June 23, 2024
R: Daniel, what do you love about Rosendale?
D: Almost everything is here. Everything besides the bank is here, within walking distance, and I have no car. So I need places to go to that are accessible without a car.
R:Are you able to get all the things that you need here, that are accessible to you, or are there places that you want to get into that you can’t?
R: I mean, I don’t want a McDonalds here or anything like that. Sometimes I would like a pharmacy close by, but I can always get them delivered. It’s not a problem. And the haircut, I get in here in the town. There’s also a Chinese Restaurant, and the laundromat and grocery store.
R: And what would you miss if it was gone?
D: I would miss Stewart’s.A little place that sells coke. I go there about every other day, but only for the Coke.
R: I just go there for chocolate ice cream.
D: And in there, I see a lot of people buy ice cream there.
R: Their coffee is pretty good though too. and cheap!
D: It’s not expensive. Like Starbucks would be.
R: And you live right here in Rosendale, right?
D: I live in the trailer park in Rosendale.
R: Oh, it’s nice back there.
D: I think so, yeah.
R: There’s a beautiful mountain range behind you and you can get to the store real easy.
R: And what are your hopes and dreams for Rosendale?
D: I hope they don’t move the library. Last year, they were talking about moving next to the movie theatre. It would be very difficult for me to go there.
R: So can you say why it would be difficult?
D: They’re two ways to get there. One way is the sidewalks along Main street. That’s very bumpy. Pitted. And there are lots of driveways along the road.
R: They’re slanted.
D: If you don’t have a rollator, or a trike, it’s not a problem. But for me, it’s a problem.
R: And you go there one way. You have to work really hard on one side of your body and back the other way, it’s the other side.
D: You’re right. So I normally go that way into town, and on the way back I take the trail that follows the old canal behind Main Street, but that’s not paved, that’s bumpy, too.
R: So that was one idea that I had when I first moved back to Rosendale, because my son also has mobility issues. He uses a wheelchair. But what if that trail all the way behind was just smooth as butter?
D: Yeah. Would be nice. But on the other hand, I have the sense that whoever owns it wouldn’t want to pave it because of environmental reasons.
R: We can make it like a board walk.
D: Sure. That would be nice.
R: Wouldn’t it? But believe me, I’ve been thinking about that for a long time.
D: I can take the trail along the canal, but I can only take it one way because the other way there’s a bridge there that’s too steep.
R: Right- so you can go down it, but not up it.
D: Yeah, right.
R:Ok, that’s important to know. So it’s the side coming from the library side that is too steep.
D: Yeah.
R:Thank you so much for your time, we really appreciate it.
D: Is there anything else you want to say before you have to go?
D: That’s it.
R: Thank you, Daniel.
