Story
Every town has at least one forgotten place - for Ellenville, Mill Street Park was one such place. Perched at the corner of Mill and Center Streets, its weathered pavilion stood as a reminder of better days, with 3-foot drops where stairs should have been and benches that had long since given up their battle with time. But Noelle Fries saw something different when she looked at this neglected corner of her community. She saw possibility.
"I was looking for a place to have a community garden," Noelle recalls, but what she found was an opportunity to spark something bigger. During initial site visits and conversations with local residents, Noelle saw the park needing attention. What started as a search for garden space soon blossomed into a vision for renewed community connection.
Working with COFFE (Coalition of Forward-Facing Ellenville) members, Noelle began reaching out to neighbors and local businesses. The project gained additional momentum in June when SowOneGoodSeed reached out to support the organizational efforts, gathering support from local builders and contractors and coordinating work dates.
The real magic wasn't in the planning - it was in how the community showed up and the true spirit of Ellenville revealed itself. On September 14th, the transformation began in earnest. Picture this: 30 neighbors, many clutching their own tools, ready to tackle whatever needed doing. Among them was a grandmother whose family had called Ellenville home for generations, working alongside her grandsons - a living bridge between the park's past and its future. Even Mayor Evan Trent rolled up his sleeves, working shoulder to shoulder with residents.
Support came in many forms. Slutsky Lumber contributed $1,200 worth of wood for the reconstruction. Ace Hardware provided $100 worth of paint and brushes. Local eateries - Cohen's, Peter's Market, Arianna's, and Dominick's - kept volunteers fed with pastries, pizza, and refreshments. Even Walmart pitched in $50 a day, and Dunkin' ensured daily rations of donuts were readily available. The Village also showed up with a big dump truck for debris removal.
Local builders, contractors, and farmers offered their expertise, particularly for the pavilion restoration. From 1 PM until sunset, they brought essential power tools and guided the work. The contributors included P.A.S. Building & Design and Rainbow Home Improvement. Flowering Sun Ecology Center, a local organic farm, joined in the revitalization effort and was especially excited about the potential for a future community garden.
The work naturally divided into three teams - one refreshing park benches, another tackling the pavilion structure, and a third working on the roof. By the end of the day, the benches had been repaired, while the pavilion was stripped and ready for restoration. With the groundwork laid, the team scheduled a second work day to complete the pavilion renovation.
On September 28th, a smaller but determined team gathered to complete the pavilion. Returning volunteers included Noelle Fries, members from SowOneGoodSeed, P.A.S. Building, and Flowering Sun Ecology Center. Rob Vongerichten, President of the Ellenville Little League and owner of local construction company Plum Point Construction, brought his expert roofing skills to the project. Local residents, including the grandmother and her grandson, continued their dedicated support. Mayor Evan Trent greeted the volunteers as they began the final day of restoration, while Cohen's, Arianna's, and Dominick's once again kept the volunteers energized with food and refreshments.
The crew worked diligently from 1 PM to 6 PM, completing crucial tasks, including installing new plywood, preparing and reshingling the roof, and finishing the stairs. Noelle stayed longer to finish painting the pavilion with the children from the neighborhood.
The results speak for themselves: new benches were installed throughout the park, the pavilion roof was completely renovated, proper access stairs were built, and the entire space was thoroughly cleaned. In just twelve hours of work spread across two autumn afternoons, dozens of volunteers transformed a forgotten corner of Ellenville into a symbol of possibility.
What began as Noelle's search for a community garden space evolved into something perhaps even more valuable: a restored sense of community pride and cooperation. Mill Street Park now stands as proof of what's possible when neighbors decide to be more than just neighbors - when they choose to work together as a community to build something for their community.