So we're coming around to another seasonal sighing, a time of family and gift-giving and tears from those among us who can't handle not getting all they want, everything they wished for but forgot to try and earn.

What a disappointment so many are feeling about the Nevele being overlooked. Yes, it was good to hear that Orange County wouldn't steal our thunder. But for this part of Ulster County to be swept under the Sullivan County rug? Such words as "devastated" make sense, given how much the community invested of its hopes and dreams in this big project.

And yet you have to hand it to everyone that even in this darkest of hours, there's pluck and vim and vigor and chutzpah and all-around old-fashioned gentlemanly behavior ruling out the sort of bitter self-recrimination many were expecting. Hear those wishing the approved Montreign well, or speaking about the overflow benefits we will all feel from our still-friends in Sullivan County? Or the unchecked optimism, and good cheer, of folks talking about getting even better projects into the area or, even, finding a way, with the county's help, of getting the state to reconsider the recent decision just as they did a year and a half ago with that successful campaign for "2."

What a community we showed ourselves to be! Yes, some may complain about having put too many eggs into a single basket, or the many ways in which Ellenville keeps getting screwed by the powers that be. But such pessimism isn't what survives when things get really rough, as during great floods, major snowstorms, or blistering disappointments like that handed down by the state gaming facilities location board this past week.

In the final round, you have to hand it to Michael Treanor, Angel Brunner, Kathy Meci and the entire Nevele crew for having given their proposal as strong a start as they did. And hope that somehow they still prevail. Just as you have to hand it to everyone who backed this community, and the idea of the Nevele's return, over the past three years. It was a herculean effort.

Moreover, as the many condolences and statements of continuing support come in prove, including Ulster County Executive Mike Hein's promise to keep fighting for a state reconsideration of its three casino decision, there are folks out there who do pay attention to us here. Which means it is now up to us to ensure that they all help us figure out new steps to take to ensure our renaissance beyond simple gambling.

By this time next year, we need to be hearing the Governor announce a mess of non-infrastructure economic development projects for our communities here. We need to have convinced whoever will be heading SUNY Ulster that we deserve not only another stab at having a satellite campus at our high school, but Start-Up NY projects started up. And NY Rising projects all risen and done.

We've gotten the attention of our county, our state; now we have to show real community leadership and ask for big help. We need to show folks downstate that we are a destination already, that we are open to new ideas, and that we're ready to work with others towards something really pioneering and progressive.

How to start such a process? First off, we should all look closely at how the gaming board reached its decision when they release their paperwork within the coming thirty days. Then we have to lick our wounds and demand that county and state, and even federal and international officials come down here for some tête-à-têtes, some old-fashioned roundtables, on how to get this place jumpstarted.

We've been reading notes from people down in the Southern Tier complaining about how the decisions regarding fracking and casinos will now make them like Detroit.

To that we say phooey. Why? Because we've been to Detroit, and have been watching what it's up to, and it ain't nearly dead yet and may be one of the more interesting cities in the world just now, pushed to the point where it's trying new things and starting to find success in its desperation. Which means we, here, have only just begun ourselves.

Defeat and unending challenges? How about opportunities... and a new future!

Happy holidays everyone!