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(LIBERTY) - Millionaire Alan Gerry has been Sullivan County's savior for decades. No money to pay for holiday lights in Liberty? Gerry was there, donating $5,000 in 1988 to keep the lights twinkling.
No money in the school budget for sports? Gerry donated $150,000 to the Liberty Booster Club in 1992 so that the games would go on.
No place for Liberty youths to hang out? Gerry stepped in in 1993 to donate rent-free space for the Liberty Youth Center.
Unable to make the most of being the county to bring peace, love and music to the masses in 1969 - can Gerry save Sullivan County again?
Could be.
Nationally known as a cable system pioneer, Gerry is still dedicated to Sullivan County, the place that gave him his start more than 40 years ago. Gerry started out in business in an appliance repair shop that had him up on roofs, installing television antennas. Seeing him perched on a roof, a friend kiddingly suggested he try out a new business idea - cable TV.
Gerry threw himself into the idea. A police buff, he hired former troopers to lend credibility to his business. Eventually, he lured execs from other cable companies to come aboard. When it was sold, Gerry's Cablevision Industries was the eighth largest cable system in the nation, with 1.3 million subscribers. It was purchased by Time-Warner in 1996 for $2.6 billion.
And while the long-time Liberty resident could have built the head quarters for his empire in any of the nation's major cities, Gerry chose a hilltop overlooking the village that gave him his start. The facility includes a state-of-the-art auditorium that he has allowed local community groups to use. A shy man, Gerry is on Forbes' list of the 400 richest Americans (at 105), but he obviously enjoys the rough and tumble of negotiations more than the prestige of wealth. He keeps his family life out of the spotlight, but hobnobs with presidents (he made large contributions to both Bush's and Clinton's campaigns), and even rated an invitation to the Clinton White House.
A man lauded for his commitment to children, the local economy and community, Gerry is known for saying ``we'' instead of ``I'' and for his hands-on approach to projects. The glass-and-granite building set on a 60-acre campus reflects Gerry's interest in developing the local economy. It was once home to 200 jobs, most of which disappeared when Time-Warner took over last year. But Gerry has always said that he had plans that would help the local economy regain those jobs and more.
This plan took form with the announcement on Monday that he had hired Michael J. DiTullo, the successful head of the Orange County Partnership during its growth years. With DiTullo on his team, hopes are high in Sullivan County that Gerry can work his magic one more time and revive the county's flagging economy.