By Peter Calvert

Above is a check from a successful fundraiser which Carol Ames organized for Ballantine Park (pictured on the right). Catskill Creative, an art and design company owned and operated by Peter Ames, donated $5 to a pool of money every time a “post” he designed was shared on social media. Then Derek Curl, owner of the Andes Hotel, matched the accumulated funds from the Andes Main Street Fund (AMSF), a fund that was begun during the depths of the Covid Pandemic to assist hospitality workers who were missing paychecks as establishments went on hiatus. Derek felt this was a good post-pandemic use of the AMSF assets to keep an Andes heirloom like Ballantine Park viable for the public and well maintained. Carol, Peter, and Derek were able to raise $910 from the “posting and matching” portion of the social media fundraiser. Another $100 came from people who wrote checks directly to Friends of Ballantine Park and dropped them off at the town hall. Bud Gladstone, Town Supervisor, applauded their initiative and this “grand” success.~