Dear Chief Sinagra
I drive my daughter to Pre-school in town weekdays at 9 a.m. As I sit at the light at Partition and Main Street, I always notice the crossing guard who appears to be a fully uniformed police officer. I also know there is a police officer at Washington and Main the next block down.
I am well aware of the traffic issues in town and have read the news articles in numerous publications about Saugerties addressing these issues…even the Mayor saying “you can’t fix stupid.”
This morning as the light on Partition turned green, a group of people walked out across the street (not even in the cross walk) right in front of the police officer, as the sign clearly said Don’t Walk. He sat there as usually and didn’t even flinch. I put my hands in the air and gestured to him and he looked around confused.
Let me tell you, Kingston school district employs handicap crossing guards and Red Hook employs retired women who work part time. How much do you think they get paid to help children cross the street? How much does Saugerties pay a police officer who has been in the force 10-20 year plus overtime and benefits? You wonder why the taxes are raging out of control and Saugerties has a pedestrian crossing problem. Take some responsibility.
Jason Bover
Saugerties
Withdrawal from Paris Accord is a bad idea
Last week President Trump pulled the United States out of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, to the shock and dismay of world leaders and CEOs of major corporations, including energy corporations. His reasoning, to the extent he is able to offer any, is that pursuing clean energy and working to mitigate the effects of industrialization on climate change was “killing jobs.” The evidence to the contrary is overwhelming; clean energy is generating jobs at a rate that dwarfs jobs in the fossil fuel industry. But whether or not the President believes in the science of climate change is almost beside the point.
The decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement and forge ahead with environmentally damaging policies, from any perspective, is just a bad idea. Whether the planet is warming due to man-made influences or whether the steadily increasing temperature of the planet is just a naturally developing phenomenon, wouldn’t it make sense to attempt to mitigate the effect and try to forestall the costly damages? If a fire is roaring toward your house, do you argue over whether it was started by lightning or an arsonist before you try to put it out?
Deidre J. Byrne
Saugerties
Kudos for Chorvas
While recently visiting friends in Saugerties I was reminded of my envy for the Recreational facilities you all enjoy. I was a young salesman of municipal supplies in the late 1980s when I cold-called Superintendent Greg Chorvas.
He became a great teacher of all things pertaining to Grounds & Buildings Maintenance.
His deep knowledge related to Turf, fields, buildings, drainage taught me so much about my own business.
His 100% dedication to Saugerties’ taxpayers and his recreational facilities is the standard all public officials should strive to emulate.
I used Greg Chorvas and Saugerties Parks Department as the standard of what all towns, especially my hometown of New Paltz, should try to provide for their children and citizens of all ages. His personal dedication and cooperation to the Kiwanis Skating Rink was amazing to witness. His talented crew headed up by Randy always did the most amazing job on their many fields and constant Events.
All towns need to try to come close to provide what Gregg his amazing crew, the Town Board and the Sawyer Spirit do in Saugerties.
I hope all Saugerties taxpayers appreciate their Parks & Recreation Facilities and the amazing crew that maintains them. I do! Kudos!
Butch Dener
New Paltz
No longer leader of the free world
Making America great again? President Trump is the first president since Truman who is not also Leader of the Free World. Rather than promoting democracy, he has embraced or expressed admiration for totalitarian leaders Putin, Erdogan, the Saudi leadership, al-Sisi, Duterte and others.
From physically pushing aside the Prime Minister of Montenegro, to harshly lecturing his fellow leaders in NATO, he has insulted our allies in Europe. In his failure to commit to standing by our NATO partners should one be attacked, he has abandoned an instrument that has kept the peace in Europe since the disasters of the 20th century world wars.
In withdrawing from the Paris Accords he has signaled that America will not lead on averting the worst effects of climate change. He has left our children and grandchildren to a future threatened by rising sea levels, worsening droughts, storms, and famines and wars over scarce resources.
Leader of the Free World is a position that cannot be gained through ballots, bought by money, or achieved by threats. While we have not always acted up to our highest ideals, it is those ideals that brought American presidents to be recognized as the leaders of the democratic and peace loving nations. We still have enormous economic and military power, but our president has abandoned our principles and the leadership of the free world.
Kathy Gordon
Saugerties
Replacing nukes and fossils
Governor Cuomo’s announcement of a $1.5 billion initiative for renewable energy projects in New York State is a commendable move considering recent national actions on climate change, but it raises serious questions about his recent bailout of the nuclear industry.
If a $1.5 billion investment into the renewable industry will create 40,000 jobs in New York by 2020, as the Governor claims, why is he taxing ratepayers $7.6 billion to save 600 nuclear jobs? It doesn’t add up. On top of that, the nuclear plants will only supply energy to Upstate New Yorkers through 2029, falling a year short of his Clean Energy Standard (CES) goal.
A $7.6 billion state investment in renewable energy and energy efficiency, if you use the Governor’s calculations, could create 200,000 jobs, and be able to produce the necessary energy to fully replace unsafe nuclear power while phasing out fossil fuels.
New Yorkers need clean, safe, economically sensible 21st century energy solutions. The State obviously has the capacity to do so.
Eric Wood, NYPIRG
New Paltz
Join the family! 
