The views and opinions expressed in our letters section are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Hudson Valley One. You can submit a letter to the editor here.
Correction for newspaper
We love our local paper, but sometimes we all make odd mistakes. New Paltz Village trustees were not approached by the developers from Woodstock Way about selling any of the 2.7-acre Sojourner Truth Park off Plains Road next to the Wallkill River. On 11/16/22, Hudson Valley One mistakenly reported that “Developers of Water Street Trails Hotel ask to buy a portion of Sojourner Truth Park.”
These developers approached the Wallkill Valley Land Trust, Inc. (WVLT) and Village of New Paltz trustees about some of the frontage on the east side of the rail trail property that is contiguous with the former box factory property where they would like to build a 26-room hotel. The rail trail within the Village is owned by the Village and has a conservation easement (CE). If the Village were to sell any of it, the CE restrictions are preserved, as they run with the property. The WVLT’s executive director and the developers are discussing whether and how this could work, and whether it is a sound idea. We are awaiting a response.
We know how complicated parkland alienation is and how it is something that should not be pursued except for extremely unique situations like the two municipal drinking water wells we will site on the north end of Moriello Pool Park. That project clearly benefits the public, and that alienation process required years of patience and follow-through, including our state representatives (Assemblymember Cahill and Senator Martucci) carrying legislation that was eventually signed by the governor in August 2021 (www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2021/S4938).
You are welcome to learn more about the conversation we had with the developers during our 11/09/22 Village Board meeting by watching its video, found on the Village YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/D0e5bxyWoEM?t=585. During the conversation we also emphasized to the developers how the nuts and bolts of their land use application are not the purview of Village trustees, but our volunteer Planning Board members.
Mayor Tim Rogers
New Paltz
Is this what collective bargaining has come to?
Although it’s good news for all that a Railroad Workers’ strike was averted, it’s not so great when Congress steps in and when the owners know they will not have to lose much in the end.
Yes, a raise is a worthy outcome, but why do these round-the-clock workers have to worry, still, about taking a day off? What kind of heartless contract did Congress push through here and what kind of precedent does it present for future negotiations?
Martin Haber
Woodstock
Learn facts about Winston Farm
The Winston Farm proposal does not call for blacktopping 840 acres. It does not call for clearcutting every tree. It does not mean Saugerties will run out of drinking water or that it will be unsafe.
This is just some of the irresponsible propaganda and misinformation being disseminated by out-of-town opponents, such as Catskill Mountainkeeper, desperately seeking donations and headlines. The record regarding Winston Farm’s potential has to be set straight – because the public, which deserves nothing less, has been and will be an important contributor to shaping what’s built.
Winston Farm’s conceptual proposal focuses on creating jobs through tourism, entertainment, recreation and commercial/retail, while also providing much-needed housing. But specifics have not been determined – and they cannot be determined at this point. That can happen only after numerous in-depth studies and tests are conducted. These will analyze traffic, water needs, habitat and other potential environmental impacts of development. The Town of Saugerties is now finalizing what will be reviewed.
Some elements, however, are definite: Substantial open space will be preserved and the final plans will adhere to the town’s Climate Action Plan. Why? The proposal has been carefully homegrown by owners Tony Montano, John Mullen and Randy Richers. Unlike so many rhetoric-driven opponents, they live and work in Saugerties. They’re known for integrity and doing the right thing. They’re also committed to using innovative construction, as well as heating, cooling and water-saving technology and other techniques.
And it’s not just these three who see potential. The proposal has strong supporters. The Hudson Valley Economic Development Corporation called the Winston Farm property the region’s most ideal location for development for a very good reason: The property is adjacent to the Thruway’s Exit 20, away from the bustle of the Village, and there are convenient hookups to water, wastewater processing and utilities. The Ulster County Chamber of Commerce also has endorsed the proposal.
Winston Farm’s proposal is being reviewed with residents’ questions being top-of-mind. Dozens of speakers already have offered insights at public meetings, and their comments will be welcome throughout the review process. The truth is that work on the site cannot move forward until studies are done, detailed plans are created, the public has additional say and the Town gives its final approval. That will take substantial time: months, a year, maybe longer. In essence, a de facto self-imposed moratorium already is in place for very rational reasons.
Let the truth take hold. Ignore the outside so-called environmentalists trying to tell Saugerties what to do. Winston Farm is a rare opportunity. Let the science-driven review process unfold with collaboration and smart thinking. Saugerties deserves nothing less. Get the facts and voice your support at WinstonFarm.com.
Josh Sommers
Winston Farm Project representative
Saugerties
A short gripe
I look to HV1 for local news in both their articles and within the Feedback section. The repetitive, multi-column, space-eating letters spewing divergent views on the national political scene need to go. There are many other platforms for voicing these opinions.
Sorry, Sparrow, I was a little long-winded.
Mike Harkavy
Saugerties
Less fun, fun, fun
In September of 2020, Governor Newsom announced that California would be phasing out gasoline-powered cars by 2035, and recently, the California Air Resources Board approved new regulations that would require 35 percent of new cars sold in the state to be electric vehicles by 2026 and 100 percent by 2035. Although the final objective is eliminating gas engines, higher upfront costs of EVs, a lack of infrastructure regarding charging stations and the strain on power grids millions of EVs would cause may make this goal difficult to reach.
But perhaps the greatest obstacle to Governor Newsom’s plan is that EVs, despite a decent acceleration level, can’t go as fast or as far per full charge as cars with a full tank of gas, thus making electric cars less fun to drive. The following parody of the Beach Boys’ “Fun, Fun, Fun,” titled “Less Fun, Fun, Fun,” reflects the implications of the reduced fun factor for the youth of any state when fully electric cars become the law of the land.
(Less fun, fun, fun)
If you drive a new car
It will be one that doesn’t use gas now
Doesn’t matter if you’re driving to the beach
Or you’re driving to class now
And ‘cos your new EV
Won’t drive as fast or far as you can now
(chorus)
There’ll be less fun, fun, fun
When your governor takes your gas car away
(Less fun when your governor takes your gas car away)
(stanza)
Hey girl you won’t like it
‘Cause you once looked and drove like an ace now
(You looked like an ace now, looked ready to race)
And you know that you’ll never wear that driver-girl look again on your face now
(Not able to race, she’ll slow down her pace)
None of the guys will try to catch you
Cause your EV can’t drive very fast now
(Can’t drive very fast or go very far)
(chorus)
There’ll be less fun, fun, fun
When your governor takes your gas car away
(Less fun when your governor takes your gas car away)
(stanza)
Well you knew all along
Your EV car sure wouldn’t work well now
(The car wouldn’t work now, it wouldn’t work well)
Not the way your gas car did
So you’re wondering if this change was so smart now
(There’s no infrastructure so the change seems so dumb)
You’d better keep your car at home
‘Cos the power grid is far too weak now
(The grid is too weak so you’d better not drive)
(Chorus)
And she’ll stay home, home, home
When the governor takes her gas car away
(Home, home, home since her governor took her gas car away)
(stanza)
Better get a new job
If you want to drive your car at all now
(You need a new job now, you need better pay)
And keep the air conditioner high and the heat real low in your house now
(In the summer you’re hot, in the winter you’re cold)
You’ll need to stick to a budget
‘Cos your home costs are so out of sight now
(Inflation’s so high and EVs aren’t cheap)
She’ll have less fun, fun, fun,
When the governor takes her gas car away
(repeat to fade)
Woo-woo-woo woo-woo-woo-woo-woo
(Less fun when the governor takes her gas car away)
(Woo-woo-woo-woo-woo-woo-woo-woo)
(Less fun when the governor takes her gas car away)
George Civile
Gardiner
Midterm election outcome (continuation)
Even if Trump wins, there is still a block on the butchering of my benefits that I have paid into for so many years via FICA. With the Senate under control of the Democrats, therefore, it will be pretty much a gridlock for the next two years. But if he is renominated and loses or is not renominated, he will be a “spoiler,” as he will try and discredit the process and create as much trouble as he can. Right now, there is unrest in the GOP ranks as some of the heretofore GOP aficionados are having second thoughts of supporting him.
In addition, there is also the problem whom the Democrats pick to run for POTUS in 2024. Personally, I believe Biden is too old (just turned 80) and in 2024 will be 82, although I do like his low-key style of governing. If he decides to not run and supports Kamala Harris, his vice president, for POTUS, I fear the Democrats will lose again, just as they did when they nominated Hillary Clinton to follow Obama. I believe the Democrats should pick someone who is not going to be a flashpoint for radicalization, but someone who can work with Congress and tamper down the emotion and rhetoric.
But even though the midterm election of 2022 did not witness the GOP garnering both chambers of Congress, the fight to eliminate, to reduce my/our benefits has not abated, according to the NCPSSM (National Committee for the Preservation of Social Security and Medicare). According to the NCPSSM, a main reason for the trillion-dollar deficit is the pay raises for the wealthy and the corporations pushed through by the GOP presidents (not the only one). And there are authors, such as C. Wright Mills in his book The Power Elite, who affirm this: “Tax rates being high, the corporate rich are quite nimble in figuring out ways to get income or the things and experiences that incomes provide, in such a way to escape taxation.” And “As chiefs of the industrial manorialism, they have looked reluctantly to the federal government’s social responsibility for the welfare of the underlying population.” Or as Mike Lofgren states in his book, The Party Is Over, “In reality, Republicans act as bellhops for corporate America and the superrich behind those corporations…they are a very select group of people in executive suites and boardrooms who draw a disproportionate share of the benefits from the tax code – a tax code that the GOP has manipulated relentlessly to produce exactly that outcome.”
There it is, boys and girls. I/we have a slight reprieve from the attack on my/our benefits with one chamber of Congress democratically controlled. But the fight for my/our benefits will go on with the 2024 presidential election, where/when the American voters can go to the polls and let the “tap dancers” know where the door is. Contact your friends and relatives in other states and let them know what is still at stake here with my/your benefits.
Robert LaPolt
New Paltz
People riding Harleys bothering everyone
Is it me or am I the only one who thinks noisy, obnoxiously loud Harleys cruising and speeding our streets should be curtailed or the mufflers regulated? Who are these rude, antisocietal guys who think everyone should have their peace and quiet disrupted by their loud mufflers?
I asked a New Paltz cop once about someone blasting their Harley outside P&G’s: “If my car’s muffler made that kind of loud sound, what would you do?” He said he’d give me a ticket, but excessive noise from a motorcycle (by the way, there are also obnoxious jerks on Yamahas too!) is not illegal! Huh? Why not?
Anyway, having had an experience with two ding-dongs speeding loudly nearby who gave me the finger, I just wanted to suggest our politicians consider a change in regulations on noisy mufflers! The overwhelming majority of people would agree!
I bet most of these macho freedom-loving guys also saw nothing wrong with January 6 either! I could be wrong about the stereotype, but I doubt it! Many of them might be decent guys; but come on, I saw a guy on a quiet Harley recently – it can be done! Stop bothering everyone!
Ron Stonitsch
New Paltz
C. A. Lynch Christmas Candy Run
This December 25, your Village volunteers will once again escort Santa Claus throughout the streets of Saugerties as he delivers both candy and Christmas cheer to Village residents. At the sounding of the fire sirens on Christmas morning, the C. A. Lynch Hose Co. 2 Christmas Candy Run will once again step off, continuing a century-old tradition. Santa and his elves will depart to distribute approximately 1,000 boxes of chocolates, bringing smiles to all they encounter and making wonderful holiday memories.
This day would not be possible without the continued support of our residents, business owners and local civic groups. Donations received towards the Candy Run have helped to offset the cost of necessities including candy, packaging and replacement clothing for the Jolly Old Elf. If you are able to donate, please make your check payable to the C. A. Lynch Christmas Candy Fund and mail to the following address: C. A. Lynch Christmas Candy Fund, 43 Partition Street, Saugerties NY 12477.
Aden P. Hughes
Secretary, C. A. Lynch Hose Co. 2
Saugerties
Take me out to the ballgame
Talkin’ baseball: Both Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge had MVP seasons this year, but since I would pay more to have Ohtani’s season than anyone else’s season, hands-down IMHO he should’ve won it this year. It is an incredible argument to compare the “value” of two players who had two of the greatest seasons ever. Really, you cannot argue against any vote for either of them. I thought Ohtani would get more than two votes; I believe the argument is a lot closer than a 28-2 margin.
Ultimately, we will be able to compare each of their values once they sign their free agent contracts. Judge’s contract will start when he is older, but something tells me Shohei will be paid considerably more over the comparable age years. Teams are going to be offering Ohtani more than Judge because he essentially fills two roster spots.
To be clear, that’s no knock on Judge’ performance. He was incredible, one of the great seasons of our time. Ohtani was simply without a comparison. Ohtani finished second in MVP and fourth in the prestigious MLB Cy Young Pitchers’ Award. Let that sink in. Here is one more – another crazy representation of what Ohtani did: He finished fourth in the best pitchers’ balloting and hit a home run against each of the top three who finished ahead of him. I’ll never get my mind around that. He’s not breaking previous records; he’s setting them, because what he’s doing has never been done before. Shohei Ohtani’s dominance on both sides of the ball is incredible. He does it all at a super-high level; he’s a unicorn and should be treated as such!
Since you can’t reasonably measure apples to oranges, my question comes down to this: If you had a team with the same-value teammates without injuries as a detractor and had your choice of adding Ohtani or Judge to finish off the last pick, whom would you have chosen? Judge did things we haven’t seen in 21 steroid use years, or 61 years. However, Ohtani did things we have never, ever seen done. I believe if you take Aaron Judge off the Yankees and replace him with Ohtani, the Yanks are a better team. Not true if you reverse that. He was present and available, plus served two roles at an extremely high level. By the way, and looking at his stats from the mound only, Ohtani is also a good fielding pitcher.
Ohtani is the man! What a season! As a starting pitcher, he had 15 wins, 2.33 ERA, 219 strikeouts, 166 innings pitched. If he were playing for one of the top-tier clubs and marketed properly, he would be a household name across the world and probably win 20 games.
He was not the best pitcher in the league. He was not the best hitter in the league. But he was top five or better in both. And that’s the definition of value. Not to mention he played in 157 games – 28 as both a hitter and pitcher.
Ohtani is the new Ohtani. Nobody has ever done what he’s doing. Ruth wasn’t nearly the pitcher Ohtani is – an amazing pitcher: 99 miles per hour, control, hits home runs galore as well – a factor never achieved by a pitcher/hitter in baseball. Never! Ever! Nobody is even close to this guy, nobody. You can agree or disagree, it’s irrelevant. Let’s enjoy the game while Ohtani is in his prime. He’s the best all-around player any of us have ever seen.
Again, in my opinion, pitching is the most important position, like a quarterback in football. Ohtani is the most valuable on his team and most productive overall due to that – plus he can hit, as evidenced by his power numbers and an 18-game hit streak in the final month of the season.
A 162-game regular season is an extraordinary grind to begin with, and a punishing daily slog that has deterred almost everyone from trying to pitch and hit full-time. The physical feat of being a starting pitcher, and DH-ing in that same game, and then recovering to hit the next day? All season long? Starting pitchers will tell you that the day after starting a game they are damn sore and the recovery starts. Just amazing. That is a superhero season.
Finally, if you had a team full of Judges and a team full of Ohtanis, which team is gonna win? Team Ohtani every time, because his skillset is that of a Most Valuable Player! Every team, every general manager and certainly every baseball manager would love to find at least one sitting under their Christmas tree.
The fact that multiple writers said that Shohei would have won easily if he hadn’t won last year tells us what the truth is. Shohei was the deserving MVP. Simple.
Yes, the Angels’ season was a punchline, but Shohei Ohtani is really the most versatile player. Therefore, he has the most value. His unimaginable season put “H%ly sh%t” on everybody’s lips who follow baseball and understand that what he did was simply “unicorn stuff” on a field of dreams.
Neil Jarmel
West Hurley
Issues having to do with Israel
For those of you concerned with issues in and having to do with Israel, here’s some information from the Jerusalem Post, a conservative Israeli newspaper: “Biden should stop providing weapons to new Israeli government, ex-US ambassador/ex-diplomat Daniel Kurtzer and negotiator Aaron David Miller call on the US to limit interaction with Ben-Gvir and Smotrich.”
“The United States should no longer provide offensive weapons or military assistance to Israel’s incoming government for actions in Jerusalem and the West Bank, a former US ambassador to Israel and a former US State Department negotiator said in an opinion piece published in The Washington Post on Wednesday.
“Ex-diplomat Daniel Kurtzer and negotiator Aaron David Miller, both American Jews who have worked on the Arab-Israeli peace process, wrote in The Post that the US should continue to support Israel’s ‘legitimate security needs,’ but should warn against efforts to change the status of the West Bank, Temple Mount and settlement outposts.
“With Otzma Yehudit leader Itamar Ben-Gvir as national security minister and Religious Zionist Party leader Bezalel Smotrich as finance minister, Kurtzer and Miller expressed in The Post their fear that the incoming government will also foster increased settlement activity, settler violence and loosened rules on the use of force by Israeli security forces. Such actions would ostensibly lead to the end of the two-state solution.
“Consequently, the former US officials wrote that president Joe Biden’s administration should set terms to Israel that it will not have any dealings with Ben-Gvir, Smotrich or their ministries.”
I, myself, am a staunch Zionist with a son, daughter-in-law and three grandsons living in Jerusalem.
Meyer Rothberg
Saugerties
Food for fun
Same popcorn, different movie.
Sparrow
Phoenicia
Faint of heart
“It’s not for the faint of heart.” I overheard this idiom being used by my wife on the phone in the other room. But unfortunately, I couldn’t hear well enough to know whom or what she was talking about. Nevertheless, the phrase stuck with me, so I looked it up. Webster says, “lacking the courage to face something difficult or dangerous.” Then I thought, wow, I couldn’t come up with better words to describe what the past two years have felt like. The Trump regime and COVID pushed all current issues further to the center of the road of existence while trailer trucks with the Ukraine war, and environmental catastrophe painted on them, were barreling down the highways center line at full speed.
So, if you in any way fit into the definition of “faint of heart,” what can you do? Dive deeper into isolation? Live on Zoom? Make believe it will all get worked out by science?
What kind of heart would you need to survive what our human evolution is creating in today’s world? Of course, no one is not affected by the political circumstances manifesting in our government leadership, which ultimately affects all aspects of our lives. So, what kinds of hearts are needed to fare the best? The coldhearted, big-hearted, black-hearted, falsehearted, free-hearted, hardhearted, true-hearted, halfhearted or wholehearted, or is it simply like Putin, faint-hearted or no-hearted?
At this point in writing this, I hear my dear friends who believe that love is the only solution to make a difference in the world I just described. “Look at the good side, the bright side. The statistics tell us fewer people are dying today than at any other time in history. We almost stopped COVID. Science creates miracles all the time. Humans are almost ready to wake up. Don’t jump ship now. Just live in the moment, in the now. Stop recalling our country’s history of repression, wars and bigotry. Turn your focus on bringing good into today. There are still good people with a moral belief system intact; there are just fewer in politics. Stop only seeing the dark side; life is good; live it before you lose it.”
I love all these ideas. After being sent to fight a war where all costumes worn to hide our true intentions got torn off, I saw the naked truth. I have not been willing or able to psychically bury what I did and saw done by the human animal.
The coin I flip consistently has truth on both sides. Truth equals trust, no matter how painful and difficult it is to swallow. With today’s environment and political circumstances, no foundation is being made to rebuild a home for civilization. There is no one in this country that does not know this reality. Unfortunately, many are already overwhelmed by the crumbling foundation and see only survival. They will do anything to stay alive, following anyone who confronts those who they believe made the structure that is failing. This state of mind is vulnerable to believing lies that someone you support will fix your country with more power and money. Like Webster said, not having the courage to face the dangers means being faint of heart.
Larry Winters
New Paltz
Gun laws
People keep saying we need a commonsense gun law. Problem is that the people don’t know much about guns. It’s like Amish farmers writing motor vehicle laws. Hey, 25 miles-per-hour speed limit would save lives, right?
The AR15 rifle is used by thousands of target shooters competing in Service Rifle class matches. This is to ensure that in war we have a pool of shooters already skilled with the Army rifle. The civilian version is not a full automatic and its magazine is five rounds capacity. So, the law that still lets target shooters compete with their highly tuned AR15s is to put a limit of ten-round magazines. That is enough for coyote hunting and takes in the other Service rifle, the M1 Garand left over from World War II. We could do a trade of a high-cap magazine for a ten-round legal magazine. And make a high-cap possession a felony. And almost everybody is happy (except the Amish farmer)!
Lanny Steitz
Bearsville
Fact, fiction or political speak?
The following relates to the manner in which the fees were paid to Andrew Campanelli, who authored much of the new 5G regulations. As quoted in Hudson Valley One, “there is a history of cost-sharing arrangements. There has been precedent in the past where the Town and various entities got together and did share costs, more commonly defending lawsuits,” he said. What do you think?
Howard Harris
Woodstock
Healthcare in the Hudson Valley
I’m sorry Ms. Slotnick had such an unpleasant healthcare experience. There’s no denying that COVID, RSV and flu have stretched our already-unstable healthcare system to the breaking point.
But the idea that the only options are a doctor who makes house calls or the Emergency Room is simply not true. Urgent care facilities are, and should be, an alternative. The urgent care I use in Highland is open every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s, no appointment needed. They also offer virtual visits. The last time I needed treatment I was able to speak to a physician’s assistant and have prescriptions phoned to my pharmacy without even leaving my house. But if I do need to appear in person, the facility and staff are excellent. Wait times for either virtual or in-person visits have always been reasonable and the ease of access means there’s no reason to wait for the situation to become dire before seeking treatment.
Everyone should consider urgent care as an option, especially parents seeking treatment for children with common illnesses or injuries. Not only will they get good medical care sooner, this will also help ease the burden on overtaxed ERs.
Sean Hamilton
Clintondale
What the heck?
I give Tucker Carlson a spin or two a week, and he helps me understand DC insanity and greed most of the time. But this week he went off on a rant about the U.S. supporting Ukraine that I found offensive.
Russian expansion needs to be stopped, I believe, and if the U.S. can do it without Americans dying, that is how I hope we can succeed.
Anyone out there rooting for the Ruskies?
Paul Nathe
New Paltz
A real “threat to our democracy”
Many of us have become numb to the Democrat’s favorite and, by far, beaten-to-death chant of “a threat to our democracy ‘as they ONLY refer to the out-of-control 6-8 hour demonstration on 1-6-21, also grossly mislabeled by Democrats as an “insurrection.” In their extremely narrow and biased minds, they see no other “threats to our democracy.”
However, it seems as though the Democrats and their pocket buddies, the liberal press, fail to discuss or report on the REAL “threat to our democracy,” even though it’s staring them right in the face — the growing mountain of evidence produced by Elon Musk with regard to the suffocation of the Hunter Biden laptop story by the former “leaders” and their lemming liberal employees at the previous Twitter cesspool. And, it’s hardly a coincidence that this just happened to occur only weeks before the 2020 Presidential election. You talk about REAL election meddling and interference! The REAL threat to our democracy is the corruption and collusion that took place involving the fired Twitter cabal, Facebook, other social media cohorts, the liberal on air and written press, and most critically and unbelievably, our own government and FBI. On orders from the FBI Director, Biden himself, and/or anyone in between, 51 FBI personnel saw fit to abandon their consciences, morals and sworn duties by directly and clearly lying to the American people by claiming that the Biden laptop story was simply “Russian disinformation” when they knew otherwise. Did this behavior sabotage our democratic election process? It certainly did because, after the fact, an extensive poll showed that 79% of Americans said that, had the evidence not been covered up by the aforementioned corrupt players, it would have definitely affected their vote. So, there’s your REAL proof of “a threat to our democracy,” unlike the imaginary “threat” on 1-6-21 by a small group of unorganized misfits who were in no position to overthrow, take control, and reverse an election result.
To change the subject, let’s talk about Neil Jarmel’s “love” of Trump, his “big orange monster.” Neil has not been bashful in his 101 ways of crucifying Trump in writing, despite the fact that Trump left office almost two years ago and who has not made ONE decision that has put all Americans in an ocean of pitiful policy consequences, nationally and internationally, that explain our current suffering. Even though it’s way too early to see what the Presidential campaigns will look like two years from now and who will eventually be each party’s choice to run for President, I have a possible scenario for Neil that will instantly make him become the head cheerleader for Trump. Yes, you heard me correctly, Neil Jarmel will be pulling for Trump with all his heart because, if DeSantis becomes the chosen GOP candidate, then Neil will be begging Trump to run as a third party candidate since that would, in all probability, dilute the GOP vote to the point that ANY Democrat would become President in 2024, regardless of how incompetent and ill-prepared they would be, just as long as they are still breathing and can read a teleprompter beyond a third-grade level.
So, Neil, you better get your pompoms ready and practice your tumbles and high kicks because you’ll now, undoubtedly, become Trump’s head cheerleader!
John N. Butz
Modena
Join the family! 
