Keep this “circus” out of Saugerties
Recent actions of our political “ringmasters” up in Albany should have everyone concerned. In the face of declining revenue streams from business, particularly Wall Street, our politicians, awash with big money from casino interests, have decided to take the state on a very dubious path. They believe that casino gambling is the answer to our problems and are in the process of changing the state constitution to permit non-Indian casinos throughout the state. Folks in Saugerties should be extra concerned. What that means is that Saugerties, once again, has a big bull’s-eye on it.
When an Indian gambling casino was proposed for the Winston Farm a few years ago the people of Saugerties organized to form the group No Saugerties Casino. The people of this community recognized just how negative the impact of a massive casino would be on Saugerties. It is no different now. A casino would devastate the small town way of life we all enjoy.
No Saugerties Casino is reorganizing itself in order to meet this potential threat. The group will hold a meeting on Thursday August 2, 2012 at the Inquiring Mind Bookstore (Partition and Main streets) at 7 p.m.
Come and add your voice to the group so that we can tell Albany to keep their casino “circus” out of our town and state.
Mark H. Knaust
Saugerties
Lanny for Justice
On July 31 at 7 p.m. at the Senior Center in Saugerties there will be a caucus (meeting) of the enrolled members of the Democratic Party in Saugerties. The purpose of the caucus is for the members to select the party’s candidates for justice of the peace and tax collector.
I will be asking the Caucus to elect me to run for Justice of the Peace. You can learn about my background by going to www.lannywalter.com. I have been an attorney for 40 years and have been counsel in scores of cases, including many trials and legal arguments. I have served as an arbitrator for the Albany City Court handling the kinds of small civil cases that come before the judge in Saugerties, and am very familiar with court room procedures, including jury trials, and have the necessary background to be a judge. Recently I was an administrative law judge for the Unemployment Insurance Appeal Board.
The only way for an enrolled Democrat to vote for his or her Democratic candidate is to come to the caucus and cast a secret ballot for the candidate he or she prefers. I believe I have made a valuable contribution to our community through my volunteer work with the Winston Farm Alliance, No Saugerties Casino, Boys and Girls Club Advisory Board and as trustee and president of the Saugerties School Board and on the BOCES Board of Education. I ask enrolled Democrats to come to the caucus and vote for Lanny for Justice. Thank you.
Lanny E. Walter
Attorney-at-Law
Saugerties
Stay away from the bears
Reports of bear encounters are on the rise.
Our black bears tend to be shy of us; going about their business. Their business is finding food. Right now it’s dry and those big noses of theirs are extra busy.
They smell compelling aromas from our trash pails, grills, feeders and so forth. They are tempted to investigate the sources; our buildings. This doesn’t work out very well for anyone.
Please do what you must to prevent engaging the bears.
Woodstock Environmental Commission
Woodstock
Failure to communicate
On the July 19th opinion page of the Saugerties Times there is a boxed quote by Reinhold Niebuhr. Now I’m a pretty well-read and educated person, but it seems to me that this quote was selected because it has intimidating vocabulary and would impress most people who heard or read it…although I bet most would not understand it without several readings. Why not choose something that would reach more people? A local newspaper should inform, educate and challenge, but still needs to communicate effectively with readers. Sometimes the simplest language conveys the most profound ideas. The folks gathered around my table also think Niebuhr is a cynical wanker and is wrong and Mother Teresa agrees with us.
Erin McGurgan
Ralph Childers
Finn McCool
Saugerties
Editor’s note: the quote was: “This insinuation of the interests of the self into even the most ideal enterprises and most universal objectives, envisaged in moments of highest rationality, makes hypocrisy an inevitable by-product of all virtuous endeavor.”
Massages for everyone
Last week, The Center Of Health participated in EveryBody Deserves A Massage Week, a nationally acclaimed program that helps those who are less fortunate while highlighting the importance of massage and massage therapists. Over the course of this event, our patients donated 65 pounds of non-perishable food to the Saugerties Area Council of Church’s Food Pantry to receive a one-hour massage at a discounted rate. A special thank you to our patients and our licensed massage therapist, Rhiannon Gastman, for participating in this great cause. If you would like to make a food/monetary donation to the food pantry, mail to PO Box 723 Saugerties, NY 12477.
Thank you very much. Please contact me if you have any questions.
Libby Lechner
The Center of Health
Join the family! 
