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.
Wreaths Across America-New Paltz thank you
On behalf of the Wreaths Across America organization, the New Paltz Rural Cemetery, the Brannen van den Burg VFW Post 8645, the VFW Auxiliary to Post 8645 and our family of volunteers and supporters, we want to thank you for your support of the mission to remember the fallen, honor those that serve and their families and teach the next generation the value of freedom.
On December 17, 2022, Wreaths Across America National Wreath Day, over 980 wreaths were placed to honor and remember all veterans laid to rest at the New Paltz Rural Cemetery and the Ulster County Veteran’s Cemetery on Plains Road in New Paltz.
With each of the sponsored veterans’ wreaths placed on December 17 an American hero’s name was spoken out loud so they would not be forgotten.
We express our tremendous gratitude to each and every one who made this possible by sponsoring wreaths and volunteering to honor our veterans on December 17.
Thank you to our business sponsors: Rycor HVAC, Copeland-Hammerl Funeral Home, New Paltz Rural Cemetery Association, PDQ Printing, St. Joseph’s Church, Dietz Tree Service, Tops Market, Ulster Savings Bank, Snug Harbor, Kingston Nissan, Devine Insurance, Jar’d, Handmade & More, Bicycle Rack, Huguenot Financial, Dedrick’s Pharmacy, Masseo Landscaping, Schatzi’s, Lightening Express, P&G’s, Law Offices of Robert Rich, Jim Demaio State Farm Ins, Alfandre Architecture, Kingston Hannaford, New Paltz Lyseum Cinema, Meadowscent, Garvan’s Gastropub and New Paltz Golf.
Thank you to the ceremony participants: New Paltz Fire Department, Ulster County Sheriff’s Department, New Paltz Police Department, SUNY New Paltz Police Department and Ulster County Law Enforcement Honor Guard. To Ann Shulte Lundell for representing Gold Star families. The Rip Van Winkle Scouts Troop 272 and Troop 171, Jasper Bacon, Thao Salamone, Sam Scarpati, Andrew Lai, Arron Bligh, Ethan Gregor, Veronica O’Sullivan, John Reynolds, Kaidan Salamone and the Heart of the Hudson Girl Scout Troop 60142, Erin O’Donnell. These young scouts honored the eight branches of the armed forces by placing the ceremonial wreaths on the Veteran’s Memorial.
Thank you to Ulster County Veterans Services Agency Director Mark Cozzupoli for emceeing the ceremony, as well as our speaker, Congressman Pat Ryan. Thank you to Andrew Mironchik, Commander of the Brannen van den Berg VFW Post 8645.
As an added treat, Chris Nadareski, liaison for Rip Van Winkle Scouts and DEP representative released a rehabilitated Red Tail Hawk during the ceremony in honor of all veterans.
And last but not least we want to acknowledge and give many thanks to John Liquori, Superintendent of the New Paltz Rural Cemetery, along with employees Clifford Campbell and Glenn DeHardt. They go above and beyond in taking care of all the details leading up to, during and after Wreath Day!
Our mission continues as we look to 2023. Starting on National Wreaths Across America Day, Saturday, December 17, and running through Friday, Jan. 15, 2023 — all wreaths sponsored through a registered WAA Sponsorship Group will be matched by Wreaths Across America HQ for placement next December 16, 2023! Our direct link is www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/NY0270.
Ron Mironchik
Kathy Mironchik
Cindy Dates
Tara Dates
Wreaths Across America Location Coordinators
In apology
In response to Colleen Philips: First, I sincerely apologize for overgeneralizing about Harley owners! You obviously, with your fellow club members, care for others and I know there are a lot of first responders who obviously care about their fellow citizens and ride loud motorcycles. I am not saying you are bad people, just inconsiderate.
I would say a few things though:
1. You do not address the obnoxious noise spewing out in everyone’s ears from Harleys and other bikers other than to say, “there are many cases of noise in our community.” I know of no other groups of people that pollute our peace and quiet like you all do. I do not agree that it is “irresponsible” to point out bikers’ loud disruptive engine noises. It’s just like citing people who blast everyone with their music on a beach, or people who litter, or people in apartment buildings that play loud music at late hours, etc. Obnoxious noise/behaviors is what it is about and pointing it out is what a responsible citizen should do!
2. Yes, stereotyping can be wrong and can backfire. But in this case, you left out the first two words of my quote “I bet…” as in “I bet most of these macho freedom-loving guys also saw nothing wrong with January 6.” ”I bet” is a guess. When you bet on anything, it doesn’t mean you are 100% right. But, in this noise case and even with the political stereotype, I think I would win the bet!
You are right that it is an overgeneralization and wrong to judge everyone. And yes, who am I to judge? But, is it wrong to judge someone on the loudness of their bike, the loudness of their stereo at the beach? Sorry but I do!
I do think some stereotypes have validity sometimes. I could be wrong, but I do think, with reasonable certainty, that if you took a straw poll about January 6 at the Sturgis Rally, I bet the numbers would be in line with my stereotype!
I certainly agree with you that January 6 was a “travesty” and maybe I shouldn’t have included that unnecessary political comment?
As to generalizing, if I generalized that most killings at high school sporting events, family BBQ’s/graduations and young adult concerts were committed by black youth and gang members, would that be a stereotype? Or that most school mass shootings are committed by young white males? College kids vote for Democrats, Evangelicals vote Republican etc., would I be wrong?
There are generalizations that are reasonable and for example, even with political polls, there are certain stereotypes and generalizations that can be made so as to tailor advertisements.
I believe we can make some generalizations that can be statistically supported or implied.
Maybe I was wrong to overgeneralize and connect Harley’s freedom-loving riders with being the “types” of people who would not see January 6 as a “travesty?”
You obviously are not one of them and again my sincere apologies for using a broad brush that was justifiably taken offensively by you! Sorry.
Ron Stonitsch
New Paltz
Be there. Will be wild!
“Extra! Extra! He’s guilty as fuck!” … and hopefully is headed down the path to becoming irrelevant and a loser: Yes, “Be there. Will be wild!” Trump all but circled the date. Donald Trump and his supporters are a clear and present danger to democracy and the United States.”
It took 18 months (the culmination of a lengthy investigation) into the attack on the U.S. Capitol for the House January 6 investigation committee to announce what many Americans already knew: There’s a walloping amount of evidence that suggests Donald Trump did some serious crime-doing before, during and after the domestic terrorist attack on the U.S. Capitol.
The January 6 Committee considers him guilty of four criminal acts and have referred their findings to the Department of Justice. This department has appointed a special counsel with an aggressive record. And Attorney General Merrick Garland has a pretty good record of going after domestic terrorists too. Then, put his ass in prison. Finally! Let’s get some results from the DOJ. Please set some precedents!
It’s hard to say criminal referrals aren’t necessary when we all saw it unfold. Just hope that Trump is held responsible, couldn’t be any clearer! Whatever happens next, when and how he is held accountable, whatever public assertions he dares to make (most of which will be used as evidence against him), the result is a continuing decrease in his credibility.
Holding him accountable — well, on the one hand it’s satisfying to see his “house of canards” come tumbling down. But on the other hand, the damage he’s done to this nation — we wasted four years when we could have been working on health care and infrastructure and climate change and our economy.
We lost four years of opportunity that we will never get back. If Donald Trump had even the slightest shred of decency, he could have used the presidency to make a difference for the nation and in doing so, raised his real value astronomically. Unfortunately, he is a grifter well on his way to becoming a national joke. He failed because he never had even the slightest shred of decency. He’s a con man, a fraud and a criminal. He’s a loser.
The Republican Party in their silence continues supporting this “bat, shit-crazy person” and their appeal to the worst excesses of racism and fanaticism has put them where they are currently — losers too!
Has Trump destroyed the Republican Party? Well, no. That blame belongs to the racists, the white Christian evangelicals and the billionaires who hijacked the party for their own greedy agendas. Perhaps the Republican Party should be destroyed. It was their constant gaming of the political landscape, starting with the southern strategy, their cynical exploitation of wedge issues and their barely disguised demonization of a portion of the population that laid the groundwork for a grifter like TFG to make his way to power.
They’re his enablers and need to be replaced by a true conservative party that will engage in honest policy debate. Isn’t that right, George Civile and John Butz? Oh, and fuck your silence if there is zero response in condemning DJT and his Trumpublican GOP politic minions!
Neil Jarmel
West Hurley
Real estate transaction volume has cooled
The Village of New Paltz budgeted to receive $105,000 for its share of mortgage tax revenue but received a whopping $312,821 last year. This was shocking after the average budgeted amount for the previous ten years was $76,800 and the average actual amount received was $73,244, with a high of $81,975 for 2020-21 and a low of $61,048 for 2011-12.
Mortgage tax is a solid but partial window into the real estate market because it excludes cash transactions.
It is also noteworthy to highlight that just eight of NY’s counties collect only 0.75% of a mortgage’s value to document transitions and Ulster County is one. See NY’s Mortgage Recording Tax Return form (MT-15) for a current list of the various tax rates by jurisdiction. Ulster County is unique in that it does not levy an additional mortgage tax surcharge, only 0.75%. In Dutchess, Putnam and Orange the total tax is 1.05%. In Greene and Columbia it’s 1.25% and it’s 1% in Sullivan. The tax revenues are then split with NYS and locally.
Last week the Village of New Paltz received mortgage tax revenue for the six-month period April 2022 – September 2022 of only $63,871.
Mayor Tim Rogers
New Paltz
The talking crow
Crows talk as well as one can without teeth.
Sparrow
Phoenicia
A note of correction for Brian Hollander
My wife Sandy (now deceased) and I were next-door neighbors of the Hunold family for 18 years. There was a beautifully kept path between our houses that was well travelled. The two boys, Dashiell and Ryder, would use our pool and grew up with our granddaughter Gabriella, whom we all raised as friends and guardians.
Brian, I don’t comprehend why you wouldn’t mention Julia, Michael Hunold’s wife and partner of 20-plus years.
We were dear friends with them — both together and separately. I enjoyed our intellectually stimulating conversations, laughter, milestones and, of course, Michael’s excellent and inspired guitar playing. I went to see him play many times over the years, at various venues in and around Woodstock.
I cannot imagine a world without Michael. I thought I would certainly die before him. But Brian, you failed to mention Julia at all.
You also failed to mention Vadia Padwa, Michael’s grandmother (although you briefly noted her musician husband, the boy’s great-grandmother Vladimir Padwa). She was a maven and held salons and renowned Christmas parties at the house on Chestnut Hill Road, attended by many intellectuals and artists such as John Dewey.
As a young man, Michael was both court jester and amanuensis to the grandmother that primarily raised him.
You mentioned Michael’s mother, the boys’ grandmother, Tanya (now deceased). She was a great beauty who played and grew up in and around the Maverick as a child with many other old-time Woodstockers. She too, was a major force in Michael’s life, later marrying Anthony Robinson, an author in his own right and son to Henry Morton Robinson, an author of Skeleton Key to Finnegan’s Wake, penned with his over-the-fence neighbor Joseph Campbell. Michael’s stepfather, Anthony continues to write novels from his home on Huguenot Street in New Paltz. He remains to this day a beloved and huge part of the boys’ lives.
Brian, you failed to do your homework and I am writing to correct your omissions.
Julia Perce, Dashiell and Ryder’s mother, whom you failed to mention, lives in the area and until recent events, shared custody of the boys.
Your tribute mentions dates and events that neither his own sons, nor his closest of kin, Anthony and Michael’s own sister, Joanna Chillrud (of Santa Barbara, CA), are even aware of. It seems rather callous and shocking to me. As a journalist, it seems to me that you failed to do due diligence in asking permission from any of his closest kin about the matters or about your tribute at all. Shame on you.
Barry Samuels
Woodstock
Thanks for helping with Wreaths Across America
Saugerties VFW Post 5034 would like to thank all the participants and the donors to the Wreaths Across America that was held on December 17 at the Saratoga National Cemetery. After the wreaths were placed, we attended a brief ceremony in honor of all the veterans who are interred in the cemetery. A wreath of ‘Remembrance’ was placed in front of all 15,100 gravestones.
After the ceremony, we went to the Schuylerville American Legion Hall for a warm lunch. Then we drove back through the cemetery before heading for home.
The wreaths will be in the cemetery until March 4, if you wish you take a drive there.
Bob Howe
Saugerties
Answer please
According to Hudson Valley One, Woodstock town supervisor Bill McKenna complained that everybody keeps blaming him for dragging his feet regarding the delay in cleaning up the Church Road property. “I don’t know what they expect the town can do,” he said. It appears that the only recourse the town itself has to start cleaning the property up is to get a court order.
So Bill, have you had the town’s attorney approach the court yet to get permission to start the cleaning process or are you still dragging your feet?
Howard Harris
Woodstock
Concerns about Terramor and Winston Farms
We are writing letters and discussing the looming effects of the invasion from Terramor and the despoiling of Winston Farms as entirely separate events, which they are and are not. More or less around the corner from one another and happening, more or less, at the same time, their combined effects on the quality of our lives and the value of our properties should be evaluated as one.
Peter Remler
Bearsville
Build the Kingstonian in 2023
The Kingstonian should be built in 2023. Uptown needs the “newness” and “energy” that the Kingstonian will bring to Uptown, which is now in an ebb-and-flow state. The Kingstonian will finally push Uptown in the forward direction. Remember, Uptown needs “newness” and “energy,” not “oldness” and “tired malaise.”
Ralph Mitchell
Kingston
Protecting Winston Farm
The development of the Winston Farm shows great promise for the region if it is done right. The proposed commercial, residential and recreational development must be accomplished with a soft hand. Skyline trails could give extraordinary views of the Hudson River Valley, but the key to sound development of this unique natural resource depends on minimal disturbance to the existing natural terrain.
The unrestrained use of heavy grading equipment to prepare roads and building sites can cause irreparable damage to the earth, flooding problems and loss of unique plant and animal habitats. This disturbance then must be kept to a minimum by several steps.
1. No cliffs or other rock outcrops or grades of over 15% should be disturbed.
2. Finished grades should average no more than 10%.
3. No wetlands, streams, ponds, lakes or floodplains should be disturbed.
4. Existing roads, trails, footpaths, stone walls and meadows should be incorporated into the development.
This means that the site must first be mapped, clearly showing contours, water bodies, streams, existing roads and trails, stone walls, buildings and foundations and all historic features, including burial grounds, the mansions and the carriage road, the oldest road in the town.
In summary, development of the Winston Farm should be done with a soft hand, that of a landscape designer as well as an engineer.
Barry Benepe
Saugerties
New year, same jokers
I am old enough to have argued with adults about racism in Florida and Barry Goldwater’s candidacy for President. I can visualize John Kerry saying, “I was for the war before I was against it!”
Lots of stuff fills the closets of my mind, and yet I am a lifetime Liberal who believes in fighting aggression. My Party quit me!
I support all the aid Ukraine needs, but not sending troops. Volunteers, have at it! I am too old and crippled to help.
Politics is all about money. George Soros disgusts me. So does the way Paul Pelosi plays the stock market using inside information from Nancy.
I liked Rocky (first as Governor, then as Veep, as the 4th estate used to call the VP). I got to talk to the Governor and Senator Javitts as a student at SUNYA. I also got to yell at Nixon and George Wallace, two guys that represented a different time in America.
Nothing prepared me for the absurdity of Woke thinking, and biased mainstream media. The Squad is an insult to the America I love. MSNBC is a sad joke. Tolerating the George Floyd riots was stupid.
I believe Trump did a lot of good for America, and yet I am glad he got only one term. Whoever is now pulling the strings at the White House, President Biden and VP Harris should not run again. They are both incompetent. Susan Rice and Senator Mrs. Bill Clinton have lied to us for years. I will never trust them again.
Please read Geddy’s thoughts, but balance them with Karl Rove. Both men are smart and disagree. We need differing opinions to reach a good balance.
Paul Nathe
New Paltz
A new year resolution
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)
“For out of the heart come evil thoughts…[and actions].” (Matthew 15:19)
“I read the Bible a lot…” (Spoken by Bob Dylan at a concert)
Although it is true that the times are always changing, unless the hearts of people change, self-interested deceit and wickedness will always be involved in human interactions and decisions concerning good and evil. Being aware of a need for such change can only come when a person looks into his own heart and admits the truth about its condition. This “looking and admitting” is the first step to heart transformation. Seeking, acknowledging, accepting and following the truth when, it confronts us, can purify the human heart and enable “the pure in heart” to overcome selfishness on the journey of life. People who are truly free acknowledge, not only that they can be attracted to good as well as evil; but also, that the evil they do comes from themselves and is often, deceitfully, rationalized and embraced in the name of freedom. Because it is a new year, a time when people seek to make lifestyle changes through “new year” resolutions, the following suggestion is offered to truth seekers who realize they need a heart change and resolve to do what is needed to achieve this goal: be like Bob and read the Bible…a lot.
(Our Hearts They Need a Changin’, inspired by the Dylan tune)
Come gather ’round readers
throughout Feedback land
and don’t criticize
what you don’t understand
the truth that you’re seeking
is close to your hand
If the Bible, you’ll just
start a readin’
so, shake off its dust
search the Book while you can
and your heart will be a changin’
Your mind is in turmoil
your soul’s filled with pain
the things that’ll prove worthless
you count them as gain
you’ve nothing to lose
but your sorrow and shame
and the fear no one knows
you’re a holdin’
become like a child
and call on God’s name
if your heart it needs a changin’
Everything’s being shaken
man’s song has been sung
it’s hidden true faith
from the old and the young
for the truth’s rarely heard
from any man’s tongue
’cos our throats are graves
that are open
and the signs of the times
that stand clear to our view
say our hearts they need a changin’
The Lord who is gracious
still calls out to you
every word from his mouth
is faithful and true
and for those who will listen
he’ll make all things new
and your life
he’ll be a savin’
use your ears for to hearin’
and faith will arise
and your heart will be a changin’
George Civile
Gardiner
Hurley 2022 accomplishments missed by HV1
Most every week I look in vain for coverage of the Town of Hurley from our only regional weekly news source. This last issue of HV1 unfortunately had no coverage, no round-up of 2022 accomplishments, and no forward-looking conversation with Hurley Supervisor Melinda McKnight. So, here’s a list of 2022 actions and accomplishments in Hurley that HV1 and its readers might like to know about:
Efficiencies
Hired a town bookkeeper to straighten out financial records and ensure bills are paid on time to avoid late fees and penalties.
Increased staffing in the building department and created a dedicated zoning enforcement officer to ensure laws are enforced consistently and fairly.
Ensured the town takes advantage of free mandatory training for staff through our insurance company rather than hire attorneys to provide the training.
Increased transfer station revenues by collecting appropriate fees from haulers and residents.
Instituted internal controls for a cashless payment system, per New York State Comptroller’s recommendations.
Updated procurement policy with appropriate environmental and clean energy guidelines.
Hired a human resources consultant to update personnel policies and staff handbook and establish better record-keeping.
Established a new town email system for employees and board/committee members.
Transparency
Passed a resolution to create a public comment period prior to each board meeting.
Filled the new position of public information officer to ensure communications are provided consistently to the public and news media.
Updated the town’s website and improved social media presence.
Addressed and resolved, in a timely manner, concerns brought to the town by residents.
Land use
Created a zoning task force to address issues of conflicts, inconsistencies and gaps within the code.
Started the process of updating the town comprehensive plan, collected surveys and held community meetings.
Approved and put in place a short-term rental application process; hired a consultant to identify rental sites throughout the town and assist with concerns about them.
Approved local laws covering such issues as fill and grading, allowing chickens and bees to be kept in R-1 and R-2 zones and indemnification of public officers and employees (in alignment with other towns).
Old landfill/leachate system
Continued corrective action with engineers and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, complied with state testing and reporting requirements.
Employee safety
Moved highway department employees to a temporary facility with a healthy, safe work environment until a new garage is established.
Liability protection
Ensured all town-owned properties and structures are covered by insurance.
Addressed concerns raised by the town’s insurance carriers about various issues that expose the town to potential liability (i.e. added cybersecurity insurance and added transfer station structures and trailer to the insurance policy).
Ensured all boards are provided with proper legal counsel to mitigate potential for litigation whenever possible and to avoid procedural pitfalls.
We will all gain by more comprehensive coverage of Hurley by HV1 in 2023.
Best wishes to all for the New Year.
Tobe Carey
Glenford
Shopping at Tops
Just the facts:
1. Shop-Rite’s only two motorized carts have been broken (i.e., out of service) for about a month.
2. Requests of the people who work there (including management) to “do something” were to no avail.
3. It was therefore necessary for me to walk (in snow and ice) to my car with my groceries. The street was untreated and slippery. Rock Salt could have been used. As someone who is disabled and handicapped, I had previously utilized a motorized cart to get from the store to my car. This was problematic, dangerous and stressful.
4. Reluctantly, I began to shop at Tops, as they have a full lineup of motorized carts.
5. The conventional wisdom in New Paltz is that Tops is more expensive than Shop-Rite. I was surprised to find that this is not the case. Not only was the same item less expensive at Tops, but so were other items that I wasn’t even aware they carried.
6. I now do all my shopping at Tops.
Joel Swartzberg
New Paltz
Cancer in our education system
Many school boards in our country are most likely doing the right thing when it comes to properly educating our kids and preparing them to be able to function as mature and effective young people in the real world.
Unfortunately, a very recent story out of the state of Virginia demonstrates that there are dangerous and uneducated “educators” who are allowed to continue their employment and, if unchecked and unchallenged, will spread their shortsighted “political correctness” like a cancer.
Top students are always encouraged, supported and rewarded for their hard work, excellent work ethic and time management. It’s the way we turn out our best students for future endeavors and professions that will, hopefully, return our country to its old position of worldwide dominance. The reality is that all students do not have the same abilities OR drive to push themselves, no matter what color or culture. As a result, we’ve slipped quite a bit in global education rankings due in large part to policies and procedures that result in the dumbing down of our American youth. Instead, we’ve lowered the bar to want to now reward mediocrity, regardless of what the color or culture is of the students who are negatively impacted.
Back to Virginia. One of the alleged top high schools in Virginia, Thomas Jefferson High School in Fairfax County, has a principal named Ann Bonitatibus and a Director of Student Services named Brandon Kosatka. What they did, on the sly, was to withhold and deny top students the recognition they earned from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, all in the disguise of “equity.” Not having this appropriate designation on their college applications can severely jeopardize the student’s ability to earn a scholarship. This happened to several students, one of which was in the top 3% of all students in the entire country.
Needless to say, parents of these students began to investigate and uncovered this scandal and expressed their outrage. Only AFTER this situation was made public, did the Assistant Superintendent of Fairfax County Public Schools, Fabio Zuluaga, say that a “mistake” was made, while vowing to “fix it.” To add insult to injury, obvious discrimination was involved because the majority of these poorly treated students were Asian.
Even if situations like this might not happen on a large scale, they shouldn’t happen, AT ALL! Any “educators,” at any level, who are involved in this type of off-the-grid insanity need to be immediately fired. They obviously don’t realize that some students are more gifted than others and this one size fits all, with every student getting a trophy, hardly fits within anyone’s sane definition of and intent of “equity.”
This is why parents have a perfect right to know what’s going on in their kid’s schools, especially knowing WHAT their kids are being taught, in preparing them for the real world as well as WHAT is being taught that may violate a family’s religious beliefs and values. Obviously, one size will NEVER fit all!
John N. Butz
Modena
Join the family! 
