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Cairo community activist named Senior of the Year

By Dollie Gull

CATSKILL — Well-known community activist Dave Hart was named Greene County Senior of the Year by the Greene County Legislature in a ceremony at the Greene County Office Building. Hart was honored for his many volunteer activities.

Hart received commendation from Legislature Chairman Wayne Speenburgh for his more than 13 years of volunteerism with RSVP, Retired Senior Volunteer Program, for his dedicated work with the Meals on Wheels Program, his work transporting senior citizens to and from medical appointments and on shopping and other errands, and for his work with the Rotary Club of Cairo.

Speenburgh commended Hart as a “caring and active individual giving back to his community,” congratulating him on his “achievement,” while “wishing him happiness and contentment in the coming years.”

A native of Lansdale, Pa., Hart attended schools there before graduating from Temple University in Philadelphia where he majored in business administration. After graduation, he went to work for a manufacturing company and then a meat packer as an order taker.

He served in the U.S. Army's Criminal Investigation Division at New York City's Governor's Island with the First Army Division during the Korean Conflict. Afterwards, working for Beacon Manufacturing, a blanket company, and B&G Pickle Co., before joining the staff at Bankers' Trust in New York City. He retired as a Bankers' Trust Vice President after 30 years.

In 1958, he and his partner Tony Radosti purchased property in Cairo, finally settling here in 1994. After taking on several construction jobs, they opened the popular Crosswell's Emporium on Main Street next to the Cairo Post Office in 1997.

They became frequent travelers to various trade shows around the country, purchasing the unique gifts and items they sold at Crosswell's, while also initiating a website and selling Crosswell's Emporium merchandise over the Internet.

Since retiring, for a second time, Hart has been actively involved in a number of community activities, including the Cairo Chamber of Commerce, the Cairo Rotary Club, of which is now president as well as a district Rotary International official. He has actively supported youth groups in the community and has done a lot of volunteer work for the Greene County Department on Aging, Meals on Wheels and has long been active in helping senior citizens get to and from medical appointments, taking them shopping and on other necessary errands.

Affable and gregarious, Hart can often be seen taking part in various charitable activities, selling raffle tickets and other activities designed to raise monies for various nonprofits.

As president of the Cairo Rotary Club as well as a district Rotary officer, he attends many state and national Rotary events and conferences, works to raise money for Rotary International's charitable efforts, including the New York Make-a-Wish Foundation and the Rotary supported Cairo Mammogram program.

He is currently spearheading an effort to recoup several thousands of dollars which the local Rotary Club laid out to purchase a wheelchair accessible van for a Cairo Elementary School student who is wheelchair-bound. He and other Rotarians are currently selling lottery raffle tickets in this community in order to put back into the club's account more than $3,000 with which the youngster's van was purchased.

He is also working on the Cairo Rotary Club Golf Tournament which is slated to take place on Sunday, Aug. 17, at Black Mountain Golf Club.

“This 10th Annual Cairo-Durham Scholarship Tournament is the backbone of our Scholarship Fund Drive that allows Cairo Rotary to present several scholarships to local high school students.

“The tournament will take place at the Black Mountain Golf Club, at Round Top,” he explains, “and to host this tournament successfully, we need sponsors to underwrite this charitable effort.”

Hart and Ted Banta, Rotary Club president-elect, noted that the $50 tax deductible donation provides a “Tee Box” advertisement for individuals and companies. Names of donors and donating companies will be placed on the tournament brochure and Rotarians will distribute any promotional items for donor companies at the tournament.

“We hope to gain enough tournament sponsors to ensure a great event,” they report. Tee sponsorships are available at $50 each and raffle donations are being accepted as well which will afford tournament prizes for two to four players.

Four years ago, Radosti was named for the honor to which Hart was named on May 21.

While working with the Rotary's annual golf event, he is urging Rotarians to encourage women in the community to take advantage of the visit of the Mammogram Van which will be at Cairo's Great American store from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., May 27.

Hart said that women without health insurance can receive free mammograms and those with insurance need pay nothing more than their health insurer will pay for the test which detects breast cancer. Hart supported Cairo Rotarian Suzanne Oldakowski's effort to bring the mammogram van to this community four years ago for periodic visits which reportedly has “saved the lives of many women through early detection.”

“I was happily surprised by this honor,” said Hart, who was applauded by Cairo Rotarians.

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