Only two years ago, Swan Lake was full of weeds, litter, and unkempt buildings. It faced horrendous parking and traffic problems and experienced cultural clashes. Worst of all, residents did not seem to take any pride in their community. But in the Spring of 2004, a very small group of concerned "Swan Lakers," led by Nancy Levine, Angela Streppone and the LaGattuta family, hung baskets and planted barrels of flowers. It was an important first step: people saw that Swan Lake could look much better than it did, and Swan Lake Renaissance was born.

The following summer of 2005, with the crucial support of E & T Landscaping and owners Tom and Mark LaGattuta, Swan Lake Renaissance decided to give new life to the 'old bridge' over the waterfall at the outlet of the lake. With the help of the Swan Lake Fire Department, Daytop residents, and community volunteers, the waterfall park was created and instantly became a 'hit.' The reward was a win in the B category at the Sullivan Renaissance awards.

The Lakeside Park - Community Beautification through Community Action
Despite adverse weather conditions (in June we had a 'floating gazebo' for 2 days...), nothing could hold the volunteers back. Rock walls, flower beds, tree plantings, walkway and boardwalk foundations - it all came together, and progress was visible in hourly installments. All these efforts generated offshoots: a mural has been painted, off-street parking lots put in by business owners, dilapidated buildings painted and spruced up, properties are consistently maintained and newly landscaped, a pocket park has been created on Stanton Corner's road, residents are volunteering to maintain the 2005 waterfall park. The summer's efforts were crowned by winning the Sullivan Renaissance Golden Feather Award of $50,000.

Long-term Community Development
Public input sessions in July and August attracted dozens of both year-round and seasonal residents, who prioritized the issues and created projects for the future: parking, sidewalks, land-use regulations development, infrastructure and code enforcement were top issues. With Town and County on board, by Spring 2007 detailed project plans will be in place with budgets and work schedules. And fundraising for the projects will be well under way.

Swan Lake Renaissance, in conjuction with the Liberty Community Development Corporation and Sullivan Renaissance hopes to accomplish, many exciting projects in the coming months:

• sidewalks
• streetlights/posts
• a town clock
• irrigation system for our community park
• fountains with lights off the shore of the park
• signage for area businesses
• additional flower gardens
• new holiday decorations

Success attracts success - what started as an informal effort by a handful of dedicated residents is now a continuously growing, full-fledged community organization. We are looking forward to continuing our work in 2007 and 2008!