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.
Tenants Rights 101 — free legal workshop on February 28
Please join me for Tenants Rights 101 on Tuesday, February 28 at 7:30 p.m. in SUNY New Paltz SUB 100. This tenant-landlord workshop with Legal Services of the Hudson Valley (LSHV) will be an opportunity for tenants and landlords to get informed about their rights and responsibilities and ask questions of our guest legal experts from LSHV about tenant-landlord issues.
Presented by the SUNY New Paltz chapter of the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) and the Village of New Paltz Landlord-Tenant Relations Council in partnership with LSHV, this event is free and open to the public.
Email me at awojcik@villageofnewpaltz.org with questions in advance if you’d like me to ask something on your behalf (I’ll keep questions anonymous).
Alex Wojcik, Deputy Mayor
Village of New Paltz
A time to mourn
For this reason I was born and have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice. What is truth? Pilate asked.”
(A conversation between Jesus of Nazareth and Pontius Pilate)
In her thoughtful article, The Force of Truth, Carol Bergman cited Martin Luther King Jr.’s belief that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word and, though temporarily defeated by evil, right would, ultimately, prevail. As a professing Christian, the Scriptures of Christians and Jews and the God who inspired them was the source of Dr. King’s confidence. When he was weak, Dr. King spoke this truth to the powerful and this truth prevailed leading to the good of long-needed Civil Rights legislation. However, there have been others who spoke their truths to power from positions of weakness and these truths led to the temporary but catastrophic triumph of evil over good. The most egregious example would be Adolf Hitler. He wrote Mein Kampf (My Struggle) in prison while serving a sentence for a failed coup. Like Dr. King, Hitler had notions of truth and love that eventually gave him the political power to see his notions realized. However, his realized notions proved catastrophic not only to the nation that embraced them and the world forced to fight against them but, especially, to Europe’s Jews who were the scapegoats of his notions. Similarly, the KKK and the people in Indiana, cited by Ms. Bergman, embraced views of truth and love that allowed them to murder in defiance of the commandments of the God they claimed to worship and the Christ they claimed to follow.
The truths people hold dear are greatly influenced by their views of God and man. In American society these views were shaped by the Judeo/Christian biblical worldview. Even atheists have been influenced by this worldview and though they may reject the God of this view and the writings that reveal his purposes, any egalitarian impulses they hold are built upon its foundation as stated in the New Testament: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son.” Frederich Nietzsche declared, as a result of the waning influence of Christianity that followed the Enlightenment: “God is dead…and we have killed him.” However, the appropriate response to this death of God, Nietzsche argued, should not be jeering celebration, or a shrug of indifference, but a period of deep disorientation and mourning. And he presented this argument for the following reason: this killed God had been the indubitable authority that lent power and legitimacy to the Judeo-Christian moral values which had cultivated and sustained a civilization for over 1800 years; and he predicted terrible moral injustices would plague this civilization following the death of its God. With this in view, although Carol is correct in noting there is “the force of truth” perhaps, she should have also noted that this force can produce leaders who need scapegoats to justify philosophies that sanction murder and concentrations camps.
Moreover, Ms. Bergman should consider that MLK knew if the truths he proclaimed were ignored, distorted or rejected; even medical associations dedicated to doing “no harm” could be persuaded to change long held, sacred, ethical codes of behavior so that doctors and their patients could justify sacrificing over 63 million developing human scapegoats in the womb in the name of “healthcare” and “democracy.” And though it seems both Dr. King and Nietzsche were right, it may be too late to mourn.
George Civile
Gardiner
Responses for William and Patricia
Responding to William Paskey, I agree that we definitely need to return to a time when we felt safe and secure due to the beliefs we were taught during our upbringing as well as the morals, I might add, that we used to cherish. THIS, in large part, is what would make America great, again.
Of course, William’s reference to the article by Carol Bergman about what happened in Marion, Indiana 93 years ago depicted a horrible event involving three young black boys. Very fortunately, those days and behaviors are well behind us. Yet, William displays quite a biased and distorted view by saying that events like this and many other very negative parts of our history he outlines, are representative of what a red MAGA hat really means, today. Notice that William forgot to mention how his Democratic party of old used to be front and center in its involvement, passively and actively, during many of these extremely huge societal black eyes. MAGA has absolutely nothing to do with what William IMAGINES the MAGA phrase to represent, and I’m sure that a large number of HV1 readers, as well as Americans from both parties and from all nationalities and colors, see right through William’s dismal perception.
Regarding Patricia Porter’s criticism of George Civile while putting Joe Biden on a pedestal, she, like many liberals, does not have the ability to separate someone’s deeds from their personality traits. Her incredible hatred of Trump blinds her from acknowledging his past accomplishments. To most of us, “yesterday” represents many positive things — a very stable economy, reasonable and steady prices for goods and services, energy independence for the first time ever, a great stock market with nice returns on our investments/401k’s, a crime rates not out of control — regarding 99.95% of our law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line daily to protect ALL of us — there used to be support, protection and respect for them, minimal levels of all types of felons as well as terrorists illegal entering our country, minimal amounts of fentanyl killing our youth, a stronger and more focused military, DA’s who actually enforced ALL laws on the books, an education system that actually educated our children on those basic and critical subjects that will REALLY help them succeed in life, etc. I’m sure I’ve forgotten other positive things we used to enjoy “yesterday.” Amazingly, Patricia is willing to forego all these positives because, to her, “yesterday” ONLY represents a time when Trump was around. Again, she refuses to see the past positive realities solely because she can’t stand Trump’s personality. And, to think that Patricia even mentioned the consideration of canceling her HV1 subscription just because George Civile was granted his 1st Amendment freedom of speech. In wanting to cancel her subscription as well as George Civile, she, unfortunately represents the stereotypical liberal who can’t handle an opposing view. What sad tunnel vision, indeed.
John N. Butz
Modena
There and back, while owning the moment
President Joe Biden riled Republicans during his State of the Union speech when he touched on a Medicare and Social Security proposal by Florida Sen. Rick Scott to put the continued existence of those two programs to a vote every five years. True! Check Senator Rick Scott’s budget plan — what do you think “sunset all legislation” means? I am so glad he called them out. Good for you Biden.
Of course, the childish reaction was unbelievable, Republicans in the House chamber hollered, booed and Northwest Georgia Congresswoman Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene yelled “Liar!” at President Biden several times during his recent SOTU speech. Is she ten years old? That’s the “classiness of the GO(o)P”, of course, there is the elephant in the room and she’s the anal glands. We have a choice between normal and crazy. Yes. Yes we do.
Observing Empty Greene: She’s enough to make me feel nostalgic for politicians with a little class and style. Like, say, Sarah Palin. How I miss, lol, the sophistication and intelligence of “I can see Russia from my porch” [Palin]. I don’t care what Greene thinks, there are times when decorum is necessary — Biden played the hypocritical MAGAts perfectly. Now they can’t say anything about cutting Social Security and Medicare. Brilliant move.
My seven-year-old granddaughter has better manners than Rep. Greene. Shame on her. How does a woman who can’t even act like a grown up make it to congress? Makes me wonder if she went with the spotless white coat for a speech at the Capitol because having black in it would have offended her white nationalist supporters. Resembling a Klan mom shouting down your opponent like you’re at a football game.
[Cupping her mouth] “Aaaah…Liar,” she shrieked. First off, please cover that face when you spew. Even before congressworm Marjorie started flinging, I snorted out of my nose over her street walker coat/outfit. I could almost smell the cheap perfume and thrift store staleness on her. What’s with the fur?!? Washington DC wasn’t that cold! Someone needs to send her back to Siberia.Ever heard of the expression “that’s the pot calling the kettle black?” You are the queen of lying, Ms. QAnon Space Cadet. Hey! Watch out for those laser beams from Jews that you confess exist in our skies. She should scream at her newly minted BFF George Santos who lied about literally his whole life to get elected… You are “a big effn liar!” BUT no, crickets… whatta f#&*ing buffoon she is!
She and others of her GOP elected ilk have proved they are unworthy of the chamber. They embrace political extremism. Not surprised however, MT Greene “thinks something you can easily look up as a fact, is actually a lie” — you are way over your head, fool! Oh sweetie. “The eyes are open; the mouth is moving but Ms. Brain has long since departed.” Considering MTG and Lauren Boebert and even Santos, I miss the intellectual heft that was the mind of Dan Quayle.
Finally, at the SOTU, Animal Control had spent the last 45 minutes trying to capture Garbage Barge Marj. By the way, Disney just cast her as a low-rent Booella DeShrill for a live action animation called “1001 MAGAt Mangy Mutts!” Anyone who denies mass shootings, tragedies and riots is a complete hateful moron. Hey, Marjorie, your proclamation is BS without proof. You assert your claptrap without proof. So, let’s see the proof. Oh, wait, the proof is your brain. Yes, [old proverb] a head without smarts is like a lamp without light.-
Neil Jarmel
West Hurley
At a loss
No matter who wins a beauty contest, almost everyone loses.
Sparrow
Phoenicia
Our region’s housing crisis
In regards to our region’s housing crisis, Megan Brenn-White (founder and CEO of Upstate Curious, a real estate brokerage firm which sells houses primarily to people based in NYC), had this to say: “The market is never going to fix this, it’s just not. The government is going to have to fix it.” Perhaps the industry should’ve learned the first time around post-2008 housing bubble so government intervention wouldn’t be necessary. What an ask!
Tim Scott, Jr.
Saugerties
Central Hudson oy vey
According to several recent news articles, the Public Service Commission investigated thousands of complaints against Central Hudson Gas & Electric. The PSC concluded that Central Hudson was “guilty of breaking various New York State laws.” State Senator Michelle Hinchey has been busy trying to resolve what some are calling ‘predatory billing practices’. This apparently new billing system has intimidated thousands of rate payers into paying as much as four or five times what their average bills had been. You know the drill: pay Central Hudson or they will shut off your power.
If there is good news, it might be the Class Action Lawsuit that is underway. If you are among the thousands of Central Hudson customers who has been (and are still being) ripped-off; I strongly encourage you to go to this website: Investigations@Lowey.com and join the lawsuit. It’s quick and easy, and perhaps we will prevail and end up receiving refunds for our aggravation and over payments.
Donny Kass
Boiceville
Point to ponder
Worldwide during 2022 there were 12 commercial airline disasters. In the US, there were 1044 domestic train derailments. Clearly an oversight deficit that in light of the Ohio disaster spells continued unfavorable odds of recurrence. Perhaps in our neighborhood next.
Steve Thorbjornsen
Kingston
Sourcing green electric power in NYS
In early 2022, our Village of New Paltz administration chose to participate in the brand new NY Power Authority (NYPA) Blended Power Program, which offers solar and wind generated power from NYS. The program provided our local government with an alternative to purchasing generation from Central Hudson or Energy Supply Companies (ESCOs). It was made available to local governments, state agencies and NYPA’s existing business and nonprofit customers.
For the last year, the Village used NYPA’s 100% green power product for our 13 accounts including village hall, various water and sewer pump stations, the water plant on Mountain Rest Road, the sewer plant on Huguenot Street and our community’s new fire station. We paid $0.089 per kWh with NYPA’s program. Since early 2017, our administration was buying 100% green generation from third-party ESCO, Green Mountain Energy.
It is now time for the village to consider whether to renew with NYPA. We are being offered the opportunity to lock in a fixed rate for one, two or three years, and also whether we would like a Standard Market Rate, or their 51% or 100% Green programs. The lowest rate NYPA is offering is for standard power at a one-year fixed rate of $0.095 per kWh. Its most expensive offering is 100% green at a fixed rate for three years at $0.103 per kWh.
In comparison, the monthly variable rate Central Hudson charged me at my home through 12/8/22 was $0.17 per kWh.
Mayor Tim Rogers
New Paltz
Save Woodstock Elementary
Just when I thought it was safe to go back in the water…
I realize that the Onteora School Board must perform their due diligence when it comes to the distasteful notion of school closings, but it seems to me the choices they’ve proffered are a bit too complicated and way too muddled to solicit any clear and useful input. Having said that, it seems to me that the matter boils down to a simple matter of community. If you look at a map, Bennett School and Phoenicia Elementary are already located in the same geographical/cultural area, while Woodstock Elementary is clearly located in a non-contiguous community. Combining Bennett/Phoenicia thus has two distinct advantages:
1. The kids in these schools are already part of the same “community” (Boiceville/Shokan/Shandaken)
2. Transportation is considerably less of an issue than busing little kids all the way from Woodstock.
But the real consideration is the profound effect that kids have on community. A community is not complete without its own school, for without their own school, there’s a lack of identity, which leads to a breakdown in community. Without a school, where’s the community spirit? Among parents as well as kids (who among us doesn’t have friends cultivated because of their kids?) And there’s the effect this would have on real estate values. Who would want to move to a town without its own school? What would the effect of that be on school tax revenues? The ripple effects are considerable.
So let’s please not complicate this. While I get that you have to go through the exercise, Onteora, this should be a no-brainer. Closing Woodstock should not even be a consideration. Just combine Bennett and Phoenicia and leave Woodstock Elementary alone.
Richard Buck
Woodstock
We need bees
Bees need us. They are being killed by neurotoxins called neonicotinoids (neonics for short). Just one neonic-treated corn seed has enough active ingredients to kill 250,000 bees. When neonics in treated corn and soybean seeds became more toxic, bee die off increased. As with mercury and lead, there are no known safe levels for these chemicals and they are in our soil, water and increasingly, in us. They sterilize the soil and cannot be removed from water.
We need bees. Loss of bees means less food, more expensive food and fewer choices. Farmers have recently cut back on apple, cherry and blueberry crops due to an insufficient number of bees to pollinate.
The New York Birds and Bees Protection Act (A7429A/S699D) would eliminate 80-90% of these neonics that are killing pollinators. It does allow continued use to combat the wooly adelgid and other invasive species and it allows a farmer who couldn’t access untreated seeds to use it.
Quebec and Ontario phased out most neonic-treated crop seeds; Maine and New Jersey banned neonics in gardens. This past July, France banned pesticide use in all private and public areas. The good news is that New York State passed the act with bi-partisan support in both state houses, but not in the same year as required.
Bees need us. Please call our state legislators to support a renewed New York Birds and Bees Protection Act during the 2023 session. Remember, this act protects us too!
Depending on your district this means calling either Michelle Hinchey 845-331-3810 and Sarahana Shrestha 845-658-0274 or Peter Oberacker 607-432-5524 and Brian Maher 607-353-7976. (Phoning is more effective than emailing and the bees are worth it!)
Doris Chorny
Wallkill
Defending racial hatreds
Florida has its Ron DeSantis and the Hudson Valley has its David Drimer. Both seek to defend racial hatreds in their attacks on higher education. DeSantis wants to make it illegal for advanced placement courses to talk about the role of black people in our society. Drimer wants Bard College to shut down a course on apartheid in Israel-Palestine.
These disputes are decades if not centuries old. The US has been subjugating its black population since 1619, first as slaves and then as tormented minorities at the bottom of a rigid caste system. Israel has employed racism and ethnic cleansing since its very beginning. Both DeSantis and Drimer wrap themselves in their respective flags, the stars and stripes and the star of David, to protect the very worst in their societies. And rather than trying to cleanse their nations of this racism, they attack any manifestation of the truth.
Both DeSantis and Drimer present themselves as defenders of a racist status quo. DeSantis has worked hard to protect white people from the “discomfort” or the “guilt” they might feel when exposed to the history of Jim Crow discrimination or hate. Drimer has an equally difficult task. In an article he wrote for the Jerusalem Post, he calls his lobby the Zionist Organization of America, an “uncompromised voice for Israel’s security.” For Drimer, any study of ethnic cleansing or racism in the Holy Land must be rooted out, even if it is taught by a world-renowned human rights scholar.
Fred Nagel
Rhinebeck
National defense
The Joe assures us that his son’s laptop has nothing to do with the single piece of evidence that persuaded every American [and seven billion global citizens] that Bubba was a liar about young Monica: the Gap blue dress. BS Joe. You sold out Barack and you sold out America.
This world is far too dangerous for a guy to be president who is lining his pockets with Chinese yuan. Picking Kamala was another stab in our backs. Of all the talented black women in America, WHY her?
Certainly you were not putting America first. She dropped out on Day One of the primaries.
America is now at great risk. Quit, and take her with you.
Paul Nathe
New Paltz
And the hits keep coming
From “the article” in Hudson Valley One: Woodstock Supervisor McKenna said the bottom line [regarding venues at the Colony and the Bearsville Center] is that outdoor music is allowed. “The law doesn’t prohibit outdoor music. Outdoor music is permitted. Amplified music is permitted. It just cannot be unreasonable. It’s all legal until eleven o’clock, and then they can’t have any unreasonable or unnecessary noise, period,” he said. “I didn’t allow them to do something they’re not allowed to do.”
As I have seen him do in the past, he only states, as he did in this case, a part of a law in an attempt to sway others. Chapter 139, Noise, of the Town Code states that prima facie evidence of a violation of this chapter is “an excessive or unreasonable level of noise from any live music or sound reproduction system, operating or playing any radio, portable radio or tape player, television, tape deck or similar device that reproduces or amplifies sound in such a manner as to be heard over any property line.”
Based on the complaints from numerous property owners, it appears that the amplified sounds can be heard over the property line and should be considered “prima facie evidence of a violation.”
Howard Harris
Woodstock
No you have not
https://hudsonvalleyone.com/2023/02/17/the-hudson-valley-deserves-mental-health-treatment-courts/
We are finally starting to remove the stigma around mental health while renewing conversations about criminal justice and public safety.
That it appears in the above sentence indicates you have not. Of this much I am sure: When journalism actually does remove it from its reporting, that will be a good day.
Harold A Maio, retired mental health editor
Fort Myers, FL
Committed to creating affordable housing in Woodstock
Thank you to the members of the Woodstock Town Board who approved providing funds to the Woodstock Housing Alliance (WHA) that will be used to help ease the housing crises in our town. It is clear through their vote that they are committed to creating housing in Woodstock that is affordable to residents of all income levels. As we all know, there are people who grew up in Woodstock who can’t afford to live here. There are people who work in Woodstock who can’t afford to live here. There are even people who work for the Town of Woodstock who can’t afford to live here. It is time for this to change!
The Woodstock Housing Alliance is a non-profit 501(c)(3) Community Land Trust. The $175,000 that the town provided to the WHA is part of the federal American Rescue Plan and will be used to create affordable long-term rentals in the very near-term future. Specifically, the funds will be used by the WHA to create loans to help finance homeowners to create Affordable Accessory Dwelling Units (A-ADUs). These new A-ADUs will be deed restricted to be used for affordable, long-term rentals.
The existing Woodstock zoning code allows every single-family dwelling in town to have an ADU by right. Meaning that, so long as the ADU is built according to the rules set down in the zoning code, there is no approval required from either the Planning Board or the Zoning Board to build the ADU. This is important because it means that the process of building these new affordable ADUs can be started immediately and we can start to address our town’s housing needs now!
Woodstock Housing Alliance will now work with Town of Woodstock officials on the process of applications for homeowners interested in establishing an affordable rental on their property. For more information on WHA please visit www.woodstockhousingalliance.org.
Kirk Ritchey
Susan Manuel
Judith Kerman
Jeff Collins
Woodstock Housing Alliance Board of Directors
A memory of the Rainbow Lodge
Thank you for Nick Henderson’s evocative coverage of the continuing saga of the Rainbow Lodge. Way before we moved full-time to Woodstock, my wife Linda and I stayed with the Baers at the Lodge. There was a wonderful Tibetan Buddhist monk working with their son Ian at the time and we ate crepe breakfasts at La Duchess Anne, saw Allen Ginsberg sneaking a cigarette break outside the Zen Monastery and experienced early love on that beautiful stretch of Route 212 where you can still feel the bliss emanating from those, like Molly and family, who made this corner their home. And so glad that Ian thrived, after all this time, with such a joyful community surrounding him!
Martin Haber
Woodstock
Reaching for the stars
Sports symbolize how many of us think we should lead our lives. Our Olympians reach for extremes; our ball players push beyond self-abuse to attain a short bountiful career in the pros. How many spins, how far was the jump and how fast can they go? Grace, beauty and sportsmanship have become an insignificant part of the equation.
Our TV news networks focus on the extreme edges of society with such things as school shootings, hurricanes, tornadoes and political drama that incites intense emotion without thought. Even our little league ball games have parents rooting with full lungs and pizza rewards for winners. Yet, simultaneously, those who sat on the benches and did not play held back their tears.
Our shopping mentality has become to buy the most expensive, the hardest to find, the biggest, the fastest, the shiniest, the smallest and the most beautiful is where the worth rests. Regarding beauty, whoever weighs the least gets to become the model. The finest doctor and the most valued cars are often determined by how much they cost.
I recently watched an ice skater performing a quad spin on TV that won him victory. I saw a ski jumper could fly an incredible distance to triumph. Yes, there is some attention to the style and form of the athlete, but in most instances, it is secondary to speed, distance and spin. I cringed each time I saw a man or woman fall, trying to push beyond their safety and risking their life and health for years to come for the one run, jump or skate. Our hungry eyes watch for the moment of championship and tragedy. But, unfortunately, subtle, refined, careful movements fail to hold our attention.
Imagine what would happen if governmental standards got set at the same extreme as our athletes. Could humanity’s need in this country to feed and care for our masses to preserve our forests and farmlands be met?
But unfortunately, only the extremely wealthy can influence our country’s direction. As a culture, society and individuals, we have become addicted to extremes. If you don’t have the top job, the best home, the highest degree or the most beautiful or handsome spouse, you have not reached the top.
Yes, I enjoy seeing folks push themselves toward personal perfection. However, I often imagine the terror and distress they feel when they make a mistake or the pain of losing the opportunity that took years of work to become second and third best in a world where this is not enough.
The wealthy squeeze us harder to guarantee their passage to Homer’s land of perfect happiness at the end of the Earth, on the banks of the Oceanus, before someone plants their flag on the hallowed ground before them.
What a dilemma for so many of us to live on the middle ground, be mediocre, be overweight, and compare ourselves to those who have sacrificed the majority of life’s side roads to travel the one highway that leads to Homer’s Elysian Plains.
Larry Winters
New Paltz
Join the family! 
