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Smart choice for town proposal

There is not much happening in Ripley, a small town of more than 2,300. It is the unpolished welcome mat to New York state for travelers heading east on the New York State Thruway. Other than the sign on Interstate 90, you may not notice it exists.

But the town is looking in the right direction to add tourism and visitors. At a recent board meeting, Supervisor Michael Rowe said the town is submitting a Consolidated Funding Application to the state that focuses on a major asset: its beach and water.

Currently, public beach access in the town is a problem. This plan would bring two access points and include trails for nature walks as well as bicycles and a potential camp site.

All in all, it’s something worth pursuing. And once it happens, Ripley needs to alert travelers of the benefits of stopping in the town and getting to know a natural, rural New York.

For those traveling into the state for the first time, they are greeted with toll booths — an unfriendly site. Getting some of those motorists to the water is a much better first impression.

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