Valley welcomes back ESGs

POUGHKEEPSIE — Just three days after the 2008 Empire State Games concluded in Binghamton, the 51-week countdown to the '09 Games kicked off today.

Fred Smith, the Games' executive director, joined local officials in unveiling the logo for next year's event, seen here.

Standing under a gazebo-type structure at Marist College's Longview Park, Smith and others talked about the great job Hudson Valley did in 2005, the first time the region hosted the Games.

“There wasn’t anything I wasn’t impressed with, and I’m very serious about that. We really had no problem,” said Smith, adding the local organization and execution of the 2005 Games sped up the event’s return to the region. “I think that we’re back — or going to be back — four years later kind of speaks to that directly. It wouldn’t have happened so quickly if we weren’t so impressed by everything that went on.”