Cheryl Lasonde is the Vice President of the Ellenville NAACP and a youth advisor.

How did you come to live in Ellenville?

I came here in 1995, my mother bought property here and we all migrated from New York City to New York state.

What do you like about Ellenville?

The diversity. We get along. I’ve lived in Georgia and other states and we get along better and figure out how to get along better than most other places. It’s just not going to be like this in most areas people go to. The diversity is number 1.

What is your favorite local business?

The Ellenville Public Library. Learning started there for every human being, those that were able to have the availability of a library that’s where it started, before you’re even out of being a toddler.

What would you change about Ellenville?

A community center. A community mixed with multi-service center because I feel that the elderly can pour into the youth and the youth can grow better and lead us better if they know the stories and all the ins and outs of what makes us real and what makes the world change. They need to have guidance and elders have the guidance. If we could have a multi-service center with the youth and the elderly all in one location that doesn’t close until 10 p.m. so our youth can really be exposed to each other, that would be amazing. Out of everything in this town, I wish for that most.

What do you see for Ellenville in the next 10 years?

I see growth, I see better tourism, but I do see them hearing our plea for a community center and I’m sure that is going to come to fruition because we’re going to make all our incoming candidates accountable for everything they said they wanted to do for the people. We all have to live here, we all have to vote here, we all have to go through the struggles together, so let’s thrive together as well.