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.
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Hudson Valley One welcomes letters from its readers. Letters should be fewer than 300 words and submitted by noon on Monday. Our policy is to print as many letters to the editor as possible. As with all print publications, available space is determined by ads sold. If there is insufficient space in a given issue, letters will be approved based on established content standards. Points of View will also run at our discretion.
Although Hudson Valley One does not specifically limit the number of letters a reader can submit per month, the publication of letters written by frequent correspondents may be delayed to make room for less-often-heard voices, but they will all appear on our website at hudsonvalleyone.com. All letters should be signed and include the author’s address and telephone number.
My surroundings
I have an entourage, or I’m in an entourage — I’m not sure which.
Sparrow
Phoenicia
Getting it correct
The correct answer is slavery.
Jo Galante Cicale
Saugerties
New year resolution number nein
“E Nun Ci Ate!”…
If you’re going to say anything filthy, please speak clearly…
Neil Jarmel
West Hurley
Municipally-negotiated and planned, not IDA PILOTs
We are concerned that the Ulster County Industrial Development Agency Board has lifted its moratorium on reviewing housing projects to help commercial developers.
Local officials, elected by their community, should be the ones deciding on whether housing developers are granted tax abatements, not the Ulster County Industrial Development Agency (IDA).
New Paltz is seeing hundreds of new housing units getting built or working towards local approvals. We changed zoning to encourage density while staying carefully mindful of our water and sewer capacity. New apartment complexes are also subject to the Village of New Paltz’s affordable housing law.
None of these numerous projects are being built with property tax giveaways from the IDA. The IDA has historically worked unilaterally and dismissed concerns from locals.
In stark contrast, New Paltz recently worked closely with a developer who is planning to construct a 51-unit affordable senior housing project at 52 South Manheim Blvd. The developer worked with U-ACT (ulsteractivists.org) and our local boards throughout the process to, not only develop the financing model, but to integrate community elements and thoughtfully set rent levels. Census data highlights the real need for “very low” income (Social Security only) senior units, as well as low income units. This project’s municipal PILOT agreement was structured using NYS’s real property law.
Our community has already witnessed what it will be like when Ulster County’s IDA negotiates with developers. Both the proposed Park Point in New Paltz from +10 years ago and the Kingstonian were green-lighted by the IDA and did not involve input from local governments or school districts despite relentless pleas from numerous local officials and engaged citizens.
The Town of New Paltz Planning Board, after spending months analyzing Park Point’s land-use application, voted and denied approval of Park Point on May 12, 2014 in large part because of the adverse impacts from its IDA-approved PILOT. The town was then sued by the developer and fortunately the judge sided with New Paltz’s determination.
Communities like New Paltz already have our hands full as we must rely primarily on property tax revenue to pay for things like snow plowing, fire trucks, salaries and benefits, including health insurance, for our staff. Involving IDAs is completely unnecessary and will create layers of complication and frustration for local governments, as well as inequitable tax abatement schemes that harm existing taxpayers.
Mayor Tim Rogers
New Paltz
Jarmel’s Biden jokery
In his letter last week, Neil Jarmel went to great lengths to tout Biden and his “strong” economy. This is despite the fact that most people are still not seeing and feeling it. Many businesses still can’t fill open positions. And, most telling, is the fact that record numbers of young people are back living with their parents because they can’t afford rent and other necessities of life. How can this be true in the brilliant Biden economy, as outlined by Neil? Neil calls this thinking “ridiculous.” Not so Neil, as it’s simply the people’s reality.
And, Neil very comically refers to the Trump administration as herky jerky, dazed and confused, with chaos being its brand.” Ironically, Neil just described Biden and his administration, to a tee! Biden’s wonderful foresight and policies have demolished our national security thanks to his red carpet and freebies for non-asylum qualifying illegals (which are the vast majority, including a healthy number of unknown criminals and terrorists). He’s noticeably weakened our military strength in the eyes of the American people, our allies and our enemies with the Afghanistan botched withdrawal catastrophe and his military refocus on the use of proper pronouns instead of on the serious recruitment goals in seeking the best and most qualified men and women to defend our country, here and abroad. His inaction and passivity has enabled and encouraged a crime wave that instills fear in every citizen as well as allowing a record number of opioid deaths. He’s created more divisiveness than we’ve ever seen before. He’s done nothing regarding the defunding and defamation of our nationwide police force. And, he’s watched silently as George Soros funds and supports numbers of useless and spineless DA’s who have made our judicial system unrecognizable and impotent. No more room in my letter to continue this laundry list of Biden’s “accomplishments.”
The funny thing is, Neil, I don’t remember Trump ever engineering any of the above garbage, do you? If you dare to respond, Neil, please focus ONLY on the issues outlined in the preceding paragraph instead of wandering off into another irrelevant TDS epistle.
John N. Butz
Modena
Lollapalooza
After reading Neil Jarmel’s endorsement of Joe Biden (which was really another “I hate Trump” letter in disguise) I imagined what a “I hate Biden” missive would look like coming from Neil. This might be a stretch, but here’s what I came up with. (Imagine this song being sung by Mr. Jarmel to POTUS Biden to the tune of Hallelujah.)
(Lollapalooza: an exceptional example or instance)
You’re 81 and cranky too
the press corps is so over you:
for interviews you know they don’t pursue you
You said you had no business tie
to Hunter but that was a lie
And now the voting public can see through ya!
(Chorus)
Lollapslooza we see thru ya
Every lie you tell’s a real Lollapalooza
(Stanza)
You said that Trump’s philosophy
would jeopardize democracy
But you don’t really think that’s true now do you?
Your build back better was a bust
It made your party lose some trust
and now the country’s saying we see thru ya!
(Lollapalooza chorus here)
We thought our borders were secure;
but no one thinks so anymore
The blame you know; we have to give it to you
You changed Trump’s border policies
Now border states are on their knees
But it seems they just don’t mean a f*****g thing to ya!
(Lollapalooza chorus here)
“Let’s stop the MAGAS!” is your cry
but they are just your alibi
for the failures that you’ve had that now pursue you
Trump’s just a Florida resident but you’re the country’s President: so just for once
accept the blame that’s due ya!
(Chorus)
Lollapalooza we see thru ya
It’s time to accept the blame that’s really due ya
(Stanza)
The polls are now no longer vague
you’re as popular as the last great plague
And even Bill Maher knows you can’t be trusted
Your DOJ is on Trump’s case
but it looks like he’ll still win his race
And your Hunter problem may soon get you busted!
(Stanza)
Hunter says you’ll have his vote this fall
but the hand writing is on the wall
And the walls are closing quickly now in on ya
You’re walking slow and looking frail
and though you’ll never go to jail
When it comes to corrupt presidents you’re a mighty Lollapalooza!
(Chorus)
Lollapalooza; we see thru ya
When it comes to corrupt presidents you’re a Lollapalooza
(Stanza)
The world’s in crisis that’s for sure
and it seems that we can’t bear one more
and about such things I guess someone should clue ya
But you’re cognition’s really slipping fast
and I doubt much longer it will last:
so I question if you’d understand clues presented to ya!
(Chorus)
Lollapalooza, we see thru ya
For a POTUS your failing cognition’s a Lollapalooza
George Civile
Gardiner
Let’s keep all creative ideas and proposals as options
After reading detailed and well thought out proposals in the New York Times about how to proceed once the Israeli/Hamas war is over, from ten experts, politicians and authors, my response to those ideas follows.
Toward hope and safety!
Deep appreciation to all the brilliant Thinkers, political leaders and experts, for their vision of what might be the best way to meet the moment, with regard to the future of Gaza and Israel. Unfortunately though, none of us can know for sure how to help create, and then sustain a mutually respected and lasting peace. Many good ideas. No guarantees. Remember, there is a history of failure! But we must keep trying. Right?
I am perplexed about why the concept of relocation is not among the list of creative ideas. Why isn’t it there? Shouldn’t we explore all creative possibilities? I am not speaking about forcing the Palestinian people out of their homeland. Absolutely not. But what about creating a credible proposal of relocation that could be backed by the United Nations, and have major benefits for the Palestinians? A proposal like this would, of course, need to first be accepted by the Palestinian voters. A far-fetched idea? But the 75-year-old dream of a lasting peace for the Israelis and the Palestinians has never worked out. So, why not stay open to all creative ideas.
The emotional wounds of this current, horrible war, on top of the decades of wounds from past wars, lead me to believe that a lasting peace is never going to happen. The Israelis will never feel safe in their homes as long as their neighbors are living so close, and might possibly be planning yet another surprise attack on Israel. Not a way to live.
In addition, the Palestinian people will never have a chance to watch their children and grandchildren grow up in healthy ways if they remain where they are. The only Palestinian parents who have seen their children blossom were ones who moved far away from the insanity years ago. And there have been many who have had such a good fortune.
If we are acting in good faith, then let’s keep all creative ideas and proposals as options.
Marty Klein
Kingston
The emperor has no clothes
The emperor has no clothes, Ron Stonitsch’s letter in last week’s issue of HV1, makes it abundantly clear he is a bona-fide genocide-denier. Incredibly he declares with all seriousness, “the IDF and the Israeli Mossad need to do much better”, referencing shooting at Catholic nuns, unmercifully killing three Israeli hostages, bombing Palestinians in an alleged safe zone, “etc., etc.” Mr. Stonitsch’s insincere etceteras conveniently covers up mention of the ongoing genocide of two million Palestinians, carefully and deliberately orchestrated by the IDF through starvation, disease and lack of medical care and the brutal slaughter of 29,124 civilians of whom 11,422 are children (Euro-Med-Monitor 12/29/23).
No doubt what Hamas did was reprehensible, but what Israel is doing is far worse by orders of magnitude. For the record and in retrospect, there is curiously a forgotten part of the Balfour Declaration of 1917, authored by British foreign secretary, James Balfour, that was instrumental in making Palestine a “national home for the Jewish people.” The last paragraph declared: “It being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine.” I wonder why the zionist-apologist-propagandists never mention that part? So it is clear non-Jewish communities were to be living in Palestine also and are to be respected as equals as part of that WWI allies arrangement initiated by England. Instead, we have a hundred years of calculated-oppression, methodical subjugation, armed-land-theft and zionist takeover by Israel. I wonder if Mr. Stonitsch can speak the truth and admit that Israel has egregiously violated the original intent of the Balfour Declaration, by aggrieving a people so much that they decided they might as well die as “martyrs” fighting for their freedom, than die idly while being severely oppressed and imprisoned en-masse? “Abuse” doesn’t quite cover it Mr. Stonitsch. Cruel Apartheid does.
The forefathers of the US fought to the death for much less injustice than what the Palestinian people have suffered under Israeli occupation over the past 100 years. These genocide-denier arguments remind me of The Emperor Has No Clothes story, unaware they have been so propagandized with such shallow arguments, anyone else can see right through them who is actually awake and can still think critically. And FYI Mr. Stonitsch, one doesn’t have to be “anti-Israeli” to be anti-apartheid and anti-genocide.
Steve Romine
Woodstock
Alternate transport
Reindeer on vacay.
Santa has to catch UCAT:
North Pole from Kingston.
Crow Hammer
Saugerties
What a team
I would like to thank all the members of my fan club, who, over the years, based upon their constant responses to my posts, gave me the motivation to continue in my role as a Gadfly.
Also, a shout out to Bill McKenna, whose distortion of facts, interference with volunteers and other improper acts necessitated my role.
Howard Harris
Woodstock
Israel/Palestine
Is the State of Israel anti-Semitic? Just for a moment, imagine a room full of Jew haters trying to create a scenario to whip up anti-Jewish sentiment and hopefully, anti-Jewish actions. They might imagine a Jewish state that engages in murder, torture, oppression, military occupation and the extermination of innocent people. And when the oppressed victims finally rise up, resist and fight back (which they have the legal right to do) this Jewish state retaliates with collective punishment of relentless indiscriminate bombing, starvation and slaughter of helpless women, men and children. Yes, it’s an ugly scenario. But that’s exactly what is happening right now in Gaza and the Occupied territories. Is it any wonder that anti-Jewish feelings are on the rise? The Jewish State of Israel is committing heinous atrocities. Of course, there is a long and horrendous history of brutal anti-Jewish acts including pogroms and the Holocaust.
But, why is the government of Israel committing acts that only fan the flames of anti-Jewish hatred? And these acts are accompanied by vile, racist, supremacist rhetoric from Israeli officials, settlers and citizens. Those guiding Israeli policies (and those who support them) seem determined to create conditions leading to the demise of the State of Israel.
Sadly, the future of Israel is indeed bleak. I fear that Israel is careening towards its own destruction. I pray that Israel can somehow find the compassion, courage and collective conscience to act in ways that will prevent its catastrophic collapse.
Eli Kassirer
New Paltz
Thank you for allowing me the honor of serving this great community
One of the privileges I’ve enjoyed as Ulster County District Attorney has been the opportunity to work with, learn from and share ideas with prosecutors from across the country. Our Restorative Justice Program in which we partner with Ulster County Probation and the Family of Woodstock was modeled on a Restorative Justice Program established in Denver Colorado by DA Beth McCann. DA McCann, after learning about our Intimate Partner Violence Intervention Program, which has been nationally recognized, is starting her own IPVI Program modeled after ours. From Brooklyn DA Eric Gonzalez to Los Angeles DA George Gascon we have met and shared best practices over the last four years.
DA Gascon is again running to be Los Angeles DA. His opponent paints a picture of out-of-control crime, although the data indicates that, much like here, LA is becoming safer.
The first casualty of an election is at times the truth. Here in Ulster County, the crime rate has gone down. It is important for the citizens of Ulster County to know the truth and to have trust in the work of our office.
The NYS Crime Index from the Division of Justice Services indicates that the overall crime rate in Ulster County has gone down in each year from 2019 to 2022. Statistics are not yet tabulated for 2023. The Index shows that the violent crime rate has gone down each year from 2019 to 2022. The property crime rate has gone down each year from 2019 to 2022. The total crime rate in Ulster County was also lower than any of the surrounding counties in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
Statistics from The Gun Involved Violence Elimination Initiative which our office does in partnership with the Kingston Police Department shows that after a spike in shootings during the pandemic, total incidents in 2022 and 2023 are sharply lower than in 2019. At this point in 2023, the total number of shooting incidents is less than 50% what it was in 2019.
The reduction in gun violence was accomplished in part through focused deterrence. Most crimes are committed by a very small percentage of people in our community. Our office has focused on successfully prosecuting the “top offenders” who are responsible for most of the gun violence. We have also organized outreach to key stakeholders in the community and coordinated with them to ensure wide ranging support for our violence reduction efforts. It is important to continue the collaboration between law enforcement agencies, our office and the community if we are to continue to improve public safety.
Our Intimate Partner Violence Intervention Program, once again done in partnerships with local law enforcement agencies, has seen a county-wide reduction in domestic violence incidents in each of the last four years and in each year the number of incidents was less than in 2019. This was accomplished at a time when NYS Comptroller found that the number of domestic violence victims increased in 2022 by 8.7% in upstate NY when compared to 2019.
Our office has made huge strides in the last four years in modernizing and addressing the extraordinary amount of work now required by the new discovery laws. Our case management has been totally digitalized. We have created a discovery unit to support our ADA’s which is one of the best in the state. Our staff is required to consistently work long hours to complete the work and to a person they have met the challenge and have acted above and beyond the call of duty.
Thank you for allowing me the honor of serving this great community.
David J. Clegg, District attorney
Kingston
Whispers in the silence: The hidden language of grief
I often ponder the intricacies of life and loss in the quiet hours of dawn, where the world is still asleep and the day has not yet begun its relentless march. During these moments, between the night’s stillness and the day’s bustle, my soul seems most aware of its depths. This time, once sacred and reserved for reflection, has now been compressed and molded to fit the relentless rhythm of the work week. The once-honored tradition of mourning, giving grief time and space has been truncated and pushed aside to pursue productivity and efficiency.
We live in an age where grief is a quiet tenant, living in the back rooms of our consciousness. In our modern narrative, to grieve is to be unproductive, a detour on the road to success. We bury our dead, and with them, we are expected to suppress our grief, a quicksand that threatens to swallow us if we linger too long.
In this hurried world, where the currency of emotion is often undervalued, grief becomes an unwelcome guest, a reminder of our mortality and the fragility of our connections. Once a communal affair, the mourning rituals have become a transaction — a few days off work, a brief ceremony, an obituary in the local paper. We are encouraged to move on swiftly, to replace the depth of our loss with the shallowness of distraction.
But grief, unexpressed, does not vanish. It lingers like a shadow, growing heavier with each ignored tear and unspoken memory.
Yet, there is hope. For within grief lies a profound truth about our humanity. It reminds us that we are more than what we produce, more than the sum of our labor. In its raw, unfiltered form, grief is a testament to our capacity to love, connect and feel deeply.
In this journey of acceptance, we must strive to bring the soul’s need for mourning back to the forefront of our lives. We must create spaces within ourselves and our communities where grief is acknowledged and allowed to breathe and exist. It is a task of urgency, for in doing so, we reclaim a part of our humanity lost in the race toward progress.
As we move forward, remember that to grieve is to be human. It is a journey not away from joy but towards a deeper, more meaningful understanding. In the words of the poet Mary Oliver, “To live in this world, you must be able to do three things: to love what is mortal; to hold it against your bones knowing your own life depends on it; and, when the time comes to let it go, to let it go.” In this letting go, this embracing of grief, we find the accurate measure of our humanity.
Larry Winters
New Paltz
Reflect-study-act
As we move into 2024, I intermittently find it enlightening to allow myself to view life in a childlike way. This permits me to have an idea of how some youngsters might be viewing various disturbing situations in our global society but also to feel rejuvenated by cherishing nature, kind acts and hopes for a caring future. If we can dream of changes, why not be open to some spark (expected or a surprise) that can move ours and others’ lives in a positive direction and then see where this newfound energy might lead us? For some it might be a challenge, for others a jolt. Is it worth a try?
There are certainly enough deep issues to be confronted. Indeed, these differ radically from that childlike boost! However, which is the stronger of these — beliefs and actions which create the disturbing issues or the freshness of observations filled with hope? Who knows — each of us can be a light, even a flicker of hope. That may be all that someone we encounter needs to have empathetically shared with them. Just sayin’. Although it has been said before, M. Gandhi’s words do have staying power: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
Terence Lover
Woodstock
Join the family! 
