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How could Kamala lose…?
My same-sex husband and I are in our 70’s and have been registered Democrats our entire adult lives. My husband was a civil rights attorney and I was a human rights activist.
Neither of us thought that switching Harris for Biden in the recent election without any primary was following democratic protocol. WE found it annoying hearing Harris and the Democrats referring to Trump as Hitler, a Nazi or a fascist. WE decided to listen to what Trump was actually saying in his interviews and compare his words to what the Democrats and corporate media was reporting he said. WE noticed great disparities. And when a close friend of ours attended the Madison Square Garden rally that the media reported was a Nazi rally, we heard a totally different first-hand description. She told us that she “never saw so many African Americans and people wearing yarmulkes at a Nazi rally.”
Then the media said that Trump said that “there were very fine people on both sides” after the white supremacists marched on Charlottesville. When my husband and I listened to the unedited version, we distinctly heard Trump say at the end: “except for white nationalists and Nazis.” Later, the media said that Trump suggested that Liz Cheney should be put in front of a firing squad. We decided to listen to what Trump actually said. He referred to Liz Cheney as advocating for wars and that she might feel differently should she experience a battlefield with bullets whizzing overhead. And after that, the media made further statements that we found to be out-right lies about Trump.
WE also listened to Kamala’s endless word salad speeches and her enthusiastic support of children being allowed and even encouraged to cut off their healthy genitals and take irreversible puberty blockers.
Subsequently, literally millions of registered Democrats have left the Democrat Party. My husband and I as well. These are reasons why Kamala lost the election and the Democrats lost the Senate and Congress. The majority of American voters are sick and tired of DEI ideology, transgender confusion and destruction of our children and a very deadly open borders policy. The voters want change and the Trump administration is doing that. They are not destroying Democracy, they are not dismantling the government and there is no constitutional crisis. That is all BS from corporate media and the Democrats.
And lastly, if there is any satanic or dark evil presence on this planet — it is Hamas!
Donzello Borelli
New Paltz
Male, female, other?
Our resident poster boy for the Dunning-Kruger effect, John Butz, once again asserts with the utmost confidence that there are two and only two sexes. About a year and a half ago, I wondered if he could explain the existence of folks with more than one pair of chromosomes. He couldn’t, of course, but that didn’t stop him from repeating the lie, this time bolstered by the president’s executive order to that effect. Well, guess what, John — just because Donald Trump says it, doesn’t mean it’s true.
So I’ll ask again: If the chromosome profile of women is XX and of men is XY, how do you characterize people who are XXY? Men or women? There are people with two full sets of chromosomes (XXYY). Which bathroom should they use? People with an XY genotype who lack the enzyme to process testosterone will look like, and identify as, women. What goes on their passport?
It’s clear that in MAGA world everything is neatly binary and anything that deviates from their black-and-white image is liberal propaganda, but biology is messy and doesn’t care about your political leanings. Sticking your fingers in your ears and talking loud won’t make these people go away. If you want to talk ABOUT the sexually ambiguous community, perhaps you should first try talking TO them. You might find that they are human and deserving of dignity and respect, even if they don’t fit neatly into your preconceived pigeonholes. But hey, anything that brings down the price of eggs, right?
Steve Massardo
Saugerties
I’m voting for Amanda Gotto
As a retired health professional, I am proud to support New Paltz Town Supervisor Amanda Gotto in her bid for reelection. Her resolution in support of Dr. Margaret Carpenter shows leadership and compassion. We are going to need that kind of leadership if the village dissolves and transfers its debt, zoning and infrastructure to the town. At least, I think that’s what dissolution means.
I’ve looked at the village dissolution page and I haven’t seen an explanation of what problems dissolution will solve, but I’ll keep checking back. I would have liked to have the town be an equal partner in the process, but now that it’s a village process, given Amanda’s incredible attention to detail, I will be voting for her to guide the new town next year. I trust her to understand, explain and adopt the change … if it’s in everybody’s best interest.
“There may be a ‘legacy’ property tax levied on the town tax bill on properties in the former village to cover any outstanding village debts or obligations.” I’m not clear whether the extra charge will be just on the (former) village properties, or do we all have to cover village debts?
Sherrill Silver
New Paltz
Thinking about summer camp in winter
I enjoy campaigning for supervisor of Woodstock because I hear my neighbors’ pressing concerns. Recently, I had an online conversation with someone that is unlikely to support my candidacy. But she revealed her frustration about Woodstock’s summer camp program. She argued that the program costs more than neighboring Olive’s camp — $400 compared with $125 in 2024 (Woodstock charged non-residents $600). And she fretted that the town does not offer scholarships for families that struggle to afford the $400 tuition. I think Woodstock should institute sliding scale pricing for its terrific summer camp. Residents with a household income of less than $50,000 could receive free tuition. Those earning between $50,000-$100,000 would pay $250. And residents with a household income of $100,000 or more would pay $500. Non-residents would pay $750, still a bargain compared with private day camps.
Maybe a wealthy neighbor will underwrite a new scholarship program? Let’s make the town more affordable for our families.
David Wallis
Bearsville
Sweet dreams
When all this is over, Elon will be sleeping on a street corner (in San Francisco).
Sparrow
Phoenicia
Regarding ongoing Saturday protests in our community
For months, I have been taking meetings and calls regularly from community members, protesters and counter protesters asking for those on the other side of the street to be stopped, restrained, or cited for their behavior or how the sidewalk or signs are being used.
I have spoken with various attorneys (including but not limited to the village’s past and current counsel) who have explained that the police or local government may absolutely not censor protesters, per the US Constitution.
Individuals from both sides of the street have also complained that they feel harassed by their neighbors and former friends on the other side of the street.
Both sides are also asking for more police resources to be used to manage the other side.
Our community, sadly like so many others, is experiencing tremendous pain.
Three separate assertions that should not be competing:
1. Bigotry and hatred towards Jews and Muslims, are embarrassing historical and current realities that haunt our world and many of our neighbors.
2. Free speech and the right to gather is a cherished American principle that we must protect.
3. We should strive to balance expressing frustration, sadness and anger because of war and violence without making any neighbors feel threatened.
As a community, we should do more calling in of our neighbors versus calling out. Adding salt to century-old wounds harms us at home and does little if anything to improve geopolitical disasters. We can and should do a better job being mindful of those closest to us. This includes being mindful of terms/language that have stowed conflict rather than peace; this means interacting with curiosity rather than assumption; this means giving each other the benefit of the doubt as neighbors and Americans.
It is profoundly understated to say Middle Eastern politics are complicated. Those who vehemently disagree with each other can both make cogent arguments.
Muslims and Jews who have personal and/or religious connections to the Middle East and anti-war activists alike have interwoven experiences and often have shared concerns. For example, tens of thousands of Israelis have demonstrated in Tel Aviv each week against the war in Gaza and their Israeli government’s actions.
We will not always agree 100% with our neighbors. Disagreements over which route to take to get from point A to point B are to be expected. However, we must start each journey from point A with intentions to connect, understand and realize we’ll never get to point B unless this kind of focus on hope and love is the goal for the final destination.
Let’s pray the current ceasefire holds and Hamas is replaced with empowered Palestinians who seek peace, co-existence and stability in the region; Israel ends its occupation of Palestinian territories; and there is new Israeli leadership that emerges that has the political capital from its diverse constituents to pursue a two-state solution or other pathways toward mutual understanding, recognition and representation, so to bring an enduring peace.
In New Paltz, check in on your neighbors, even the ones who you fear get it wrong. Meet for coffee, a beer, a walk, etc. We have more in common and care deeply about most of the same things.
We don’t need to agree and we may drive each other crazy, but we love and need each other.
Mayor Tim Rogers
New Paltz
Vilification of the Town of Hurley Planning Board
The constant efforts by Town of Hurley Supervisor Mike Boms to paint the Town of Hurley Planning Board in a bad light are rather disturbing and show a penchant for showmanship and blame-shifting rather than trying to make things better for the residents of the town.
Those of us on the planning board for the last three years (my term expired at the end of 2024) relied on the advice of some of the best planners and land-use attorneys in the state, as we were allowed to do under both NYS town law and the town code, yet the planning board was accused of being dysfunctional. The large escrow bills that some applicants faced in 2024 were the result of Supervisor Boms instructing the planning board clerk to charge the planning board attorney’s time to the applicant’s escrows rather than to the town budget, but rather than take responsibility for this, the supervisor used this as an excuse to appoint his political ally to the planning board and to make her the chair.
Most recently, 14 citizens of Hurley wrote in to express their concern that the supervisor planned to appoint a consultant for a group tied to large developers to the planning board. Rather than heed their concerns, he said it didn’t matter because they all came from West Hurley, which not only wasn’t true, but it also shows he doesn’t think around half of the town’s population matters.
Shame on Supervisor Boms and those on the town board who have gone along with his politically motivated efforts to discredit the planning board. Our town deserves better.
Peter McKnight
West Hurley
Vote Alexandria Wojcik for Ulster County Clerk
Constituent service is Alex’s superpower. For years, she has been planning to put that power to work by serving as Ulster County Clerk. Alex has innovative ideas for how to make the clerk’s office more responsive, inclusive and accessible. She has the experience and know how to implement successful improvements to this area of our government.
Alex is a strong collaborator who partners with public, commercial and non-profit entities to deliver on whatever is needed. I have served alongside Alex on the Village of New Paltz Board of Trustees and partnered with her within the Democratic Party and on many campaigns. I have never seen anyone work harder or more diligently than Alex. She cares so deeply that she is often up late ensuring that people do not lose their homes, doing all she can to guarantee they have what they need and that they understand their rights and responsibilities.
Alex is a policy wonk who has mastered how things work from the local municipal level through the state level and up. She is driven to help those among us with the least. Her passion, dedication and intellect are so very valuable and useful. Let’s put her in a position most well suited to her strengths and where she can do the most good. Please vote for Alexandria Wojcik for Ulster County Clerk.
Stana Weisburd
New Paltz
The self awareness of empire
The holocaust of the Palestinians is upon us. The ongoing eradication of two-million people isn’t really hidden, nor is the fact that the US is the major driver for the butchery. We supply the bombs and the planes to make it happen. We send billions upon billions to Israel just in case they run out of money while pulverizing hospitals, schools and apartment buildings. And we defend Israel’s crimes against humanity at the UN, making sure that the killing can go on without international interference.
But what has this genocide taught us about our own society? We don’t have two political parties when it comes to supporting this carnage; we have only one. They can demonize each other, but would never question the slaughter in Gaza, the West Bank and now Lebanon.
We have such congeniality within our religious community that our ministers, priests and rabbis would never mention this holocaust amongst themselves or to their congregations. That wouldn’t be the sensitive thing to do, so they all agree to avoid ever bringing it up.
We have a national media that continually defends Israel’s wholesale war crimes. New York Times reporters were instructed not to use the words “genocide,” “ethnic cleansing” or “occupied territory” when writing about Israel’s massacres. A similar directive must have been issued for the word “slaughter” which only gets applied to Hamas and not to the Israeli army.
We have college and university presidents who fall all over themselves not to appear critical of Israel. They fire teachers who speak or write about this holocaust. They send in the cops to physically break up student groups that are demanding an end to apartheid and ethnic cleansing.
We have police departments that are more than willing to crack a few heads when students complain about free speech rights on campus. Chances are that at least some of their senior officials have been sent to Israel for “counterterrorism training.” At least 1,000 top brass have taken part in such indoctrination, while thousands more have participated in US conferences run by Israeli security officials.
We have a political structure that is awash in large political donations. They are bribes, of course, like Sheldon Adelson’s $20 million gift to the Republican Party that resulted in Trump moving the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. In legal terms this is called “quid-pro-quo,” the oxygen of our completely corrupted two-party system. Take a peek at how much the Israel Lobby is able to give to almost every member of Congress by looking at OpenSecrets.org. So many of our representatives are paid hundreds of thousands to look the other way while children are purposely starved to death in Gaza.
Our children or grandchildren will be asking about all this someday. How is it that you let our country commit a genocide? Didn’t you know that millions of women and children were being slaughtered by Israel? Were you aware? How in God’s name could you have done nothing?
Fred Nagel
Rhinebeck
What if?
When our local business owners manage to sell Winston Farm to some big bucks developers, they will be in a position to get a slot in the Trump administration if there are any left. But, maybe not, they will be only millionaires and Trump requires billionaires.
Meyer Rothberg
Saugerties
Tim Rogers for Town of New Paltz Supervisor
At a time when our political landscape is polarized and dysfunctional, it is reassuring to know that there are individuals like Tim Rogers who, rather than profile as party-line Republican or Democrat, leads in a rational issues-based no-nonsense manor. The political mud-pit has become so exhausting that it leaves one to wonder if self-preservation has become the primary goal — leaving no room for governing for the people. The act of governing should be consistent and free from drama — it is real work.
Fortunately, we have Tim Rogers, a lifelong New Paltz native who is committed to leading on principals, not party-line, without the cult-of-personality-politic that distracts from executing the hard work of being a servant-leader. An example of his long-term vision, fiscal responsibility and commitment to the environment is the multi-year, multi-grant funded sewer pipe replacement project. “Sewer is Sexy” is the most salacious thing we have heard during his tenure as mayor of the Village. How marvelous is that?
Robyn and Eric Gullickson
New Paltz
Clarification needed
I am writing this letter in response to misinformation ascribed to me in the February 9th article regarding the resignation of Michael Tierney.
I never threatened to sue the Village of New Paltz as stated in the article. The village board decided to table the rent stabilization on their own after I pointed out that the 2.7% vacancy rate being reported by Alexandra Wojcik was incorrect and showing them that after reviewing the documentation sent me in response to a FOIL request, that in fact, according to the information in the village’s own files, the true vacancy rate was 5.3%. Therefore ineligible to impose rent control on the eleven affected building owners.
The reported 2.7% vacancy rate prepared by Ms. Wojcik contained four ineligible properties and mysteriously omitted the actual number of vacancies shown in the village’s own records. This should give pause to anyone considering who should be the person in Ulster County who verifies and vouches for the authenticity of official filed documents.
Richard J. Lanzarone, Executive Director
Hudson Valley Property Owners Association, Inc.
Funding proposition for “central campus” should be stand alone
At the February 4 Onteora School Board meeting, Superintendent McLaren unveiled plans to package middle and high schools improvements with the “Central Campus” project (aka closing Woodstock Elementary and expanding Bennett Elementary) into one funding proposal for voter approval. The total cost would be $54 million, with the majority of expenses devoted to renovating Bennett.
As a district resident and parent of a Woodstock elementary student, I am writing to urge that these expenditures be split up into separate propositions. Whether we fund improvements to the middle school and high school is a separate question from whether we close Woodstock and expand Bennett. The former will be low cost and popular. The latter will be expensive and controversial, with major long-term impacts for the community.
Voters deserve the chance for a simple up/down vote on this important decision. There are many in the community, myself included, who believe that closing Woodstock is a bad idea for many reasons, including:
For Woodstock to remain vibrant, we need to attract families with children. Closing our community school will make that much harder.
• Any savings from closing Woodstock will be wiped out by the cost of expanding Bennett.
• Woodstock is a thriving school with a strong community and culture. Such institutions are hard to build and should be treasured.
• If we close Woodstock, elementary enrollment will drop even further as more parents choose private schools or home schooling.
I recognize that many in our community support the Central Campus project. They cite long-term demographic changes, yearly cost savings and better centralization of services. I respect their viewpoint; these are complicated issues. But I hope that proponents of the Central Campus would agree that voters deserve a chance to weigh this important (and very expensive) decision on its own, without the complication of unrelated expenditures.
Daniel Souweine
Glenford
The ‘Gulf of America’ is between his ears [Part 1]
Once again, Butz is blowing smoke outta his ass. And his letter of February 12 is full of bullshit “Why do Democrats oppose reducing our budget and spending, making our government much more efficient? Why do Democrats oppose law and order which would enable them to protect the safety of their constituents by deporting dangerous illegal criminals? Why would the Democrats oppose ANY measure intended to meet the needs of ALL Americans, made obvious by the recent election? It’s simply because all these proposed fixes come from Republicans. This is the Democratic playbook, in action!”
During chaos and deceit, there stands a man with traits so cheap, he’s full of shit, we all can see, a convicted felon of 34 counts, a number so grand, yet he tries to make us believe his hand. His civil conviction of sexual assault (rape), again we plainly see, he’s a POS, that’s all he’ll ever be. No one should stand with him, no way, for he tried to stop the peaceful transfer of power that January 6 day, never should we lend him our support, for his guilt is clear, and his lies distort. Unfortunately for our USA, this is our “really fucked-up reality” — you’ll hear me say.
Trump issued “a full, complete and unconditional pardon to all individuals convicted of offenses related to events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021,” a category that included those convicted of violently assaulting police officers when thousands of them stormed the building amid his false claims that his 2020 presidential election was rigged against him. Trump also commuted the sentences of individuals associated with the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, who were convicted of seditious conspiracy. Homegrown terrorists let loose.
Come on, MAGAt’s like Butz, talk to us about wasting government funds. Trump just spent anywhere between $10 and $18 million to attend the Super Bowl and then left early — before the halftime show! He should’ve just stayed home and watched it like he did during the insurrection. LOL, and these are the guys claiming to lessen waste and fraud in government. I guess it’s not a waste if Trump wastes it. Yeah, you do the math taxpayers. Isn’t he supposed to be saving us money. Donnie, stop wasting taxpayer’s dollars on your “fun” time!! “Good Lord,” and all these MAGAt idiots support him.
Does the above meet the needs of ALL Americans, Butz?
By the way, I don’t have TDS (Trump Derangement Syndrome). I have DTS (Deranged Trump Syndrome). He’s deranged. I react. This is normal.
Neil Jarmel
West Hurley
Ballad of a fat man
How many laws must a man have to break
Before we will put him away?
How many lies must such men have to tell
Till we no longer trust what they say?
How many folks must a man have to fire
Till we rise up, unite, and make him pay?
The answer, my friends, is blowin’ in the wind,
The answer is blowin’ in the wind.
How many times can a man alter facts
Till the real truth begins to take shape?
How many horrors must all of us hear
Before we convict him of rape?
How many more violations to come,
Before we agree he’s an ape?
The answer, my friends, is blowin’ in the wind,
The answer is blowin’ in the wind.
How many waters can a man pollute
Before he is barred from the well?
How many skies can a man turn foul
Before he is choked by the smell?
How many forests can a man burn down,
Before in the fire he must dwell?
The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind
The answer is blowin’ in the wind.
Tom Cherwin
Saugerties
Viewpoints differ
An unsigned article on page A8 of the February 5, 2025 edition of Hudson Valley One makes the claim that the Covid-19 coronavirus “likely was engineered in a lab to be highly contagious between humans.”
Viewpoints differ in the scientific community about the source of the Covid-19 virus: some believe the virus was transmitted from an animal to a human; others believe it escaped from a research laboratory. The National Institutes of Health describes both in detail in a report at https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9874793/.
Last week the CIA announced their support for the escape from a lab theory, but indicated they have “low confidence” in their conclusions. See https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/25/us/politics/cia-covid-lab-leak.html.
There is no evidence that the virus was deliberately released or that it was designed in a lab to be contagious to humans, that is, no evidence that the virus was weaponized by China. I was surprised and dismayed to see this error in your paper, which usually leaves the conspiracy theories to the Feedback section.
Dawn Sangrey
New Paltz
Bias reporting on Onteora capital project
With the rise of bias and misinformation in national news media, it’s vital our local news is accurate and fair. I was so disappointed in Nick Henderson’s inaccurate and slanted piece on the Onteora School District’s proposed capital project. In May, our community will be faced with decisions that could have long-term consequences for the fiscal health of the district and even more important, the quality and equity of the education for all the children across it. Voters deserve to get the full picture.
The article suggests that the financial propositions presented at the February 4th school board meeting are final. They are not. There is another community forum (there have been many) for input on February 25th. The school board needs to finalize and vote on what the propositions will ultimately be in early March. Voters will have two months to learn about and understand the propositions and their implications.
Reading the article, you’d think the school board is at odds with administration as it moves the entire district and community through this process. But it’s the school board that voted to pursue this plan. Two school board trustees that ran with the support of the political action committee OPEN are selectively quoted in the article, with no mention of the other five trustees who support the centralization plan.
OPEN was formed in 2023 with the mission of keeping three elementary buildings operating for what is currently about 430 students K-5, regardless of the educational compromises and financial costs. HV1 has amplified their message. But the most recent school board elections showed there are as many, if not more, community members who support the goal of upgrading our central campus to effectively, equitably and sustainably serve the needs of all of our kids and school staff.
I’m sure there are many letters to come that unpack the proposed benefits and costs of the district’s proposals for taxpayers and students alike. There is already a tremendous amount of information publicly available on the district’s website. In the meantime, I hope Hudson Valley One takes the time to investigate and report an accurate and full view of what our community faces as residents prepare to cast their vote in May. Finally, the article was wrong that Bennett Elementary would be K-8. It would be K-5. Please add this to your corrections for the next article.
Jess Wisneski
Olivebridge
Spring ahead
We are excited to announce Spring Ahead, a free community event to be held at St. Joseph’s Church (34 South Chestnut Street in New Paltz) on Tuesday, February 25th from 6 to 8 p.m. This event aims to bring local residents together to learn about energy- and money-saving initiatives being implemented in our communities. It will also provide valuable information on how individuals can take simple actions to make their homes more energy efficient, comfortable and less reliant on fossil fuels.
Join us for an informative evening where we will share the latest projects and ideas for reducing energy consumption and lowering environmental impact both in our municipalities as well as in our homes. Learn what local government leaders in New Paltz and Gardiner are doing to implement renewable energy and sustainability projects. New Paltz Mayor Tim Rogers, Town of New Paltz Supervisor Amanda Gotto and Gardiner Town Board member Franco Carucci will present an overview of their current projects and goals.
There will also be a panel of experts who will explain how community members can improve the comfort and efficiency of their home with state and federal incentives. The time to learn about heat pumps is before your furnace dies, the time to learn about hybrid and electric vehicles is before you need a new car. This event is perfect for anyone looking to save money on energy bills while contributing to a greener, more sustainable future.
In addition to the presentations, there will be free food, raffle prizes and children’s activities to make it an enjoyable experience for all ages.
We hope you can join us in this exciting initiative to create a more sustainable community. Together, we can make a difference!
Holly Shader
New Paltz Climate Action Coalition
They claim to be for democracy
Some Democrats continue to make asses of themselves by ramping up their egg-headed criticism of a government that’s simply doing the bidding of the voters. It’s no surprise that 70% of ALL Americans, including many Democratic voters, say that Trump is now doing exactly as he promised even before the election. If the people thought that his and his administration’s promises were unhinged and dangerous, his approval rating would even be lower than the hapless approval ratings of Biden and Harris. As a matter of fact, Trump wouldn’t have even come close to being elected.
It’s funny how hypocrisy develops. Bill Clinton and Barack Obama both spoke as if they were going to invoke some kind of DOGE approach since they both acknowledged the waste and fraud in our government spending. And there was absolutely no blowback from Democrats at the time. However, it was apparently nothing more than vote pandering rhetoric for both of them as they did nothing about it after being elected. For decades, BOTH parties knew all about the waste but chose to keep their heads in the sand. Why? Fear of unions? Reductions in the size of their nefarious wealth growth? Who knows.
Since politicians never had the intestinal fortitude to want to solve the out-of-control spending with its increasing national debt, it only made sense to appoint Elon Musk and others with business acumen to expose the financial waste, fraud and abuse. Trump, Musk and others are highly successful business people. They know what it takes to make a business efficient, devoid of unnecessary and redundant staff. Look how Musk cleaned house at Twitter and turned it into a much more successful business model — one, by the way, that didn’t cancel the voices of conservatives/Republicans. They will figure out the right balance to reduce staff while improving efficiency.
More and more prominent Democrats are jumping onto the suicidal bandwagon of condemning and trying to stop Trump, Musk and DOGE for merely starting to turn around a failing economy while getting rid of unnecessary staff, wasteful spending, fraud and abuse. If Trump, Musk and others did too much cutting in their businesses, their companies would go under. The same approach to running our government makes logical sense. What have we got to lose? If we continue letting politicians flounder while doing nothing, we’ll eventually bankrupt our government and join many third-world countries. If we were ever to hit rock bottom, we’d only have to thank the metastatic dissolving sawdust between the ears of our alleged “leaders.”
Even though DOGE stands for “Department of Governmental Efficiency”, it’s easy to see that it also stands for “Democrats Opposed to Generating Efficiency,” as evidenced by their irresponsible behavior and elementary school chants, songs and posters during ALL recent demonstrations and protests. It’s obvious that the Democrats STILL haven’t gotten the people’s message.
So, does the Democrat’s resistance to uncovering waste, fraud and abuse and their continuing to protect illegal criminals and gang members show the Democrat’s purported concern for ALL Americans? I hardly think so!
John N. Butz
Modena
The Hasbrouck House
Memories linger like the scent of something long gone — faint, elusive, yet stubbornly present. I thought much about Mrs. Coutant when I was in her kindergarten class, and her name echoes now like a song memorized without trying. She was my first teacher, and Hasbrouck House was my first school — not by design, but by circumstance.
Hasbrouck wasn’t much of a school. It was a house pretending to be one — creaky, drafty, shaped by someone’s long-dead dreams of home. Its narrow hallways weren’t meant for tiny feet shuffling in single file, and its floors groaned under the weight of desks and years. But it held us. Somehow, it made room for art classes, lunch boxes and laughter. It wasn’t much, but it was ours.
By third grade, we’d moved on to a proper school, but Hasbrouck lingered, etched into our memories. It was where we first held pencils, traced letters and dreamed of who we might become.
Last month, I drove past the intersection of Route 32 and Route 299. Hasbrouck House was gone — ripped from the earth like a weed someone decided didn’t belong. In its place, a young tree stood, defiant in its newness. No plaque. No shadow. Just absence.
I felt the loss like a sharp intake of breath — not just for the building, but for the moments it held: the time Mr. Kelly scolded me for smudging my drawing, the light slanting through the art room windows, the first fleeting smile from the girl who, briefly, became my first wife. Hasbrouck wasn’t just a place — it was the container of a thousand beginnings, small and grand.
Rebecca Solnit wrote, “A community is not a place, but a story.” The Hasbrouck House was a chapter of ours. It didn’t just house children; it held a moment when New Paltz decided its youngest mattered enough to make space for them, even in an imperfect, improvised way. Now it’s gone — a chapter erased without footnotes.
So, how do we hold onto something that no longer exists? The truth is, Hasbrouck House was never just its walls or creaky floors. It was the hands clutching crayons, the voices calling out answers. Its bones may be gone, but the house lives on in us, in the stories we tell.
And yet, every time I pass that intersection, I feel the weight of what’s missing. Then I see the tree standing in its place. Maybe it’s not an erasure but a reminder — of roots, growth and the things we plant and leave behind.
Larry Winters
New Paltz
Not a robot
McKenna wrote in HV1 and posted on the Town of Woodstock website: “I am human; I am imperfect, and I make mistakes.” My question is does, “I am imperfect “include, among other traits, he is vindictive, egotistical and misconstrues facts?
Howard Harris
Woodstock
Stop the fluff
The smart business people of Ulster County need to start making a different kind of breakfast because eggs are now too expensive and the residents are tired of all the fluff. Fluffy pancakes are like promises that the SUNY New Paltz business startup incubator and Ulster County IDA’s homemade burnt flapjacks serve. Track records indicate and verify that the SUNY New Paltz business incubator and IDA have a horrible crash-and-burn track record. The only thing they are good at is wasting taxpayer money. Sometimes the truth is hard to swallow, just like the bad breakfast they keep serving. Ulster County’s biggest industry is social services and it’s taxpayer funded. Well, the taxpayers need to eat too because I can’t eat up all this fluff anymore. Enough of the taxpayer-supported junk. This customer is an actual employee, not a 1099 independent contractor. Stop the fluff.
Ryan Van Kleeck
Town of Ulster
David Wallis offers an agenda letter
Last week, David Wallis, candidate for Woodstock supervisor, gave a vigorous 15-minute presentation explaining why he is running for supervisor. Although some thought Wallis was excessively rude in his criticisms of the current board, Wallis laid out an agenda of what he would do differently as supervisor. Others questioned his commitment.
Wallis has a well-earned reputation of making campaign promises, only to flip his position after an election. Agree or disagree, it was refreshing to hear a candidate explain his position in strong, declarative sentences, rather than offering a fog of meaningless platitudes.
Woodstock has urgent problems. Candidates for supervisor should be expected to offer compelling explanations of how they would address these issues and what they would do differently.
Ken Panza
Woodstock
Rubber stamp
I recently heard David Wallis, candidate for Woodstock town supervisor, speak. He said councilwoman Courtis, also a candidate for Woodstock town supervisor, is just a “rubber stamp” for Supervisor McKenna, and said he knows this because of all the times they vote the same way. Google defines a “rubber stamp” as “a person or organization that gives automatic approval or authorization to the decisions of others, without proper consideration.”
Candidate Wallis clearly does not understand the way our town board works.
Supervisor McKenna receives input from board members regarding resolutions and regularly alters and/or remove resolutions from town board meeting agendas based on feedback he receives. I have served on the Woodstock Town Board with Bill McKenna as supervisor for eight years. He listens as I explain my position, and where possible, adjusts resolutions such that we both are comfortable voting yes. Twice we could not reach agreement on resolution contents, and I voted no. I do not wait for a town board meeting and grandstand to let the supervisor know when my opinion differs from his. I readily tell him one on one.
I work closely with councilwoman Courtis and know she also thinks independently, has well-formed thoughts and ideas, talks regularly with Supervisor McKenna, speaks her mind and votes based on what she believes. Just as I am not a “rubber stamp,” neither is councilwoman Courtis.
Candidate Wallis is not present in these one-on-one conversations to know when councilwoman Courtis influenced resolutions when we voted yes. He jumped to the conclusion that just because she votes with Supervisor McKenna, she is his “rubber stamp.” It seems almost sexist and misogynist that he does not consider a woman with her professional credentials and accomplishments would have collaborative influence with a supervisor who regularly adjusts resolutions based on town board member input. He also failed to mention she has voted against Supervisor McKenna.
I hope that in the future candidate Wallis researches and speaks only the untwisted truth when mentioning other candidates. Otherwise, it appears he is just digging a hole under someone else to make himself appear bigger. We need better than that in our next Town of Woodstock supervisor.
Laura Ricci
Woodstock Town Council Member
The three questions
In his beautiful children’s book The Three Questions, John J. Muth asks us to consider three questions that were first posed in a short story by Tolstoy.
In the book, a little boy named Nikolai says to his friends, a heron, a monkey and a dog, “I want to be a good person. But I don’t always know the best way to do that. If only I could find the answers to my three questions, then I would always know what to do.” These are the questions: What is the best time to do things? Who is the most important one? What is the right thing to do?
In the end, Leo, a wise turtle, helps Nikolai understand that he himself has already found the answers: “Remember then that there is only one important time, and that time is now. The most important one is always the one you are with. And the most important thing is to do good for the one who is standing at your side. For these, my dear boy are the answers to what is most important in this world. This is why we are here.”
You need all three to stay on the path, and Donald Trump is the world’s most prominent counterexample. Clearly, he understands that the time to act is now. He also understands that he must do what is best and good for the one he is with — but, always, that person is himself and only himself. What the world has come to call “transactional” translates in reality to “me, myself and I.” And, yes, in always doing the best for himself, he shows that he cares nothing for anyone else.
And thus we arrive at the intentional debasement of society’s norms through lying, stealth and craft, the irrelevance of honor and good will, the appeal to hatred, the application of coercion and the substitution of propaganda for argument. We arrive at the dissolution of USAID. We learn that an antivax hypocrite will administer our nation’s health policy. How can one know what to do amid such chaos?
One person in the news shows us the right path, former interim U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon, who resigned rather than sign off on a corrupt directive from Emil Bove III, Donald Trump’s former criminal defense lawyer who is now attempting to corrupt the U.S. Justice Department by serving as its commissar. Bove wanted Sassoon to suspend the office’s prosecution of NYC Mayor Eric Adams. Sassoon refused to abandon the prosecution, saying, “The law does not support a dismissal . . . I am confident that Adams has committed the crimes with which he is charged.” Several colleagues also resigned.
According to the Washington Post, Bove then met with other staff, telling them “to figure out who would be willing to file the motion to dismiss in federal court in New York. [According to people present at the meeting, he] made clear that people not willing to do so could be fired, and those who were willing could be promoted.” This is what is meant by societal debasement. This is what happens if you come in proximity to Donald Trump. This is what happens when a monstrous individual reaches the pinnacle of power.
I read The Three Questions many times to my children. I believe they were listening. I know I was.
The question remains: What is the right thing to do?
William Weinstein
New Paltz
An open letter to Pat Ryan
(On February 12th, Pat Ryan held an online town hall. Callers decried the slashing of AIDS research, the halting of government farm loans causing chaos among farmers, the threatening spread of the bird flu and the frightening similarities to the rise of authoritarian regimes in Hungary and Nazi Germany.)
Dear Representative Ryan,
I participated in your online town meeting on February 12th. You said you were open to suggestions, and I could see that was the case. Let me offer two ideas.
What surprised me was your empathy as you listened. I could see it in your face. You even choked up at moments. For the first time, to be honest, I understood why you’ve done well in politics. You’re a listener. But your spoken responses conveyed little of this genuine feeling. The flat tone. The words themselves, generalities, platitudes, buzzwords, government-speak, the wordiness itself as if you don’t trust your words to land in your listener’s ear so you’ll say just a few more. It sounds like you’re speaking from an instruction manual in your head, not from your heart. If you’d go back and listen to an exchange from the meeting, listen to the caller, listen to your response, you’ll notice the huge difference in the language being spoken. One is direct, sincere, deeply moving and motivating. The other is vague and mollifying. You said that the public wants to hear from people with authentic stories not from politicians. I’m sure that’s true. But you don’t need to sound like a politician. You can sound authentic, too. I’m a poet who gives poetry readings. Trust me, you’ve never heard anything as painful as an open mic night at which poets drone on and on. So I’ve worked with theater coaches who’ve made a world of difference. If I could offer one piece of advice: take more responsibility as a public speaker. Use words with real meaning. Use words as powerful tools. I saw great and honest feeling in your face. I don’t doubt that with some changes you could express this powerful human caring with your words as well.
My other idea. Hire professional organizers. Or at least work with them. On a podcast I recently heard a commentator divide the Democratic Party into activists and ladder-climbers. The reason the Congressional leadership has been so flat-footed is that it’s filled with ladder-climbers, those adapt at working within the system rather than those experienced at rallying the public outrage. I see you as a ladder-climber, a very good one. So find the organizers! There must be hundreds, if not thousands in your district. Your beleaguered interns swamped by heartbreaking calls, your staff, yourself, you’re not a movement, but perhaps you could help propel one.
I’ll finish by saying. You’re our leader. We need you now more than ever.
Will Nixon
Woodstock
Einstein
E=mc (squared) got the ball rolling to our building atom bombs, that we used to end the war with Japan. Tragically, Japan had become an expansionist nation that attacked Okinawa, Korea and China and were very abusive conquerors. Pearl Harbor was a bridge too far. Our current friendship with Japan was born from our good treatment of the Japanese people. A worthwhile lesson.
Einstein also stated that he found “compound interest” fascinating. You put money into an interest bearing account, and let it alone, and it grows. Your interest earns interest: by compounding!
Unlocking the enormous power of compounding helps the value of our investment grow over time, but there’s a hungry rat in our nest egg: INFLATION. We see our net worth numbers getting bigger, but we fail to see that every dollar we think we have gained buys about 3% less every year.
That diminished buying power compounds, too. We need vastly more money to buy today the exact same food, energy and goods we bought just 20 years ago. As long as you are young and successful, you can blow that off. You are among the 30% or so of the winning class. Once you were called YUPPIES!
Beneath you are those who are in the middle class. We are swimming upstream, but the dock we jumped off of is still right there, just a few yards away, after working 40 years. It’s a good life, until we weaken. Slowly at first, then suddenly, we find the dock hard to swim back to. So we sell our beloved lifetime home and move away from friends and family, to a cheaper state. We tried to keep up, but inflation took away our buying power.
Need a new car? In 1976, I bought a great Pontiac station wagon for $9000. With only regular maintenance it lasted until both my kids had learned to drive, and I drove it to the junkyard, with 176,000 miles on it.
Today, a replacement for Big Green, our Family Truckster of Griswold fame, is well over $50,000…thanks to inflation.
Inflation speeds up and slows down, but it never reverses. In fact, our government thinks +2% per year is a good target. I suggest you write your Congressperson and say you want it lower, Much lower!
Paul Raymond
New Paltz
Calling all gadflies
To the “gadflies”
you know who you are
WE GET IT
you despise Bill McKenna
every move he makes
every breath he takes
you’ll be trashing him
It’s not political or professional
It’s purely personal, plainly petty
and increasingly pathetic.
Passed over for promotion, perhaps?
Maybe changing your name to “Harass”?
Now a permanent pain in the #ss?
Can’t give an issue a pass?
Why not take a seat deep down in the bottomless well of contempt you have feverishly dug for
him and just ONCE let the supervisor make ANY MOVE AT ALL without reflexively and
compulsively picking up your poison pen to lazily choose from the following stale menu:
1. He did it for “Shady” reasons
2. He shouldn’t have done it all.
3. You would have done it better.
For just one blessed moment plucked from the ENDLESS time and INFINITE animating animus you have unearthed in apparent underemployment to attack, detract and criticize, try DENYING the obsessive urge to TEAR DOWN. If you’re feeling particularly energetic and inspired, offer encouragement or an actual solution! I’m sure you will feel MUCH BETTER and the whole town will breathe a sigh of relief for the peaceful pause and maybe even THANK YOU like they thank Bill (the Builder) for his decades of sturdy service and lengthy track record of delivering for this community, year after year after contentious year.
Imperfectly? You bet!
But steadily, and somehow still cheerfully, carrying the ball to the goal line despite the harassment of hecklers hanging on, hacking at his knees, trying to trip him up or punch the ball out of his hands.
As a wise one once pleaded.
“To those of you who say it can’t be done, kindly step out of the way of the ones who are DOING IT.”
Sean Hawk
Saugerties
Advice to Barron
An open letter to Barron Trump,
As you continue your studies in New York City, be appreciative of the privileges afforded you as one perceived to be “to the manor born.” At the same time, be mindful that a pampered life in towering skyscrapers and opulent mansions does little to prepare you for the real world or define you as a well-informed global citizen. Expand your horizons by traveling to places beyond your comfort zone to engage with people of all cultures and backgrounds. Keep an open mind and learn all that you can through active listening. Question the motives of anyone who seeks to influence and pressure you into doing or saying something contrary to your own values.
Communication, credibility and compassion will serve you well on your journey in search of success in life, love and interpersonal relationships At this transformative time in your life, strive to be become a trustworthy, empathetic and honorable man committed to making the world a better place for everyone to live. You’re not expected to change the world all by yourself, but follow your dreams and treat others with the dignity and respect they deserve. Whether or not your mother genuinely believes it to be true.
Paul K. Maloney
West Shokan
Actions needed, not only words
Is there still a club mentality in the politics of Woodstock? Do some town board members seem to only support and give deference to like-minded members and attempt to trivialize any thoughts that question or deviate from their own? Did this occur at the town board meeting on February 11?
I do not believe that naming names serves an immediate purpose — so, I refrain from doing so. Prior to this meeting, a town resident proposed areas where human rights policies need updating. Subsequently, the town board appeared to be taking no action on this request. On February 11, a town board member proposed updates regarding human rights. When another town board member named specifics regarding why they could not support the proposal (citing that the town board’s actions have often belied a commitment to human rights), the proposal’s presenter belittled the dissenter’s reasoning and attempt at discussion. This does not exemplify the town board member’s commitment to human rights, but rather goes beyond their words to their actions to the extent to which Woodstock’s human rights policies could apply. May we expect more courage, understanding, respect and a true commitment to inclusivity in the interactions between all of our representatives in government — local and in larger parts of our society.
Terence Lover
Woodstock
Democracy will win the war
If only the most conceited group of leaders in my lifetime (and possibly modern American history) had believed Tolkien when he wrote: “If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.” Choosing fascism in a delusional effort to rule forever may provide them with false victories but democracy will win the war.
Tim Scott, Jr.
Saugerties
Wake Up, Woodstock!
The folks behind Woodstock National — 18-hole golf course, heliport, etc. — are back under cover of a new name, Zena Development LLC. They are back with another plan to develop the same 100-plus acres of forests and wetlands, this time for the building of dozens of luxury homes. Woodstock National fell to a well-organized grass-roots rejection of a plan that would have defiled land designated a “Critical Environmental Area” by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. Well that same land is again threatened by the same group, but this time there’s a twist to the plan that directly impacts the Town of Woodstock’s resources and its taxpayers’ money.
The parcel of forest in question lies in the Town of Ulster, but the only access point is through Woodstock: a single dirt road, Eastwoods Drive, which Zena Development would pave and widen and lengthen by a mile. Not ideal environmentally, but the kicker is that all emergency services — fire, police, EMS — for the future residents of Zena Development would be Woodstock’s responsibility: a responsibility without any financial compensation. Simply because the access road will be in Woodstock, we will be paying for these municipal services to those million-dollar homes in perpetuity, services that are already overburdened and underfunded in our own township. It can’t help but leave us at greater risk.
The potential environmental damage to the currently unbroken forest, to the wetlands, to the wildlife corridors is blatant enough for the Stop Zena Development Organization to have garnered the support of the Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter, the Woodstock Land Conservancy and the Kingston Land Trust, in addition to numerous other local groups. Add in the burden on the Town of Woodstock’s resources, financial and otherwise, and the specter of this plan must absolutely be a wake-up call.
Learn more at www.STOPZenaDevelopment.org. Be aware of the upcoming Woodstock town and planning board meetings. Get involved. There are no direct access roads to the Zena Development site that go through Ulster. If the Town of Woodstock denies access through Eastwoods Drive (or any Woodstock roadway) Zena Development is toast.
Peter Wortmann
Woodstock
State of emergency/Woodstock
Three days prior to this letter, Governor Hochul declared a state of emergency in New York State, saying, “As snow, ice and gusty winds sweep across much of our state, I’m directing state agencies to take every possible measure to keep New Yorkers safe,” The state of emergency allows the state to coordinate and share resources with local governments that will be affected by the weekend storms. I have to ask, has the Woodstock Town Board taken every possible measure to keep its own citizens safe? This would include our homeless community, some of whom now find themselves living in snow-covered tents in the woods and some in broken-down vehicles.
In a town with a responsible town board, Governor Hochul’s declaration could be seen as an opportunity to obtain government funds for those most affected by the recent treacherous weather conditions. Our homeless community would be on top of that list, followed by the disabled and the elderly. But neither the Woodstock supervisor himself nor the town board majority have the will or the compassion to do this. We don’t have a town board in Woodstock that can take much of any responsible action, given its torpor and division. Abraham Lincoln once wrote, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” Like rabbits in the headlights, two of our town board members nod in agreement with the supervisor on all his proposals, no matter how outrageous, whilst the remaining two board members remain in the minority, as powerless as new-born kittens.
It’s been four weeks and there has been no repentance by the Woodstock supervisor for his decision to shut down Woodstock’s warming center and bathroom between the hours of 6 p.m. and 6.30 a.m. last week, a local housed elderly woman whose pipes had frozen tried but could not use those same facilities to obtain drinking water or use the bathroom because it was after 6 p.m. She instead had to beg a neighbor to use the bathroom. In the same week at 6.30 a.m., a homeless member of our community failed to gain entrance to our town hall hallway. He had been awoken in his tent early by the bitter cold and needed somewhere to warm himself. The sign on the town hall door stated that it would be open at 6.30 a.m., but a mix-up meant that nobody had access to the key to open the door. Just like the old lady before him, the homeless man walked away not wanting to cause a fuss, once again let down by the Woodstock supervisor and the Woodstock Town Board.
Chris Finlay
Woodstock
Dear Woodstockers
The Human Rights Resolution I authored, with input from Councilperson Ricci and Supervisor McKenna, was put to a vote and passed 3-2. I am very proud of the work we have done, and this resolution serves as a reminder of the good work that the Human Rights Commission accomplished back in 2017. At that time, I had the honor of chairing the commission, and alongside a dedicated group of individuals, we helped draft a policy that I negotiated with both the town and the police. That policy remains in place today, putting Woodstock ahead of the curve. While there is always room for improvement, we have much to be proud of, and I hope our good work continues.
On another note, a new software system will soon be in place at the Good Neighbor Pantry. The board took the time to ask extensive questions regarding privacy, data sharing and security. I want to assure everyone that privacy remains a top priority. The software is safe, requires only the bare minimum amount of data to be input and allows individuals to use their initials if they prefer.
Additionally, I am currently drafting legislation to protect bears from the preventable consequences of human negligence. Too often, when people fail to secure their trash properly, bears become habituated to human food, leading to them being deemed a nuisance and ultimately euthanized. This is unacceptable. We all love our bears and share this beautiful forest with wildlife — it is our responsibility to coexist responsibly and take simple steps to prevent harm.
Thank you for your ongoing engagement and support.
Anula Courtis, Town Councilperson
Candidate for Woodstock Town Supervisor
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