Don Thomases and Kathy Duyer admiring one of the ten Hobart History signs installed by the Community Alliance this past summer. The group intends to add more signs in 2026.
By Carolyn Bennett
HOBART — Newly elected Hobart Community Alliance Coordinator Julie Rockefeller delivered a pre-yuletide message of cheer with the good news that the Alliance’s most recent meeting on November 24th was “well-attended, congenial, and productive.”
Expanded Leadership Group
Julie Rockefeller, manager of The Hobart Exchange, a Main Street variety store and community gathering space, agreed to serve as the Coordinator of the HCA after she was nominated by the over two dozen people who attended the Monday night meeting at the Hobart Community Center on Cornell Avenue. Book Village concept creator Don Dales agreed to act as treasurer and Kathy Duyer, owner of Creative Corner Books and New York Books & Ephemera, will keep the minutes. Outgoing Hobart Business Alliance Coordinator, Don Thomases will continue to serve as the group’s primary liaison with the Village Board, attending meetings each month. He will also continue to oversee the kiosk signs in Hobart and Stamford along the Catskill Scenic Trail.
Village Entry Signs
With the group’s decision to restructure from a “business” alliance to a “community” alliance, new members have jumped right in to improve the appearance of Main Street. Michelle Stephens, Evelyn Aguirre and Evelyn’s two children, Mavis and Ralphy weeded and cleaned up around the signs at both ends of the village. Based on this initial cleanup, Michelle and Evelyn will present a budget to members for additional work to be done in the Spring.
Village Board Meeting
Don Thomases attended the Village Board meeting on November 3rd. Hobart Mayor Aaron Kaufman suggested that the Hobart Community Alliance and the Village Board have joint meetings. HCA members discussed this idea and Thomases intends to suggest at December’s Board meeting that HCA members attend the January Board meeting to introduce projects that the HCA would first like to work on. If the Board agrees, at the next HCA meeting on December 22, the group will choose which ideas to present there, as well as designating an individual to speak about each idea.
Comprehensive Plan
Thomases also reported that the Village of Hobart’s Comprehensive Plan has not been updated in a number of years. He raised the possibility that the Hobart Community Alliance might help village officials to update the Plan and will raise this idea at the December Village Board meeting.
Potential Projects for the HCA
The group added to the growing list of potential projects for the Hobart Community Alliance to consider:
•Improve lighting on Cornell Avenue
•Encourage more public use of the park behind the Community Center by adding some additional landscaping and other improvements.
•Repair the sliding board at the Hobart park. [Don T. reported that the Village Board is planning to replace the equipment at this park.]
•Erect a fence around the basketball court to prevent balls from going into the street. [This project is also in the Village budget.]
•Take the steps necessary to slow down traffic on Main Street
•Encourage improvement of vacant buildings on Main Street
•Replace lamp posts on Main Street
•Investigate grants to make further improvements to Main Street
•Install lighting in the parking lot at the Community Center
•Clean up at the Main Street lot where the house burned down
•Make the second floor of the Activity Center accessible to persons with disabilities
•Extend sidewalks on Main Street at both ends of the Village
•Extend sidewalks on Cornell Avenue
Hobart Historical Society & Farmers Market
Don Thomases had invited members of the Hobart Historical Society and the Hobart Farmers’ Market to Monday’s meeting to ask how the HCA might be of help to their organizations.
The Historical Society would like to increase its membership so that it can begin work on various projects, such as adding new history signs to those that were installed on Main Street last year. The HCA pledged to promote historical society membership by circulating announcements on the HCA’s new social media page and email list.
The seasonal Farmers’ Market has had difficulty retaining vendors because of the limited number of shoppers. Federico Zimerman, owner of the Hobart Book Village Inn, offered to open the outdoor area behind the Inn to the Farmers’ Market next Summer, given that he regularly offers music, food and drink to the public on Fridays - details to be worked out over the winter.
Next Meeting Date
The Hobart Community Alliance’s next meeting will be Monday, December 22nd at 7 PM in the Hobart Community Center, 80 Cornell Avenue, Hobart. (Typically the HCA meets on the 4th Thursday of each month, but the holidays have caused them to reschedule for November and December.)
“Not everyone can attend our meetings, but the real work happens in between meetings anyway,” said HCA Coordinator Julie Rockefeller. “Please encourage community-minded friends and neighbors to have their names added to this contact list so that they can be aware of the work we are doing and hopefully lend a hand from time to time.”
Contact the HCA at hobartcommunityalliance@gmail.com .
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