Responsible development
As a resident in Kingston’s Ward 9, I have invested in a living history. Every morning, I look across the road as I get in the car and see a historic house built in 1895 and possibly designed by Calvin Vaux in 1886. It has stood as part of a large wooded lot adjacent to the Ulster Academy building for well over 120 years. Later additions included several duplex houses for families, as the homeowner sold off some of the land, and donated a lot to SUNY Ulster in the 1960s for use as student parking.
This area has historically had the character of single-family dwellings and a small neighborhood community. All development up to this point has been geared to respecting and enhancing what was already there.
A possible rezoning of 2-16 Montrepose proposed by developer Andrew Wright for the purpose of erecting a high-density 15-unit apartment complex would be a fundamental change in the character of the area. It would also be another first — new construction on a historic parcel of residentially zoned land for the purpose of excessive profit in Kingston.
The Common Council has an opportunity here to encourage responsible development under its tenure. Rezone this parcel into three R-2 lot spaces to be used for construction of new duplex housing consistent with neighboring properties. Houses are also in great demand here! The remaining oddly shaped and unbuildable land should be used as Wright also planned — Ward 9’s first community green space
Sam Newsome
Kingston
The library keeps moving along
Last week, the board of trustees of the Woodstock Library, of which I am proud to be a member, voted to place a bond issue on the November ballot to fund construction of a new building. There has been, and will no doubt continue to be, vehement opposition to our project by a small group. However, the voters of Woodstock have shown themselves to be strongly behind it numerous times. I’m confident that support will continue.
When you ask people for millions of dollars, that can sound frightening. But when that burden is spread over a whole town and for a couple of decades, it’s not so frightening. The average homeowner in Woodstock can expect taxes to go up by about enough to buy two ice cream cones a month. We can all afford that, especially for the sake of this splendid project. You can see lots of details about the construction project at newlibrarywoodstock.org.
Leslie Gerber
Woodstock
Saugerties BLM rallies
Thank you to the people at the Saugerties Black Lives Matter rallies for keeping our attention on the racial injustice in the United States. Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Atatiana Jefferson, Philando Castile, Tamir Rice and countless others — killed for being black. A National Academy of Sciences study found that one in 1,000 black men can expect to be killed by police and black women and men are significantly more likely to be killed by police than white people. Then there are the daily microagressions, not deadly but potentially tragic — Christian Cooper, birdwatching while black; Lolade Siyonbola, Yale graduate student napping while black; Donte Robinson and Rashon Nelson, waiting for a business partner in Starbucks while black; a nine-year-old girl, selling lemonade while black.
And wealth and fame are no protection — actor Forest Whitaker, frisked by security while leaving a NYC deli; tennis player James Blake, tackled and handcuffed for standing in front of the Grand Hyatt Hotel; basketball player Thabo Sefolosha, left with a broken leg after an encounter with the NYPD.
And here in Saugerties, some people have taken to social media to condemn the rally, branding BLM as a threat to our town, castigating town board member John Schoonmaker for supporting the nightly vigil and most disturbing making veiled threats. I am reluctant to publicly thank the black woman who shows up daily because I don’t want to put her in danger. Now that’s sad and telling.
Christine Dinsmore
Saugerties
Community values and “The Pit”
In the August 12 issue of Hudson Valley One it was reported that the Lalo Group is proposing a complex for the center of the New Paltz (“the pit”) that would include a hotel, conference center, banquet hall and spa, among other features. In a time of skyrocketing housing prices, increasing homelessness and the rapid gentrification of the town, do we need another hotel with assundry luxuries in a prime location in the village? The words “affordable housing” are obviously missing from this development project.
Now, in an era of egregious racial and economic inequality, it’s time for those of us in New Paltz to reflect on our values. If we want an inclusive community — as is often heralded by local leaders — I’d urge us to rethink our development priorities and gather our collective energy and will to prioritize plans for affordable housing, giving precedence to values of equity and justice.
Nancy Schniedewind
New Paltz
T to create long-lasting solutions to the traffic problems that have plagued New Paltz for years
Recent discussions about the potential bike lane/sidewalk on Henry W. DuBois regarding traffic, emissions and noise, safety for vehicles, bikers and pedestrians and environmental concerns regarding removing trees and bushes alongside the road, is a discussion that has been going on for as long as I have lived in this town (43 years).
I am happy to see these issues being brought to light at this pivotal time in our town’s history. But they are only part of a much larger discussion.
None of the previous land-use studies and traffic plan proposals could have taken into account the effect the pandemic is having, and will continue to have, on our town and the traffic concerns raised.
Even the plans for this bike lane were apparently in the works for years, before any thought of how a pandemic would affect this town.
Driving through and around town, especially on weekends, has been a problem that has gradually gotten worse over time. It has reached a tipping point recently due to the increased population as well as the increased use of our town for recreational purposes brought on, in part, by the pandemic.
I would like to propose a moratorium on this bike path until the broader issues of the overall traffic concerns being exacerbated by the pandemic can be studied, analyzed and dealt with.
I call on our village mayor and town supervisor to step up and deal with these broader issues in an intelligent, unified and wholistic manner.
Now is the time to decide if New Paltz is going to be a bike and pedestrian friendly community. Now is the time to create long-lasting solutions to the traffic problems that have plagued this town for years.
Be the ones who are remembered for the great improvements made to this town and village.
The ones who could think outside the box and create something that works beautifully instead of settling for the lesser of evils.
We all love our beautiful town and don’t like many of the problems being caused by the explosion of growth. We need to rethink our whole approach to the traffic in it. Let’s fix these problems together and keep New Paltz the great place it has always been to live in and visit for generations to come.
Karen Nochisaki Gavin
New Paltz
Make Henry W. DuBois safer, not busier!
Our homes are on or near Henry W. DuBois Drive in New Paltz, and we are opposed to the planned bike lane project, which will require land acquisition and the removal of large trees to widen this road and draw increased numbers of bikers and pedestrians to this already busy street.
First of all, Henry W. DuBois is a dangerous road. Collectively, we have witnessed many close-calls and accidents. These have been both minor and serious, due to rolling through stop signs, speeding, deer and distraction. Many of us have made phone calls to the police department requesting increased patrolling. They have responded quickly and with great effort, but of course it’s impossible to have a patrol car on every corner.
Adding to the dangers, the Henry W. area is known for its high concentration of deer. They wander the neighborhood during all hours of the day, frequently crossing the street. Due to the long stretches of downhill, where bikers pick up speed, biker-deer collisions are probably inevitable.
It’s not a sensible idea to encourage increased bike and pedestrian traffic on this particular road, even with a divided lane. Accidents will happen.
Secondly, this is a residential neighborhood and although Henry W. is already a wide road, it’s edges are softened by beautiful large old trees, many of them oaks. These trees provide shade during our increasingly hot summers; they add character to our town. Removing any of these trees would be an irreplaceable loss of beauty and of living history. The destruction of these trees, along with each home’s landscaped border, would transform this street into an unattractive, bare, city-type boulevard. We’d likely see an increase in traffic, along with a decrease in home values.
Thirdly, the traffic on Main Street is at a standstill every weekend due to visitors drawn to the scenic areas of New Paltz and its points of interest. Residents are often forced to avoid these places on the weekends because of traffic and crowds. The last thing we need is a project that will draw even more tourists to this congested little town. Enough is enough!
Finally, as long-time residents we have watched our property taxes increase yearly. Much of this may be unavoidable. But this large expensive construction project, partly grant money and partly tax money, will undoubtedly run over budget. They always do. What is the potential tax impact for town residents? We are strongly opposed to paying higher taxes for the purpose of increasing tourism.
This street is in need of design updates, for sure. But we need to make Henry W. DuBois safer, not wider and busier!
June Sanson, Feebe Greco, Mark Beaumont, Al DeRobertis, James Taylor, Michele Taylor, Greg Olear, Stephanie St. John Olear, Kathleen Rivera, Rita Marcoccia, Keith Woodburn, Mary Woodburn, Karen Gavin, Tom Rokjer, Robert Burbank, Charles Pullman, Valerie Pullman, Joan Mansour, Ahmed Mansour, Rochelle Bush, Paul Bishop, Grace Gehman, Dave Peters, Vickie Obermeyer, Susan Lodge, Steve Martits, Aviv Soussan, Margaret Soussan, Kemp Minifie, Rosemary Nigrelli, Hulda Nigrelli, Cristina Rhodes-Nigrelli
New Paltz
Paying a fair share
Uncle Don is pushing for a payroll tax deduction inasmuch as the Senate and the House cannot agree upon the next stimulus package for the American people. The payroll tax is what funds our Social Security. Social Security is funded by a 6.2 percent from both the employee and employer, for a combined total of 12.4 percent.
Social Security and Medicare are political untouchables because of 50-million seniors drawing benefits but also because of the younger generations paying into it as well. Because of this, Donald Trump proposes a deferred payment of funds into the Social Security fund. Initially, however, he was to take a twelve to 15 percent cut from all seniors, leaving them with a reduced benefit amount each month. The senators would not back this proposal because they would face the threat of being on the bread line when confronted by the seniors across the country demanding why they voted to cut benefits!
Since the senators would not go along with his initial plan, the Trump administration now has taken executive action, due to the national emergency from the virus, and is deferring the collection of the employees’ 6.2 percent contributions, freeing up money for another stimulus packet. In other words, the 6.2 percent amount that the employees are normally taxed on would be deferred from the Social Security fund for the stimulus packet.
This means a loss of billions of dollars over a period of a few months into the Social Security fund for the seniors. And this could be a loss in monthly revenue for all seniors reflected in their benefits paid out each month. The average Social Security check would lose approximately $280 per month! It’s debatable whether the government would get the deferred pay back from the employees to re-fund Social Security. And the worst part of it is that Trump would make the cuts permanent if he is reelected! Either way, the seniors would/will get the old wazoo treatment.
I am more fortunate than many of my fellow brethren; I have a NYS Pension and Social Security. I had money taken from my paycheck in 1956, to provide an allowance for my old age, now at 81. I am outraged at the tactics and behavior, not only of Trump, but the Republican Party as well, as they try and butcher my benefits, that’s right my benefits. By the way, you old relics, your benefits as well! I paid into this fund 36 years and this Johnny-come-lately in the White House is trying to butcher this program that 50-plus million seniors have paid into as well and which previous administrations, Democratic as well as Republican supported.
The cutoff for paying payroll taxes for Social Security is $134,700 or thereabout. After this, taxes are not paid on the amount of money one makes. How about these billionaires? Don’t you think they should pay payroll taxes, say on a million dollars? They do not pay their fair share of taxes. As a result, the American public is denied tax money for vital services, health insurance, infrastructure, etc.
They get away with this crap because those who represent us are bought off; the tax code is structured for them, period. Wake up, this is the first attack on these benefits. If Trump gets away with it, the door is open and he will come right on in. Pick up the damn telephone and scream at these useless senators whom you’re going to vote for.
Robert LaPolt
New Paltz
Wake-up call to Democrats
Countdown: Eleven weeks left until election day.
It’s been a very interesting season this year with the presidential election looming. The Democratic primaries were entertaining to watch, and incredibly stimulating and informative. We all got to feel the rush of enthusiasm about supporting our personal preference for the Democratic nomination for president. And the interest was heightened by the unbelievable and irresponsible actions of Trump.
We can almost guarantee that all registered Democrats would be totally delighted to see Trump defeated, and by a wide margin. But wishes are fantasies, and we need to do the work to bring our wishes into reality.
Most Democrats were initially astonished by Trump’s antics in the early days of his presidency, but now they are totally fed up with Trump’s continual disrespect for the law and our constitution. In addition, we all have a deep concern for what appears to be his apparent attempt to methodically dismantle our cherished democracy. In fact, it is more than a deep concern. It’s really scary!
It’s very important to remember that Trump and his supporters will do anything they can to divide and confuse Democrats. They will do their best to diminish the credibility of Joe Biden, our Democratic candidate, and trick the media into discussing what are truths and what are outright lies from all the outrageous ads. As the media does these fact-checks, they will unintentionally be giving lots of national airtime to the Trump campaign.
What is also true is the Republican super PACs and those Trump loyalists will stop at nothing, and most probably use every form of manipulation possible, legal or illegal, to get Trump re-elected in 2020. It is disgusting but expected.
Instead of worrying about all the dirty tactics of the other side, which is all noise and distraction, we Democrats need to focus on one thing and one thing only. We just need to all turn out to vote on election day! Our democracy is at stake. If we all decide to vote, then we will win on November 3! Dear Dems, please remember this. It’s time to wake up!
Marty Klein
Woodstock
Vote the right way
The party of deception — the party that denigrates America, depends on Washington Swamp politician — led immoral people who dupe malcontents to elect them to power. Plainly, once in office, they can control the country and everyone in it from cradle to grave. A sounds-nice lure, but a copout. Come November they’ll only get undeserving government suckers to vote for them. Those voters don’t represent the real, true America.
When did any halfway decent American taxpayer citizen not become aware of this? Well, about 1962 children and adults got denied the basic truths of life and got inculcated by false ideology. The Supreme Court outlawed the Ten Commandments law, that Moses symbol of preferred American foundational way-of-life principles. A pity many kids still grow up without getting taught those.
Twisting facts, Democrat politicians passed the law. No Ten Commandants allowed in American schools and colleges, or any public places. Trouble with that flawed man-made law is that man can’t kill God, and you can’t bury the bible or the teachings of Jesus Christ. Christian ideology eventually beats the devilish Democrats’ deceptions. That’s because you can fool people only until they grow up, wise up and vote the right way. People do smarten up, despite the constant phony newscaster media mantra “We are your parents, you’re our children and we’ll take care of you.” On whose dollar? Surely, you know the answer.
Voting Democrat is an ideological vote to soon live under sharia law. Or Chinese Communism. Knowing this, since when did any halfway decent American taxpayer citizen with a brain to rattle, not kill it where they found it? Maybe it has to do with people getting fired for standing up for their constitutional rights. People who voted for O-bah-mah, the elite’s puppet, got suckered into the evil Communist ideology presented to them as liberal Democrat Party solutions to their life problems.
Some have seen the mistake they made. Others got caught, and hauled up into the power elite-supported Washington Swamp net of evil. They continue helping destroy America, aided and abetted by their swamp sell-out lobbyists, drug lords and fellow-American comrades.
Just vote, please.
Patience Kotorman
Woodstock
Face masks ineffective
This mask nonsense has gone too far. Let’s look at the science, not the political agenda. “There is limited evidence for their effectiveness in preventing influenza virus transmission either when worn by the infected person for source control or when worn by uninfected persons to reduce exposure. Our systematic review found no significant effect of face masks on transmission of laboratory-confirmed influenza.” — CDC
Liberals mock president Trump for “pretending to be a doctor.” Why doesn’t Cuomo stop acting like one? In spite of the CDC, he mandated masks. And a particular employee at Stop and Shop stalks customers and shouts, “You have to wear a mask!” down the aisle at them.
Is that any way to treat customers? If you’re mask is working, what are you worried about? And if it isn’t (as the science shows), then Americans should be very concerned about mandates from on high which do nothing to protect our best interest.
Masks have served to divide Americans, contrary to the fundamental pledge, “One nation … indivisible, with liberty and justice.”
Emileine Mahoney
Poughkeepsie
Socially distance
Two people with headaches should not converse.
Sparrow
Phoenicia
Support Girls LEAD
The Girls LEAD Act, or the Girls’ Leadership, Engagement, Agency and Development Act, is an important piece of legislation more people should be aware of. Globally, there are 132 million young girls from the ages of six to 17 that are not enrolled in school. Furthermore, around the world women are underrepresented at all levels of public decision-making which undermines their democratic agency and interests. On top of this, women have very few active roles in global politics. Less than a quarter of all national parliamentarians are women leaders.
The Girls LEAD Act seeks to increase democratic participation for women worldwide, increase civic education for young girls and develop education systems to facilitate this. It will establish a plan to identify factors that prevent girls and women from participating democratically, support girl-led and girl-focused organizations which promote greater participation and ensure that foreign programs which have these goals reach out to girls under 18.
As we know well in America, democracy hinges not just on participation, but on diverse participation. Without expanding participation to all groups and demographics, a society can hardly claim itself to be democratic. This act is an important first step in creating a more stable world system by making more stable democracies around the world. I strongly urge members of the community to call and/or email their leaders voicing their support as well.
Thank you for your time.
Scott Oatkin
Rhinebeck
Paths on Henry W. DuBois
I’m writing to express my support for the proposed pedestrian and cyclist paths on Henry W. DuBois Drive. I live half a block from DuBois and walk and bike on that road with my children nearly every day. With an infant in a stroller, or a four-year-old on a bike, we detour to avoid the section east of Prospect Street — the road is simply too dangerous, the traffic too fast.
The improved bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure will make the road safer for everyone who uses it, including drivers. Evidence shows that additions like the proposed cyclist and pedestrian infrastructure calm traffic, rather than speed it up.
I’m also alarmed by the rhetoric regarding the project, which includes false claims (this is not a superhighway) and slanderous implications about our elected officials. This project is bound to be divisive because it involves changing the landscape. I hope that as we discuss it in the upcoming town meeting, and in the pages of Hudson Valley One, we keep in mind that we have the same goals of living in a safe and harmonious community.
Rachel Somerstein
New Paltz
Support the drum circle
For the previous 21 years, the Woodstock drum circle has met on the village green on Sunday afternoons. We have met with little difficulties or needs from the town, police or the private owners of the property, the Dutch Reformed Church.
This year, with the advent of Covid-19 we have attempted to implement volume, mask and distance procedures to attempt to make the event as safe as possible. All worked well until we were inundated with a sovereign citizen group who refused to follow any policies or regulations and weaponized our event.
The town in general and the supervisor specifically have attempted to get this group to stop harassing our event. The church, which does not allow political events on their property, had them move to the corner of the green which is town property. This too has failed to get this group to cease and desist. They have declared war on our event with the intent of getting us to give up mask wearing or cease to be out there.
This is wrong, and should not be allowed to continue. Enjoy it or not, the Woodstock drum circle has become a minor institution and looked forward to by many folks, especially in the times we are living. Yes, it is an unnecessary frivolity, meaningless, unimportant, but its existence is all the more worthy for just those reasons.
The town will lose this attraction if something isn’t done soon. Any input would be welcome.
Kevin Johnson
Woodstock
Brain freeze
Executive Order 203, the New York State Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative, directs and guides leaders of local governments “to [a] review of [their] current police force….” In response to this order, according to Hudson Valley One, “ (Woodstock’s part-time supervisor Bill) McKenna said he was “mentally formulating membership of that committee and expects to appoint them in the next couple of weeks.”
The article continued with “What he (McKenna) hasn’t done, absent that promised guidance, is come up with a name for the group.”
That brings to mind this question: what kind of guidance would McKenna need just too mentally formulate the name of this group?
Howard Harris
Woodstock
Bike lanes are a good idea
I feel compelled to respond to some of the letters to the editor regarding the proposed bike lanes on Henry W. DuBois.
2018 was the deadliest year for pedestrians and cyclists since 1990. On average, 17 pedestrians and two cyclists were killed by motorists every day. (New York Times, 10/22/19). The 2018 death toll was almost 6000 pedestrians and almost 900 cyclists. The article assigned blame to distracted drivers and larger vehicles.
Something needs to be done to make it safer to ride a bicycle and to walk the streets of our communities. I give a lot of credit to New Paltz town supervisor Neil Bettez for his success in obtaining Federal Transportation grants to build bike lanes on Henry W. DuBois.
The proposed bike lanes are not being “imposed” on us by big government. It took a lot of dedicated work on the part of many local people, including the New Paltz Bike and Pedestrian Committee, to bring us this close to finally having a safe way to get across New Paltz by bicycle.
As a local cyclist and a person who cares very deeply for the safety of fellow cyclists and pedestrians, I was elated when I first heard of the plan for bike lanes on Henry W. DuBois a couple of years ago. The idea of the planned bike lanes is to offer an alternative to driving a motorized vehicle to make short trips around town. It offers people a way to enjoy a very green form of transportation in safety.
And, yes, it will be used by out-of-town people who travel the NYS Empire Trail. These out-of-town cyclists will be looking for a bite to eat so they will contribute to the local economy as they patronize our restaurants and grocery stores. The Henry W. DuBois bike lanes will connect the bike lanes along Route 299 that connect with the Walkway Over the Hudson with the wonderful Wallkill Valley rail-trail and River to Ridge trail.
I sympathize with the homeowners along Henry W. DuBois who will lose some trees and shrubs as part of the bike-lane construction. I trust these trees and shrubs will be replaced adequately with new landscaping.
From what I have heard from local residents of Henry W. DuBois, one of the big complaints they have is the traffic noise they have to contend with. I propose that the number of trees and bushes that must be removed should be doubled when they are replaced with the thickest, most noise-resistant foliage possible. Another way to address the noise concern is to make Henry W. DuBois a one-way street. I heard this proposed by a local resident, and I think it should be considered.
Please, this is not the time to stop our movement to make our community more conducive to walking and biking.
Stephen O’Shea
New Paltz
Problem solving: a parody
Recently, someone I had engaged in robust political debate called me a jerk. Although I’ve been called names before (an acquaintance not too long ago called me a jackass because I support Trump and ridicule Biden), what made this, particular, name-calling memorable is that the inflection in the name caller’s voice and expression on his face communicated the following: “I’ve always believed jerks existed but, until now, I had never actually met one.”
With this in view, I offer some thoughts to those in feedback land who think I’m a jerk or jackass (or never think of me at all) about what is really going on behind the scenes as the Democrats soberly evaluate their candidate, former Obama vice president Joe Biden, despite Joe having gotten through his nomination acceptance speech.
The following parody “How do you solve a problem like Joe Biden” is inspired by the tune “How do you Solve a Problem like Maria” from the Sound of Music. It is a record of a meeting recently held by Democrats in which they expressed concerns about the Biden candidacy:
(Nancy Pelosi begins the meeting)
(pologue)
We heard … Joe speak … he looked so weak
he really looked so sad
His mind is really so confused … he makes us
all look bad
His anger flairs up all the time; he acts just
like a cad
I think he’s gonna really hurt the party!
(Chuck Schumer now speaks)
He’s on the news … spout-ing his views; his views
they sound so wrong
He’s moving farther to the left
and sings their far-left song
I hate to have to say it … but don’t think
that I am wrong
Joe Biden’s not an asset to the party!
Bernie offered these words in Joe’s … behalf
“Joe’s stories make me … laugh!”
(Nancy and Chuck sing “How do you solve a problem like Joe Biden” together alternating verses)
How do you solve a problem like Joe Biden?
How do you count the stars so high above?
What is a phrase that would describe Joe Biden?
He’s a candidate no one could really love!
It doesn’t matter … what you try to tell him
There’s little that he seems to understand
when he talks … you have a hunch
His mind … is out to lunch
He’s the cards we’ve got, but he’s a losing hand
Oh, how do you solve a problem like Joe Biden?
How do you count the stars and grains of sand?
(Bridge: next 2 stanzas)
He makes … Chuck Todd … so confused
He makes voters so bemused
He gets Warren very nervous and upset,
makes Mike Bloomberg look real “woke”
and gives Donald’s backers hope
He makes Rodham think that she’s not done quite yet
He’s beloved by one and all
The tales he tells are really tall
Sniffs women’s hair; and … thinks they’re having fun
He’s a mensch! He is bad!
His close talking makes us mad
He’s a gaffer! He’s the bane of …
thoughtful girls!
How do you solve a problem like Joe Biden?
How do you count the stars so high above?
What is a phrase that would describe Joe Biden?
He’s a candidate only his wife could love!
How do you solve a problem like Joe Biden?
How do you tell the man his time has passed?
We need to … keep him … hid away
so we can … keep him … from the fray
But that’s a strategy that just can’t last
Oh, how do you solve a problem like Joe Biden
How can you sail a ship without its mast??
George Civile
Gardiner
Going postal!
Treason took us by the hand, hell was the promised land. He wants you to feel way down now. There is a substitute for his overall failure and his wannabe authoritarianism. We must refuse/reject “it is what it is.” And a purposeful USPS slowdown isn’t going to fly. We can’t have Interference in an election by undermining mail-in balloting, can we? The postal service must be restored to operational status.
The postal service is just that, a service! It is not supposed to make money. No other governmental agency is supposed to make money. Uh, no. Cash-strapped means they don’t have enough money to continue providing their level of services. It has nothing to do with whether they are making a profit. It’s a pure statement of fact. Any limitations on their ability to provide good postal services are purely political in origin.
Why does Trump welcome American democracy to fail? Postmaster general DeJoy should be held criminally responsible for tampering with the postal service. DeJoy and his White-House boss are falsifiers of truth when they continue to spin misinformation/lies as if it was true about voting by mail.
We need the USPS totally restored and well-funded! Return the mailboxes and the sorting machines and reinstate the fired executives who know how to actually run things. Postal workers need overtime, and raises, too. It’s a shame that we have to get angry, protest and even sue to have bad behavior stopped. This corrupt BS by the Trump administration is unconscionable.
Finally I’ll say, “Please Mr. Postman. . . D-liver, D-letter, D-sooner, D-better” so on November 4 the day after Election Day, Trump and his cohorts can receive their eviction notice.
Neil Jarmel
West Hurley
Shaving the landscape
I live on a street perpendicular to Henry W. DuBois. I live in a cozy rural neighborhood, one rich in large old trees, rich in lovely flowering trees, rich in deer and bunnies.
That is because we haven’t yet shaved the landscape, paving it with excessive hot asphalt that exposes bare ugliness. A stroll down Henry W. DuBois offers lovely shade. Without that shade, I don’t need a sidewalk on Henry W. DuBois at all. The large hills of Henry W. DuBois allow mostly for sport cyclists, and not your average bike rider. This is not a spot we have to rip apart in order to reduce the number of cars, replacing them with more environmentally sound vehicles. It won’t.
The voluptuousness of the nature that nests our houses, the beauty and the historic quality of many of our homes is paramount, and its maintenance is comparable to the concept of maintaining a building height level in our town and village.
It is not the time to broaden roads and increase global warming. To make this a more bike- or pedestrian-friendly town but keep its character . .. we ought to listen to the many alternative ideas expressed by the residents of our neighborhood, all of which stress the requirement of keeping the million-dollar trees, not profiting from the sale of their wood. The breadth of Henry W. DuBois would only need to increase a few feet if at all with ideas like extending the NY State Bicycle Path in only one direction on this road, or even making the cars go one way and having to do a bit of a run around.
This is not the time to remove large trees. Do not expand the roads. A few trees gone here, a few trees gone there, and you have the suburbs.
Sara Sogut
New Paltz
Saving Woodstock trees
Part of the Woodstock Tree Committee’s (WTC) mission is to assist homeowners, businesses and public entities preserve their portion of our urban forest. This includes large specimen shade trees, important smaller trees and to also help identify spaces and species for future growth of this critical asset to our town.
The Woodstock Library property is home to some truly magnificent and large shade trees that contribute significantly to the urban environment with cooling shade, biodiversity and habitat, aesthetics, as well as a bridge to history. Some of these trees are over 100 years old and are not found in the community like they once were. The WTC has identified ten trees that are threatened by construction on the site if not carefully and professionally protected.
The WTC urges the town board, planning board, and library board to sign on to preserving these graceful giants during any construction that may occur, renovation or teardown and to encourage by all means that professional people be brought in to assist the library board and contractors with an arborist certified tree preservation plan prior to start of any construction. If these historic trees are lost, it will truly be a tragic loss for the whole community.
Michael Veitch
Chair Woodstock Tree Committee
Woodstock
Kingdom: Animalia
Domain: Eukarya
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mamallia
Order: Primate
Family: Hominidae
Genus: Homo
Species: Sapiens
Mother Earth is spreading a virus that is affecting the genus of Homo Linnaeus, Order of Primate, Kingdom of Animalia and Family of Hominid, of which I and you my reader are one. My attentions are on the Kingdom of Animalia because I am feeling my behaviors and thoughts are changing with the knowledge that Covid-19 is at my front door.
I have entered my elder years as a Primate and my reflections are often upon death. Now, with the multiple ways Hominids’ disseminate information daily, our Mother Earth has made it clear our nation and the world must focus on death and possible extinction.
My Animalia mind can hear Mother Earth’s softly weeping from depths of her polluted oceans. I’ve seen her tears raining upon the deep mining scars on her pilfered epidermis. I have walked upon her topsoil skin that will no longer grow the seed she has blown there. Mother Earth is trying to get my Sapiens’ fingers out of my ears. Mother Earth’s skin has cracked to destroy our highways, to get our foot off the gas pedal. Her oceans rise, flooding our homes. Her tornadoes spit out our vehicles into corn fields. She is tired of watching her gift of beauty to the Phylum Chordata diminish into greed. Being ignored, Mother Earth has evolved the molecular constellation, Covid-19, which is her attempt to awaken Sapiens to her message, that if we continue to seek more and more, and not give back, we shall become extinct.
Why am I writing this? Because I learned in war that my enemy had every intention within his Primate mind to kill me. He was of the same Phylum as myself and was equipped with the same brain and body. I learned to stay alive by making my alertness break all its previous social boundaries. My Animalia instincts to kill before being killed became fully engaged. What I learned as a combat Marine is the same message Mother Earth is sending with Covid-19. Listen, see and awaken with the same intention a soldier has on the battlefield.
If we listen to our Animalia hearts we will hear that our survival relies upon the kindness and love every Animalia mother knows, or Primates will become compost.
Larry Winters
New Paltz
Hard times at Lydia’s
And just when things were going so well. Lydia’s Cafe’s “Music on the Patio” series was a rousing success. People were enjoying being out of the house, they felt safe, state and local guidelines were obeyed, musicians had a gig (first time in four months for most) and for the very first time in 14 years, Lydia’s wasn’t losing money.
So, naturally, a letter from the New York State Liquor Authority arrived proclaiming: “Currently, only incidental music performances are safe and permissible. Incidental music is non-ticketed, unadvertised performances that accompany and are incidental to a dining experience; i.e., patrons have come to dine and the music provided is incidental to the dining experience.”
Nuts, right? World-class musicians performing every Saturday (occasional Fridays), but the new directive forbids letting anyone know about it. Brilliant.
So in the interest of public safety and because there is enough division in our country right now, Lydia’s will make every effort to comply with any and all regulations, regardless of how ridiculous they may be.
If you (the public) care to avail yourselves of delicious, home-cooked food between now and when it gets too cold to be outside, there is a good chance that on any given Friday or Saturday night you may find a group of musicians inconspicuously performing on a socially distanced outdoor stage. It’ll be a surprise (unless you know someone, who knows someone). Sample dialogue: “Oh, there’s a band, and no cover charge?! How delightful, we really just came here because we’ve heard how good the food is.”
See, we can all get along.
Mark Usvolk, Lydia’s Cafe
Stone Ridge
Coping with reality
I think that there are two types of essential workers. One type is medical — the doctors, nurses, EMTs and other medical workers who signed up for exposure to sick people. They certainly didn’t sign up for the first epidemic of a novel virus in 100 years, for patients one after another dying on their shifts, of bodies stacked in refrigerated trucks, but they came to work. They are all heroes.
The other type of essential worker is also heroic because those people didn’t sign up for exposure to a deadly virus. Yet they went to work to keep us in food and other essentials (including toilet paper), help the disabled, clean facilities and administer workers. These include janitors, personal-care health workers, truckers and food store workers.
Teachers are also essential workers. Children need to come to school to free their parents/guardians to go to work. And children need to come to school for their mental health and equal education for all of them. Teachers do need to demand to be as safe as possible, which includes disinfecting infrastructure and proper ventilation. Ventilation is not widely discussed: Open windows, outdoor classes and not recirculating air are all possibilities to make rooms/buildings safer.
The Northeast has very low infection/hospitalization/death numbers. I doubt that there will be a safe and effective vaccine this year and maybe not during the school year, so this is the best possible reality for now. Without either a vaccine or herd immunity (which would break the chain of transmission) from significantly more people recuperating from Covid-19, we will have to go on with our lives, as cautiously as possible but also coping with the present reality.
Andi Weiss Bartczak
Gardiner
Join the family! 
