To the editor:

I want to start by thanking every single person who in the past has volunteered or is currently volunteering to sit on one of the 3 boards, that seem to be responsible for getting the Treasure that sits in the middle of our precious town, The Callicoon Depot open for business….

I know it takes time to put together a plan, get the funding and jump through the many hoops necessary to bring an idea and a dream into form…Anyone familiar with my work knows that I realize there are different circumstances between bank funded projects and how this project is funded, but there seems to be issues that should be able to be resolved by “Keeping it Simple” for now…

And there is no need for me to name names because each time I have asked one of the heads of each board “Why Is It Taking So Long?” they Name Names and pass around the blame as to why, after a lease was signed in 2021, grants given, awards in the form of cash allotted as well as grants lost, board members quitting, board leaders going from one board to another, meetings that seem to fail to answer questions asked, that it’s always the fault of someone else…

I asked our building inspector if the town is holding up the opening and he said no, that while they do need an ADA compliant bathroom as well as proper signage, he said that as long as any work that gets done helps to improve the building, it needs no further permitting or review….

I was told by one of the board heads that architectural plans are needed as well as studies of sorts and that’s what’s holding it up…. I asked why the large broken glass that I walk past every day can’t be fixed, and I was told a wall needs to be rebuilt….

And it seems anyone who has broached this subject or asked the same questions I have, there seems to be more excuses than answers….

So please lets “Get On Board” and get the minimum projects required to open done now, because the funds needed for that are already available and the bigger dreams can happen after the Depot brings joy to our towns center, knowing it will be able to produce needed income for the more costly and seemingly more complicated projects envisioned in the future…