Reflections on Jack Rose’s funeral
This presentation of honor is what makes Saugerties. How beautiful was the ceremony, the showing of life and service for Captain Jack Rose.
In the book “The Human Condition,” Hannah Arendt wrote of soldier memorials and how memory works to honor them for their valor and for the values that they fought for. In this way, through the memory of Captain Jack Rose, we are remembering the human condition and also learning of it anew, through Jack’s kindness, sense of community, and earnestness. May his humanity live on in the eternal and be a blessing for Saugerties and beyond.
Sarah Dahman
Albany
Cemetery board member’s actions were disrespectful
My original reaction to Mrs. Tucker’s letter was to ignore her misrepresentation of the facts as they relate to me and the concerned plot owners of Blue Mountain Cemetery, but after discussion with many of them I believe some statements and facts should be addressed.
In my opinion, the board appears to have much in-fighting and lack of communication amongst them. I believe a true board meeting should be called where all parties are present, face to face, to address their issues and not air them out in an opinion page of your newspaper. This is obvious by Mrs. Tucker’s misrepresentation of the facts on meetings that she says we never attended when we were never told about them. And then there was the meeting attended by many plot owners (on their own time) that was only attended by Mr. Solitto. If they cannot get together on scheduling meetings I question their ability to resolve real issues that affect the Blue Mountain Cemetery. Mrs. Tucker’s accusations about Mr. Solitto in her letter are also very inappropriate whether true or not. By her own admission Mr. Gordon while investigating information for his very fair article in the Dec. 10 edition of Saugerties Times requested her input but she declined to do so. In that article her accusations could have been properly addressed and all parties including Mr. Solitto would have had an opportunity to answer her claims. She chose not to; instead she decided to stand on a soap box in a standalone letter with only one side (hers) being expressed.
As far as Mrs. Tucker’s actions and misrepresentation of the events of Oct. 25 I’ll turn your attention to a line that was removed from my Nov. 5 letter… “On the morning of Sunday Oct. 25 my dad and I went to the cemetery and noticed Teri Bach Tucker and her husband going from site to site pulling out plants and removing items from grave-sites. I sat there and watched in disbelief as they trampled on sites with no respect for the deceased or their families “
We witnessed Mrs. Tucker pulling out a Crucifix from Mary Cosentino , the plants surrounding Maria Granda’s aunt and the solar lights from John Bedell’s gravesite as if she was pulling weeds and throwing them into plastic bags. Items that still have not been returned to the rightful owners and are not in the cemetery shed?
This from a person who says she wants “to protect everyone’s right to rest in peace” while she tramples over their sacred ground. I believe that cemetery etiquette should prevail whenever practical by walking in between gravestones and not on top of a burial site.
There are other incidents where she has shown total disrespect and no compassion for allowing others to rest in peace. Mr. and Mrs. Dunham were celebrating their son’s first birthday in heaven when Tucker decided to interrupt their emotional time and counsel them on the by-laws of the cemetery and their non-compliance in a confrontational manner.
I guess the ironic part of this issue is that if my dad and I had not witnessed Mrs. Tucker’s actions on Oct. 25 I would not have even written my original letter of Nov. 5 and I would have waited for the next meeting to address our issues. But her total disregard of cemetery etiquette had to be addressed immediately. Maybe as she states about Mr. Solitto she owes the families of the gravesites she disrupted an apology also.
As I have stated on many occasions I believe in rules but they must be fair and equal to all with input from the interested plot owners. I also believe the board’s intentions were good, but sometimes in life it is not what you do but how you do it. And Mrs. Tucker’s actions were very inappropriate , disrespectful and show a total lack of compassion to our friends and family members who are indeed resting in peace at the Blue Mountain Cemetery.
Joe Puma
Saugerties
Historical Society thanks
On behalf of the Saugerties Historical Society we would like to thank Mark Smith, Gus Pedersen, Ayla Rector, Betsy Wilson, Peggy Schwartz, Bill and Cathy Nieffer, Bob Chappelle, William Payne and the Saugerties American Legion for their help preparing for and during this year’s Holiday in the Village. The Kiersted house was packed with visitors because of all your help.
The society would also like to thank Miriam and Eric Adams, Mark Smith and Marlon Franco, Pedro Marticorena and Ed Van Wagner, Renata and Patrick Corcoran, Henry and Sherry Rua, Jim and Kathy Bruno for your generosity in opening up your homes to assist the Society in the Holiday Tour of Homes, especially at this busy time of year. We would also like to thank Kim Costello for all the help in preparing for the tour.
Marjorie Block
President, Saugerties Historical Society
Hein knows a good idea when he hears one
I am pleased to see that County Executive Michael Hein took the initiative and implemented an idea that I presented to the Democratic Caucus and the full legislature during our December session. My idea encouraged a sponsorship-based program to fund the costs associated with the electric charging station for electric vehicles at the Ulster County Building. Although the County Executive’s Office expressed some initial trepidation when I presented my idea to them, County Executive Michael Hein’s predilection for implementing sound policies prevailed in his reconsideration and implementation of my idea. Through the Chamber of Commerce’s sponsorship program of the electric charging station, the Uptown Kingston Shopping District has one more added benefit that can attract shoppers and tourists to travel to Kingston and see what Ulster County has to offer. County Executive Michael Hein deserves kudos for implementing an innovative idea before the New Year without waiting for the legislature to reconvene in January. Quite often, government moves too slowly to suit me and my constituents. Michael Hein’s fast-tracking of my idea demonstrates how government can work quickly in order to implement great ideas.
Legislator Chris Allen
District 2, Saugerties and Malden
Stop the madness
If “whom the gods would destroy, they must first drive made” is predictive, the United States is on the road to destruction. The POTUS says that we will take in 30,000 Syrian refugees. That is in addition to the 7,000 Marshall Islanders relocated to Ark., plus all the other asylum seekers from a world in turmoil and their baggage of unresolved problems. The POTUS is like a game show host saying “come on down.”
Don’t we have enough needy people yet? There is a constant barrage of pleas to send money for some cause or other. Our own homeless, hungry, underserved veterans, unemployed, sick, abandoned by society.
“Refugees” get free housing, food stamps, education, and medical care. Where is the money for these tens of thousands coming from? They are given the “American Dream” while our own citizens are told to go out and get another job or more education or whatever excuse to blame the job seeker for the country’s economic malaise. Congress has raised the national debt limit so the U.S. can borrow more. No end to this in sight. Shouldn’t more debt, at the very least, take care of our own citizens first? There is absolute insensitivity to our needy on the part of those elected. They just continue to lob bombs to divert our attention from our own environment and society blowing up around us. So just bring in more problems. Our society is fractured and cracked. So add a few more stresses. Wake up America! Stop the madness.
A.E. Wasserbach
Saugerties
Casual threats
Have you ever felt so confident that you dropped all self restrictions and just let anything come out of your mouth to anyone? The Donald recently did that and attacked the very group that put him on the road to the leadership of our country, and maybe the entire world.
The Donald’s over confidence allowed him to threaten the very people that have put him onto the path to the presidency – the press.
In case you didn’t see the speech in which the Donald said that he hated the press, but would not want to kill them, that statement came after his facial expression that made it clear that he would be tempted to do just that. Then, he followed the facial expression with “I would never kill them.” But, those that saw the video could clearly see that he’d be tempted to.
Sometimes the Donald’s comedic expressions show what he doesn’t say. Although you probably can’t find this video online, I can tell you what my reaction to it would be if I was a reporter. I would go to my boss and request that I cover the football games (which I only have gone to once in my lifetime).
I’ll be watching to see if the press still continues to cover the leading Republican candidate as much as they have in the past.
At the same time, I’ll be watching to see if I can “Feel the Bern.” I mean Bernie Sanders and not climate change, since I’ve felt that now since it was called global warming. I really don’t like climate change deniers, but I would never kill them.
Join the family! 
