fbpx
  • Subscribe & Support
  • Sign up for Free Newsletter
  • Print Edition
    • Get Home Delivery
    • Read ePaper Online
    • Newsstand Locations
  • HV1 Magazines
  • Contact
    • Advertise
    • Customer Support
    • Submit A News Tip
    • Where’s My Paper?
  • Manage HV1 Account
  • Free HV1 Trial
  • Movie Night Gift Subscription
Hudson Valley One
  • News
    • Schools
    • Business
    • Sports
    • Crime
    • Politics & Government
  • What’s Happening
    • Calendar Of Events
    • Featured Events
      • Art
      • Books
      • Kids
      • Lifestyle & Wellness
      • Food & Drink
      • Music
      • Nature
      • Stage & Screen
  • Opinions
    • Letters
    • Columns
    • Editorials
  • Local
    • Special Sections
    • Local History
  • Marketplace
    • All Classified Ads
    • Help Wanted
    • Post a Classified Ad
  • Obituaries
  • Podcast
  • Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Schools
    • Business
    • Sports
    • Crime
    • Politics & Government
  • What’s Happening
    • Calendar Of Events
    • Featured Events
      • Art
      • Books
      • Kids
      • Lifestyle & Wellness
      • Food & Drink
      • Music
      • Nature
      • Stage & Screen
  • Opinions
    • Letters
    • Columns
    • Editorials
  • Local
    • Special Sections
    • Local History
  • Marketplace
    • All Classified Ads
    • Help Wanted
    • Post a Classified Ad
  • Obituaries
  • Podcast
  • Log In
No Result
View All Result
Hudson Valley One
No Result
View All Result

Point of View, Land Conservancy clarification

by HV1 Staff
January 14, 2021
in Community, General News, Letters, Op-ed, Voices
3

In response to the “Point of View” in last week’s issue by Dr. Joseph Diamond, about stone formations on the Lewis Hollow Corp (LHC) property, the Woodstock Land Conservancy (WLC) would like to clarify the following:

Dr. Diamond submitted to Woodstock Times, and the paper printed, excerpts from personal correspondence by longtime WLC board member and land planning professional Jim Bogner, without contacting Jim or WLC first. It is unfortunate — and in our opinion professionally unethical — that this was done without our knowledge. Along with certain other assertions and insinuations, Dr. Diamond implies in these excerpts that WLC has a particular position on the origins of the stone formations on the LHC property, which we simply do not.

We initially reached out to Dr. Diamond last summer regarding the LHC property because he is a known expert on the anthropological history of the region. This was done solely as part of the kind of research and due diligence that WLC undertakes whenever a property comes up as a possible candidate for protection. Jim, who also serves as chair of WLC’s Professional Standards and Practices Committee, undertook this research with all the sensitivity, care and professionalism that it required, and the integrity with which he approaches all his work for WLC.

Because the origins of these stone cairns are unknown but have garnered widespread local interest, we considered this an important factor to investigate and consider. Since the potential determination that they could be Native American would have had strong stewardship implications for WLC, our initial research outreach necessarily focused on this particular possibility.

Because Dr. Diamond immediately communicated to Jim that he was not open to any consideration of this possibility (he firmly believed the formations were from a nearby Irish settlement, without having visited the site with us), WLC decided to seek a second opinion on this, as indeed recommended by Dr. Diamond himself.

As a result, we reached out to the Public Archeology Facility at SUNY Binghamton.  Their Director, Nina Versaggi (also chair of the New York Archeological Council’s Professional Survey and Report Standards Committee), along with Asst. Director Chris Holman, visited the Lewis Hollow site with us last August and they were very impressed by what they saw. They have studied similar sites in Central New York which they have determined could be of Native American origin. They told WLC this site could possibly be Native American as there were similarities to what they had previously seen. They submitted a proposal to WLC to conduct an in-depth study of the site. Because the Lewis Hollow Corp property is now listed for sale at a significantly higher price than WLC as a land trust can legally offer, WLC is no longer in active negotiations for its purchase. As a result, we have not further pursued the proposal from the Public Archeology Facility at SUNY Binghamton.

 

To clarify: Jim never told Dr. Diamond that his research and conclusions were inaccurate, and he never stated that WLC was looking into this to help with fundraising for the organization. Jim was always polite and respectful of Dr. Diamond’s research, carefully following all our professional guidelines and ethical standards. In the end, WLC simply felt we should get a second opinion, which Dr. Diamond appeared open to, and which we did.

In fact, Jim responded in a characteristically collegial, respectful, point-by-point manner to an email from Dr. Diamond which in tone was condescending, to say the least. Dr. Diamond did not answer Jim’s response, nor did he note in his letter eight months later to Woodstock Times either the fact or substance of Jim’s polite, professional letter. We find it unfortunate and unprofessional that Dr. Diamond would cherry-pick statements and use them out of context, impugning Jim’s reputation in the process. That Woodstock Times determined to print them without first seeking comment or clarification from Jim or WLC is regretful.

As we wrote in the Feedback section on March 29, the Lewis Hollow property has many natural features, as well as historical attributes yet to be fully understood, that make it worthy of protection. We appreciate that the land has been cared for so well for many decades, and that it now is stimulating such interest in protecting our archeological and historical heritage. We would hope that any further coverage of this could happen in a more civil, ethical and respectful manner.++

 

Kevin Smith, Chair of the Board, WLC

Patty Goodwin, President of the Board, WLC

John Winter, Executive Director, WLC

 

 

Editor’s note — We agree that printing Dr. Diamond’s correspondence with the Woodstock Land Conservancy was wrong. We should have asked Dr. Diamond for his opinion, as stated directly to our readers in a separate piece, and stayed out of any back and forth between the parties, which only tended to cloud the Dr.’s points.

Also, while we’re trying to put the toothpaste back in the tube, in Dr. Diamond’s preamble he expressed surprise that Sherry White was quoted in the original article by Violet Snow, with a viewpoint. However, Ms. White was not quoted in the article at all. This falls on the editor, me, who should have caught it and asked Dr. Diamond to correct it.

Tags: CairnsNative AmericansOverlook
Join the family! Grab a free month of HV1 from the folks who have brought you substantive local news since 1972. We made it 50 years thanks to support from readers like you. Help us keep real journalism alive.
- Geddy Sveikauskas, Publisher
Previous Post

Drug charges dropped against former New Paltz School Board president Don Kerr

Next Post

In mineral time: Vly artist Tim Rowan’s stone sculptures

HV1 Staff

Related Posts

Adopt A Pet today at the Ulster County SPCA
Community

Adopt A Pet today at the Ulster County SPCA

June 3, 2023
In Kingston, an apartment complex gets a long overdue name change
Community

In Kingston, an apartment complex gets a long overdue name change

June 2, 2023
Toward a post-plastics future: Mohonk Consultations to honor Judith Enck
Community

Toward a post-plastics future: Mohonk Consultations to honor Judith Enck

June 2, 2023
Gaby O’Shea raises funds for TBI therapies with Ride for Resilience
Community

Gaby O’Shea raises funds for TBI therapies with Ride for Resilience

June 2, 2023
Venus puts on a show in the western sky
Columns

Venus puts on a show in the western sky

June 2, 2023
Stroke survivor, now 86, is dancing in her wheelchair, singing out loud
Community

Stroke survivor, now 86, is dancing in her wheelchair, singing out loud

June 1, 2023
Next Post

In mineral time: Vly artist Tim Rowan’s stone sculptures

Please login to join discussion

Trending News

  • Victim’s mother was assured by Kingston school officials that her son would be safe, notice of claim now entered against the district 3.9k views
  • In Kingston, an apartment complex gets a long overdue name change 1k views
  • Who’s to blame for Kingston’s inadequate playing fields? Just ask the parents 867 views
  • At iPark 87, things do seem different this time 523 views
  • Vintage baseball game in Hudson Valley will play by 1800s rules 494 views
  • Century-old Woodstock music venue hosts open house this Saturday 452 views

Weather

Kingston
◉
46°
Partly Cloudy
5:21 am8:26 pm EDT
Feels like: 46°F
Wind: 0mph SE
Humidity: 89%
Pressure: 30.07"Hg
UV index: 0
MonTueWed
77/52°F
72/50°F
72/50°F
Weather forecast Kingston, New York ▸

Subscribe

Independent. Local. Substantive. Subscribe now.

  • Subscribe & Support
  • Sign up for Free Newsletter
  • Print Edition
  • HV1 Magazines
  • Contact
  • Manage HV1 Account
  • Free HV1 Trial
  • Movie Night Gift Subscription

© 2022 Ulster Publishing

No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Schools
    • Business
    • Sports
    • Crime
    • Politics & Government
  • What’s Happening
    • Calendar Of Events
    • Featured Events
      • Art
      • Books
      • Kids
      • Lifestyle & Wellness
      • Food & Drink
      • Music
      • Nature
      • Stage & Screen
  • Opinions
    • Letters
    • Columns
    • Editorials
  • Local
    • Special Sections
    • Local History
  • Marketplace
    • All Classified Ads
    • Help Wanted
    • Post a Classified Ad
  • Obituaries
  • Podcast
  • Subscribe & Support
  • Contact Us
    • Customer Support
    • Advertise
    • Submit A News Tip
  • Print Edition
    • Read ePaper Online
    • Newsstand Locations
    • Where’s My Paper
  • HV1 Magazines
  • Manage HV1 Account
  • Log In
  • Free HV1 Trial

© 2022 Ulster Publishing