Business association needs to get to work

The Pine Plains Business Association is trying to resurrect itself. But it needs help. Badly.

In fact, the group, which is well-known for its fabulous feats during the holidays when it puts on the Parade of Lights and earlier in the year when it sponsors the spring planting day, doesn’t meet otherwise.

According to volunteer Ibis Guzman, one of the men who is trying to drum up support for the nearly 30-year-old group, if businesspeople and residents don’t make it to the February meeting that is being planned to reorganize the association, the powers-that-be may just let it die. That would be a real shame.

Through the business association the town of Pine Plains has a tool it can use to leverage many of the things a small community needs to better publicize itself — especially when there’s no Chamber of Commerce to do the work. The business association can help get word out when new shops and restaurants open, or when existing ones hold special events. It can generate publicity for community activities like the town’s Decorating Day, which also holds the promise of bringing in potential clientele to the town. It can also be useful in drawing new businesses to the town and thereby creating a more vibrant business community. All of these things are possible, if the business association takes the time to reorganize, make some goals, create a strategy and get to work.

Certainly there’s an abundance of creative and thoughtful minds living and working in the town to help get this group in gear. The founders of the group, Bob Taylor, Bill Boyles and Don Peck, would be pleased as punch to see it going strong again. Years ago they organized the group to bring Pine Plains reliable phone service. They accomplished their goal with great success. Now, as Taylor says, he wants to encourage others to “take a few minutes and see if they can contribute any ideas and thoughts to what the group’s goals and aspirations should be.�

We recommend those living and working in Pine Plains do the same. They should then mark the date of Feb. 24 on their calendar, and at 7 p.m. stop by the Lions Club Pavilion on Lake Road, where the business association will hold its meeting. To those who attend, don’t be shy, just contribute what you can. After all, it’s your town and it should grow in ways that benefit you and your neighbors. Smart planning is at the root of a healthy community and having a strong business association will only help support in meeting that goal.