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Dean Gitter
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dean Gitter, a key developer in the Catskills, was once involved in the entertainment industry as a producer, singer and theater owner.
In the 1950s he produced recordings for Riverside, notably Odetta's debut album, Odetta Sings Ballads And Blues, which was an influence on Bob Dylan.
He recorded his own vocals and acoustic guitar on Ghost Ballads (Riverside, RLP 12-636) in 1957, folk songs with supernatural themes, packaged with album art by Charles Addams.
On April 8, 1969, Gitter's University Cinema Association opened the Orson Welles Cinema in Cambridge, Massachusetts, eventually passing it on to Ralph and Molly Hoagland.
In the early 1970s, Gitter moved to the Catskills, where he created Catskill Corners. The complex opened in 1998 with a restaurant, café, retail stores, a 27-room lodge, a conference center and the world's largest kaleidoscope, which is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records. The Guinness entry brings in as many as 175,000 visitors each year. Near the entrance to Gitter’s office is the Emerson Resort and Spa, which opened in 2000. In a cover story, Wine Advocate (September 2001) chose it as a “Great Getaway” pick.
In 1999, Gitter and his investors started Crossroads Ventures LLC, a company created to build Belleayre Resort at Catskill Park, a proposed 573-acre resort.
The New Emerson Inn and Spa re-opened in March 2007, featuring 26 guest suites with air-jetted tubs, flat-screen TV with DVD player, 18-bottle in-room wine selections, private decks and fireplaces. The accompanying Emerson Lodge features 27 rooms and suites with family friendly design.