It is hard to believe how quickly time passes. When I took office four and a half years ago, my children were celebrating the Class C NY State Girls Soccer Championship with their AVCS team. Today, I am writing this update from Florida as we prepare to celebrate my oldest daughter Jenna’s graduation from the University of Florida.

Just as Jenna has worked hard to reach this milestone, I have been working to ensure the Town of Jay grows economically. Our goal remains to attract businesses to Main Street, support those businesses with visitors, and serve as a leader in the region. We still have plenty of work ahead, but here are a few updates on our progress.

 

Walls Between Waters Update

The Walls Between Waters public art mural project begins this coming week on the side of the AuSable Theater – Hollywood Theater, funded through a grant from the Essex County Landbank.

The Town of Jay will close the parking spots between the theater and Community Bank starting the morning of Tuesday, May 5th, to allow for equipment delivery and surface preparation. The artist will arrive the weekend of May 16th, with work commencing the following week. Please save the date for the mural dedication on the evening of June 5th, which will feature music, food, and presentations. For more details, visit: https://essexcountylandbank.org/walls-between-waters/

 

Microenterprise Grant Training

The next business training session hosted by the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for the Microenterprise Grant will be held Tuesday, May 5th, at the Community Center. Registration begins at 8:30 am, and the class starts at 9:00 am.

Attending this training is a requirement to receive the grant application from the Essex County IDA. This program offers up to $35,000 for local businesses in the Town of Jay. To register or ask questions, please contact the Essex County IDA at 518-834-9114 or info@essexcountyida.com.

 

Visitor Center Update

The new Visitor Center on Main Street will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, May 21st, at 5:30 pm on the ground floor of the Tahawus Cultural Center.

The center will be open four days a week and is designed to support local businesses while encouraging visitors to spend time in Au Sable Forks. This project is a collaborative effort funded by the AuSable River Valley Business Association (ARVBA), the Town of Jay, and the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST). You can learn more about ARVBA at: https://ausablerivervalley.com/

 

Getting Ready for Summer

I want to extend a sincere thank you to the 50 plus volunteers who joined us for our Parks Cleanup Day last weekend. It is inspiring to see such strong support for our local parks.

Our Parks Department has been working hard this week to prepare the athletic fields at the Grove for Youth Commission sports, which begin practice today. Over the next few weeks, the Town of Jay will be ready to welcome visitors from near and far. Thank you to everyone for your hard work.

 

I hope you have a great weekend,

Matt