Keep the bluestone
I read recently that the Village was thinking of replacing the bluestone sidewalks with cement ones because bluestone is more expensive. This distresses me greatly. I think it is a very shortsighted idea. The bluestone is so important to the character of the village. It connects the charming business district to its history.
I think the future of the village lies in tourism, and the bluestone adds immeasurably to its appeal. I hope the village will reconsider this. The extra expense of the bluestone will be more than worth the cost in the future.
Arabella Colton
Saugerties
Weapons grade material
If you are my age you might remember that in June of 1953, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were executed in Ossining, NY, for stealing nuclear secrets and giving them to the Russians. So, isn’t it strange that the Trump administration continues to negotiate with Saudi Arabia to share nuclear technology and, it appears that the administration won’t seek to prohibit the Saudi’s from enriching nuclear fuel into weapons grade material. It has been reported that the Saudis have refused any oversight by the U.S. This is especially heinous since it is possible that the Saudis might plan to build nuclear weapons which they might drop on the Israelis. Amazing what some people will do for money.
William Hayes
Saugerties
No cost to the Village for trees
In response to a recent letter from Joan Monastero and Alan Spivak, the Saugerties Village Tree Commission would like to clarify that the monies used to replace the trees on Main St. came from a NYDEC Urban Forestry grant. There was no cost to the Village for these plantings.
For more info on the tree commission and its work go to www.saugertiesvillagetrees.org or follow us on instagram and facebook.
Virginia Luppino, Saugerties Village Tree Commission
Saugerties
Dr. Moscowitz, staff at Health Alliance, thank you
Let me introduce myself. My name is Claudia Mercier. On April 10, 2019 I went to the emergency room at Kingston Hospital/WMC Health Alliance. Mind you, I was not wanting to go to this hospital because I had heard so many negative things about this hospital. I was scared. However this hospital was in closest proximity to me in Woodstock.I went into the hospital with abdominal pain and a prior diagnosis of diverticulitis. The medications given to me prior to my visit to Kingston Hospital/ WMC Health Alliance were not effective, and my condition had deteriorated which brought me to the Kingston Hospital/WMC Health Alliance emergency department. I was admitted, on April 10, 2019. My situation still deteriorated to the point of doing a Laproscopic procedure to find out what was going on inside of me..Here I met Dr. Michael Moscowitz, MD General Surgeon. I can not say thank you enough to this wonderful surgeon and man. He saved my life.. I have to say, there have to be more Doctors like him. This man is an amazing blend of healing the illness and the entire being. He is so patient, kind, funny, very knowledgeable, and informative and the best surgeon there is. The world needs more Doctors like him..
I am 65 years old, and have been operated on before, and in hospitals. But never, have I been taken care of as well as I was taken care of at Kingston Hospital/ MC Health Alliance. I was on floor 2 West. I have never seen such dedication to each patients needs, medically and spiritually. The Doctors, Nurses, Aides and complete staff are an amazing team. Thank you to each and every one of you. You took such good care of me. You are all a Bessing from God above. Thank you.
Dr. Michael Moscowitz, you are a rare gift…a brilliant surgeon, and a gift from God..
Thank you to all of you on floor 2 West.
Claudia Mercier
Woodstock
See The Isis Trial
The Isis Trial, local film-maker Ellie Bernstein’s new documentary, confronts deadly abuses by our government to the Somali community of Minneapolis — also the home of Ilhan Omar. Paraphrasing Ilhan Omar: “The nation’s ideals are under attack and it is up to all of us to defend them…Having survived civil war in my home country as a child, I cherish the values (of equal protection under law, pluralism, religious liberty) that are under attack, and it is up to all of us to defend them…The only way to push back is to be unequivocal about our values. It is not enough to condemn Mr. Trump’s racism. We must affirmatively confront racist policies…” This is what Bernstein’s film is doing: confronting racist politics and policies. I followed the film-maker through the laborious process of research and filming. I highly recommend seeing The Isis Trial: Now showing, with the film-maker present for discussion: August 9, 7 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Kingston.
Jane Toby
Catskill
Let’s debate…
As a Democrat, I have watched the recent Presidential debates and although the intelligences and public speaking abilities are quite impressive, none of the candidates seem to agree on how to improve upon our healthcare system. The biggest problems are that none of these candidates fully explain how our healthcare system came into existence in its current form, why there are tremendous difficulties in providing equitable access to healthcare nationwide, why healthcare costs more or less depend upon where someone lives, how to cover the uninsured, how to pay for any amendments to our healthcare system and what the transformation process would encompass in changing the structure of our healthcare system. With all of the time spent raising money and campaigning, the nature of politics does not allot presidential candidates and other politicians the time to truly understand how our healthcare systems works and how to improve upon it. And although these debates do not deliver us as Democrats with a clear-cut Presidential candidate who truly understands healthcare, at least these televised debates allow us the opportunity to see all of the candidates and hear what they have to say.
Locally, we may not be allotted that opportunity as the Ulster County League of Women’s Voters has been annexed in with the Mid-Hudson chapter. This means that Saugerties residents may not get the chance to attend a local debate or watch it on local cable-access channels or the internet between candidates for Saugerties Town Supervisor, Town Board and County-level offices such as: District Attorney, Comptroller, County Executive and County Legislature. As the one candidate for County Legislature in District 2 (the Village, the Town, the Heights and Malden) who knows that he is far more experienced, knowledgeable and well versed in County Government and overall governmental operations than his two opponents in the General Election are, I will be pressuring local media outlets to sponsor multiple debates. Based upon the huge disparity in knowledge, experience and education between myself and my two opponents, I am not certain that my two opponents will want anything to do with participating in multiple debates.
Chris Allen
Saugerties
‘The Little Station that Could’ needs a little help!
“Saugerties’ public access cable channel (Lighthouse TV23) is a vehicle for community communication, education, artistic expression and other noncommercial uses of video on an open, uncensored and equitable basis “ — TV23 homepage on the Town/Village website.
In 18 years, Lighthouse TV23 has evolved into one of the most technologically advanced Community Television facilities in the nation. For the past 13 of those years, assisted by a small core of volunteers, Anastasia (Stacy) Redman, working part time, has done what amounts to a full time job of keeping the station on the air 24/7.
What does TV23 do? When the Saugerties Food Pantry needed volunteers, they ran a free ad with TV23. Within days, they had more than enough responses. Remember the power outage six years ago that lasted several days? With Stacy’s help Chief Sinagra was able to use the TV23 bulletin scroll to notify residents where to get water, food, shelter and more. TV23 helps with little things, too. When the water department needs to flush the lines, they notify Stacy and within hours TV23 viewers get the message!
Yet, TV23 is at a crossroads where it cannot meet the growing demands of its community, with new volunteers waiting for training, and community groups waiting for help to video local events. Moreover, because it can take five hours to produce a one hour show, the station had to drop the popular program “Saugerties Most Wanted.” According to Chief Sinagra, 70 percent of the outlaws featured on it were captured..
Anthony Arrien, Chairperson of NY The Alliance for Community Media since 2008, has advised the TV23 Committee that TV23 have at least one full time employee to maintain quality programming for our viewing area of nearly 20,000. He warns, “A reduction of programming due to lack of funding leads to reduced revenue for towns, and a reduced quality of life for residents.”
As the first full time TV23 Program Coordinator, Stacy will be able to do what has not been possible part time: duplicate herself by training others as she maintains the programming for the station. Let’s encourage our Town and Village Boards to allocate funding to promote Stacy to full time and ensure that Lighthouse TV23 continues to serve the needs of our beautiful, public spirited community. It will be money well spent!
Tamara Schuppin, TV23 Committee volunteer
Saugerties
Leave my house
The United States of America is not a business, it is my home.
If someone came into your home, insulted your family, stole your money, emptied your refrigerator, invited the neighbor who had threatened you to come sit on your couch, and killed your children, what would you do? “You” is President Trump in this analogy. Leave my house. Leave my country alone. Do the right thing and resign. His hate-mongering, white supremacist, racist rhetoric and ridiculous foreign policy puts us all in danger. I urge him to leave my house. He wasn’t really invited anyway. He lost the election by three million votes. Leave my house. Resign.
Heather Feller
Saugerties