Take advantage of NYC talent
At nearly 50 years of age Henry Barclay in 1825 brought with him to Saugerties a lifetime of accomplishment. Our history has been influenced by the mature talents of those that have settled in this community ever since.
Historically, Saugerties has always owed its success to experience honed in the competitive atmosphere of metropolitan New York City and brought by those who have shared their residences between the two or have moved their permanent residence here.
Those talented residents are, more than ever, also here today. As before, these residents are willing to be involved in their community’s important decisions. Knowing that their talent is in the community and that it is respected as an asset is of interest to us all.
When these involvements are not treated as assets, but are dismissed as “meddling” by decision-makers, this causes us great harm. It serves to spread the word that there is no respect for knowledge and experience and our intellectual capital. Especially in light of Saugerties history, this does not bode well for the draw we’ve had for as long as we’ve been a community.
If our decision-makers were smart they would simply compare their “linkedIn” profiles with those that wish to be involved, assess the costs to all of us in ignoring them, and maybe even make a directory of all the specialized talent available in the residents of our community, and manage it productively.
Michael Sullivan Smith
Saugerties
Thoughts on school vote
I read with interest the proposal to reduce the number of school district voting locations from four to one. It seems doing so would save the district money and be safer for the elementary students, but would it result in an even lower voter turnout?
How about also creating an online voting option? What about voter fraud, you might ask. The program could include postcards with specifics being mailed to the voters’ registered addresses. This would virtually eliminate fraud as any voters who did not vote online would inform the district upon receiving the post card. Perhaps these mailings could be performed by temporary workers who might otherwise lose some work because of the polling places being closed.
Another idea is to let the high school Web-design class research it, and start to put the infrastructure in place. Such a project could save the district money, increase safety to our younger students, and give our high school students a unique meaningful and entrepreneurial opportunity.
Just something to think about …
Michael MacIsaac
Saugerties
Credit due to Central Hudson
I never thought I’d be writing a letter on the side of any monopoly controlling the safety of my home, but here I am.
I’ve been a Central Hudson customer for many years, and I can’t remember a full winter without a power outage, sometimes only 5-30 minutes, sometimes 2-3 days. But here I am in the middle of a record-breaking climate-change year with no power outs and it’s almost spring.
Over the past 5-10 years, after numerous power outs, I couldn’t help but notice more and more trees hanging over wires and just being left alone. I was originally against our power being taken over by a foreign company, but earlier this year, I watched numerous trees that I’d never even reported as being dangerous, actually being trimmed or cut down below the wires.
I was impressed when I saw so many finally being taken care of but I never dreamt that the power would stay on through a rather extreme winter, which I knew was coming. When I mentioned it to friends and neighbors, they all said that they too had seen many workers clearing the wires over the months of fall.
So, I say: Congratulations Central Hudson (i.e. Fortis), you have kept us safe so far, despite the fact that as an American citizen, I would have loved to have seen an American company do such a decent job. Maybe we just have to ask you to hold your statement that you will continue to hire “local workers” and oversee the job with the skills and dedication that you seem to have thus far.
Now, if you’d like my total devotion, you will have to come up with a meter that runs forward and backward, that is not WI-Fi. Or perhaps you can find a meter that only includes the power gotten from sources other than wind and sun that is not Wi-Fi. That would be my dream come true.
Wind and solar are now available. All we need now is a harmless meter. Then we use Central Hudson to deliver it to our homes, and we will be protecting the living Mother Earth that provides our air, water and food, and Central Hudson could still convert it into the electricity we need.
Jill Paperno
Glenford
Join the family! 
