KINGSTON – A group of Ulster County
legislators who are members of the Rail Road Advisory Committee have asked
the county administration by events sponsored by the Catskill Mountain
Rail Road are not included in the county’s tourism publications
and website.
County officials said that is not the case, that events have in fact are
included.
A memo from Legislator David Donaldson, chairman of the advisory committee,
and lawmakers Manna Jo Greene, Richard Parete, Kenneth Ronk and Craig
Lopez, members of the Rail Road Advisory Committee, said “these
events are very popular with Ulster County residents, attracted thousands
of tourists from outside Ulster County and been an economic boom to uptown
Kingston.”
The legislators asked for the administration to “explain what criteria
you use to determine what events and businesses are included and/or excluded?”
Deputy County Executive Kenneth Crannell responded in a memo saying events
like the Polar Express and an ad for CMRR were included in the county’s
2014-15 travel guide. He said the county also promoted the Day Out with
Thomas and the Polar Express on the tourism department’s Facebook
page.
“With hundreds of competing events and attractions within Ulster
County, the department works to have a broad representation of venues
and attractions listed within the limited space of our publications,”
Crannell wrote. “The Department of Tourism worked to promote numerous
events and activities sponsored by a large diverse group of sponsored
organizations. CMRR has received coverage and any statement to the contrary
is simply incorrect.”
