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Balancing conservation and development
The Dominican Sisters of Sparkill have owned property in Saugerties for almost one hundred years, demonstrating a long track record of serving as thoughtful stewards of the land. A number of years ago, the Sisters transferred almost 150 acres of this land to Scenic Hudson for the creation of the Falling Waters Preserve. Now the Sisters have partnered with Grow America, a not-for-profit organization, to develop affordable housing on part of the remaining lands. The plan calls for 59 units of senior affordable housing and 21 units (mostly townhomes) available for affordable homeownership. Some members of the Saugerties Historic Preservation Commission have accused the Dominican Sisters and Grow America of rushing the development plans and overlooking the history of the land and its former inhabitants. This is untrue.
The development partners have commissioned historical architectural studies to examine the existing buildings on the Spaulding Lane site, which have found that there are no building or architectural components worthy of historic designation, according to the NY State Historic Preservation Office. The partners have carefully designed a plan to honor and preserve the Van Leuven cemetery which sits close to the property entrance. The partners will continue investigations outside of the cemetery to ensure that there are no additional unmarked graves or archeological artifacts. And if there are findings, we will identify, honor and preserve them.
The proposed buildings will sit on 4% of the Sisters’ 29 acres at the end of Spaulding Lane. The Sisters have also granted Scenic Hudson an easement across this property to connect to their more extensive trail network. We believe this plan respects the land and supports a goal of affordable housing, which is desperately needed in Ulster County.
Matt Wexler
Grow America
New York City
Remembering Patrick Rausch
Former New Paltz School Board president Patrick Rausch, 74, passed away June 19th.
2014 letter to the editor for Patrick Rausch:
I would like to echo Mark Rosen’s call to honor Patrick Rausch for his service on the New Paltz Board of Education. Patrick volunteered on our school board for 16 years! How many of us do anything for 16 years?
Sometimes I butted heads with Patrick while we served together on the school board. At times, I’d think to myself “Argh … Patrick!” Then we’d move on to the next topic and he’d make an incredibly insightful and useful comment. Then I’d think to myself “Argh … Patrick really knows a great deal because 1) he’s been doing this for a while, 2) he’s smart and 3) he cares.”
Patrick, thanks for reminding me it is okay to disagree, but more importantly, our community owes you a huge thanks.
Tim Rogers
New Paltz
Rudderless
When a ship loses its rudder, it is in serious trouble. We have no “The King is dead, long live the King” tradition here, having fought hard for our electoral freedom. Our president has thrown in the towel; the fight is over. Now we should use the succession plan the Founding Fathers created and use these few months to learn if Kamala Harris has ‘the right stuff’ or is the sad mistake many of us perceive. Biden should be replaced immediately, and President Harris named as our nation’s leader, and by election day, we will know enough about her to make an informed choice. God help America!
Paul Raymond
New Paltz
Keep digging
In the bottom of a bag of Doritos: microchips.
Sparrow
Phoenicia
A truly better and beautiful future
President Biden has decided to pass the torch to a new generation of leadership. There comes a time when each person must do this. Placing pride aside and trusting in someone else may be hard, perhaps scary, but there comes a time when it is necessary. It is necessary now. I hope my fellow Americans will take this moment seriously, learn from it, and get to work for a truly better and beautiful future. We simply cannot afford to do otherwise.
Tim Scott Jr.
Saugerties
I fear more than ever the Trumpian world view
After witnessing the Republican National Convention, I fear more than ever the Trumpian worldview. While for the MAGA faithful the RNC was a Church of Donald Trump revival meeting, for me it was an ominous display of obsequiousness, ostracism and ostrichism.
Trump vowed in his unity-in-name-only acceptance speech to “drill, baby, drill and close our borders on day one,” prompting roars of approval. The catastrophes of climate change and the despair of dispossessed peoples are of far less concern to MAGAites than receiving the king’s blessing, which requires ignoring the environment and demonizing the (almost exclusively dark-skinned)“invader” — Trump’s “murderers, terrorists and escapees from insane asylums and prisons” who “took over our country” and who are, he lied (while once again mentioning Hannibal Lecter for maximum scare power), “killing hundreds of thousands of people a year” (and, when they’re not too busy killing, “squeezing Americans out of the labor force, especially blacks and Hispanics and union members”).
So when Trump promised “the largest deportation operation in the history of our country,” the (almost exclusively white) crowd went wild, with Trump’s storm troopers waving signs reading “Mass Deportation Now” and chanting “Send them back.” But their overarching battle cry, bellowed by the disgraced racist Hulk Hogan a she wrestled several layers of his clothing to the ground to reveal a Trump/Vance T-shirt, was “Let Trumpomania run wild again,” evoking visions of January 6, 2021.
It gets scarier still. There are the fascistic policies of the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025.The rulings of Trump’s Supreme Court. Judge Aileen Cannon’s dismissal of the classified-documents case. Trump’s refusal to say he’ll accept the election results. J.D. Vance’s views on abortion and divorce. Moms for Liberty. And much more.
Politifact’s fact-check of Trump’s acceptance speech addresses whether we were really better off four years ago, as Trump claims. We weren’t. And we sure as hell won’t be four years from now, or one or two or maybe ever again, if he’s returned to power.
Tom Cherwin
Saugerties
Time to stop calling it a war!
European settlers killed 56 million indigenous people over about 100 years in South, Central and North America. They sometimes called it a war against the uncivilized natives, but we know today that it was not a war but was really a slaughter of the innocence. It’s time to stop calling what’s happening between Israel and Gaza today a war! Gaza, just like the slaughtered indigenous people of American history, have no Army, Air Force or Navy. Israel on the other hand is a nuclear power whose military is one of the most sophisticated in the world. The Israel military has slaughtered almost 40,000 people to date with the full support of the US government and our taxpayer dollars. You might believe that there is nothing you can do about this. History shows us that you would be absolutely wrong to assume this. Point of fact is that in the 1980’s the South African Apartheid regime had the full support of the US government until people like you and I made their voices be heard. Please stop saying that you don’t know what’s going on in Gaza because you don’t live there and therefore have decided to not speak about it. Make your voice be heard and start by NOT calling it a war.
Chris Finlay
Woodstock
New Paltz deputy mayor must apologize
New Paltz Village Mayor Tim Rogers became the designated apologist for Alex Wojcik, the village deputy mayor he appointed, by publishing her letter of apology to the Jewish Congregation of New Paltz.
One must ask: why didn’t Ms. Wojcik publish her own letter of apology in response to public accusations of making Jewish residents unsafe here based on social media postings on her deputy mayor Facebook account?
A direct apology would have gone a long way towards showing the New Paltz Jewish community — not just one synagogue — that she understood and empathized with having made them unsafe by publicly promoting the anti-Jewish side of the toxic Gaza conflict.
In addition, the hideously racist student screed against the SUNY president and Governor Hochul that Ms. Wojcik reposted on Facebook following the campus unrest amplified views of students who — marginalized or not — may or may not attend college here ever again. Wojcik’s post of the “river to the sea” meme effectively called for the annihilation of the Jewish state.
But she didn’t get that. Ms. Wojcik only seems to care about her perception of students and their feelings — at the expense of all her constituents including Republicans who live in the village and often suffer silently with the chaos following her actions.
The mayor says he doesn’t always agree with her, but didn’t ask her to step down temporarily, which would have been prudent.
The question remains: why does it say to the community when an official takes sides in the quagmire of the current war in the Middle East and gets involved in the madness of supporting a campus protest using their official Facebook account?
The answer is obvious. The public official is missing a gene that regulates fairness and good judgment. If the mayor chooses to defend that, it’s on him.
It’s up to Ms. Wojcik to do the right thing and make a public apology on her own.
Ava Lowle
New Paltz
Stop holding the land hostage
Zena Development LLC wrote in their Ulster application that they’re no longer interested in building in Woodstock, that they just want to build in the Town of Ulster now. Does anyone believe that? If that’s true, why don’t they sell their Woodstock lots to the Woodstock Land Conservancy? If this effort to widen, pave and extend the private Eastwoods Drive into the Town of Ulster isn’t just a ploy to use Ulster to advance their goals in Woodstock, why hold onto and pay tax on 500-plus acres you say you don’t plan on using? I read they offered ZDLLC what they paid and apparently that’s wasn’t enough? Let me guess, they want to sell the forest for even more money, justified by a newly done road, to some other developer? Who still thinks these guys are good for Woodstock?
And speaking of taxes, I noticed ZDLLC’s Woodstock lots have significantly higher full market values than the 106 acre lot in the Town of Ulster. If all the property tax in this development were to go to Ulster, would Ulster pay Woodstock for our police, fire and ambulance services to their development? And will the Ulster assessments for the development be comparable to assessments in Woodstock? If they are, could the future homeowners have a case against Ulster? If they’re not comparable, like the values placed on the lots of land, is that really fair to the Woodstock taxpayers who essentially will pay more for the same service? Or would Woodstock taxpayers cover the costs for them? How much of the property tax would Ulster keep and how does that cover their costs and compare to the property tax all the other Ulster residents pay to Ulster? How do we justify each town getting less than 100% of what they charge and receive from everyone else in their towns? And what about the two lots that make up the private Eastwoods Drive that would need to be brought up to code to make possible all the profits that Zena Development is doing this for, do we have a precedent what the FMV of that road would be? Like a house, would it start with the cost to build and then go up from there? When the developers go away, who will that tax bill go to?
I predict the tax situation is only going to be problematic on this effort to build in Ulster with access only through Woodstock. ZDLLC should save themselves and all of us from the years of challenge their development is going to cause and cost. They keep saying they’re good guys who care about our community so stop holding the land hostage and just sell it to the Woodstock Land Conservancy so they can protect and preserve the forest for the entire community.
Tana O’Sullivan
Woodstock
Vote RFK Jr. in November
Direct quote from Nicole Shanahan, RFK Jr.’s vice president:
“After weeks of misleading and gas-lighting the nation, President Biden announced that he will not run for re-election. While this decision might initially seem on its face to be a positive development for the Democratic Party, here is why it’s actually quite sinister. By choosing to delay this announcement until late July, Biden has hindered qualified Democratic challengers from having a genuine opportunity to become the nominee. Dean Phillips ran to offer voters an alternative — one that they might have preferred if they had known Biden never intended to seek a second term. Bobby Kennedy also pursued the Democratic nomination early on, only to quickly realize that the process was rigged in favor of Joe Biden.
What the DNC, Biden and the ruling class of the Democratic Party have done, is corrupt and un-American and ultimately a grave harm to our Democratic process. We are now facing a situation where the “powers that be” are self-appointing Biden’s replacement. They have already named their chosen candidate, Kamala Harris, and anyone attempting to challenge this at the DNC convention next month will be smeared, blacklisted and labeled a traitor to the party. This too is corrupt and un-American and a true threat to our democracy.
Over $240 million that the Biden campaign has raised can only be used by Kamala Harris remaining on the ticket. She was not voted into this role — she is a defacto candidate by virtue of spending power. If it is not Kamala on the ticket, this fund goes to the party for which only $32 million can be coordinated with the candidates’ campaign.
The Democratic Party has abandoned any semblance of being a legitimate party for the Common Man — all in the name of defeating one man — Donald Trump. Even there they are not being sincere, as they want a retail politician that they can control and also one that can beat Donald Trump. This isn’t impossible. As a lifelong Progressive Democrat, I am ashamed of the party leadership I once supported and deeply sorry to the millions of Americans who have placed their hope in a political machine that does not serve their best interest. I remember the frustration I had the last several years trying to reason with leadership within the party realizing I was not speaking to anyone with any authority or a serious commitment to the people of this country and its future.
So thankfully there is another path! Never before has it been more necessary to have an independent choice! This is why I believe supporting Bobby Kennedy is the way to end this duopoly once and for all! Now is the time for real change!”
I agree Nicole! Spot on! Start watching and listening to Nicole Shanahan and RFK, Jr. — NOW! Look at their past ACTIONS and what they are doing to help others in this world. Look at their history. Weigh it out. Unless you are blind, you will see that these two human beings are exceptional and live their lives with integrity. They are not part of the “Red and Blue” corruption campaign. Stop following the shiny object, the charismatic cult leader and the wolves in the clothing of sheep! Please vote RFK Jr. in November and save our democracy — before it is too late!
Nicole Nevin
Woodstock
Assassination attempt debacle
Regarding the assassination attempt on the life of Donald Trump, the official narrative is not as clear cut as the mainstream media has been painstakingly trying to get us all to believe. Multiple testimonies of special forces snipers affirm secret service protocols have every area and angle
where a shot can be taken under scrutiny, observation and secure prior to a speech given by a protected individual. That a 20 year old kid, could carry a ladder and a rifle onto the scene
where a presidential candidate is, then climb onto the roof of the building where all the police and secret service are located inside, and then get off multiple rounds before being shot is not
plausible, considering the lengths secret service and police go to. Yet this young shooter was able to do all of that without any interference from secret service agents. When JFK announced that he was going to withdraw all the troops from Vietnam back in the 1960’s, he was assassinated a month later. In that event secret service protocols were unusually not followed also. Then Donald Trump announced that he was going to stop the war in Ukraine, and a month later he was nearly assassinated. In similar fashion secret service protocols were obviously not followed. Now I am no fan of Donald Trump but I am not for the fascist tactic of assassinating ones political enemies, which BTW, the Supreme Court recently ruled a president can do without legal repercussions. The candidate well acquainted with assassinations, and the public and personal turmoil it causes, is RFK Jr. We could be sure if he were president nothing of the sort would be practiced under his administration and that past assassinations would be properly investigated and revealed to the public. Not so with Hillary Clinton type war hawk Kamala Harris or Donald Trump who appointed the judges who delivered the aforementioned Supreme
Court ruling and may have been implicated in the murder of Washington Post Journalist Jamal Khashoggi. We need real change from the two corrupt parties. Vote RFK Jr.
Steve Romine
Woodstock
An open letter to the town board, village board and the Democratic Party Committee of New Paltz
Recently, our village and town community has been roiled by events that have related to a conflict in the middle east. Members of the town and village board are being forced to articulate their allegiance to Israel in one form or another and asked to ignore the occupation of Palestine. The town and village boards are intended to be constituted to take care of local affairs and demanding allegiance to a state that is not the country we live in runs counter to democracy. We as residents of New Paltz find this coercion of political views profoundly disturbing to say the least.
We wonder if this same test has been applied to other conflicts that are directly or indirectly connected to US support:
Were town board members asked if they were for or against the 20-plus-year Iraq war that resulted in 601,000 Iraqi deaths according to the Lancet? No, because your political opinions are considered your own affair and unrelated to your capacity to serve on the town board.
Were town board members asked if they were for or against the 20-plus-year war in Afghanistan that resulted in 241,000 Afghanis deaths according to the Lancet? No, because your political opinions are considered your own affair and unrelated to your capacity to serve on the town board.
Were town board members asked to step down because they did not condemn the recent US invasion and occupation of Syria where a full third of the country is still being occupied by the US military and foreign oil corporations? No, because your political opinions are considered your own affair and unrelated to your capacity to serve on the town board.
How about Yemen? Were people put through the test of condemning US support for the ten-year bombing campaign and sanctioning of Yemen where people are still struggling economically because of illegal US sanctions? No, because your political opinions are considered your own affair and unrelated to your capacity to serve on the town board.
Was support for Ukraine or Russia ever made the crucible for the eligibility to run for town board member? No, because your political opinions are considered your own affair and unrelated to your capacity to serve on the town board.
We, the undersigned, strongly condemn the strong-arm tactics used to railroad people into silence around the current brutality being waged by a major occupying force against a defenseless population. According to different estimates, anywhere from 40,000 to 181,000 Palestinians have become casualties of the Israeli assault with the majority being women and children. The issue itself has been discussed and argued over for over 70 years and is certainly not a settled matter. The silencing of issues surrounding this assault in the US is a tyranny that we must push back against.
Tarak Kauff
Gowri Parameswaran
Donna Goodman
Salvatore Engel-Dimauro
Shafiul Chowdhury
Swati Birla
Lori Wynters
Maggie Veve
Tony Salvino
Mrig Mehra
Naomi Allen
Tanya Marquette
Jo Salas
Jim Savio
Eugene Hamond
Reeni Goldin
Eli Kassirer
Shirley Warren
Edgar Rodriguez
Michael Sussman
Michelle Riddell
Sarah Workneh
Janice Butcher
Alex Wojcik
Autumn Joy Florencio-Wain
Anthony Dandridge
Ingrid Hughes
Marguerite Shinouda
Rich Silverman
Ruth Molloy
Carrie Sutton
Linda Abbott
Barbara Upton
Marcia Villiers
Deborah Bowman
Stana Weisburd
New Paltz
You’re welcome!
Among the beautiful characteristics of the United States is the variety of cultural backgrounds that we have the privilege to encounter in our daily lives. Regardless of region of origin (indigenous or immigrant), the tapestry created by the blending of our population’s roots has served to enrich the American experience. We should continue to welcome newcomers to the U.S. as a newfound source of strength, caring and values from which we all can learn. For some, positive interaction with newcomers will reawaken an awareness of our own strengths, caring, and values.
From a practical standpoint, our economy continues to benefit and thrive because of the contributions of recent immigrants. The U.S. economy has grown and inflation has been under control (despite the rhetoric that can sometimes be heard). Most would be hard-pressed to deny the quality of work, respect and responsibility exhibited by the newly arrived. For anyone concerned about the impact of immigrants on a community’s quality, records widely have shown that crime has decreased in areas where immigrants have settled.
Let us continue to WELCOME immigrants and asylum seekers for their contributions to the tapestry of the U.S. — strengthening our economy and, if we pay attention, reminding us that we are one human which can care for ALL its members.
Terence Lover
Woodstock
Commentary on “My Masada” column by Susan Slotnick
If you didn’t read Susan Slotnick’s column in the July 3 issue of Hudson Valley One about “opportunity lost,” you missed an opportunity to reset your life. She reminded me to pay attention to what is around me and appreciate all that I have here in New Paltz, in New York State, in the United States. She reminded me not to let the “world-sad” illness in the newstream distract me from what is good and right here in front of me now. I will never be able to cure or influence the big problems of this world. My life attitude is to do what good I can in the circle of influence I have: my family, my neighborhood, my community. Susan reminded me to pay attention to what’s around me, to who needs help, to see who needs a kind word, to see what is beautiful, to see who needs love. Thank you, Susan, for paying attention and giving us your time. Thank you, Ulster Publishing, for giving Susan space in your newspaper: I noticed.
Carla Barrett
New Paltz
Fascism on the march
Could there be a more patently unqualified, unfit presidential aspirant than Donald Trump? His four years in office were a master class in chaos, incompetence, scandal and corruption. From day one when he sent his press secretary out to lie about his inaugural crowd, the country lurched from one ego-driven outrage to the next — the exit and eventual conviction of his national security advisor, his Muslim ban instituted without any pretense to legality or planning, firing the FBI director for refusing to violate his oath of office, funneling business to his private hotels in DC, Scotland and Ireland, his bromances with foreign tyrants most notably Putin and Kim, his musical-chair cabinet, his attempted extortion of Zelensky leading to his first impeachment, his inability to pass any legislation other than a huge tax cut for himself, culminating in his bazaar, reckless guidance on the once-in-a-century deadly pandemic and his attempted overthrow of the government. Does he care a straw about the damage his lies about his election loss have done to Americans’ faith in our institutions? Choosing as our leader a man who only respects elections when he wins would spell the end of elections. He has the moral fiber of a sewer rat. Convicted of 34 felonies, sexual abuse, tax and bank fraud, Trump epitomizes criminality. How many of his associates have been convicted, disbarred, disgraced? Without much prodding, Trump has succeeded in nudging the Republican Party and the Supreme Court into the same ruthless lust for power. Yes, Biden is old and inarticulate and he suffers from institutional blindness on the rapacity of Israel, but he respects and upholds our constitution whereas Trump and his backers would be the instruments of its demise. Overturning the rule of law might bring short-term satisfaction to his followers, but inevitably long-term disaster for our country and the world.
Elect a criminal — get lawlessness.
Matt Frisch
Arkville
And the pièce de résistance
When a 78-year-old calls an 81-year-old, “old,” and people go, “yeah he’s old!” The blatant blind stupidity is on full display. Oh, and if the Trumpublican Project 2025 concerns you, imagine how you’re going to feel about the parts they’ve kept secret…
Neil Jarmel
West Hurley
Beauty
I yearn for beauty in this sprawling labyrinth of steel and glass, where every heartbeat echoes the tick of a relentless clock. Not the fleeting kind that adorns magazine covers but a more profound, resonant beauty that whispers to the soul. As I navigate the corridors of my mind, I can’t help but wonder if, in our quest for progress, we have lost the essence of what makes us truly human.
Is beauty essential in our modern age? The question gnaws at me like a persistent itch. Amid the din of daily life, beauty feels like a distant memory, a relic from when the demands of modernity did not overshadow love, peace, harmony and the pursuit of meaning. The gears of progress grind on, and I, like many others, yearn for a world where these ideals are not just nostalgic echoes but living, breathing realities.
Similarly, I ponder the place of love in this equation. Can compassion, empathy and genuine connection find a foothold in a society driven by productivity and self-interest? We celebrate the forces that create capital, yet humanity languishes in the shadow of this celebration. Joy and fulfillment, those vital nutrients for the soul, are cast aside as the purses of the few swell and the many struggles for health care, jobs, and safety.
The Titanic wealth of the few has created an economic chasm, eroding our collective morality. This trend is alarming, a festering wound in the fabric of our society. Our education systems, once beacons of hope, have forgotten the importance of existential questions and philosophical inquiry. Purpose, ethics and the search for meaning are lost in the relentless pursuit of standardized success.
There is a pressing need for discussions that navigate the world’s complexities and provide a sense of purpose. Open your computer and you will see a collage of untethered thoughts, feeding a populace hungry for truth. Yet, truth remains elusive, a shadow dancing just beyond reach.
Our government, a monolith of legal jargon, relies on attorneys to dictate our laws. If you have vast wealth and a law degree, you will likely be elected, bolstered by a flock of attorneys. Most Americans, unable to afford the exorbitant fees of law firms, find themselves voiceless in the very system meant to serve them. With their armies of attorneys, the wealthy navigate this labyrinth easily while the rest of us struggle to find our way.
But amid this chaos, the pursuit of meaning offers a glimmer of hope. It can break the trance of progress, pulling us back from the brink. Meaning is not found in the external trappings of success but within the quiet moments of introspection and the profound dialogues that shape our souls. Humanity, not dominance or power, is the true goal. It is cultivated through a collective commitment to values that include nature and the essence of what it means to be human.
As I reflect on these thoughts, I am reminded of a quote by Rainer Maria Rilke: “The only journey is the one within.” In our modern age, beauty, love and the pursuit of meaning are not just luxuries but necessities. They are the threads that weave together the tapestry of our humanity, reminding us that amid the relentless march of progress, the accurate measure of our success is found not in Wealth or power but in the depth of our connections and the richness of our inner lives.
I yearn for beauty in this sprawling labyrinth of steel and glass, where every heartbeat echoes the tick of a relentless clock. Not the fleeting kind that adorns magazine covers but a more profound, resonant beauty that whispers to the soul. As I navigate the corridors of my mind, I can’t help but wonder if, in our quest for progress, we have lost the essence of what makes us truly human.
Larry Winters
New Paltz
Letter to Kingston aldermen voting to demolish the Pike Plan canopies
On August 6, 2024, the following aldermen will be making local history. They will be voting to demolish the Pike Plan canopies or not. A majority of local people are against this because the canopies are a unique, picturesque hometown sidewalk feature. Our friends and relatives visit us and they are mostly impressed. Most local people have common sense which tells them that the canopies provide shelter from snow, rain and sun. In addition, the canopies were not long ago refurbished at taxpayer expense. We are against spending another million dollars to demolish what has become part of our hometown memory. Back in 1969, our leaders demolished a unique, stately old post office building on Broadway. Many regret the loss of this post office building. Let’s tell the aldermen listed below not to demolish another unique and useful part of Kingston. Sure as day, we will regret the loss of the Pike Plan canopies.
Let’s call and write to the following aldermen to urge them to preserve the Pike Plan:
First ward, Sara Pasti, 845-392-2519, 15 Alcazar Avenue, ward1@kingston-ny.gov; second ward, Michael Tierney, 845-768-6781, 25 John Street,ward2@kingston-ny.gov; third ward/majority leader, Reynolds Scott-Childress, 845-392-2919, 62 Lounsbury Place, ward3@kingston-ny.gov; fourth ward, Jeanne Edwards, 845-242-2533, 64 Liberty Street, ward4@kingston-ny.gov; fifth ward, Teryl Mickens, 845-392-3808, 138 Franklin Street, ward5@kingston-ny.gov; sixth ward, Robert Dennison, 845-392-4607, 122 Wilson Avenue, ward6@kingston-ny.gov; seventh ward, Bryant Drew Andrews, 19 Van Gaasbeck Street, 845-372-9241, ward7@kingston-ny.gov; eighth ward, Steven Schabot, 845-392-4866, 10 Presidents Place, ward8@kingston-ny.gov; ninth ward, Michele Hirsch, 845-746-3013, 81 Brewster Street, ward9@kingston-ny.gov.
We will keep score and publish who voted against the wishes of the people.
Ralph Mitchell
Kingston
Where are you hiding?
I admit it. Volunteering changed my life. The message: This letter isn’t for everyone. Skip this letter if you don’t want to change your life. Or, maybe, ruin it forever.
It’s also possible you’ll find a community. Everywhere I go, I encounter people living in new surroundings they discovered during the pandemic. They live in the new place but are not yet a part of this new location.
Where are you hiding?
People in this situation are homesick for a past that will not join them in the future.
To put it bluntly: They haven’t found a community. To do that, they need an activity calling them to do something beyond themselves.
To feel good about your home and your life in the present moment find a place, a job, a hobby, a community that feeds you physically and spiritually.
This is where volunteering comes in. When I began working at the food pantry, I had no inkling that my old life was gone forever. I had no clue that what would replace it was a much richer tapestry.
I didn’t know I was doing something great beyond myself. Why was I hiding?
I immersed myself in my community doing what needed to be done. This brought a pivot in my life.
So I ask you: Are your curtains up? Have you got the sofa where you want it in the living room? Where are you hiding if the answer to these two questions is “yes”? Go for it!
You’ll soon be motivated to a more positive attitude because your self-image and social esteem are improved. You’ll feel better about yourself.
Don’t know where to go? Look around you. Opportunities are all over the place!
Think about something you like: dogs, cats, art, reading, children, politics.
When you find your volunteering place, you’ll see change. You’ll discover what the word “impact” means. You’ll write a new chapter in your life.
But, what if you don’t want to involve yourself in life on the margins?
What ifs are all around you? But, they’re not everywhere. Scout around and find yourself a healer. Find yourself a Reiki master teacher, for example, and go for it! New horizons wait for you in healing in general and Reiki in particular, that’s for sure. Your inner self is calling out.
Thurman Greco
Woodstock
We can work it out
“Try to see it my way” (Lennon and McCartney)
Some time ago, my wife and I were preparing to attend a social gathering at the home of a friend. Knowing there would be people present whose perspectives on religion and politics were different from mine, I promised my concerned wife that “this time” a political or religious thought would not be uttered from my opinionated lips at a gathering.
Things were going well in this regard as pleasantries were offered over a “pot-luck” dinner. Feeling proud of having kept my promise, I joined a group moving to the living room to watch our host’s family films. And then it happened: An intelligent friend of considerable academic and professional achievement (out of the blue) uttered the sentence that tempted this writer, beyond his ability to resist, into breaking his solemn vow: “The only reason Republicans oppose President Obama is because he is black!” Surprised and incredulous at this proclamation, and feeling that my head was going to explode because of the blood rushing to it from every vein in my body, I cast off all restraint and managed to sputter (even though I’m a registered Independent): “Really? You really believe that the only reason a Republican could oppose President Obama is because of his race?” When questioned about what other reasons one could have for such opposition, I offered a litany of them.
Of course the implication of the statement that President Obama’s skin tone was the only reason for Republican opposition is that all Republicans who oppose President Obama are racists. However, from my litany of reasons, mentioned above, it would be clear that I opposed President Obama because of his policies not his color and I am not a racist. Indeed, some of my best friends are… Alright, so I actually don’t have any African Americans as friends — in the true sense of the word. But, that’s beside the point because my purpose is not to defend myself or Republicans regarding charges of racism. Rather, it is to discuss the prejudices we have which cloud our judgment when evaluating our own or others’ political views or preferences. This is not to suggest that I am free of bias in this regard. I once thought that anyone who voted for Richard Nixon over George McGovern was either a reprobate or a complete idiot. Mere words cannot describe my elation over both the relentless curiosity of the press after the Watergate break-in was discovered, and its determination to prove that Nixon was, if not the actual mastermind of the event, at least in some way involved. (I must confess that because of bias Nixon’s guilt or innocence in this regard was irrelevant. I despised Nixon and wanted him destroyed, even if unfairly accused about “Watergate.” And since my bias against Nixon was based upon policy differences I demonized his motives for promoting these policies in order to justify my antipathy to him. Today, because it seems that members of both sides of the political spectrum are convinced those who disagree with them are either stupid or evil, political bias inspires (perhaps requires would be a better word) writers who express their political views to do the same motive demonization. But, before the entire population is viewed as demoniacs by one another, maybe we should consider that those disagreeing with us on issues do so for thoughtfully considered reasons they believe are good rather than from their ignorance, stupidity or malevolence.
So, if you disapprove of candidates or policies, remember some people support them for the same idealistic reasons you support your own and not because they’re fascists or racists or they don’t understand the great threat to democracy (it’s always existential) their choice presents or because they admire Adolph Hitler. If we do remember this, perhaps, more people would attribute opposing views held by others to valid reasons motivated by good intentions (even regarding reasons for opposing Obama) and, then, maybe my wife would be less hesitant to attend social gatherings with me by her side where there would be people present holding different views than mine.
George Civile
Gardiner
Summer food aid for children
It was with dismay that I learned that there are eight million children who will be shut out of food aid this summer in 15 different states (mostly southern states) because their governors have rejected the food assistance that comes from the Federal Summer Electronic Benefits Program. This benefit is loaded onto a debit type card and can only be used for food.
At a time when food insecurity has gone from 10.2 % of American families (13.5 million families) in 2022 to 12.8% of American families (17 million families), and when one in five children live in families below the poverty line, this seems unconscionable.
If you are denying our children food, one cannot help but question the morality of such a move.
By the way, all 15 states are governed by Republican governors.
Linnea Masson
New Paltz
Hazardous waste?
Talk about a nasty environmental mess. Add the numerous rainfalls to the leaking highway garage roof and the limited ability of the ceiling insulation to hold water, and you get the release of a slimy, discolored, semi-coagulated fluid that floods the various garage bays.
I remember when the initial leak occurred, a short time after the garage was built, and two town board members attempting to repair it. When will the board hire a professional roofer? Too much time has passed.
Howard Harris
Woodstock
Tom is minimally correct
I agree with Tom Cherwin that, regardless of party affiliation, we will all feel and experience the consequences of whomever our next president turns out to be. For the past nearly four years, we’ve ALL suffered the same, thanks to Biden’s, or his puppet string manipulator’s, policies and decisions. Trump’s four years did NOT produce anything even remotely close to the Biden administration failures. To prove the vast differences, all we need do is ask ourselves the famous Ronald Reagan question: “Are we better off now than we were four years ago?” The answer, of course, is a resoundingly obvious “No, we are not!”
Tom says the Democratic nominee will promote “Democratic ideals.” No thank you, Tom. An intentional mass invasion of unvetted illegal migrants, 1,700,000 gotaways including countless criminals and terrorists, record crime waves, record fentanyl deaths, a two-tiered system of justice, record inflation resulting in 78% of ALL Americans living from paycheck to paycheck, a poor housing market, sexual mutilation of underaged children who don’t have the mental capacity to understand the irreversible consequences of transgenderism, allowing males to “identify” as women so they can invade the world of REAL women’s sports, etc., are all “ideals” most Americans want no part of.
As I’ve said before, there are several things I don’t like about Trump, his personality, and his personal life choices but, performance-wise, he easily dances circles around Biden as evidenced by his presidency compared to Biden’s.
Regarding the Supreme Court’s presidential immunity decision, it would always be applicable to all future presidents of BOTH parties, not myopically just to Trump in the here and now. Regarding the climate situation, we are not the worst offenders. Until we can all afford EV’s (electric vehicles), the push for them, now, is premature and ludicrous especially considering that only 15% of Americans can afford an EV, at present. Until this number reverses itself, we’re still dependent on fossil fuels which can also makes us energy independent, AGAIN…. no longer being held hostage for excessive fuel costs by countries who hate us. So, until we have tested and proven replacements to transition away from fossil fuels, it’s inevitable that we drill again.
In the past 2-3 years, I’ve made my positions clear on abortion and immigration.
There are not enough words left to go into details of other issues raised by Tom. It’s obvious that Trump would do his best to drag us out of Biden’s deep chasm instead of our ending up much further down Biden’s hole of incompetency which would be our lot if Biden or any other Democrat got into the White House in November.
John N. Butz
Modena
Thanks for your due diligence
Recently I was made aware that the construction of a new cell tower on South Mountain Road is complete and in service.
As such, I would like to express appreciation to the planning board and the town board for their diligence on our behalf. You oversaw a long and complicated review process with the best interests of Gardiner residents always front and center. Thank you all.
Glenn Gidaly
Gardiner
E — The deconstruction of the administrative state, #2
I have commented on various topics since I started submitting letters going back to 2016. That was the year Donald Trump was elected for his first term as POTUS. Mainly, those topics centered around my benefits, and yours as well — Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. In addition, immigration, liberalism, socialism, were all topics I touched upon, though not to the attention I gave my benefits. These and many more are on the drawing board to be addressed by a new administration, particularly Donald Trump, if he is re-elected again, after he was not elected in 2020.
One has to keep uppermost in mind how we arrived at this point in time and where we might be going. The latter part of the 19th century, there were six Republican out of nine presidents from the years 1893-1933, a period of 40 years. These six POTUS’s were the beneficiaries of the Supreme Court ruling of 1886, Santa Fe County v. Southern Pacific Railroad, which gave the corporation ‘personhood’ status’ and took them out of the realm of state responsibility. The six GOP presidents were business only; it was ‘grab’, ‘grab’, ‘grab’, ‘everyman for himself.’ The result was the Great Depression of the late 20’s and 30’s. By the end of Hoover’s first term, 1933, the Great Depression showed no signs of abating. At the time it was felt that if the GOP did not support FDR’s New Deal to get the country up and running, they would be out of office in the midterm elections; thus, by a vote of 81 percent with the Democrats 87 percent, Hoover was not elected and into office came FDR.
FDR placed into effect numerous programs to get the country up and running again. But the GOP were well aware of the introduction of FDR’s New Deal into the social, aka ‘socialism’, fabric of the country. From that date of 1933 until the 2024, the GOP has hated the socialistic innovations, not only of FDRs but also Lyndon Johnson’s ‘Great Society of 1965. As you will recall, Johnson passed the supplements to the Social Security Act, Medicare and Medicaid.
For 89 years, various administrations, Republican and Democratic, maintained these socialistic programs for the benefit and welfare of the American citizenry. Either the House of Representatives or Senate bounced back and forth with majorities for outright elimination or, at least revisions, but was always unable to offset the other house, voting differently. And there was always the third branch of the checks and balances, the oval office, the president. So, for almost a hundred years, the socialistic programs of the democratic administrations have withstood the onslaughts of the GOP.
It was mentioned in a previous letter to the editor, the Supreme Court decision of 1960 Flemming v. Nester, the court affirmed the 1954 amendment to the Social Security Act of 1935 which states: Social Security is not a contractual right to one’s benefits they paid into. Flemming of the Federal Health, Education and Welfare under Eisenhauer’s administration, denied Nestor his benefits since he was being deported , an alien. He sued. He lost. The Supreme Court ruled, only Congress has the right to regulate, revise, amend Social Security.
This system has worked well for this period of time. But there is a storm arising on the horizon that not only places our benefits on the line, but a host of socialistic programs by previous democratic administrations. More to come.
Robert LaPolt
New Paltz
Woodstock’s kids deserve better
Woodstock’s existing youth center lacks an air purifier, something that supervisor Bill McKenna refuses to install (estimated cost $750). We had an ozone alert just this week and the fouled air from Canadian wildfires will likely recur. While I applaud the campaign to plan for the youth center of tomorrow, why wait to protect the health of our children there today?
David Wallis
Woodstock
The Singing Bowl for Shiv Mirabito
I strike my Tibetan brass
singing bowl that sits on a
red satin cushion. I open
the Book of Common Prayer,
listen to the reverberation.
At the same time
my clock chimes,
my AC hums,
my cell pings,
the table I’m at creaks.
I smile at the realization
all this is one, all
united, and there’s little
space between what is,
and what isn’t, sacred.
Patrick Hammer, Jr.
Saugerties
Ram Dass, Part 1
In September of 2001, about a week after the horrific 9/11 attacks on the twin towers in New York City, my wife and I decided to fly to upstate New York and attend a five-day workshop with Ram Dass. Over the years, I enjoyed Ram Dass and all his teachings from a distance, but never attended an event with him. But after the 9/11 devastation and the fact that Ram Dass had been slowly recovering from a traumatic stroke, we thought that this was our little window to be in the presence of such a well respected, loved and conscious spiritual leader. We made the phone call and signed up to spend five days with Ram Dass at Omega Institute. Two weeks later, we found ourselves in a beautiful country setting with about 100 participants, eagerly anticipating a special enlightening week.
Ram Dass was teaching the workshop from his specially adapted wheelchair, the result of the stroke. His speech was slower than usual, but he was clear and easy to understand. But he had moments when answering questions where he would move his hand and arm around, searching for a word to fit what he was going to say. This was new to him and challenging for sure. But, after taking his time, and then coming up with the needed words, he still spoke with eloquence and compassion. He was truly a gift of a spiritual leader.
At each day’s official end, Ram Dass would make himself available to answer personal questions. There was always a line to get the chance to be close to him. People loved him and his words were so filled with awareness, humility and caring.
One day I got on the line with two questions for him. When it was my turn I kneeled at the foot of his wheelchair and he took my hand. We held hands together for a few minutes and did not speak. It was so powerful and heartfelt. I took a deep breath and spoke. My first question was to see if I could get him to lead an evening for Southern Springs, the holistic learning center I created in Tallahassee, Florida. I gave him a couple of pamphlets from Southern Springs and he promised to get back to me about coming sometime in the future. I was thrilled.
Then I asked if he would consider giving me a Sanskrit name. I was envious of all the “Dass” brothers, as I called them. There was, of course, Ram Dass and Krishna Dass. But others like Lama Surya Dass and Shyam Dass too. He looked at me, closed his eyes and went into a little meditative trance. He was quiet for what felt like a long time, until he opened his eyes and smiled. Vishnu Dass, he said. He later told my stepson, who was there with me, that he thought of Vishnu, the sustainer of life, along with Dass, servant of God, would be a fitting name for Marty.
I had tears in my eyes and thanked him, as we hugged for a long minute, and then I slowly walked away with my stepson. It was such a reverent moment in my life, and I felt heard, honored and cared for by such a special human being.
Marty Klein
Sarasota, FL
Join the family! 
