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Overbuilding in Woodstock
The proposed zoning changes for Woodstock, under the guise of affordable housing, are ridiculous. Just because you have some open space it doesn’t mean you need to build something on it. If there is a need for affordable housing, then decrease the number of short-term rentals (they are not being monitored or inspected currently — maybe there are too many?). There is no need to overbuild.
The zoning proposals are not in keeping with the town master plan. Just because there is mention of adding more buildings in the future, it would only depend on a myriad of other circumstances, which would all need to be put in place. Protection of our aquifer and other tributaries which feed our wells and the town’s wells, the environmental terrain, etc., are all items which would need to work together. If you don’t have all these, then it doesn’t work as a master plan. The town board is picking and choosing which items to adopt in the master plan to suit their agenda to overbuild.
Besides not having the natural resource of unlimited contaminated-free water, we also don’t have enough parking, no grocery store in our town — the Hannaford in West Hurley is considered a small grocery store with limited shelf space, our small country back roads were not designed for continuous heavy traffic, our lots were designed to accommodate one average septic tank and a well, our ecosystem will be compromised, there will be a strain on our safety resources and volunteers and so on. There are numerous reasons why overbuilding would be detrimental to the town.
Don’t destroy our town any further!
Natalie Cyr
Woodstock
Pat Ryan’s support of genocide in Gaza
I read in the online edition of HV1 an article by Rokosz Most describing Congressman Pat Ryan’s take on the Israeli assault on the Palestinian people in Gaza, which, according to the International Court of Justice, can now be labeled a genocide. Mr. Ryan has refused to support a ceasefire resolution. In answer to a question at an Ulster County Chamber of Commerce meeting about how American values can be reconciled with ongoing support for Israel — in other words, the ethics of right and wrong in this ongoing catastrophe — he says he doesn’t know. “I don’t know.” Really. He adds that the situation is “incredibly complicated and hard.” That’s all we get from a man who is elected and paid to represent our values in the US Congress. Well, maybe he is, although a recent poll reports that 75% of Democrats (Mr. Ryan’s party) and 50% of Republicans say they want a ceasefire in Gaza.
He’s not my representative (I live in the neighboring district), but he certainly doesn’t represent mine. And even though I’m just regular folks, I have no difficulty understanding what’s wrong with the Israeli response to the October 7 Hamas attack and why the US shouldn’t support it, should in fact censure and oppose it with sanctions. Mr. Ryan’s solution to the genocide is to wish that Israelis would elect different leadership. That’s just bitterly laughable. His only publicly stated reason to support the murderous Israeli regime and military (supported according to other polls by 75% of Israeli’s, by the way) is that Israel is a democracy and an ally against Iran, which has been designated as our enemy in the deadly geopolitical game we invent and then play, at our infinite peril.
Well, being a democracy doesn’t guarantee good behavior. A democracy can be guilty of heinous acts when its voters are motivated by the wrong values to elect the wrong kinds of leaders, especially in a system like ours where our leaders must curry favor with lobbyists for corporate and other interests, such as AIPAC, from which Mr. Ryan accepts large donations, according to reporting I’ve seen. What else could explain his support of the heartbreakingly egregious actions of Israel?
A good outcome of this horrifying debacle is unimaginable to me, given the quality of the leadership in our own democracy. But shame on Pat Ryan for his double-talking, disingenuous and deleterious remarks. Of course he will be the candidate for Congress in his district in November, as we voters only live in a democracy when it comes time to cast the occasional ballot for one grievously flawed candidate or a worse one. I suppose the same is true in Israel. In the end, it’s the political puppet-masters who make all this possible. They play on our fears and keep the ghastly system going. Will we ever learn?
Janet Moss (Asiain)
Saugerties
Logical outcome of a ceasefire
How come none of our writers, who advocate for a permanent ceasefire, ever address how the ceasefire will enable, embolden and empower Hamas’s survival, regrouping and planning so that they can continue their endless unprovoked assaults on Israel, in the years and decades to come?
How come they also refuse to address how many of the 25,000 Palestinian deaths are directly caused by Hamas, using innocent civilians as human shields while operating command centers from hospitals, schools, refugee camps and other public places?
It’s as if they believe that Israel has no right to defend its people and country as they try to ferret out and exterminate the ruthless Hamas animals. Instead, it appears as if they want a permanent cease fire which basically results in Israel rolling over and playing dead. Hamas and all the other anti-semitic terrorists all over the world would become the winners while Israel ends up being the losers. And, Steve Romine and his experts unexplainably say that this kind of outcome and sentiment is NOT anti-semitic. Looking at it through the eyes of a Jew, what then would Steve call this pathetic outcome and treatment of Israel? In other words, let’s look out for and protect everyone under the sun EXCEPT the Jews. Oh, but that’s not anti-semitic? Yeah, right.
John N. Butz
Modena
Stop the mega warehouse
I commute through Plattekill several days each week on my way to and from work. One of the things I appreciate is the rural character of that community. There is very little traffic or congestion compared to the town in which I live. I enjoy the scenery and wildlife. It’s a real treat seeing bald eagles flying above or perched near Fazio’s. I feel more relaxed once I reach Ardonia and as I drive through Plattekill/Modena. I experience none of the headaches of gridlock, aggressive inconsiderate drivers, or the dangers of maneuvering in traffic with huge box trucks and 18 wheelers. Since I am neither rushed nor stressed, I feel more peaceful and take my time enjoying stopping at some of the local businesses like Fazio’s for a bite to eat, Hannaford for groceries and the Plattekill Library to pick up a good book to read.
I fear this will all change if the proposed mega warehouse is approved. The local roads that I traverse often like routes 44/55, 32 and 208 were not built for regular tractor trailer traffic. In most places, the roads are too narrow for even pedestrians or people riding bicycles. I don’t see how trucks will have enough room to make turns unless they go into the oncoming traffic. That would be a serious hazard to other vehicles on the roads.
A mega warehouse of this size belongs where the infrastructure is designed to accommodate wide turns and truck traffic — near major highways like the NYS Thruway, Route 84 or Route 17. It should not be constructed in a small residential community. It is not “light industrial.”
If built, this would certainly negatively impact my commute. The Plattekill planning board and town board should deny the application for the mega warehouse. To learn more, get involved and stay informed, join the Facebook group at www.facebook.com/groups/StopTheMegaWarehouse and sign the petition opposing the mega warehouse at www.change.org/p/halt-the-construction-of-a-massive-warehouse-in-modena.
Misha Fredericks
Poughkeepsie
Farewell celebration
Marie Antoinette Martinez, Woodstock artist and long-time shop owner, passed away suddenly several weeks ago. The Tinker Street Cinema will present a multi-media memorial celebration in her honor on Sunday, February 4, 2024 at 3 p.m. Her family will be attending, as well as the many locals whose lives she touched every day during her life-long tenure as a feature on the face of the now rapidly changing Tinker Street. Please attend this event and see the Woodstock we all came here to be a part of that was so influenced by Marie Antoinette’s store, previously at 70 Tinker Street. Donations will be accepted by the family to help with their expenses at this very difficult time in Woodstock history.
Nikki Hall
Woodstock
If I spring a leak: Teaching through time’s tapestry
“Some call my life a slow burn. They’re the ones who’ve never lit a campfire. I prefer to stoke my life like a campfire, a few logs at a time, and move occasionally when the wind shifts. The digital world has grown like wildfire, yet it lacks the warmth of a real flame. In this zero and one’s universe, the old knowledge from living and not just existing seems to fade like smoke into the sky.
You have to eat the meal sat before you, that’s what my grandfather said, tossing the paper plate with a half-cooked chuck steak on the table in front of my brother and me. ‘If I spring a leak like the doctor said, I would; you boys better figure out how you’re going to kill the cow you are eating.’ His words, rough as sandpaper, weren’t just about food. They were about survival, about knowing how to fend for ourselves when the screens go dark and the Wi-Fi falters.
That’s why I envision a program where the wisdom of the elderly isn’t just remembered; it’s rented. A space where the young, smart enough to realize the gaps in their digital armor, seek the elders. It’s not about nostalgia. It’s about survival in a world that’s forgotten the scent of rain on dry earth, the feel of freshly turned soil, the sound of stories that don’t start with a click but with a lived life.
Through this program, the young would learn more than how to light a fire without a match; they’d learn the stories that fire has witnessed and the lessons it has taught. They would understand that the flickering flames of the past hold the secrets to navigating the uncertain future. In this exchange, the young and the old would find value, a symbiotic relationship where wisdom is the currency of survival.
In a world racing toward an uncertain future, we must pause and look back at the trails blazed by those who walked before us. The elderly, with their lifetimes of experience, are like living libraries, repositories of knowledge that no search engine can replicate. From the simple art of mending a torn shirt to the complex understanding of human emotions, their teachings are a compass in a world often lost in translation.
Imagine a young girl learning to knit from an elderly neighbor, each stitch a metaphor for patience and perseverance. Or a teenage boy learning the art of woodworking from a seasoned craftsman, understanding that every chip of wood is a step towards creation. These moments are about more than just acquiring skills; they’re about forging connections across time and understanding that every wrinkle on an elder’s face is a story, a lesson, a piece of wisdom waiting to be shared.
Our connection to the real, tangible world dims as our screens glow brighter. But through this program, that connection can be rekindled. We can learn to value the wisdom of those who have lived through wars, depressions and pandemics, not just as historical footnotes but as living guides to navigating our challenges.
In conclusion, ‘If I Spring a Leak’ isn’t just a survival story; it’s a call to action. It’s a reminder that we must not forget the past in our pursuit of the future. The elders among us are more than just relics; they are beacons of knowledge, guiding us through the wilderness of the modern world. By bridging the gap between the old and the new, we ensure their wisdom lives on, lighting the way for future generations.” Let me know if such a program, perhaps in the library, holds interest.
Larry Winters
New Paltz
Times like these
If you are looking for music that was recorded over 20 years ago but is reflective, touching and still contains commentary on society in 2024, check out Rick Danko’s album “Times Like These”. Included in the collection are two Tom Pacheco songs which remind us to have commitment and hope that we can shape a present and future worthy of passing on to the next generations, if each of us makes a consistent effort. I suggest that we listen and act.
By the way, January 30 through April 4 are the 64 days of the season for nonviolence that begin with observing the assassination of Mohandas Gandhi and end with observing the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Type “Campaign Nonviolence-Pace e Bene-Jan. 30-April 24, 2024” into your URL and scroll down to Pace e Bene.org to learn more. In addition to the campaign’s suggestions, anyone can simply contribute to peace and nonviolence by being mindful of their intentions and actions in their daily activities/relationships. Like the ripples in a pond, we can help one another spread positive messages.
How ironic! This past Saturday was International Holocaust Remembrance Day. On Thursday January 27, Kenneth Smith was executed using nitrogen asphyxia in an Alabama gas chamber. Some states have indicated that they may use the same method in carrying out their executions and Utah may use a firing squad. To become involved, contact Death Penalty Action, Catholic Mobilizing Network or the Innocence Project. Sen. Schumer, Sen. Gillibrand, and Reps. Molinaro and Ryan can also be contacted to support a ban on federal executions.
As asylum seekers information continually appears in the news, urge the above-mentioned representatives to support the Asylum Seeker Work Authorization Act (H.R. 1325, S.255) which would allow people with pending asylum applications in the U.S. to access work permits earlier.
Regardless of where each of us appears along the life cycle, may we always be able to know that, in times like these, we acted as people of conscience. And, thank you to Rick and Tom! Peace.
Terence Lover
Woodstock
America’s golden calf
In a recent, but little publicized interview, I heard the new Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson refer to himself as “Aaron.”
Speaker Johnson proudly proclaims his evangelical faith, and his willingness to allow his unique understanding of Biblical teaching, to direct his political action and activities.
Aaron appears in the Exodus portion of the Bible as the spokesperson for Moses, who did have need of some help with his communications.
I have no doubt that in describing himself as Aaron, House Speaker Johnson is referencing his relationship to former President Donald Trump, and thus implying a MOSES type stature and role for Trump.
In the Biblical story, while the Biblical Moses went up the mountain to speak with God, Aaron remained below, in a leadership role, as the people created a false idol to God, a Golden Calf.
By describing himself as Aaron, Speaker Johnson may have hoping to draw an analogy to our former president, multiply criminally indicted, Donald Trump, and imputing a role for Trump, as America’s “New Moses.”
Sadly, Mike Johnson’s activities and efforts have not gone towards supporting a Moses type leader who returned from the heights of the Mountain, bringing with him the sacred and holy Ten Commandments, but towards the creation of a decidedly corrupt and evil false idol, America’s Golden Calf, Donald Trump.
Working together, our new “Aaron” and his “Golden Calf” Donald Trump, are undermining America, its values and its institutions.
Mel Sadownick
West Hurley
Be you
Try to dress like your enemies.
Sparrow
Phoenicia
Opposition to trucking warehouse on Route 44/55
Dear Plattekill Planning Board:
My wife and I are residents of Gardiner for over 12 years and live near Route 44/55.
I am also a bicycle rider and I often ride on Route 44/55 as I ride through Plattekill and Gardiner.
I am strongly opposed to the construction of the massively large trucking warehouse that has been proposed in Plattekill close to the Gardiner town line.
The large volume of semi-tractor trailers that are expected to use this very large warehouse will destroy the roads in Plattekill, Gardiner and New Paltz and will seriously impede the normal traffic in our towns.
The size of the local roads located adjacent to this property, and on the routes to the Thruway and I-84, are too small to accommodate such a large increase in the largest type of trucks.
A trucking warehouse of this size and with this planned high level of usage should be located much closer to the entrances to Routes 87 and 84 — where there are already many warehouses of this size.
Approval of this facility will severely damage the quality of life in Plattekill, Gardiner and New Paltz.
Tom Moverman
New Paltz
Please do not approve proposed mega trucking warehouse in Plattekill
Dear elected and appointed Ulster County officials responsible for considering the proposed mega trucking warehouse in Plattekill:
My wife and I are registered voters in Gardiner. We moved here from an urban environment 26 years ago to raise a family in a safe and beautiful environment and to leave the congestion, noise and pollution of city life behind. We love Ulster County and the quality of life residents enjoy throughout the four seasons of the year.
Unfortunately, the proposed mega truck warehouse in Plattekill is a misguided project that will forever negatively impact the physical environment as well as the quality of life of Plattekill and the surrounding Ulster County communities. Please consider the:
• Estimated 75 semi trucks coming and going daily from the proposed new mega truck warehouse will present potential driving hazards on our narrow two-lane roadways.
• Constant discharge of toxic diesel fumes into the air, carcinogens will have devastating negative health consequences (i.e. asthma, emphysema, heart disease) for our most vulnerable residents, young and old.
• Traffic will spike due to new congestion. For example, imagine what it will be like driving through Plattekill to get to a doctor’s appointment with school bus stops and large semi’s clogging our narrow roadways.
• Compromised/polluted wetlands, as well as water levels for drinking and crop irrigation.
• Negative impact on local tourism.
Please DO NOT approve the proposed mega Truck warehouse. We can do better — there are better ways to create local jobs and protect the quality of life in Plattekill and the neighboring Ulster County towns without destroying the environment.
Andrew Satter
New Paltz
Thank you Susan Slotnick
Thank you for writing “The end of friendship” in your Hudson Valley One column on January 17. It hit home with me. Your articles are consistently excellent, but this one is so relevant to the unfortunate situation many of us are experiencing. In order to avoid confrontation and perhaps losing a friendship, my conversations avoid the many polarizing issues we deal with on a daily basis.
Lynn Eisenberg
New Paltz
A recycled lie
It wasn’t until fairly recently that I learned the truth about plastic. It doesn’t really recycle and the plastic industry has known this since the 1970’s. Plastics are cheap to produce and expensive to recycle. Because of this, countries that once accepted our plastic recycling are no longer interested. So, that yogurt cup that you just rinsed out, it’s most likely headed to the landfill. The fossil fuel industry is sinking more money into plastics with an eye to the future regarding the move from gasoline to electric cars. Production of plastics is set to only continue and even escalate, unabated, creating mountains and oceans of waste that will take hundreds of years to break down. The oceans, landfills and our bodies have become the real repository of our plastic habit, the recycling industry recycles a mere 5% of goods sent to recycling facilities. In one year alone, the United States produces about 50 million tons of plastic waste. The vast majority of which is burned, buried or ends up in our environment where it does not decompose. Clearly, we have a problem with plastic. It’s time to tell the truth about plastic. Plastic is a toxic environmental disaster whose production and disposal is dangerous to our health and to the health of the ecosystems on which we depend. We need to get a handle on our plastic problem.
I am writing to express my wholehearted support for the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (A.5322-a/S.4246-a) and the Bigger Better Bottle Bill (A6353/s237) which seek to address our unresolved and ever increasing plastic problem.
There is also an advocacy day in Albany on Tuesday, February 27 from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and a bus in New Paltz to take you there. For more information, visit beyondplastics.org.
Ronnie Yastion
New Paltz
Slice age feedback
Albas kitchen in Woodstock was excluded from the Slice age Almanac of January 24. Alba offers one-pie size only from their wood-fired oven.
My favorite is Red Dawn. It has no cheese and enough garlic to make it flavorful; and Red Dawn has no connection to mainland China or North Korea that I can taste.
Irwin Rosenthal
Woodstock
Who is Gordon Wemp?
For those of you who are not aware of who Gordon Wemp, is he is the current ZBA chair, the one who denied the Eighmey application that requested the ZBA’s determination to see if the Shady dump building permit for remediation of fill violation was valid, and the one who said “ [there was] no political pressure. From Supervisor McKenna, no suggestions. On the contrary, we are the ones who make the suggestions, such as raising the fees for applicants.”
He is the Gordon Wemp who must not have been aware of McKenna asserting his position as supervisor to pressure the planning board, the CCD and the tree committee and to cause the removal of the WEC chair Alex Bolotow since his response to a comment regarding McKenna’s control over “every department in town” was “I have not heard anyone on any committee, elected or appointed position, or task force complain about Bill McKenna.”
But, more than anything else, he is one of McKenna’s votaries, so take what he says with a grain of salt.
Howard Harris
Woodstock
Dear Saugerties citizens and leaders
I am writing about the Winston Farm in Saugerties and its potential development or preservation. I have a home in Tannersville, and I have driven through or shopped in Saugerties often, for over 60 years.
As you know, Winston Farm includes an essential corridor for wildlife, and it sits on top of a natural aquifer that irrigates and sustains local woodlands, fields and the residents of the Town of Saugerties. It is one of the most valuable natural resources that nourishes the area and, in my opinion, protects Saugerties from unnecessary over-development.
According to recent proposals, intense development at Winston Farm would include miles of impermeable roads and parking lots, untold industrial chemicals used in construction, a large wastewater treatment plant, a major loss of carbon-reducing woodland and a major loss of wildlife and green habitat. Finally, development there would destroy remarkable and irreplaceable scenic views.
In short, potential development plans for Winston Farm will degrade the natural infrastructure elemental to the ecological health of this entire region. It will also compromise the wildly attractive “Gateway to the Catskill Mountains,” an enormous draw to this section of the Hudson Valley. Presently accessible views of gorgeous Southern Catskill topography could be lost or marred forever, an immeasurable squander of Saugerties’ scenic beauty.
There must be other land to develop in or near Saugerties, and more reasonably sized developments for the general area. An amusement park, especially large, indoor, water-dependent recreation makes no logical sense in the face of drought, floods and climate change. Development like that is a menacing threat to the very sustainability of the city. Who willingly destroys a natural aquifer these days? Natural infrastructure for any city is the least expensive and most logical provision for urban planning! In my studies in landscape architecture, I have found that engineering science + indigenous landscapes + design for public use and enjoyment = a sustainable future that includes beauty and respect for natural limits or expansions.
Please use your collective political and fiscal abilities to damper the threat of over-development in Saugerties. The current projects proposed at Winston Farm only serve to escalate the price of the farm, threaten the area’s best natural assets and compete with any positive, and ecologically sustainable, improvements for the city.
Thank you for considering the possibilities of alternate development for Saugerties and the Winston Farm. See if you can help save the best open space in town! Your collective hard work, to make beneficial fiscal and environmental decisions for the area, is deeply appreciated.
Elizabeth Petty
Tannersville
Bright red lines
It is time to place the blame squarely where it belongs: President Ronald Reagan. Back when he was ‘the guy’ he signed legislation consistent with the First Amendment: newspapers could print anything they wanted. You want the truth, buy Pravda (Russian for truth). Ruskies are such good kidders! Journalism may have had standards, but the Constitution wins. Journalists can and do write whatever they want.
Some people sleep around … I read around. Joy Reid, Bret Baier, New York Times, Wall Street Journal. Call me a news slut. Finding the truth is very hard these days of low journalistic standards.
Put a smile on your face: Read Will Rogers stuff. His statue is in The Rotunda … he was so fair. He pricked every balloon filled with hot air.
Reporters are part of the swamp, smell like the swamp and are incestuous. In bed with pols.
Paul Raymond
New Paltz
Misinformation reported about New Paltz Town Board member Alex Baer
In the recent article on the New Paltz Town Board’s indecision on naming a new town board member to take over the position left open by Dan Torres, Terence Ward seriously underrated and misinformed the readers on what I said during my interview to rejoin the town board. He mentions only that “Baer lifted up working on pay equity for female employees as a highlight of those four years in office, and spoke about the need to balance the traditional character of the community with the inevitable forces for change.” My work raising the pay level for the, primarily, women who work in the New Paltz town offices was only one of the many important efforts of my four years serving on the town board. Terence made it sound like this was the only thing I achieved in four years. He neglected to mention all the work we did with the Latino population, creating the first town health awareness clinic for undocumented or struggling farm and local workers. Not a word on the over 40 local Latino farm and construction workers I drove to get state Covid vaccines during the pandemic. There was never a mention of my work negotiating resources for the highway department so more roads could be asphalted and cared for in efforts to support out infrastructure. Not a word on making sure the hanging baskets with flowers and new flags from SUNY New Paltz graced our Main Street. Work on town budgets and efforts to keep taxes lower, nothing. Work on assessing the amount and effect of new short-term rentals pricing out our local residents… nothing! New town board appointee Kitty Brown pointed out that I was not physically at every meeting where I was a liaison appointee, but failed to ask the rest of the town board members if they had attended any of their liaison meetings in the past four years of which I believe there were very few present, if any. The idea, supported by supervisor Neil Bettez, is that we can access the meeting through the Zoom recordings if needed, which we indeed do regularly when asked for assistance as liaisons. As liaison to the courts, I consistently supported our judges with their requests for new hires to ease the wait times for individuals with court issues and to ease work load on our court employees. The ability for us to use Zoom recordings makes our jobs as liaisons more effective and a better use of our time.
Needless to say I was deeply disappointed to read Mr. Ward’s article and feel that your readers should look more carefully at the minutes of the town board meetings to get the real story of what I have achieved with the town board rather than believe the views of a biased writer.
Alexandra Baer
New Paltz
Who’s to blame
Mr. John Butz, evidently now devoid of arguments and facts, posits a passing quip in last week’s issue of HV1, that I do not lay any blame toward Hamas in the brutal genocide happening in Gaza. He conveniently disregards that I previously condemned terrorist acts committed by Hamas on October 7 as “despicable” and “culpable.”
Even so, this horrible situation did not begin on October 7, 2023, but began when Israel turned a blind eye to the conditions in the 1917 Balfour Declaration for creating a “national home for the Jewish people.” The mandate was: It being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine. Does Mr. Butz consider the possibility of years of enduring Israel’s cruel apartheid system igniting the blowback it experiences from Palestinian resistance and the rise of the Hamas? Does Mr. Butz forget that when Palestinians peacefully protested in the 2018 Great March for Return, IDF snipers shot and killed 223 unarmed Palestinian press people, women and children, sometimes in the back; or imprisoning thousands of Palestinian children; or the 16-year blockade with all of its life-sustaining deprivations; or the continual bulldozing of Palestinian homes and the cutting down of their orchard, there for a hundred years; or the Israeli settler bullies who were illegally stealing Palestinian land; or Israel having its military begin harassing praying Muslim worshipers in Al Asqa Mosque with random beatings inside the mosque and spraying worshipers with a terrible skunk-like smelling liquid. Nothing there that might infuriate and make a “deranged terrorist,” right?
I wonder how Mr. Butz would respond to all of this brutal oppression if it happened to him, his family or his community? He had no answer when I reminded him of the fact the founding fathers revolted for much less injustice. When you subjugate, disrespect and brutally oppress a people, which Israel has clearly done, who is to blame when they hit back to a degree similar to what they have endured for so long from their oppressor? Alternatively, oppressors can’t claim self defense.
Contrary to Mr. Butz’s assertion of destroying Hamas, Israel’s military agenda does not give it justification to violate its decades-long agreement with The Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide Convention of 1948 by committing outright genocide against the Palestinian people. Mr. Butz’s erroneous position for more war is belied by the fact that the vast majority of Americans disagree with him as follows: 68% of respondents in the Reuters/Ipsos poll said they agreed with a statement that “Israel should call a ceasefire and try to negotiate” (The Guardian).
Furthermore, the U.N. General Assembly, who helped create modern Israel on November 29, 1947 by passing a resolution called the Partition Plan, overwhelmingly voted on December 12, 2023, to demand Israel make an “immediate ceasefire” (Reuters). Clearly, Mr. Butz, and others of his ilk, are now in the small minority.
Steve Romine
Woodstock
Nuckin futz rides again
A president of the united states must have full immunity, without which it would be impossible for him/her to properly function. Any mistake, even if well intended, would be met with almost certain indictment by the opposing party at term end. Even events that “cross the line” must fall under total immunity, or it will be years of trauma trying to determine good from bad. There must be certainty. Example: you can’t stop police from doing the job of strong and effective crime prevention because you want to guard against the occasional “rogue cop” or “bad apple.” Sometimes you just have to live with “great but slightly imperfect.” All presidents must have complete and total presidential immunity, or the authority and decisiveness of a president of the United States will be stripped and gone forever. Hopefully, this will be an easy decision. God bless the Supreme Court! — the authoritarian wannabe 01/18/24.
“The former guy” has made clear once again that [he] presidents must be awarded total immunity from prosecution for their actions in the White House — even if those actions “cross the line.”
“A president of the United States must have full immunity, without which it would be impossible for him/her to properly function. Any mistake, even if well intended, would be met with almost certain indictment by the opposing party at term end,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post, writing in all capital letters a couple of weeks back.
Before three judges for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, one of Trump’s attorneys claimed that — “under their interpretation of the law — the president would “have to be speedily impeached and convicted” before a criminal prosecution could occur — “even if the crime in question was something like using S.E.A.L. Team Six to assassinate a political rival.”
Trump is a solipsistic narcissist and a bloviating buffoon. He is also ethically challenged, a habitual liar, a pugilistic provocateur, an expert propagandist, and his only Raison d’être in life is: What is in for me?
I know, I’m preaching to the choir. Yes, we all know what a monster Trump is. This is no secret and we have heard it at least a thousand-and-one times. When Trump says, “This is the final battle,” he means a physical, violent battle. It is also easy to torch Trump supporters who are cheering on “racist white supremacist” speeches from “Day One Dictator” — clear, coherent and pulling no punches. America and the world are on a precipice. This IMHO will be a tragic decline of our moral values as well as our national psyche. We will be the “United Snakes” of America with a lot of HELP from his followers, if he is reelected.
Neil Jarmel
West Hurley
Israel-Hamas war
To those who are waving Palestinian flags, pushing Israel for ceasefire, and finding satisfaction in watching Jewish struggles, I wish to appeal to you! Upon learning that even our local municipalities (now, Kingston) feel the need to weigh in on Israeli foreign policy, I began to write! But alas, instead of my own words, I am offering you a statement from Eitan, an Israeli soldier, for you to please consider:
“You, in the Western world, have forgotten war, and it shows. Despite studying the humanities, you’ve lost touch with the realities of being human. You cry for peace — without caring to know the cost of it. Without paying its terrible tax yourself. Without appreciating that your pacifism is your privilege.
When Hamas took our children into Gaza, they brought with them war — and they knew that. In war, innocent people die, regardless of the age, gender or genuine beauty of their souls. Hamas counted on that. When Palestinians die, as Hamas illegally embeds its war within its own civilian population, they consider the death count their own salvation. Because Hamas knows just how little you know of war — they exploit that.
Gaza doesn’t stand a chance against Israel — Hamas knows that too. And like a weak kid throwing a sucker punch, Hamas hopes the world will break up their fight before they pay the price of their actions, hoping that your well-meaning compassion might stop a just war on account of unjust suffering. But Israel will continue, even if you don’t understand us. We don’t have the privilege of your pacifism.
As long as Hamas prefers to keep our children hostage rather than save their own children, (something they can do at any moment), innocent people in this concentrated urban war will continue to die. So weep for us on both sides and curse war. But do not pretend to understand the reality of our situation, or the harsh reality of war.
You, who flood malls on Memorial Day, while we visit cemeteries. You, who in your lap of luxury, scroll through pictures of death, while we are smacked by the stench of it.
You, who were traumatized by Ned Stark’s beheading but didn’t watch James Foley’s. Who sit on your couch while braver people sacrifice their innocence to fight ISIS. All to make the world safe for you again.
You, who can’t distinguish gleeful slaughter and torturous rape from the tragic collateral damage of urban warfare. You who attempt to influence the fragile geopolitical stability of a region thousands of miles from your home.
I urge you, those screaming for ceasefire, (to consider a change in your thinking). Your inability to stomach footage of suffering does not make you more human than those of us living with it firsthand. And it certainly doesn’t stop the suffering. If you can’t fathom the price that was paid for your own peaceful lives, but attempt to tell a country surrounded by those who wish to annihilate it, how to defend itself, check your privilege.”
Ellen P. Levine
Hurley
Brava Lizzie!
We admire the stewardship you have demonstrated with ownership of the Bear Complex, the Tinker Street Cafe and Lasher’s Funeral Home. What a talent you have for managing properties. Brava!! These historic properties now make Woodstock proud.
The May 10 vote allowed the Woodstock Library board of trustees to purchase 10 Dixon Avenue in Bearsville. The building was originally used by Model Optics for the commercial production of lenses and was renovated in 2015. Les Walker was commissioned by Miller Howard Investments to renovate the building for office use.
10 Dixon Avenue has the same, and likely greater, environmental problems than the 10 Church Road, Shady dump site. The highly toxic ground water at 10 Dixon Avenue feeds the same aquifer as the Shady dump. This aquifer is the source of Woodstock’s water Supply (see Ecosystems toxicity report).
A political cover-up has been carried out by the same town officials that gave us the Shady crisis. Where the Shady crisis impacts a small neighborhood, the 10 Dixon crisis will impact all library patrons, children, seniors and employees will infiltrate our town water supply.
The Woodstock Library should stay where it is with you, Lizzie Vann, as the landlady. Moving the Woodstock Library to 10 Dixon Avenue will not happen once the community understands the health risks for staff, patrons and the water supply. An excellent use of 10 Dixon Avenue is as an archival library for Woodstock’s historic art collections, film archives and historic society archives with excess space rented to citizens of Woodstock. A win-win solution for all!
Hera
Bearsville
Simple gifts, packed with love
Generosity throughout New Paltz contributed to a successful shoebox gift collection season at drop-off locations for the Samaritan’s Purse project Operation Christmas Child. Across the U.S., the project collected 10 million shoebox gifts in 2023. Combined with those collected from partnering countries in 2023, the ministry is now sending over 11.3 million shoebox gifts to children worldwide, including many who are suffering from war, poverty, disease and disaster.
Through shoeboxes — packed with fun toys, school supplies and personal care items — New Paltz area volunteers brought joy to children in need around the world. Each gift-filled shoebox is a tangible expression of God’s love, and it is often the first gift these children have ever received. Through the continued generosity of donors since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 220 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 170 countries and territories.
Across New York, shoebox packers often shop for deals on shoebox items throughout the year, and many serve at a deeper level by becoming a year-round volunteer. Information about ways area participants can get involved year-round can also be found at samaritanspurse.org/occ or by calling 518-437-0690.
Although local drop-off locations for shoebox gifts are closed until November 18-25, anyone can still be a part of this life-changing project by conveniently packing a shoebox gift online in just a few simple clicks at samaritanspurse.org/buildonline.
These simple gifts, packed with love, send a message to children worldwide that they are loved and not forgotten.
Jasmin Sutton
on behalf of Samaritan’s Purse
Gaslighting: who me?
In his last letter, Steve Romine excuses not answering my challenges to his untrue claims by stating these challenges were a “tit-for-tat” attempt to “gaslight” — that is change people’s perception — of what Steve thinks is happening (genocide) in Gaza. I might be wrong, but since gaslighting includes lying and reality manipulation; it seems Mr. Romine’s accusation is itself full of gas and light signifying a certain bias. This bias can be seen when Steve used the words “Zionist wet dream” (Earthly horror show 1/10/ 2024) when describing his CV perception of the potential fulfillment of the plans of Israel in the Middle East, as well as his denigration of my and other writers’ actual reasons (clearly expressed in numerous letters) for refusing to accept his charge of genocide. The following are examples of this gas and light: 1) reality manipulation: Steve did this by claiming I wrote Palestinians were “Jew haters” when I didn’t. Mr. Romine also wrote that I “obviously” didn’t know anyone who went to Israel. This also wasn’t true. 2) More reality manipulation: Steve did this by asserting that I and others claimed his experts’ pronouncements of Israel being guilty of genocide were motivated by their anti-Israel bias. However, what I actually wrote was this: “…while Mr. Romine criticizes us in this manner, we can, similarly, assert that Steve’s acceptance of his sources and his interpretation of their definitions as applicable to Israel is based upon his anti-Israeli bias and the anti-Israel propaganda he and his sources embrace.” As can be seen from the context the “reality” is this: Steve’s claim of me (and others) charging his sources with bias was in response to his attacks and not merely an unprovoked assertion and indicated that we could make the same meritless accusations as he does. Furthermore, Steve’s “reality manipulation” can be observed when he minimizes the historical record regarding the unprecedented persecution of Jews — simply for being Jews — which led to the Zionist movement and ultimate establishment of a Jewish State. He also minimizes the real threat to Israel’s existence presented by enemies who want to destroy her.
I will close by asking Steve some questions to give him the opportunity to give “gaslighting free” answers that will clarify his beliefs: 1) Steve, do you believe Israel has a right to exist? 2) Since Hamas doesn’t hide its desire to destroy Israel and has promised to continue October 7th like attacks to accomplish this goal, why do you believe the establishment of a Palestinian state might change this desire? 3) While I acknowledge the terrible death toll that has occurred as a result of Israel’s response to the October 7th attack, in light of question “2” and Hamas’ tactic of fighting from within its own civilian population why would Israel’s leaders allow a ceasefire that would benefit those who want to destroy Israel? Finally, if your use of “Zionist wet dream” doesn’t signify an anti-Israel bias on your part what does it signify?
George Civile
Gardiner
Current events
News outlets dish out
in twenty-four hour cycles:
caucus to carcass.
Patrick Hammer, Jr.
Saugerties
Comments about the Plattekill warehouse proposal
Below are my comments on the Plattekill warehouse proposal, sent recently to the Plattekill planning board:
It is my understanding that the SEQRA review for this proposal is in progress without much notification to the public. I am a Gardiner resident but recognize how the project, if allowed to be built, will have wide ranging negative impacts for our area.
A positive declaration of significant impact must be declared requiring a full EIS. The scoping session must be open to the public. This project is massively out of scale for our area. Tourism, along with agriculture are the main economic engines of the still bucolic southern Ulster County. Area orchards and wineries are major attractions for tourist, as well as residents.
A footprint of 15 acres of impervious surface will create massive amounts of storm water runoff. A recent rainstorm dropped five inches of rain in 12 hours. Heavy downpours are becoming the norm in our rapidly changing climate. Fifteen acres of impervious pavement will cause flooding of nearby roads and properties.
Groundwater is perhaps the most important resource in Plattekill and Gardiner. All properties in our towns are served by groundwater. Runoff from deicing salts and oil spills, including diesel oil from numerous trucks will pollute groundwater. Extraction of 1700 gpd of water will seriously deplete the water table. Draw down tests must be conducted on wells within at least a one-mile radius.
The filling and despoliation of nearby wetlands will occur. New York State has lost at least 50% of wetlands since the arrival of Europeans. Wetlands are the most propitious environment for wildlife diversity. Invertebrates, including pollinators, amphibians, birds and mammals thrive in wetlands. Abundant wildlife is one of the wonderful amenities area residents and tourists enjoy.
Traffic will be greatly impacted by 75 tractor trailers loads per day. This warehouse will be miles from the closest major interstates like Route 87 and 94. Trucks must drive down curvy two-lane roads that require constant deceleration and acceleration creating greater exhaust emissions and noise pollution. There is an unacceptable line of sight distance to the proposed entrance of this site.
In short this, this warehouse would create air pollution, noise pollution and light pollution, impacting dark sky enjoyment by area residents and visitors. Increased light pollution is impacting migratory birds by affecting their ability to navigate long distance migration. This project would cause loss of wildlife habitat, pollute and deplete our groundwater and seriously impact the community character of our region. These are just some of the negative impacts that would occur.
The planning board is required by state law to adhere to the SEQRA process. The board must make a positive declaration of significant environmental impact and require the applicant to complete a draft EIS. The scoping session must be open for public comment. Assessments must be collected from hydrologic studies, wildlife experts, an archeology survey of the site, independent traffic engineers, involved agencies such as the DEC, NYSDOT, the county highway, health, and planning departments, adjacent towns and other involved agencies.
Above all, the board must keep area residents and the local media informed of the board’s timeline.
Thank you for considering my comments.
Don Lipton
Gardiner
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