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(LIBERTY) - William Gerowitz must have been quite a man. I never knew him in his prime, but late in life, he paid an occasional visit to the WVOS studios, which are located just down the road from the farm where he once lived.
Accompanied by an aide, Gerowitz would inspect the radio station, then take his leave, shaking hands with the staff and bidding me, 'Shalom.' Advanced age may have left him slightly confused, but Gerowitz was always gracious, a gentleman.
Although the contact was brief, I can tell a lot about Mr. Gerowitz's character from his legacy - three sons whose lives have spoken volumes about the upbringing they had. These men are Alan, Maurice, and the late Paul Gerry. A common thread in their character was the highly-developed sense of civic responsibility and the abiding affection for the Catskill region that they must have learned at home.
Last week, I broke the news that Alan Gerry was behind the acquisition of the 1969 Woodstock Festival site in Bethel. It was the best news to hit Sullivan County since the NYO&W R.R. opened for business. Mr. Gerry used the terms 'legacy' and 'historic' when he referred to his project at a press conference a few days later.
That terminology is apt. The 'happening' in Maz Yasgur's 'natural amphitheater' has long had a fascination for this nation and the world.
But with the focus on the 1969 Woodstock Festival, there may be people who think that the old mystique of 'free' concerts, hippies, beer and drugs will now continue along as it had been going. I think that is mistaken. I think the new scheme of things at the 'field of dreams' has more to do with BMW's than it does with VW Kombi's in psychedelic paint. It may be more about a mix of serious music, jazz, pop and country with Tanglewood-style picnics on the lawn that is does about kids, mud and guitars.
Just as one can tell a lot about a man's character, by looking at his legacy, one can tell a lot about a legacy by looking at the character of a man. The Alan Gerry Performing Arts Center in Bethel is a legacy. It will be the lengthened shadow of Mr. Gerry's personality.
Alan Gerry has come a long way from the days when he mustered out of the Army with training in the then new-fangled technology of television electronics. He opened an appliance and TV store in Liberty, and in order to sell the TV's, he erected a tower over George Milete's Motel on Mill Street, then strung wires from this common antenna site to homes in the village. Without such a system, reception of the New York City stations was impossible.
From that modest start, with perception, a heck of a lot of drive, impressive organizational skills, and a canny knack for doing the right thing at the right itme, Alan Gerry rose to become the 8th largest cable system operator in the USA, and a man who was ranked by Fortune magazine as one of the 250 richest men in the country.
Mr. Gerry is a perfectionist. When the granite facing wasn't exactly right at the new CVI headquarters in Ferndale, it came down until they got it right. When the landscaping wasn't perfect, up it came until they got it right.
Gerry is also a 'straight-arrow'. (Mr. Gerry is probably the only billionaire who still carries a badge as a Town of Liberty police officer.) He has the mind of a military strategist, and he surrounds himself with like-minded personalities.
Does this profile sound like a man who would spend $3 million or more to acquire land without knowing exactly what it will be used for? Does it sound like the kind of individual who will continue to countenance the mess, the anarchy, and the liability exposure that have come to characterize the August gatherings at Hurd Rd?
Look at the man, and you'll get a pretty good idea what is in store for the Woodstock site. It will be upscale, and it will be something Alan Gerry and all of Sullivan County can take pride in. It will exemplify the kind of discipline, planning and perfection that characterizes Mr. Gerry's involvement in other venues.
The other shoe hasn't dropped. Land acquisitions in Bethel continue. It is my understanding that New York State had foreknowledge of this months ago, at the highest levels.
It is also interesting to note that recent property purchases have linked the Woodstock site to property owned by the Palisade's Interstate Park Commission and that money is available under the control of Gov. George Pataki to purchase sites of significant historical and recreational value from the proceeds of the Environmental Quality Bond Act.
Good parts of this continuing story are yet to come as Alan Gerry discovers that giving away money may be almost as much fun as making it in the first place.