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Reflections on the 2024 New Paltz Rides for Resilience
May of 2024 was the second annual Ride for Resilience campaign held in New Paltz. Rides for Resilience are fundraising community bike rides for the Love-Your-Brain foundation. Love Your Brain was created by the family of Olympic snowboarding athlete Kevin Pearce. Following the brain injury Kevin sustained in his sport, he and his family saw and felt the isolating and severely disabling effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Over 3three-million TBIs occur in the US and Canada each year. That’s one every eleven seconds.
[Gabriela O’Shea: At the NYS Brain Injury Association conferences, I learned that the rate is now one TBI every nine seconds.]TBI is complex and leads to whole person challenges — physical, psychosocial and emotional — making it difficult to return to “normal.”
On top of that, TBI can be “invisible,” which makes it even more difficult to feel seen, heard and valued.
After leaving the hospital, there are very few resources to support people with TBI and caregivers to thrive in their new lives.
This can lead to depression, unemployment, strained relationships and higher rates of suicide and suicidal ideation.
That’s why Love Your Brain exists. Their programs and research have proven that yoga and mindfulness are powerful practices for supporting resilience, community connection and wellbeing after TBI.
By cultivating self-awareness, compassion and acceptance, we’re better able to learn and grow from the TBI experience.
And this works. Since our inception, over 7,000 program participants report: 77% improved quality of life, 97% high satisfaction, 61% increased resilience and cognition, 67% enhanced positive outlook.
As a survivor of TBI, I am grateful to have connected with a foundation that exists to understand and empower us with this invisible injury. That offers yoga and meditations, to all, free of charge. That connects and gives voice to this silent, invisible injury.
I am grateful that so many people came out to join the rides and donated to my fundraiser. Over 65 cyclists joined the New Paltz Rides for Resilience this year! My fundraising account reached over $1,600, tripling my fundraising goal! It was amazing to see the number and passion of people who came together in recognition that brain injury happens and to support Love Your Brain’s outreach of support.
Local businesses made substantial donations. Second Nature Refillery, Rock & Snow outdoor sports store, Village Pizza, O’Conner and Partners, Ryan and Melanie Cronin of the Cronin Gallery, The Parish restaurant, Jar’d wine & cocktail bar, Lush Eco-Salon, Cara Seaira’s Reiki Healing, and the inarguably amazing Goodbye Dirty Butthole soap company, are all the companies that supported the rides.
County Executive Jen Metzger honored us when she joined the final Ride for Resilience! Metzger is an effective and visionary leader who restores my faith in politics. A politician who walks her talk. Metzger often rides her bike, from Rosendale to Kingston, to work at the county office building.
The success of the Rides for Resilience led to requests for more community slow rides. Let’s meet July 13 at 10 a.m. at the River to Ridge parking lot. We’ll ride the shady rail trail south to Gardiner, or north to Rosendale for lunch. The second Saturday of each month, through October.
Thanks to everyone who came out, the sponsors, and Erin Quinn & Lauren Thomas of HV1 for the publicity of the events. Hope to see and ride with you all again.
Gabriela O’Shea
New Paltz
Felonious debate
I’m looking forward to the convicted felon debating the unconvicted felon.
Tom McGee
Gardiner
Teflon Don = Felon: Don’t
This letter will arrive at the newsstand or your inbox on Thursday, June 27, just in time for you to watch the formerly Teflon Don accordionize the air with streams of lies while President Biden wipes the floor with him by speaking about substance. Tune in and enjoy.
Do you recall the headlines the day after the Fatuous Felon’s conviction on 34 felony counts. Here’s CBS News: “Former President Donald Trump’s campaign and the Republican Party raised $52.8 million in the 24 hours after Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts.” It turns out that $50M came from one man, Timothy Mellon. So it wasn’t a groundswell of support from real donations from actual supporters. Individual donations amounted to a trivial $2.8M on the day after. Rather, the campaign received a vitamin B12 shot from an heir to Gilded Age nobility who has also contributed to empty causes like building a border fence to nowhere and RFK Jr.’s Potemkin, antivax presidential campaign (at least $10M to date).
In his autobiography, Mellon wrote, “For delivering their votes in the Federal Elections, they are awarded with yet more and more freebies: food stamps, cell phones, WIC payments, Obamacare and on, and on and on. The largess is funded by the hardworking folks, fewer and fewer in number, who are too honest or too proud to allow themselves to sink into this morass.” [Wikipedia] Yes, Mellon must have been a truly hardworking heir to have received a $14B golden hotdog from his grandfather, Treasury Secretary Andrew Mellon. At least he hasn’t had to declare bankruptcy three times like the Golden Haired Felon.
In a deft move identical to his $50M donation to the Large Accordionist’s campaign, Mellon “contributed nearly 98% of the fund’s total donations [to governor Greg Abbott’s border wall fund] when he donated $53.1 million in stock to the state in August [2021].” [Texas Tribune] donations to the fund had stalled prior to this infusion of cash. They stalled again afterwards. Very few Texans wish to waste their money on useless walls.
To those who feel the lowest common denominator is inevitable, look for the hidden symmetries: Teflon Don = Felon: Don’t!
Don’t vote for the felon. Don’t side with the Trumpheads who populate his rallies, like the Deadhead faithful of a former decade who filled the seats at Jerry’s sets, or the billionaires who pay less in taxes than you do. Most Americans don’t want a Reich of prosperity under the guidance of a new Hitler.
Vote Blue. America needs an across-the-board Democratic victory in November.
William Weinstein
New Paltz
Wasted tax dollars
Fact: the source of what constitutes the annual four-hour training requirement for the zoning board of appeals is up to the local governing board of each municipality. So why is it that Woodstock’s town board chooses to pay the town attorney, Rod Futurfas, for the training when there are sites such as the Department of States online course? What specifically does Futurfas’ training consist of? Is there a record or minutes of what is presented at these sessions?
Howard Harris
Woodstock
Village hiking
Have you visited the Mill Brook Preserve bridge yet? The long-awaited pedestrian bridge crosses the Mill Brook tributary just north of the Preserve’s entrance at North Manheim Boulevard.
The bridge is made from reused steel provided by Ulster County’s DPW and its construction was paid for by the Village of New Paltz with additional grant support from NYS Parks. The grant required its build to withstand the regular flooding that occurs so the bridge would not be washed away.
Additionally, its design, by Peak Engineering in Stone Ridge, will allow the beaver population to do their thing in the Preserve with less impact by humans enjoying the Preserve.
Mill Brook Preserve volunteers have done an amazing job preparing and maintaining the trail system from this bridge trailhead. We’re like a little version of Ithaca where you can walk from downtown and see a beautiful water feature in the woods.
Mayor Tim Rogers
New Paltz
Neil’s myopic lunacy
Neil Jarmel’s letter of 6-19-24 is just another example of his gray matter spontaneously imploding, as a clear side effect of his terminal TDS.
Neil rambles on with “We the true patriots?” True patriots aren’t concerned with Trump’s personal life flaws or any imagined “threat to democracy” weakly alleged against him. Instead, true patriots are very concerned with our national security, military strength and evidence of our strong and decisive leadership on the world stage … none of which are in the vocabulary or character of the spineless Biden/Harris three-ring circus.
Neil asks “why are Republicans still supporting a ‘convicted felon’”? Because the alternative has ruined our country for nearly four years. And, it’s not just Republicans who are sick of what they’re seeing, hearing and experiencing with their own senses. Let’s remind Neil that nearly 70% of his own anti-American party don’t want Biden as their November candidate.
Neil lamely points out that “Republicans are now working against the justice system out in the open.” Who knew that Neil was a comedian? What does he think his golden party has been doing to our justice system for the past four years thanks to Soros, Biden, those pulling his strings, Merrick Garland, Alejandro Mayorkas and the weaponization of the DOJ and FBI?
Neil says Trump claims “he’ll be a dictator on day one, if elected.” Of course, Neil intentionally misinterpreted this because Trump said he’ll be a dictator FOR ONE DAY as he gets rid of all of Biden’s poisonous policies through executive orders … which is exactly the process Biden used to instantly start our country’s decline.
While you’re at it, Neil, you might want to reeducate yourself on the definition of “insurrection.” January 6th was nothing more than a disorganized “Keystone Kops type” riot with ZERO chances of overturning an election or a government. Besides, Trump is smart enough that, if he wanted an “insurrection,” he would have easily known how to orchestrate one. In Trump’s speech on January 6th, he said, “I know that everyone will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to PEACEFULLY and PATRIOTICALLY make your VOICES heard.” Can Neil explain how that was an order to carry out the January 6th faux “insurrection?”
John N. Butz
Modena
BIDEN wins in a landslide! I guarantee it!
Joe Biden has been an excellent president, and in my mind, he should get another four years. With all the challenging situations in our world, he continues to step up, time and time again in good ways, to do the right thing.
The war between Russia and Ukraine continues with no peace in sight, and the Israeli war with Hamas continues to be a living hell for all involved. The world climate has changed and weather everywhere has intensified. Thousands are suffering from the new climate, adding more pressure to the lives of millions. The political tension has deteriorated any hope for healthy discussion, as extremists are undermining the country’s stability. Yet Biden has done amazingly well for our country, with all that’s going on, and for his determination to reinstate the United States as a beacon of light and what’s good in the world. Yes, we are still a world power with a positive influence.
However, our political situation is like none before, with Trump, now a convicted felon, desiring to become president for the second time. When most people look at the choice, well it appears that there is no choice. Of course, Biden will win. Biden, in spite of his imperfections, represents what is rational and logical, and Trump represents the worst of candidates ever. Biden is a vote for the continuation of our precious democracy, and Trump is clearly a vote for fascism and a dictator who wants to punish all those who were not loyal to him.
Biden won the election in 2020 by over eight million votes. He’s proven his abilities in spite of a few mistakes along the way. As a president with compassion who really cares, and who does his best, each and every day, he certainly has righted the ship, lifting up all boats in the harbor, along with many countries in the world.
The media knows that Biden will probably win, and possibly in a landslide. However, they cannot help but report the news as if Trump has a real chance. Nobody would watch the news if everybody believed the election was a runaway for Biden. The power of capitalism runs the news engine, and all those media companies want to keep making money. They know the way to make money is to scare the hell out of the public with fears of Trump winning. Well, he won’t. I guarantee it.
I expect Biden to win the election with a ten or 12 million vote differential over Trump, when all is said and done. And the 2024 presidential election should be the crushing blow that finally puts an end to all the years of chaos and confusion fomented by Trump.
The only caveat to the results I am predicting is that this is not a normal year, and Trump is not a normal man. His strength is to confuse and distract the public, while conspiring to get his way, somehow, by either sneaking in the back door … legally or illegally. My deep concern is what Trump, and his fanatic loyalists may have planned for a shocking October surprise. I do not think any surprise would cause a major shift in those who already have planned to vote. But what if the shock was so great, it caused enough chaos to undermine any trust in the outcome of the election. Could the House of Representatives then be given the authority to decide what to do next? And what if the Republican majority in the House voted to pass on the decision to the supreme court to decide who will be the next president? At this point, I have to call our supreme Court the “Kangaroo Court” because they sure appear to be doing everything that Trump wants them to do. They have recently lost almost all credibility with the American public. If, somehow, this Supreme Court gets the chance to make the final decision about our next president, is there any doubt that they will choose Trump? And if they make that decision, is there any doubt that our precious democracy would be, at best, in dire straits or, at worst, just about hanging by a thread?
Disclaimer. So, you’ve just read both sides of my vision of what may be coming to us this November. So, fasten your seatbelts, the clock is ticking. ONLY A little more than four months left! We all need to stay awake, aware and alert!
Marty Klein
Kingston
Stop the madness
A cryptokleptomaniac steals cryptocurrency.
Sparrow
Phoenicia
[It was] a Sunday kind of love
Woodstock Pride weekend had finally arrived,
a celebration of love, passion, all with a heartfelt stride.
A town of peace, where hearts align,
each soul a star, in the parade’s shine.
All culminating in the first of its kind,
the parade wound through the town,
A sea of smiling faces, so full of grace,
each one unique, each person in a beautiful place.
June 9, our pride unfurled,
love’s banner high, in a rainbow swirl.
Pride weekend was filled with love and joy,
a celebration for every girl and boy.
Organized by Queerly Inc. with care,
Aileen and Megan, a dynamic pair,
Worked tirelessly, day and night,
to ensure Woodstock’s first Pride was just right.
The streets were lined with smiling faces,
cheers and applause in all the spaces,
A sea of colors, a beautiful sight,
Woodstock Pride, shining so magically bright.
From all walks of life, they came together,
to celebrate love, no matter the weather,
Embracing diversity, embracing truth,
a day of unity, for our elders & youth.
The vibrant colors of the rainbow did align,
we marched on in unity, our voices intertwined.
Love wins, love conquers all,
in Woodstock, we always stand tall.
No hate, no judgment, only love,
a message sent from high above,
Choose your love, love your choice,
let every heart find its voice.
In our community, a wonderful day,
where differences fade, and love holds sway,
A day of joy, a day of peace,
a day where all can find release.
So, with vigorous colors flying high,
a prideful community under the blue sky.
Woodstock Pride, a day to cherish,
a day of love that will never perish.
To everyone who helped make this day so grand,
we raise our voices and clap our hands.
The first of its kind in Woodstock’s history,
a day of unity, love, and jubilee.
So, let us remember this special event,
a day of Pride, a day well spent,
Thank you to all who made it so,
“Peace, love and pride”, let it grow.
Yes, on Sunday morning, “They-story” was so grand,
an anthem of love held over the land,
For the LGBTQ+ community shone like the sun, while hundreds gathered, hearts full of pride,
marching together, side by side.
Rainbow flags waved high in the air,
love and acceptance, everywhere,
Families, friends, and allies too,
all coming together, in support of an exuberant YOU/HUE.
Neil Jarmel
West Hurley
Shadows of accusation
The air in the room was thick with the echoes of past conversations, the ghosts of old arguments swirling like smoke. I sat across from my friend, a dear confidant whose presence was both a balm and a provocation. Our discussion meandered through the labyrinth of current events until we found ourselves entangled in the thorns of Gaza. The term “Baby Killer” had resurfaced in the news, hurled like a grenade at Jews, a term that ripped open old wounds in me.
The memory of San Diego’s airport came rushing back, vivid and raw. There I was, fresh from the jungles of Vietnam, my uniform still reeking of sweat and fear. As we stepped off the plane, we were met not with gratitude but with venom. Sixty protestors, faces contorted with rage, shouted at us, branding us “baby killers.” The accusation stung, a corrosive label seeping into my soul. We had fought, bled and sacrificed, only to be met with this damning verdict.
My friend’s voice pulled me back to the present. “What gets confused by the protestor is that babies are casualties not targets,” he said, his tone measured yet weary. “Few, if any, kill babies point blank because they are seen as enemies.”
His words hung in the air, a bitter truth coated in the honey of reason. The American public had lost sight of this nuance in its emotional need to categorize and classify. War, veterans, wealth, morality — all neatly boxed, yet fundamentally misunderstood. The compartmentalization of war experiences had led to a collective amnesia, an inability to grasp the whole, messy reality of conflict.
This modern warfare has further estranged the American public from the grim realities of combat. The sanitization of violence and the sterile detachment of drone strikes have created a chasm between the act of killing and the human cost. It is a world away from the visceral, gut-wrenching terror of the jungle, where every shadow could conceal a threat, and every step could be your last.
As I sit with my friend, the weight of our conversation heavy on my shoulders, I am reminded that understanding is a fragile, elusive goal. It requires us to look beyond labels and embrace the complexity of human experience. It demands empathy, not judgment; curiosity, not condemnation.
Ultimately, we are all searching for the same thing: peace, not just the absence of war but the presence of understanding and reconciliation. Healing the wounds of the past and navigating the challenges of the present is a daunting task. For in the shadows of accusation and the echoes of conflict lies the potential for redemption, for a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world we inhabit.
Larry Winters
New Paltz
Non-violent conflict resolution should have been used at SUNY New Paltz
I would like to thank SUNY New Paltz students for their commitment to truth and justice in the world. Since the Vietnam war, students have been the conscience of the country. They undertake a college education to expand their minds and so remind us all to open our hearts and minds in order that we can live in a humane world.
They are not always graceful in how they express themselves and they must struggle and debate among themselves, but even in this they are examples to us all of the responsibility we need to take to have a sane environment in which to live.
In the recent Gaza-Israeli demonstration they were met with antiquated, violent reactions from community leaders.
Why did the college administration, the police chief, the state police chief send armed police with dogs to intimidate and attack peaceful students and elderly community members who were there to support and witness the demonstration?
We have in this county adults who are knowledgeable and skilled in non-violent conflict resolution. Some years ago, a religious leader and the then-sheriff of Ulster County teamed up to conduct such groups with gang members in Kingston with such success that they were invited to conduct such groups in Germany. Why were people with this knowledge and these skills not asked to meet with students and faculty and concerned community members during demonstrations at the college? Is violence, especially if it involves a demonstration of guns, our first response to any dissension? Are we so intolerant that we are incapable of using language to exchange thoughts and feelings on an issue? Why do we not choose to train those who are tasked with maintaining peace in non-violent conflict resolution as thoroughly as they are trained to use a gun?
Anne Wandres
New Paltz
Vote to keep kindness afloat
While out canvassing for the primary election of June 25, two N2N volunteers backed into a deep ditch on top of McDaniel Road in Woodstock. While nothing but our pride was bruised, we had no cell phone connection. What to do? Walk to the next house on the list, where Robert let us use his landline to call AAA, and Janet drove us to the other car, which was parked at the monastery. While waiting for help to arrive, which was to be in a couple of hours, along came Temple, who had just the right equipment and pulled the car back onto the road. Many thanks to Robert, Janet and Temple, for their kindness and help. It still prevails in Woodstock.
Ann Jung
Lyn Ritchie
Woodstock
Seeing through wild propaganda
Regarding the letters by Susan Puretz and George Civile in last week’s issue of HV1, alleging that I am “anti-semitic” because I have asserted Israel is committing genocide, these are my comments:
Ms. Puretz and Mr. Civile have a problem if they think I am anti-semitic and obviously do not know what a real anti-semite is. I guess they missed the fact that 300 Holocaust survivors and their families have all accused Israel of committing genocide. Are they anti-semitic also? Obviously not. Or, how about the Holocaust Museum, who has declared genocide is taking place in Gaza. Are they anti-semitic? Of course not and neither am I, but as I have affirmed many times in previous letters I am anti-apartheid and anti-genocide, of which Israel is committing both. Ms. Puretz states that: “A Nation committed to genocide does not warn a population to leave the area before beginning military maneuvers.”
She does not mention though, that a nation brazenly intent on committing genocide, as evidenced by their 500 official statements, will bomb and shoot civilians in so-called “safe places” like Israel has done many times now. Maybe that’s why every humanitarian organization in the world is declaring what is taking place in Gaza is clearly genocide. Do all these benevolent and brave organizations “twist definitions” of genocide as Ms. Puretz alleges I have done? Or, do they know better than her because they are on the ground witnessing genocide firsthand and know what is taking place having been in genocidal conflicts before? Ms. Puretz is obviously confused as to what is happening now in Gaza is not “explosive growth” but mass slaughter, widespread famine and the brutalization of innocents. How could there be an “explosive growth” of the Palestinian population as Ms. Puretz foolishly asserts, when all the hospitals in Gaza have been bombed and destroyed? Then we have Mr. Civile, who curiously wants us all to disregard all the experts around the world who are saying Israel is committing genocide, while he wastes our time with his clownish lyrics. Enough with all the wild Zionist propaganda and gaslighting.
The world sees through it, and is tired of it all as are many Israelis and Jews who are not Zionists and who declare as I do: Arrest Netanyahu, hold Biden complicit and Ceasefire now!
Steve Romine
Woodstock
Background to the rise of Social Security, Medicare #5
For 89 years, Social Security has been in effect for the American public. When we reach a certain age, we are able to draw our benefits that we paid into for those years we worked. Every one of us has automatically assumed that this was law. At least I assumed so, implemented by FDR’s administration and approved and signed into effect in 1935, with the approval of Congress.
Here the three branches of the government, president and Congress (Senate and House), came together and placed into operation a program for the welfare of the working public. This was to belay the conditions thrust upon the public in the Great Depression of the late 20s and early 30s. But there was a situation which arose which clarifies this concept. Let’s look at it.
A 1954 amendment to the Social Security Act of 1935, stipulated that Social Security is not a contractual right to one’s benefits they paid into. How this came about can be traced back to the Supreme Court decision of 1960, Flemming v. Nestor.
Arthur Flemming was the Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare under the Eisenhauer administration. An individual by the name of Ephram Nestor, an alien, was going to be deported. It was believed he was a member of the Communist party. Hence, Health, Education and Welfare denied his social security benefits he paid for during his working days here in this country, a period of years. His lawsuit went to SCOTUS who heard the case and stated Nestor does not have contractual right for his benefits — they are not ‘property’. The federal court could not so regulate or stipulate. Only Congress has the right to regulate, revise, amend, Social Security.
Given this last statement it is easier to understand, therefore, the attack the Republicans repeatedly make on our benefits to revise, amend and regulate these benefits. They have the authority. What has prevented the GOP from getting out from under this socialistic/liberal nightmare, that they themselves helped create in 1935, have been the three branches of Congress, with their ‘checks and balances’.
Checks and balances, meaning that either one party, or members of both parties, have refused to go along with any attempt to demolish the benefits. And of course, if both parties did acquiesce in elimination/revising/amending, there was always the third branch of government, the executive who could be a clamp on this action.
This is how the system is supposed to work and it has for 89 years. But there is a storm brewing on the horizon. More to come.
Robert LaPolt
New Paltz
Not enough ADUs in Woodstock
Proposed changes to Woodstock’s zoning code envision an important role for accessory dwelling units (ADU) in expanding both housing and income opportunities in Woodstock. An accessory dwelling unit (ADU) is a smaller, independent residential dwelling unit located on the same lot as a single-family home, which creates a range of housing options and better use of existing housing in established neighborhoods.
Woodstock zoning currently allows for ADUs, but with limited success. There are about 3,017 stand-alone, single-family homes in Woodstock that, if they meet building requirements, would be allowed to create an ADU. But only 57 accessory dwelling units exist in Woodstock.
In early 2023, the Woodstock Housing Alliance managed $175,000 of American Rescue Plan fund to enable low-interest loans for Woodstock residents to supplement construction costs of Affordable Accessory Dwelling Units (A-ADUs). However, after a year, no applications were received and the program was ended.
Probably on the order of 500 new ADUs are required in Woodstock to substantially expand housing options, but zoning is the not problem. The current zoning law would easily allow more ADUs. And based on experience, it’s unrealistic to expect the proposed new zoning law would substantially increase the number of ADUs available.
Ken Panza
Woodstock
Resist the witchhunt
During the 1950s, careers and reputations were ruined when Americans “soft on communism” were branded enemies of the state. I never thought I would see the same poisonous attacks on citizens doing much-needed work for their communities, but it’s happening across the nation and here in Ulster County. Here’s an example: New Paltz Deputy Mayor Alexandria Wojcik reposted calls for a ceasefire and end to the violence in Gaza written by SUNY New Paltz student groups. On May 28, the Jewish Congregation of New Paltz sent a letter objecting to “the anti-semitic tone of the language” which “made our families feel unsafe.” Though the posts are long gone and Wojcik has 20 years of community service to her credit, the backlash has escalated with calls by the Jewish Federation of Ulster County (JFUC) for her resignation. Language is important, especially on this sensitive issue, but the abuse of language by JFUC president RonDavid Gold — “supports Hamas,” “outrageous attacks on Jews,” “violence against our people” — is meant to enflame and destroy. It’s the language of a witchhunt, hungry for power and victims. Reason and fairness are the only standards Wojcik should be judged by. No one deserves to be flayed by rumor and innuendo.
Lisa Mullenneaux
West Hurley
Rallying the base
Because of POTUS Biden’s 38% approval rating, First Lady Jill Biden, was angry. After all, this figure indicated that Joe’s efforts to undermine the fossil fuel industry and promote crisis-creating border policies; as well as his legislative “successes” were all, apparently, unappreciated by an ungrateful public. Remembering the former unwavering and always unwarranted support of Joe’s loyal base, Dr. Jill penned the following tune to rally his worried (we don’t like Joe we just hate Trump) supporters.
(To be sung to the Dylan tune “Make You Feel My Love”)
Though Joe said he’d make your dreams come true
there was something that you always knew
like Obama Joe told a lie to you
So, you’d give to him…your vote
(stanza)
When critics yearn for Donald’s orange hair
and Bill Maher says “Joe’s not all there”
Please respond “Joe’s critics aren’t fair”
and give to him…your vote
(Bridge)
It would comes as no surprise to me
-though everything Joe does goes wrong-
Just like RINO’s who want to be Trump free
You’ll all support my “Vote Joe” song!
(stanza)
When Liz Cheney on TV appears
and she spews her “Trump’s a danger” fears
Won’t you help Joe in his final years?
and give to him…your vote
(Bridge)
Mortgage rates are causing much dismay
but please don’t show any regret
Just blame it on Trump’s “Insurrection Day”
and make sure no one can forget!
(stanza)
The border crisis is so bad today
Joe made it happen and it’s here to stay
Joe’s letting illegals come and get away;
But please give Joe…your vote
(closing stanza)
And so I start this day renewed in hope:
though critics call my Joe a bumbling mope
or use another mean sarcastic trope;
You’ll give to Joe…your vote
George Civile
Gardiner
Hot nights
If the breezeless trees
all turned to stone
from midnight till dawn
other than breathing heavier
would any of us notice this
if we were all in
hiding from the heat
on hot nights sealed up
in air conditioned rooms?
Patrick Hammer, Jr.
Saugerties
A lack of leadership
I am enraged by the lack of leadership in handling a recent personnel issue at the ARC of the Mid Hudson in Ulster County. This issue resulted in a total injustice involving an employee with a well-respected career throughout the region and a record which was unblemished over decades of dedicated service.
Of course, this not-for-profit agency cannot “defend” itself because this is a personnel issue, but many within the social services community personally know me well enough to trust my own integrity in expressing my anger. I write this as a former employee of two decades and part of the executive team and as a colleague of an individual who has been disrespected by this agency.
Not a single executive showed leadership, or forcefulness, to speak on behalf of this employee but instead let others with their own disingenuous agendas steer a run-away-train.
I call out — with utter disappointment and sadness — three of the oldest board members who also, apparently, let certain decisions be made which were grievous. Their own families benefited from the long-standing dedication of an employee known for their 24/7 dedication to the little-known human rights story about people with disabilities. This person was an original “mason” laying, block-by-block the programs upon which today the executives of the ARC of the Mid Hudson boast to attract new clients and employees and to increase funding.
I would have hoped that John McHugh, the executive director who earns nearly $326,000 — yes, $326,000 — a year could have dug deep and found one single leadership tool to halt reach a different and viable outcome of this problem. Or maybe, his underling, Nan Priest, CFO, who earns $183,701, or another CFO, Jennifer Leale, who earns $171,172. Then, there’s a regional director, who earns more than $100K a year and is currently holed up in an agency-paid hotel room with a company car.
The rumor is that at least one of the other executives works remotely, at least part-time, from a North Carolina residence. Meanwhile, problems are mishandled, and the people who work taking care of clients with disabilities must work two jobs to stay afloat.
It’s a great gig if you are one of the executives. Hopefully, this letter will bring some shame to the above named — and others — who so totally mucked up and tried to tarnish a Superhero’s name. But they couldn’t and they didn’t! A celebration was had and people came from near and far to pay homage.
Jo Galante Cicale
Saugerties
Vote YES to pass the ERA on November 5
Did you know that the New York State Constitution does not protect the rights of people with disabilities, seniors, those who identify as LGBT, or the reproductive freedoms for women, among other rights?
It is time for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to be added to our state constitution. This amendment specifically codifies many protections for New Yorkers, including:
• Explicitly prohibiting government discrimination based on ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, and sex — including sexual orientation and gender identification.
• Freedom of choice for pregnant women.
• Closing loopholes and eliminating legislative rollbacks of rights and freedoms for New Yorkers.
Once and for all, let’s ensure that the NYS Constitution includes the strongest legal protections for all of its citizens. Vote YES to pass the ERA on November 5.
Wendy Rudder
New Paltz
Woodstock should be a pro-housing community
We write to applaud the Woodstock Town Board for passing a resolution that allows Woodstock to begin the process of becoming certified by New York State as a Pro-Housing Community. Passing this resolution demonstrates the town board’s interest in exploring strategies to address the housing affordability crisis in our town. And becoming certified will make Woodstock eligible to apply for state funding from a variety of programs — including for up to $2.5 million from the new Mid-Hudson Momentum Fund. The hard work is ahead: becoming a Pro-Housing Community does not commit Woodstock to any specific course of action. But this step positions us for future success by opening doors to funding for projects that the town board may eventually develop and endorse.
On Thursday, June 20, the housing committee hosted the “Homes for Woodstock” workshop, an open community listening session that fostered conversations and solution-building, and which was well attended. A frequent question raised in our table discussions was: how can affordable housing opportunities supported by our community get the funding needed to become a reality? This resolution would help get us closer to that answer.
The housing committee will continue to gather input from the Woodstock community about affordable homes that we hope will be created in the future. The committee’s work is focused on encouraging our town government to support homes that are specifically needed by our seniors, town workers, families, and artists who contribute to our thriving community but cannot afford to live here.
Katherine Tegen, Chair
Sabina Barach
Rebekah Brooks
Deborah Dewan
John D. Huber
Howard Kagan
Lisa Kirk
Tanesha Skinner
Woodstock Housing Committee
A Trump supporter writes …
Hudson Valley One’s June 6 Feedback section included my letter asking Trump supporters some basic questions, to give non-fans insight into their rationales and maybe open up a dialogue.
Feedback’s regulars haven’t yet responded. I have, however, received an anonymous letter from a woman in Albany. To her, “Thank you.”
Below are snippets from that letter:
“CNN, ABC, NBC and other leftist channels distort what Trump says. Open up your world and watch Fox, NewsMax or any other conservative news that reports the stories with some truth to it. Also read Epoch Times should you wish to broaden your horizons.”
“‘Charity begins at home.’ Immigrants are coming across the border from Venezuelan jails and insane asylums, from China and from the Middle East. Have you heard of the murders taking place in the country by illegal immigrants?”
“I will NEVER believe the election was not stolen. I saw film of poll workers shutting down the polls, pulling suitcases from under covered tables, and feeding votes into the machines that were obviously fake votes for Biden.” [The writer provides other “evidence,” all of it well-known, all of it disproven and discounted — but by a media the letter-writer calls “fake” and a legal system she considers “rigged.”]
“I think Trump will be assassinated if the Democrats have anything to say or do about it, and if Trump bests Biden at the polls. I view most Democrats as evil.”
“I would be willing to bet the debate will not take place, as Joe will simply be unable to handle it.”
“On day one, if Trump becomes president, we will drill for gas and oil again. Do I believe in climate change? Yes, but not to the extent they’re trying to make us believe.”
“Will I support the election results? If Biden wins, no. There is simply no way a smart voter would want him to be in office again, EVER.”
There’s plenty more, parroting the usual Trump talking points and naming the usual suspects: George Soros, Nancy Pelosi, Hillary, Alzheimer’s (Biden’s, not Trump’s), DOJ, CIA, antifa …
The writer speaks for multitudes, people who get their (dis)information from all-too-ubiquitous, QAnon-crazy or reasonable-seeming glib-and-slim-blond sources. People who, like the letter-writer, make me fear for our country and our planet.
Tom Cherwin
Saugerties
The hatred
Even back in the 1950’s, before our father’s war wounds had healed, I heard the words kike and nigger. People need to have someone to hate, or at least, feel that they are better than. People hate Trump and Biden now. Somebody probably hates Mormons!
People hate.
The last Dem’s convention in Chicago, everyone went berserk. The George Floyd riots showed we are still willing to go crazy, commit terrible destruction and kill people. It’s coming, and I fear it will spread from city to campus to the poorest neighborhoods.
Elected leaders need to get ahead of this now. These riots are going to be massive and violent. Prepare all of your defenses now. Cops and hospitals will need full, battlefield back-up from our military.
The January 6 demonstration got way out of control because only the museum guards met the demonstrators. Nancy Pelosi owns that.
Do not be a mayor or governor who owns the destruction that I expect will radiate out across America from Chicago, please.
We, the people, are angry, frustrated and already very pissed off.
With luck, former Governor Gina Raimondo, currently serving as our White House Cabinet Commerce Secretary will be discovered in time and our nation can elect her to be our next President, proud to have a smart, strong, politically savvy and proven leader. It’s been too long.
Paul Raymond
New Paltz
Join the family! 
