The views and opinions expressed in our letters section are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Hudson Valley One. You can submit a letter to the editor here.
New York state of mind
Yes, Andrew has caused a big “Cuomotion” – LOL. Shit, I missed the trial! Wanted to hear the accusers and witnesses. But trial by news is so much faster! On the other hand, and after four years of a POTUS who announced on national TV that he grabs women at their “private parts,” and knowing that we have two sexual predators on SCOTUS, I think it is time to have a bigger conversation about what we are going to do about this in America.
Trump willfully engages in lawless behaviors and his supporters toe the line and support him, no matter how egregious his actions! Twice as many women have accused Trump of much worse. Not saying, “Yeah, what about,” but then again, yeah, what about Clarence Thomas, Donald Trump, Brett Kavanaugh, Matt Gaetz and Donald Trump?
If this isn’t a clear example of the difference between Republicans and Democrats, I don’t know what is. Dems are much more likely to remove someone from their ranks for crimes and misdeeds. Just pull a page from the Republican playbook, hold the Bible and cry on TV, saying, “Forgive me Jesus, I have sinned…” <sarcasm alert> Let’s not pretend we are a nation of laws and responsibility.
As long as Trump is free, there is no justice anywhere. Pressuring a politician to resign is pretty much only possible if they’re in your own political party. Trump is a Republican. No one in the GOP has a problem with sexual assault.
I really wanted him (Cuomo) to be one of the good guys. Unfortunately, the “handling” of women was way less than honorable and condemned as sexual harassment, so, there’s that – and it needed to be dealt with. I’m just so angry that he succumbed to such awful behavior. This guy should resign, and while I understand why this is happening, it makes me very sad.
Governor Cuomo’s handling of the early COVID-19 pandemic phase or assault on New York State was brilliant. I was glued to my TV every day to see his press conferences. I felt he was one of the only sources of truth and honesty that we had. He was one of the few speaking reality, and followed recommendations of medical experts. He saved many lives. I believe in giving credit where credit is due. He helped me get through the early days of the pandemic, and for that, I am grateful.
Neil Jarmel
West Hurley
Not just a buck
Now that Dollar Stores have items that cost seven dollars, I’ve lost faith in American capitalism.
Sparrow
Phoenicia
Response to Charlotte Adamis
When the newest issue of HV1 arrives, I typically go straight to the letter section, as it generally is the most entertaining part of the paper. Last week’s offering was no exception. After reading the letter from Charlotte Adamis, I was left wondering how this poor woman could summon up the courage to go out to check her mail on a daily basis. She was somehow able to divine from an inarguably crass bumper sticker that the owner of the vehicle was a dangerous white supremacist. And probably armed too because, well, the voices in her head said so. And no, Charlotte, photographing the truck and complaining to the mayor is not a very white move. It’s a very Karen move. No one was bothering, threatening, harassing or paying the least bit of attention to you and yet here you are — quaking in your boots with irrational fear over an imaginary threat of a man who was by all accounts minding his own business — sorry, a white man who worked with other white men (and let’s not forget he also drove a white truck). Moreover, her assessment of the nature of the First Amendment is a bit off. Agreeable, non-offensive speech doesn’t need protecting. The very real protections offered within that Amendment are only necessary when someone expresses themselves in a manner that some might find offensive or disagreeable.
Merriam-Webster defines “prejudice” as “preconceived judgment or opinion”. An apt description of her actions that day.
Thomas Moore
Woodstock
Where have all the flowers gone?
I do not know what happened this year, but I have missed the hanging baskets of flowers on Main Street in New Paltz. There are flags there, but they do not come close to seeing the beauty of live flowers on our town’s main street.
Perhaps we could use flowers right now more than ever. Hopefully, they will return next year.
Linnea Masson
New Paltz
Repair Cafe returns to Gardiner!
“Bring a broken but beloved object to be repair by experts who are also your neighbors.” After an 18-month pause, Repair Cafe returns to Gardiner on Sunday, August 22, from 1 – 4 p.m. This will be an indoor/outdoor event with coaches available to repair a wide variety of categories including: woodworking, electrical, jewelry, mechanical and digital photo restoration. All participants will have to wear masks to enter the library, but masks may be optional if working with a coach outside. To add to the celebration of the return of repair, lawn games will be available to enjoy while waiting. Repair Cafe was started to reduce the amount of solid waste going to landfills. It has become a treasured, community event that not only extends the useful life of treasured possessions, but also brings neighbors and community members together in a positive, fun activity. Hope to see you there!
Holly
Gardiner
Recall Florida governor & others
“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support, protect and defend the Constitution and Government of the United States and of the State of Florida; that I am duly qualified to hold office under the Constitution of the State, and that I will well and faithfully perform the duties of (Governor’s name) on which I am now about to enter, so help me God.”
This is the oath of office the Florida governor takes as he assumes the office. He has failed to protect the state (people) from the virus. He has dismissed the importance of masks and distancing, causing the sickness and death of thousands in his state.
This is true of other governors. Is it not time to hold them responsible for failing to adhere to their sworn oaths and faithfulness?
Robert Brunet
New Paltz
On a high note
Where is music today, since we’ve been sequestered behind masks for 17 months and more sequestering to come? Still thriving, with a boatload of good writers, performers and classic sounds here in Saugerties, Woodstock, the Hudson Valley, regionally, nationally and internationally.
Here are some favorites and worth a listen: a song penned by Carl Mateo of Mateo and Dugan’s Time To Fly CD, “Devil’s in the Courtyard;” Paul K. Maloney’s CD At Home and his “The Colors of the Day” tribute to an Ulster County service member who didn’t come home; Ian Flannigan, getting airplay with “Grow Up,” but one of his best songs ever is “You Could Pray”; Jimmy Eppard’s Lime Kiln Road, a CD of mostly Spider Barbour songs, is amazing; Big Joe Fitz’s great band; Steve & Terry Massardo’s sunset concert series, always featuring great performers; and at the farmers’ market, The Mammals’ (Ruth and Mike) “What It All Is,” probably the most haunting song I’ve heard in years as we “watch them monuments grow”; Just James sings Cash as good as Cash; Roy Atkinson’s “Pay the Bill in the Morning”; Crawdaddy funk and blues; Hope Rocks with Mike Farris, Dave Kolker, Leo Valenchis, Katie Hoffstatter (and many more).
Jim Gaudet and the Railroad Boys, an Albany-area band with an authentic sound Bob Wills would be proud of; Roadhouse does ‘60s covers like no other; Willie Amrod’s “Bus Driving Man” and “Country Funk Music”; The Grit Gang, with Scott Grower (great songwriter); Saturday Night Bluegrass Band; The Rough Shapes (think the Ventures); Dylan Doyle, the blues maestro prodigy; Amy Helm’s “What the Flood Leaves Behind,” a classic by this gifted performer; Lara Hope & The Ark-Tones.
Saugerties’ Pro Musica series of classical performers from all over the globe; Professor Louie’s Woodstock Rocking Review Saturdays on WKZE; Tom Pacheco’s “The Hills of Woodstock” will be heard for years to come; Lex Grey and the Urban Pioneers (amazing voice and songwriting); Duke McVinnie; the Falcon in Marlboro with local and national acts; eTown on 98.1 WKZE, hosted for 30 years by former Rhinebeck residents Nick and Helen Forster; Valerie June’s “Call Me a Fool”; Ani DiFranco’s “Simultaneously” from her Revolutionary Love CD is mesmerizing to hear and see; a 1971 Dennis Hopper production of The American Dreamer featuring “Hard Road to New Mexico” by John Manning. More great talent on the local scene: 90 Proof’s foot-kicking country; Cindy Cashdollar’s great new CD; Four of a Kind; Second Wind; Little Creek Band; Bobby Farris and many more. In Europe, we have Katarzyna Roscinska’s delivery of “Crazy” (not Willie Nelson’s “Crazy”), a showstopper.
Go out and hear some live music and support all these artists wherever you are. If you can’t get out to a live show, follow them on Facebook.
Paul Andreassen
Malden-on-Hudson
How the mighty have fallen
This letter is dedicated to Joyce Benedict (“How about a little perspective?”). Ms. Benedict, apparently, didn’t realize the “witch hunters” were quite active proclaiming and detailing the accusations of women against Donald Trump’s misbehavior (which occurred before he was elected POTUS) “when his offenses surfaced.” Joyce also, apparently, sees no difference between accusations made against an elected official while he was in office (Andrew Cuomo) and those made against one who wasn’t in office (Donald Trump) at the time of the accusations. And, what the heck, it’s also dedicated to Neil Jarmel (McCarthy makes a mockery) who, apparently, thinks it’s okay for Nancy Pelosi to reject congressional investigators of the January 6 “insurrection” because they have been supporters of Trump and defended him in the past; but not so okay for her to reject any congressional investigators who supported and promoted the false accusations of Russian collusion/conspiracy against Donald Trump (and the subsequent Mueller investigation) or voted to impeach him twice. Because Mr. Jarmel’s rants make a mockery of moderation and truthfulness, I suspect that even those sympathetic to his general point of view have stopped reading them. In any event, rant on, Neil…rant on.
Because of the serious sexual harassment allegations of 11 workers made against him, New York governor Andrew Cuomo resigned. It’s hard to believe that this Emmy Award-winning, best-selling author and powerful political figure has suffered such a precipitous fall, especially since Governor Cuomo was not too long ago called a model of leadership by the Democrat Party and the mainstream media and had influential, enthusiastic celebrity supporters who referred to themselves as “Cuomosexuals.” Although it is wrong to take pleasure in the public disclosure of another’s moral transgressions, descriptions of such failures and the consequences suffered – by the transgressors and victims – may cause others holding political power to examine themselves regarding their treatment of those over whom they have authority.
The following is an account, given by one of the governor’s victims. It is representative of those made by his other accusers. The song should be sung with sadness to the tune of the Crystals’ classic oldie “And Then He Kissed Me.”
(Verse)
Well, he called me on the phone and said, “Come to my office today”
He said he had some papers that must be filed right away
I said yes; he said, “All right
Plan on a very long night”
My work career seemed so bright
And then he groped me
(Verse)
Each time I saw him I hoped I’d never see him again
I felt so bad but I told no one, not even a friend
I didn’t know what I should do
It was a day I’ll always rue
I thought my boss was good and true
And then he groped me
(Bridge)
He groped me in a way that shook me to my very core
He groped me in a way that made my tender heart sink to the floor
(Verse)
I knew this had to stop, so I told my mom and my dad
And soon they took me to the best lawyer they’d ever had
He asked me if I was the sort
Who would take this case to court
I told him yes; long story short
‘Cos my boss groped me
(Closing refrain after musical interlude)
I said I had nothing to hide
He said he’d walk right by my side
The tale would soon be known far and wide
How my boss groped me
How my boss groped me
How my boss groped me
George Civile
Gardiner
Freedom of speech & civility
I was disappointed to read the following post by Steven Peruso on the “Concerned Kingston – Community Support for Law Enforcement” Facebook page (August 3). Peruso, who is running for Alderman of Ward 1, posted his comment in response to protestors at a recent Common Council meeting that approved the acquisition of an armored vehicle:
“Are they even alive, and if so, should they be…they’re wasting air.”
Disagreement in political arenas is common and welcome, but personal and threatening denunciations are not acceptable forms of the freedom of speech guaranteed by the Constitution. We all need to strive for civil discourse, particularly our community leaders.
Is this really the person we want representing Kingston residents?
Lyn DelliQuadri,
Ward 1, Kingston
Support entire Democratic ticket in November
After years of previous mismanagement, the Hurley Transfer Station is now a well-run and efficient operation under the shepherding of Democratic Town Board member Peter Humphries and with the support of the other Democratic members of the Town Board, Melinda McKnight and Mike Boms. Because of these efficiencies, funds are now available to significantly improve the recycling operation and for future initiatives such as composting, all at zero cost to the taxpayers of Hurley.
These future initiatives, however, will need the leadership of a Democratic supervisor and a solid Democratic majority on the Town Board. I urge my fellow voters in Hurley to support the entire Democratic ticket in November so Hurley can have the fiscally responsible and forward-thinking governance we deserve.
Peter McKnight
West Hurley
A word of thanks
The Board of Directors would like to thank the Town of Woodstock Town Board, Supervisor McKenna, Deputy Supervisor Maria-Elena Conti, Jonathan Heppner, Susie Kessler, the Motzkin family and the many benefactors who donated both large and small donations to our GoFundMe campaign and through direct contributions. We would also like to thank Felicia at WOIF-FM 104.1 in Woodstock and Nick Henderson of HV1 for helping us get the word out to the public. Our deep gratitude for the many volunteers who have helped us keep our operations going through these trying times, and a special thanks to Violet Snow and the members of the Christian Science Reading Room and the First Church of Christian Science for providing us with a new home in town.
Without all these community leaders, we could have lost our town’s Food Pantry and 30 years of hard work to create what we have accomplished, feeding over 30,000 people per year with nutritious meals and a precious resource for so many people in our surrounding communities as we face this worldwide pandemic and homelessness.
We also want to thank the Woodstock Reformed Church for providing us a rental space for all these years in their basement rooms and for allowing us to keep our operations running and its doors open until we could find a new home and so the Good Neighbor Food Pantry could continue to feed the hungry and fulfil our mission.
With all our deepest gratitude and praise, thank you all.
William B. McKnight, president
Susan Kessler, vice president/administrator/executive director
Judy Fox, pantry coordinator
Cathy Baker, treasurer
Deborah Benn, outreach coordinator
Guy Otto, pickups & support
The Board of Directors
The Good Neighbor Food Pantry of Woodstock
Doing our part to fight climate change
The decision to be part of the Saugerties CCA was an easy one for us. The CCA offers us the chance to purchase affordable electricity from 100-percent-renewable energy and reduce the greenhouse gas emissions currently generated by the Central Hudson supply we now get that is mostly fossil fuel. The few extra dollars it may cost us each month is a small price to pay for knowing we will be doing our part in a townwide effort to fight the scourge of climate change that affects each and every one of us.
Chris and Patti Kelly
Saugerties
Rally for the people
US Senate Democrats and President Biden have successfully moved the national infrastructure bill to bipartisan passage and have started the budget process for considering the American Jobs and Families Plan legislation. Where they have not yet succeeded is passing the For the People Act (FTPA), the comprehensive bill to protect voting rights, end gerrymandering of voting districts for partisan gain and flush dark money out of politics.
Arguably, the FTPA is the most important bill this Congress will consider in 2021. If passed, it would halt the current efforts of radical Republicans to curb voting rights and lay the foundation for partisan legislators and election officials to challenge the results of future elections. We’ve seen how the disgraced former President Trump attempted to manipulate officials in charge of elections in order to reverse his loss. If passed, FTPA would override the radical Republicans’ attempts – underway right now as census results have been published – to engineer redistricting to their unfair benefit throughout the next decade.
Without the FTPA, American democracy will be undermined by rigged elections that deny the full participation of all Americans.
In the next few weeks, a scaled-down draft of the FTPA bill will be completed. In early September, it will be brought to Congress. Majority Leader Schumer’s office must be flooded with calls urging passage of the FTPA. Maximum pressure must be brought on our senators, most especially the few who might value the Senate’s filibuster rules over participatory democracy.
On August 28, the 58th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s march on Washington DC, Ulster County voters will have the opportunity to gather and voice their support for the bill. Participants will meet in Kingston at the Academic Green Park at 11 a.m. to stress the urgent need for the FTPA. For further details and signup, go to https://actionnetwork.org/events/march-on-for-voting-rights-3. People committed to democracy will be joining other marches throughout the country. This is a fight that must be won.
Tom Denton
Highland
The question is why
Councilwoman Ricci proposed a resolution where Woodstock would pay up to 40 percent of the fees, with a cap of $1,500, to hire Andrew Campanelli, an expert on telecom law, to assist in changing the town’s wireless regulations. According to Hudson Valley One, McKenna’s response to the resolution was, “I think we should be working with [Campanelli’s current document] before we spend any more money.”
Yet McKenna seems to have no problem spending between $125,000 and $200,000 to renovate his office, currently located in a separate building, rather than incorporate it in the proposed Comeau addition. Shouldn’t all the town offices, including his, be in the new addition, thus keeping all town office functions together and working more efficiently under one roof? What is McKenna’s rationale for not wanting to include it?
Howard Harris
Woodstock
A reflection of the times
I came across the quote below in the novel Us Against You by Fredrick Backman. This is surely a reflection of the current times we live in:
“People will always choose a lie over a complicated truth. The lie has one unbeatable advantage: The truth always has to stick to what actually happened, whereas the lie just has to be easy to believe.”
Glenn Gidaly
Gardiner
Landlords!
The reason I bought a house when I was 24, with a wife and two kids, was a bad landlord. The reason I never tried to be a landlord is what I have heard about tenants ever since. (Now, credit to Ed Burke’s letter): The revelation that New Paltz has a deputy mayor, if the 12 landlords in a row who would not renew her leases can be believed, is really just “another brick in the wall,” keeping me far away from politicians. Are most of you in the game to help America or yourselves? Martha’s Vineyard, Hawaii and DC?
Unrelated: Leaving behind Afghans who helped us in what is called “Obama’s War,” to their certain torture and death, is very wrong!
Paul Nathe
New Paltz
Setting the record straight
I am responding to the editor’s note regarding my letter, and to the George Cross letter, both of which were in last week’s HV1 newspaper (8/11/21).
Dealing with the latter first, George Cross labeled the peer-reviewed studies I referenced as “pseudoscience,” even though some of those studies had a large amount of citations by scientists in the field and in the short time since publication. The study “Ivermectin Inhibits the Replication of the Sars-CoV-2 In Vitro” (L. Caly, et al., 2020) supporting the findings other studies I cited, was itself cited 1,468 times. That study is not even one year old and if it had 100 citations, it would be considered credible by the scientific community, let alone “pseudoscience” as George Cross alleges. In my past letters on the harm of being exposed to manmade electromagnetic radiation (“EMF/EMR”), George Cross alleged that was all “pseudoscience” and there is no harm. Meanwhile, the National Academy of Sciences (“NAS”), the premier science institution in the country, published a January 2021 report documenting that low-level non-thermal EMF/EMR exposures to US Embassy employees overseas was the probable cause of their mutual illnesses (https://www.nap.edu/read/25889/chapter/6). The NAS cited multiple studies I referenced in my past letters to the editor, which George Cross curiously alleged then was also “pseudoscience.”
I find it interesting that a high bar is held when it comes to inexpensive, effective and time-tested Ivermectin, but a low bar is held when it comes to expensive, ineffective and dangerous experimental Remdesivir. Furthermore, the experimental vaccines have produced more adverse reports on VAERS in six months than in the past 20 years with previous vaccines. Keep in mind CDC charts on “Leading Causes of Death in the USA” conveniently fail to list that the fourth leading cause of death is prescription drugs approved by the FDA, 50% of which were taken as prescribed (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25355584/).
Regarding the comments made in HV1’s editor’s note, I was not defending anybody or their alleged political stance, only reporting about a lawsuit with a Healthcare System whistleblower. Furthermore, I agree with the editor that “you can find any viewpoint online,” but viewpoints are not what my letter relied upon. I supplied peer-reviewed medical studies scientific “conclusions” to support Ivermectin being used to prevent, treat and “eradicate” COVID-19, in keeping with federal rules of evidence in a court setting, called the “Daubert Rule”, (Daubert v. Merrell/Dow Pharmaceuticals, 509 U.S. 579, 1993).
Steve Romine
Woodstock
Truth vaccination
Below is a definition of (hyper-vigilance) that I got off the internet. As a mental health professional for 25 years, I am aware of this diagnosis. As a Vietnam vet, I have been given this “Diagnosis”, it is called PTSD. I recently recommissioned it to keep me alive during the COVID pandemic.
Definition of hyper-vigilance:
Hyper-vigilance is a state of increased alertness. If you’re in a state of hyper-vigilance, you’re extremely sensitive to your surroundings. It can make you feel like you’re alert to any hidden dangers whether from other people or the environment. Often, though, these dangers are not real.”
I have worked in the hospital setting with many who have hyper-vigilance as one of their symptoms. It often accompanies trauma from a moral injury, war, rape or physical trauma. I believe main stream mental health overemphasizes this part of the definition, “Often, though, these dangers are not real.” Doing this categorizes a natural human instinct into an illness. This is science’s attempt at understanding human behaviors negatively by highlighting, “Dangers are not real,” thus introducing an additional diagnosis of paranoia, instead of helping clinicians to inquire as to what real dangers may have been present in the client’s history or current life. In these cases, medications are often administered instead of deep listening.
As a marine in the Vietnam War, I was placed on the battlefield where my own death and killing my enemy were ever present. As a result, I was forced to push beyond the implanted cultural boundaries installed by my family and education. The new territory I entered was survival! I focused on things like: Was my rifle clean? Did I have enough ammo? When and where I went to the bathroom? The veil of humanity placed around me in Sunday school, Boy Scouts and high school fell like the curtain after a bad play. I started seeing the darkness and light of my own soul and the souls of those around me. Hyper-vigilance became the only way I could read the road map keeping me alive. I began observing deeper truths with the veil no longer around me. A fuller picture came into focus of how truth affects human beings in survival mode, such as who uses kindness, compassion and honesty, and who uses deception, lying, power and money to survive.
I feel hyper-vigilance has helped me to see truths in political leadership, in health-care workers, in corporate media, in the internet news, in the money markets and in religious institutions.
My conclusion is: Moral illness is the true pandemic, truth is the life-giving vaccination.
Larry Winters
New Paltz
Join the family! 
