By Rob Potter
LIBERTY — April 3, 2001 – By all accounts, the sixth annual Sullivan County Area Expo 2001 was a rousing success.
Expo Chairperson Dianne Brady said that about 800 people attended the expo, which was held Saturday and Sunday in the Liberty High School gymnasium.
“The expo has been very good,” Brady said Sunday afternoon. “This is the largest attendance we’ve ever had. There has been good feedback from both vendors and attendees.”
Lynn Killian, the president of the Greater Liberty Chamber of Commerce, concurred.
“We’re all very pleased,” Killian commented. “The attendance has been fabulous. This is probably the best one we’ve ever had.”
A total of 52 exhibitors offered a wide variety of goods and services. Attendees had the opportunity to sample new products and receive free gifts from businesses and glean information from several organizations. Those who visited the expo were also able to enjoy lunch or a snack courtesy of the food court vendors, B & D Bakery and Seanachie.
Brady noted that there were a few new vendors at this year’s expo. Among them were All Around The House and Rowley Building Products.
An hourly drawing of special prizes was another expo highlight. In addition, once a person paid the admission fee, his or her name was placed in a special drawing for a $500 cash prize. The lucky winner was Nancy Sharoff of Monticello.
Sponsors of the Expo included the Barbanti Group, Klugman Associates, Sullivan County Chamber of Commerce, Harris Funeral Home, NYSEG, Ramsay’s Funeral Home, Ross Industries, Sullivan County Democrat, U-Move, Inc., Time Warner Cable, WSUL 98.3 FM and WVOS 95.9 FM.
“It’s been great,” said Susan Buzzell, a White Sulphur Springs resident who sells water filters and other health care-related items for Beneve Products. “I’ve made a lot of good contacts and let people know what we have available.”
Visitors of all ages made it a point to stop by the expo, even if just for a short while. Families with young children, groups of teenagers and adults alike strolled through the gym to see firsthand what all the vendors had to offer.
Among them was Glenn Osterhout, who grew up in Liberty but now is a high school agriculture teacher in Madison.
“I like going to events like this,” said Osterhout, who was back in Liberty to visit family members. “You never know what you’re going to see or who you’re going to meet.”