The Walkway Over the Hudson continues to draw 500,000 visitors a year and pump $24 million annually into the local economy due in large part to the generosity of donors.

KINGSTON — Gov. Andrew Cuomo toured the first of the “losers” Thursday in the statewide competition for economic development dollars.

Talk about an extreme makeover.
Where most of us saw a fire-ravaged eyesore, a select few saw magnificent potential as they gazed up at the ruined remains of what was once the Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge.

Community and environmental groups are planning a branding initiative for the Walkway Over the Hudson to promote tourism and economic growth on both sides of the river.

By any account, the Walkway Over the Hudson has been an astonishing success, yet it still hasn’t come close to reaching its potential. Ultimately, that could be its biggest blessing to the area.

Eighty-five miles north of New York City, 212 feet above the Hudson River is the unlikely nexus for small-city urban planning.

There will soon be easier access to the Walkway Over the Hudson on the Dutchess County side of the bridge.

A meeting of the minds was held in the Town of Lloyd last Wednesday to look at ways in which the town might rezone, redevelop and revitalize various corridors to try and build off the approximately one million visitors to the Walkway Over the Hudson who have poured into the Hudson Valley since the pedestrian bridge opened in October of 2009.

Dutchess County has acquired ownership of a crucial stretch of former rail bed that will at long last connect Walkway Over the Hudson state park with the Dutchess Rail Trail.

It seems so ingrained in our collective daily lives at this point. But we need to point out that the Walkway Over the Hudson was christened for the first time — appropriately enough, in our opinion, with a running race — less than three years ago!

The record for the longest single line of dancers was set this week by Walkway Over The Hudson (USA), consisting of 2,569 participants in Poughkeepsie, New York, USA.

With more than 2,500 people to spare, the Walkway Over the Hudson was danced into a new Guinness World Record.

They did the Hokey Pokey and they turned themselves around.

Right hands will be put in. Right hands will be put out. Right hands, left hands and feet will be shaken all about — and hopefully in record numbers. On June 9, Walkway Over the Hudson State Park is sponsoring a Guinness World Record attempt — one that could involve at least 3,000 people doing the Hokey Pokey — for the longest line of dancers performing the same dance.

Mid-Hudson officials from both sides of the river joined together Sunday evening, to commemorate Memorial Day weekend on the Walkway Over the Hudson.