 518-589-5050 | hunterfoundation.org
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