Try something new

Dear Editor: I have sort of followed the “controversy” over the proposed rail trail. I thought I would drop a line to add my thoughts and support.

It is about time that this valuable county asset be taken out of the hands of the hobbyists and put to use benefiting the people of Ulster County.

I have friends who use the existing trails in Ulster and surrounding counties, and they are always exuberant in their descriptions of their trips.

I know that opponents of the trail have complained that “out of town” visitors would not spend money in the communities they pass through, as though the proposal were for a new mall or outlet center. I can tell you from firsthand experience that my friends have, many times, returned in their cars, with their friends, to have dinner or shop at some small shop that caught their fancy as they biked through the community.

How many new small businesses will crop up? Only time will tell. We do know, however, that despite their best efforts, and an inordinate amount of time, the folks at the Catskill Mountain Railroad have not been successful at making their dream of a continuous railroad from Phoenicia to Kingston come true. It really is time to try something new. I truly hope that they see this and work with the county to keep what they have created as an adjunct to the trail. KARL SCHINTONE

Ulster Park ksdragonlair@gmail.com