Two Board Member positions are officially open!

We’re seeking a Treasurer and a Secretary to join our Association of Businesses!

Are you a Gardiner (or neighboring) resident, passionate about supporting growth and development for business owners, and want to be part of the GAB?

Apply for either role via email and help us support business owners in and around our area. Board Members should be tech savvy, detail oriented, and organized.

What does the Secretary role entail? Planning, organizing, maintaining a calendar, taking notes, supporting the Board and Members alike.

a. The Secretary of the association must be a principal or officer of a Member in Good Standing.
b. The Secretary shall take, keep, and prepare minutes of all association meetings, and present such minutes for review and approval of the membership at the Scheduled Meetings of the Association.
c. The Secretary shall maintain an official list of Members of the Association.
d. The Secretary shall notify each Member of each Association Meeting.
e. The Secretary shall conduct the Association's correspondence.

Candidates with admin and bookkeeping experience preferred for the Treasurer role.

Note: Each Officer must attend at least eight (8) of the twelve (12) scheduled Meetings of the Executive Committee, to remain in Good Standing as an Officer of the Association.

It's official, GAB is looking to fill multiple roles!

• Junior Board Member x 2

• Head of Events Committee

• Treasurer

• Secretary of the Board
   

Junior Board Members should be tech savvy, detail oriented, and organized.
 What does the Junior Board Member role entail?

Planning ahead, using industry standard softwares like Google Drive, Slack, Notion, and social media platforms, creating content, digital organization, maintaining a calendar, planning events, working (and enjoying) monthly mixers and networking events, taking notes, assisting with growing our member base, supporting the Board and Members alike.

We'd love for you to bring your unique skillset to our organization. If you're interested in networking and being part of the local business community, this is a great place for you!

Read more about our Board
Check out our Instagram
Email us directly — gardinergab@gmail.com

Help us support business owners in and around Ulster County. Walk away with practical, real-world experience, become fluent in industry standard softwares and learn both business and community centric best practices.

Galentine's Day Cooking Class!

Galentine’s Day Brunch!

February 11th, 2024
12:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Watergrasshill Bed & Breakfast
105 Phillies Bridge Rd
New Paltz, NY 12561

Come enjoy an afternoon out with the gals to celebrate self love and friendships. In collaboration with Women Who Brunch we bring you a fabulous Galentine's Brunch Cooking Class!

This hands-on cooking class will be lead by Chef Hannah Sabatino of DishingIt and Alana, owner and innkeeper at Watergrasshill Bed & Breakfast. Together they will lead the interactive cooking demonstration through a delicious brunch menu. Cost: $115.

Menu
Homemade Granola Yogurt Parfait with Berries
Chocolate Cherry Scones
Spinach & Feta Frittata
Candied Bacon
Spring Mix Salad with apples, blue cheese, candied pecans & a champagne vinaigrette

What's Included
- Hands-On Cooking Demonstration
- Mocktail Bar
- Full Brunch Menu (detailed above)
- Self Love Valentine's Postcard Station
- Galentine's Take Home Swag Bag

Guests are permitted to bring along their own alcoholic beverage to mix with the provided mocktails.

Professional Space for Lease, a great place for your business to live!

726 Sq. Ft. Professional Space Available for Lease
3 Offices & 1 Bath on the 2nd Floor of a plaza

In The Hamlet Of Gardiner
#2356 Route 44/55, Suite G

Please Contact Robert for further information!
tel: 845-879-7415
email: ultimatehomesinc@aol.com

Yes We Can-nabis!

Honey’s Cannabis in Gardiner is a bit of a work in progress. But don’t blame owner Courtney Beaupre. Or the town.

Courtney’s store currently has a retail license for Cannabidiol, better known as CBD—an active ingredient in cannabis that is derived from the hemp plant; an ingredient that does not cause a high nor is it addictive. Her shop has been welcoming customers upon appointment, and just about every weekend (Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday) since her doors opened in August 2022 at 133 Main Street. And it will be open on a rare weeknight this Wednesday, June 14, at 6 p.m., for a special ribbon cutting and Gardiner Area Business mixer.

A resident of Gardiner with her family for close to 20 years, Courtney notes both business and acceptance have been good at Honeys Cannabis. And she’s learned even more about state regulations than she already knew for her day job as Chief Quality and Compliance Officer for Gateway Hudson Valley, a nonprofit social service agency headquartered in Kingston.

Courtney knows her new venture will take time and patience to jump all the hurdles to legally provide cannabis.

Picture by LACE Photo Media

“We’ve been in a holding pattern for two years,” she said. Since New York said yes to legalized cannabis in 2021, only a handful of locations in the state have been granted licenses. Other than a handful of shops in New York City, Courtney noted that the closest operating location where cannabis can legally be purchased right now is in Schenectady. The rules and regulations, not to mention differences of opinion about the new law are far too involved to get into here, but…

Legal cannabis is coming to the Hudson Valley. And Courtney will be ready when it finally happens.

The rollout as to who can open dispensaries has been deliberately slow. There are the large businesses, such as Cur-A-Leaf, which are subject to more regulations and fees as a grower, processor, and seller. According to the state, the first licenses were reserved for “those most impacted by the enforcement of the prohibition of cannabis or non-profit organizations whose services include support for the formerly incarcerated.” Courtney said that applications for the next round of dispensaries for minority, veteran, and woman-owned businesses should become available around September. “The hope is that we will open for selling legal cannabis in March of 2024,” she said.

Picture by LACE Photo Media

Looking ahead, there will likely be at least two locations in New Paltz, Courtney adds. In the here and now, the town of Gardiner has been working well with Honey’s Cannabis current location, in a storefront neighboring Pascquale’s and Uptown Attic.

“Gardiner has been very supportive and we are located in the multi-use hamlet section- Gardiner opted in and said our location was OK.”

New York municipalities had the option to opt out of adult-use dispensaries. Of the 24 cities, towns, and villages in Ulster County listed in a report by the Rockefeller Institute of Government, 19 have opted in, with the exceptions of Plattekill, Wawarsing, Esopus, Shawangunk, and the town of Saugerties (the village of Saugerties opted in).

Her shop is not huge, but in that regard, it is “in keeping with the same sort of look and style as we have now, very much Gardiner—wainscoting front, a lot of wood, plants, and a little more updated to accommodate traffic. Better lighting, better ceilings.”

As required by the state, there will be an area where all the cannabis is stored at night in a secure room, protected by a material that is not easily penetrable, similar to Kevlar. That is in the future—fingers crossed.

“I hope to focus on farms and vendors from the Hudson Valley,” Courtney said, noting that about 90 percent of the CBD at her shop is sourced in the region. “We have so many local growers in hemp and now cannabis. We want the focus to be on local products in the community.”

Written by Author, Matthew Silverman

Author of Out of a Dog’s Mouth (under the name McNally Berry),
https://www.outofadogsmouth.com/ 

Proprietor of Silverman Editing Services 
https://www.silvermanediting.com/ 

A Laughing Matter

Financial advisor by day, and wry comic by night, Gardiner’s Joanne Secky is a rare breed. And a Natural Born Red Head. The truth in the name is up to her hair stylist to verify, but the persona is here to stay.

Natural Born Red Head works a little blue, as the saying goes, but Joanne is as proficient with words as she is with numbers in her day job with LPL financial Member FINRA/SIPC—the nation’s leading independent broker-dealer. Her job has not only provided well, but it has enabled her to work mostly from home, allowing her the flexibility to raise her two sons, Mason and Jaxson, now both in their 20s, and to care for her mother, Jackie, 95 years young. Jackie bestowed Joanne with many gifts, not the least of which was an affinity for comedy. “My mom is my best friend,” Joanne says.

Picture by LACE Photo Media

Financial planner, single mom, comedian… these terms don’t begin to sum up Joanne. She does things differently—and later in life—than most. Before moving to Gardiner in 2000, she lived many places around the country and worked on her Masters at a few schools before finishing at SUNY New Paltz. “It started as women’s studies and sort of morphed into professional studies,” she says.

Amidst raising her sons, one autistic, Joanne realized that she had many of the same undiagnosed issues. That discovery came when she was 39.  But she does not believe in labels, or accept limitations.  Everyone is an individual - Joanne certainly is.  Son, Jaxson, is currently at Stetson studying Entrepreneurship and Finance. And son, Mason, who is a graduate of Northwestern University, and now involved in the Artificial Intelligence field. 

“We don’t need what we think we need to heal,” she says. “A lot of it is within us. Heal thyself, heal the world.”

She also came a little late to comedy—or at least performing. She has developed “a great love for comedy writing.” Standup? Not so much. Though you can find one of her earliest Natural Born Redhead routines on YouTube (parental discretion advised), she has taken a different path. “That wasn’t scratching the itch,” she says of standup comedy, which can take years to hone at comedy clubs, few of which are close by. “That was off the table because of raising sons and living with my mother.”

Picture by LACE Photo Media

Now the kids are older, her mom remains her biggest fan, and there is more time to try to scratch that itch. 

“My sense of humor is very deadpan, a little smug, but mostly deadpan,” she says. “I also call myself anti-social social.”

The newest chapter for Natural Born Red Head is in process. She plans to have a YouTube presence along with a regular podcast. The website www.naturalbornredhead.com arrives in May. “I just started my interviews for the podcast,” she says. Social media teasers will be coming this month. There is also a Natural Born Redhead page on Facebook.

She is not using these platforms just to tell jokes. Issues Joanne plans on addressing include complex post traumatic stress disorder, dementia, breaking abuse cycles, estrangement between parents and children, toxic positivity, self love, divorce, and among many more topics, capitalism—“I love capitalism, and hate capitalists who don’t do the right thing.”

Egotism? She’s establishing a hotline. If you call—and you shouldn’t, because it’s a bit, folks—you might hear a friendly and familiar voice answer the phone: “Narcissists Anonymous—how can you help us?”

Written by Author, Matthew Silverman

Author of Out of a Dog’s Mouth (under the name McNally Berry),
https://www.outofadogsmouth.com/ 

Proprietor of Silverman Editing Services 
https://www.silvermanediting.com/ 

Taking a Leap for Autism with Greystone Programs

Over the course of more than 40 years, Skydive the Ranch has given thousands of people their 'first' jump from over 13,000 feet above the ground.  It seems, first time jumpers commit to taking the leap for different reasons and often attest to learning a thing or two on the way down.  But how often does opportunity arise that divers get the chance to jump for someone else's benefit?  This May, Skydive the Ranch and Greystone Programs, Inc. are teaming up to give us all a reason to take the 13,500 foot leap.

About Greystone.
Did you know that autism affects 1 in 36 children according to CDC data?  Autism is more common than most people realize and reveals itself in many different forms.  In fact, the disorder's spectrum indicates the wide variation of challenges and strengths of each person with autism. At Greystone Programs, they offer numerous community-based programs spanning the Hudson Valley in addition to their residential homes and services for both children and adults with Autism. Samara Enders, the Director of Philanthropy at Greystone Programs notes, "Leap for Autism is a wonderful day filled with love, bravery and fun. It brings the community together in support of those Greystone serves. We [even] have staff and board members that take a leap each year [at this annual event'].”

Greystone prides itself on nurturing relationships that go beyond commonplace

Greystone Programs is a privately-run nonprofit organization that provides essential services and life-enriching opportunities to more than 500 children, adults, and families with autism and other developmental disabilities in the Hudson Valley region of NY State.  And as a recognized human services provider, they offer certified residential programs and community-based non-residential programs that include habilitation services in a five-county region of the Hudson Valley.  As Samara further explains, "This event benefits Greystone's Expressive Arts Programs - allowing the individuals we support to express themselves through art, music, and equine therapy. These programs encourage individuals living with autism and intellectual developmental disabilities to express themselves and promote a natural way to communicate their emotions and their views on the world."

Take a Leap for Autism.  Skydive the Ranch and Greystone Programs are teaming up once again for their annual event, "Take a Leap for Autism" in their efforts to bring awareness to, and support those in the community with Autism.  In fact, they literally dare you to take a leap.  On May 6th, 2023 the jumps kick off at 11AM and the fun-filled day lasts until 4PM.  On the grounds, there will be live music by ‘Run for Cover’ and refreshments, including craft beer, food trucks, and more, with a rain/wind date of May 20th. The money raised in this family-friendly event will go towards residential homes, school programs, supported employment, community programs and pre-vocational services.  And we think, there's no better day than today to pledge to take a leap. 

To learn more, support the cause, or take your own leap for autism, click here.

Pictures provided by Greystone Programs from previous Leap for Autism events.

Kicking off a New Tradition at Tuthilltown

Jacob Tschetter has been with Tuthilltown since July of 2022 and coming from a small town himself, he was eager to build roots within the community. Naturally, he’s extending his outreach where the history of Hudson Whiskey and Tuthilltown first began, Gardiner NY. With many plans in the works this year, including a weekly Farmers Market that will premiere April 29th, we sat down in an interview with Jacob for a sip of what’s to come.

Picture provided by Tuthilltown

What spurred the initiative for a farmers market?
I grew up in a small farm community and I used to come up here to go rock climbing. I started off as our brand ambassador, and the company really enjoyed the work that I had done. I saw a leadership opportunity up at the distillery and was hoping to give folks the opportunity to support each other in a symbiotic way.

“A large part of what I believe in is building community, I’m not doing this to make a bunch of money.”

At the core and the crux of this market is to build a great community. I want local vendors to be part of this, I want my team members to be able to say they want to hang out on site, and I want to literally be able to cater to our neighbors.

Tuthilltown Spirits has generously offered GAB Members a free spot at the April 29th market, and sign up can be found here: https://app.anyroad.com/tours/farmer-s-market/s-9aee61bc

Jacob Tschetter, speaking at last year’s August Mixer

What are some other plans to come?
We’re looking to start doing live music on site again and even correlate that with the farmers market. We recently moved the visitors center down to the Gristmill- I knew how much the town loved that place, so I made some major repairs for it to be an experiential space. I’m working on our site to make some really cool distillery only spirits that folks can enjoy, and the upstairs will be an event space again. I’m also hoping to have items on consignment to have at the Gristmill and visitors center eventually.

And if anyone remembers movie nights in the park, we’re also working on bringing movie nights back to the field. I’m serious when I say we welcome all opportunities to host fun, engaging events, and even have a crafters series in the works.

“I hope to make the community we’re building thoughtful, affordable and accessible.”

Do you have any new spirits in the works?

We have two exciting and new Hudson Whiskey innovations in the works, and we’re making some new liqueurs, but I can’t tell you what they are yet. We’re also moving to make some canned cocktails. All good things!

Reflections at last year’s Gardiner Association of Businesses Mixer

We’re glad that you’re here! What has your experience been like at Tuthilltown Spirits?

I’ve been in this position since July and it’s funny, I originally worked for an agency with the company and saw a really good opportunity to make something great happen at the distillery.

“I looked at all the different kind of work I had done and I feel like it really brought me to this place.”

A lot of the skills I developed over time, and it felt like everything had built to this point when this role came up. I wanted to come on site to be an advocate for the team members here, be an advocate for the community, and for our neighbors. I believe in this place. This was right.

And if members of the community have an idea, have them reach out, my door is open.

To learn more about Tuthilltown, visit them here: www.hudsonwhiskey.com/en-US/distillery/

Interested in learning more about the Gardiner Association of Businesses and the benefits of becoming a member? You can explore member benefits and sign up for membership here: www.gabny.com/join

Meet the New Owner of Minnewaska Lodge

Stay at the Minnewaska Lodge and you are almost guaranteed to see owner Jigisha Patel. She has a team of four women who help run the business and keep things humming at the 26-room boutique hotel on Route 44/55 that was built in 2000.

Jigisha moved from upstate New York to take over operations at the Minnewaska Lodge, with its serene location, wonderful views, and proximity to remarkable climbing, hiking, and skiing, both cross country and downhill.

Jigisha took over as the fourth owner of the hotel in December 2021, opening a few months later.

Picture provided by Minnewaska Lodge

With her entrepreneurial experience as a small business owner, she jumped right in. The Patels bought into the hospitality business and made it work. Their first year has been a success.

“This is something I am learning as I am running the business,” she said. Like the boss of every business in the area, finding help has been one of her most difficult tasks. Jigisha plans to grow her team starting in the Spring. She seeks workers for the front desk, housekeeping, and maintenance.

The lodge’s namesake makes the hotel a natural draw. Minnewaska translates from two Native American languages to mean “good water,” according to the Times Herald Record.

Picture by LACE Photo Media

The nearby Minnewaska State Park Preserve encompasses 22,275 acres located on the Shawangunk Ridge. If all that space seems intimidating, there is a much simpler amble right outside the back door of the lodge. Spring, Summer, and Fall were all busy, plus a bit of a holiday rush. Corporate retreats, birthdays, and family reunions have helped fill the place, but production companies have been an exciting boon to the Minnewaska Lodge. “A major TV network bought out the place for two days” she says. “The cast stays here.”

For food, the Minnewaska Lodge relies on nearby restaurants that guests can walk to or order in from New Paltz. The hotel provides continental breakfast. At this point the lodge does not do receptions. Though she hopes to be able to create a larger space for gatherings, Jigisha is protective of her guests and their privacy. “The common area is for the guests who are staying here and enjoying the space that we have,” she says.

Jigisha hopes to have a presence that touches both the local community and visitors alike, and she is proud to be a business owner in Gardiner!

Written by Author, Matthew Silverman

Author of Out of a Dog’s Mouth (under the name McNally Berry),
https://www.outofadogsmouth.com/ 

Proprietor of Silverman Editing Services 
https://www.silvermanediting.com/ 

Tapping Rock Forest

When the sap starts running, Rock Forest starts jumping. This winter’s unseasonably warm weather kicked off the sugaring operation around Valentine’s Day, earlier than usual, but the Gardiner forest farm follows Mother Nature's lead.

“It takes a lot of sap to boil down to make syrup,” explains Christina Liakos, who runs Rock Forest with her partner, Basil Tsimoyianis. It generally takes about 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of maple syrup. With a two-person operation, that’s a lot of work to make the 18 to 20 gallons that Rock Forest plans to sell this year. But a little syrup goes a long way. The farm sells bottles from 3.4 ounces to a half quart at the forest farm on Millbrook Mountain. They can also be seen selling their wares from a truck near Lombardi’s Restaurant.

“People can come to the land and learn some skills.”

“We’re like a neighborhood CSA,” Christina says of her farm’s place in community supported agriculture. “We do a lot of fairs in Gardiner and surrounding towns. We offer workshops. People can come to the land and learn some skills.”

Rock Forest has maple workshops starting in March—and don’t forget the GAB mixer and a close-up look at the sugaring process at the farm on Thursday, March 9. It is a chance to see how everything operates, chat around a crackling fire, and try some tasty treats.

But catching delectable gold lightning in a bottle lasts just a few fleeting weeks. Rock Forest hosts other workshops about mushroom cultivation. www.rockforestny.com boasts “the best shiitake in the Hudson Valley.” Come fall they plan to host Acorn Fest. “We use the taste and textures of season,” said Basil.

Besides mushrooms and maple syrup, the couple—plus two-year-old Melia—stay plenty busy. They also handle bee relocation as part of their wild honey business and operate a portable saw mill using fallen timber from their 52-acre spot in Gardiner.

Avid rock climbers, one of the reasons they settled in this part of the Hudson Valley is the Shawangunks. It is also centrally located between grandparents: his in Connecticut and hers in New Hampshire.

Christina and Basil met in Vermont. He was in Burlington at the University of Vermont and she was 70 miles south at Green Mountain College. What brought them together was an environmental advocacy program with Greenpeace and “doing more work off the land,” she says, and they have certainly done so. Basil and Christina have increased their sugaring operation a little more each year.

“We use the taste and textures of the season.”

Basil is a rope technician, archivist, and photographer for the aerial dance company Bandaloop, literally helping them dance on walls. He recently was part of a performance in Phoenix prior to Super Bowl LVII. Christina has worked with environmental and climate justice organizations the past 15 years, including a decade spent working with Indigenous tribes and communities in Alaska. When all is right with the world, they work with the same clients. But the hope is that most of their travel will be checking taps among their many trees in Rock Forest, especially as Melia grows and can do more to help than hand them a single stick of firewood and a smile.

Article by Matthew Silverman

Author of Out of a Dog’s Mouth (under the name McNally Berry),
https://www.outofadogsmouth.com/ 

Proprietor of Silverman Editing Services 
https://www.silvermanediting.com/ 

Valentine's Day Menus to Swoon Over

Tis the holiday season of love! Whether you celebrate Valentine’s Day, Galentine’s Day or simply have a love for fine food and drink, we’re sharing swoonworthy menus and date ideas that could be a perfect match for you and yours.

Spice up a date night at home ♥️

It might be looking a little too people-y out there for you. We say, enjoy date night at home! Bridge Creek Catering is offering a four course meal for two that is sure to satisfy your palate, while giving you the option to enjoy a night at home. Win-win.

Wine, cheese, chocolate, repeat ♥️

Looking for a unique pairing to go with your unique love? Might we suggest a wine lover’s delight of local chocolate, cheese and wine paired to perfection. Explore new wines by Whitecliff Vineyard, vegan chocolates by Lagusta’s Luscious, and cheese from McGrath Cheese Company and 5 Spoke Creamery.

Other weekend options…

Enjoy a brunch date on the weekend ♥️

Cafe Mio specializes in fresh, locally sourced cuisine crafted with love by owner and chef, Michael Bernardo. Serving both quality interpretations of classic dishes and bold new ventures chalked in daily on the specials board, specials each weekend (subject to change) can be found on the Cafe Mio website.

Lunch and Dinner options to go ♥️

Formerly Julian’s Provision on Main Street, The Disgruntled Chef will be serving up Superbowl favorites and delicious specialties for take out including beef chili, buffalo chicken dip, chicken wings and quinoa salad with corn and black beans. Chocolate bread pudding and pasta with spinach and lemon cream sauce will be available in the case as well.

A cocktail for good measure ♥️

Stop into Gardiner Liquid Mercantile on the weekends surrounding Valentine’s Day for one of their famous cocktails, a bottle of NY Spirits or house-distilled products, unique Mercantile merch, and local fare.

And a night out on the town ♥️

RŪNA hails as a French(ish) restaurant nestled just off Main Street in downtown New Paltz. Stop in the weekend before or after Valentine’s Day for delicious specials and locally sourced menu items expertly prepared to perfection.