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A lot of firsts and bests
Huge thanks to the community for providing a terrific summer vacation for our grandchildren, visiting for three and a half weeks from Germany.
There were many firsts: first sighting of a shooting star, first time seeing a mother bear and her cub in the back yard, first time sharing the lawn with a deer, first protest (July 17th) first time finding a dead mouse while swimming, first sing-along with puppet show (Arm of the Sea), first time at a Guitar Summit (at the Ashokan Center), holding a newborn cousin. And a lot of bests: getting to talk to the lead singer after the Hammerhead Horns concert in Germantown, front-row seats at The Matchmaker (Hudson Valley Shakes), an art class at the Olive Library, the Tannersville arboretum, seeing a family friend perform at the Bridge Street Theatre in Catskill.
But perhaps the best welcome was from the audience at the Colony in Woodstock which roared its approval for our eleven-year-old granddaughter who made her U.S. debut at open-mic night last week singing Shallow by Lady Gaga. Her skillful ccompanist was Yamit Satat of MVP Studios.
Deborah Savadge
Shokan
No gates between us
He stood at the edge of the century like a man staring into a burning orchard — branches lit not by candlelight but by consequence. The smoke that slithered down from the northern forests was not just a warning; it was a sermon written in the sky, a grim homily without a pulpit. It found its way into lungs, headlines, prayer bowls, and birth canals. It did not knock before entering. It did not ask permission. It simply came, as truth does, uninvited.
He had once believed there were walls between the rooms of the world, between breath and border, between dying and buying. But that was before the plague taught him that air carries memory the way rivers carry bones. Covid did not pass through like a storm with a clean goodbye. It moved like a ghost through the rafters of collective denial, rattling the floorboards of modern hubris.
Memories, he realized, did not get discharged. They became voltage — supercharged by new media, broadcast in loops, garnished with algorithms, recited by voices too polished to break. The pandemic did not bring stillness; it brought static. Dying bodies placed into refrigerated trucks became a kind of punctuation mark at the end of an unread sentence — seen but not absorbed.
And still, the leaders stuffed cash into their ears as if it were cotton for a funeral. They did not want to hear the dying sing. They did not want to know the price of numbness, that inflation wasn’t just economic, but spiritual. Grief had become unaffordable. Empathy — an endangered species.
He recalled a line he once repeated like a folk incantation: It takes a war to awaken the absent. But even that spell was wearing thin. The new war, the one waiting in the marrow of unspoken agreements and psychotic old men clinging to their final seasons, would not require boots or flags. It would arrive dressed in climate, virus, famine, and flame. A war not of trenches but of thresholds — each one crossed in silence.
Yet even now, as the orchard burned and the sky coughed its sorrow, he felt something stir beneath the ash — a hunger for home. Not the home built of drywall and deeds, but the one made of shared breath and untold stories. A home where the gates had long since rusted open, where the well water tasted like truth, and where the old were not hoarding power but planting seeds.
There, in the smoke and memory, he turned not away — but toward.
Larry Winters
New Paltz
Stacking the deck
An executive qession is by definition a confidential meeting where only members of a governing body are allowed. Outside advisors such as legal counsel may attend only to provide expertise on specific matters. Yet according to July 23rd issue of Hudson Valley One, “Courtis noted that a requested executive session ‘went to hell in a handbasket’ because McKenna had invited non-town board members into the room.”
Who were these non-town board attendees? Why were they there? What was their relevant expertise, and how would have that expertise materially aided the board in reaching a conclusion?
Given that this controversy unfolded in the shadow of McKenna’s hiring of a Level 3 sex offender — without disclosing his background to the board before approval — it’s not unreasonable to question whether McKenna sought to buffer scrutiny or tip the scales in his favor. Woodstock deserves governance that respects transparency, not strategic obfuscation.
Howard Harris
Woodstock
Bad business
Almost every “deal” that president Donald Trump is making with universities, corporations, or other countries involve compromises that are moving us away from an innovative free-enterprise system and toward a government-controlled economic system with stagnating, government-controlled universities. Government-controlled economies were (and are) hallmarks of the Russian, North Korean, and Chinese regimes, the latter especially under Mao Zedong. How well have those economies worked for the average citizen? Why does anyone think outcomes will be different this time?
David Rosenberger
New Paltz
Let us say ”never again”
The commemoration of the bombings of August 6 (Hiroshima) and August 9 (Nagasaki) should alert every individual to realize the seriousness of the deployment of two nuclear submarines close to Russia. The president is the sole person who can authorize and follow through on the use of nuclear weapons by the U.S.
Do you have confidence in the decision-making abilities of one person (commander-in-chief) or the advisers to this one person? If you seek peace and wish to pursue this goal without violence, it is necessary to speak out! To not speak out renders a person complicit with decisions that can harm and threaten us all. Realize that today’s nuclear weapons are many, many times more powerful than those dropped on the two Japanese cities.
Let us say “never again.” How ironic that the month of September will encompass a celebration of the season of creation (protection of every aspect of our environment and the human race) and days of non-violence. What can be done? Contact your representatives in Washington (Ryan, Schumer, Gillibrand — maybe also Stefanik and Lawler as well — to demand that they forcefully support signing the treaty on the prohibition of nuclear weapons (Capitol switchboard: 202-224-3121).
Demand that our president also support signing this document (White House comment line: 202-456-1111). Encourage these reps. to dialogue with other non-signatories to encourage their signing (U.K., Russia, China, France, Israel, India, Pakistan, North Korea). Ninety-four countries have already signed.
Let us use our resources to benefit the poor, hungry, and disenfranchised, always welcoming the stranger. Take action to be part of creating a more just and compassionate future. Let our actions be a gift to the generations to come.
Terence Lover
Woodstock
Support for Tim Rogers
During my professional career, I had the opportunity to work directly with a large number of elected officials within the seven counties that comprise the Mid-Hudson Valley.
Clearly, Tim Rodgers was and is outstanding in terms of his knowledge regarding; municipal finance, infrastructure planning and community recreation.
I understand that Tim is seeking to serve the New Paltz community as town supervisor. That is great news!
I urge those who can vote in the upcoming election to support Tim Rogers with your vote. Tim is the smart choice.
Glenn Gidaly
New Paltz
An alternate universe
I’ve come to expect that Trump and his MAGA loyalists live in a disturbing and dangerous alternate universe, one in which it is perfectly acceptable to fire the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, commissioner Erika McEntarfer, following the release of a disappointing jobs report. Don’t like what you hear? Claim that it was rigged.
An alternate universe in which it is perfectly acceptable for Trump to lie about the supposedly great trade deals he’s made with Japan, South Korea and the European Union. No matter that the leaders of Japan, South Korea and the EU are reporting that these deals aren’t nearly as beneficial to the U.S. as Trump is claiming.
An alternate universe in which it is perfectly acceptable for the party that once stood for law and order to claim that a senior Department of Justice advisor caught on video urging the mob to kill police during the January 6th insurrection is a «valued member» of the Trump DOJ.
If it wasn’t clear before, it should be clear by now that this is what Trump meant by “Make America Great Again.” An alternate universe in which manipulating data, lying about trade deals, and advocating the murder of police officers is perfectly acceptable.
If that’s not the universe you want to live in, or the universe you want your children or grandchildren to live in, it’s time now to stand up and speak out. Before it’s too late.
Charlotte Adamis
Kingston
A word defends the empire
Antisemitism has become the most important word in consolidating and protecting the power of the present-day U.S. empire. Antisemitism has its own identity problems, of course. Semitic has been used since the 19th century to identify both Hebrew and Arabic languages and the people who speak them. Antisemitism has always been a linguistic dog chasing its own tail.
Why can’t anti-Jewish sentiment be described as other oppressed races and ethnicities are? Blacks have been the victims of white America for centuries. We describe such mistreatment as anti Black prejudice. A hatred of Irish people is called anti Irish bigotry. But the word antisemitism doesn’t really tell who is being discriminated against.
This vagueness is the key to how useful the term antisemitism has become. The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) has added to the confusion by giving eleven examples of antisemitism, seven of which involve Israel in some way. For example: “Applying double standards by requiring of [Israel] a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation.” Suddenly, we see that the IHRA definition is really a way to protect the apartheid state of Israel against charges of genocide and crimes against humanity.
That is why antisemitism is the favorite tool of the ultra-right. The most racist president we have ever had is ever eager to “protect Jews” by arresting students, firing professors, and shaking down institutions. In these troubled times, antisemitism is there to defend the empire from charges of purposely starving two million Palestinian children.
Fred Nagel
Rhinebeck
The present
Imagine a day without
an end, that goes on
without clocks, without
words like day or night,
without concepts like
getting up, bedding down,
no quotidian interruptions,
just simply living in the Now.
No seconds, no minutes,
or hours, years. No cycles
called Sunday or Friday,
no worries about time
or aging. Image we call
this span: The present.
Patrick Hammer, Jr.
Saugerties
Democratize access to electricity
It is time for the democratization of electricity. Over the years the cost of electricity has gone up steadily by 49 percent. We, the consumera, have the right to demand from Central Hudson, the right to have a choice. We need to be able to access ‘balcony” solar systems. We need to be able to purchase a rooftop solar system without the byzantine permit maze that the electrical utilities created almost 150 years ago.
At this time, renters and people with limited income are locked out of solar energy either because they simply live in an apartment or cannot afford or are unwilling to enter a burdensome financing scheme. People should be able to access balcony solar power or plug in solar power like they do a refrigerator or a toaster. Already Germany and Australia have these solar systems available. In fact, consumers can purchase a plug-in solar system through the Australian Ikea stores.
People should go to their town boards and ask for a simplified permit application for installation of plug-in solar. Utah was the first state to change its permitting laws. It is New York’s turn! We need to make solar the Costco for energy, affordable for all. For more information about plug-in solar energy, visit Brightsaver.org. We as New Yorkers should be able to democratize the access to electricity and make it affordable for all people no matter where they live.
Laurie Felber
Woodstock
Neighborly homesharing
HomeShare Ulster County (former HomeShare Woodstock) is poised to add 5 new matches in our communities. We have recently added the City of Kingston to our service area which includes Woodstock (of course), Kingston,Saugerties, Ulster, Hurley, Olive and Shandaken. We have had 13 successful matches to date, supporting nine seniors to remain in their homes and 16 individuals to find local, affordable housing.
These matches provide some security to children of seniors who are living alone. Most involve a “neighborly exchange” of help with some including driving, small household tasks, companionship and nighttime security. All pay a modest rent to the home provider.
This is only possible because of the commitment and skill of our volunteers.
While our paid staff provide continuity and administrative support, our team of volunteers connects with each of our applicants in a detailed intake interview, follows-up with reference checks, makes appropriate introductions and manages the details of setting up a match. Every match is followed by a match coordinator for the life of the match. It sounds like a lot, but the time commitment for each of us is about three to six hours a week.
While we manage the expected turnover in volunteers, our recent expansion has highlighted the need for new community members to become involved. We need volunteers to help with outreach and, most critically, to join our Match Team.
We provide training and mentorship and support each other as a working team. We especially need volunteers who are able to work in the Kingston area as many of our current volunteers live in the Woodstock/Saugerties area. Please check us out on Facebook @homeshareulstercounty and on Family of Woodstock’s website https://www.familyofwoodstockinc.org/programs/home-share-ulster-county-ny/ Our staff can be contacted at 845-331-7080. Ask for HomeShare. Or email at homeshareulstercounty@familyofwoodstockinc.org
Susan Goldman
Woodstock
Advice for Antonio Delgado
Many of us long for an alternative to the meddling, muddling governorship of Kathy Hochul. A bold leader with bold plans. That’s what we want in this sour era of Trump. So I thank Antonio Delgado for stepping up to run.
You’re younger and charismatic. He’s a fiery speaker with a heart, an affection for people, a belief in us that radiates from his videos. But does he pause to listen to what he actually says? It can be painful, In a recent Q&A with City & State he was asked about affordable housing.
His reply: “There’s definitely a supply-side issue, and it’s also a demand-side issue, and let’s just break that down. On the supply side, I think its always engaging with the regulatory dimensions that can frustrate or slow down the way in which money flows through government for the purpose of building and constructing affordable homes, and that’s something we have to be realistic about from a bureaucratic standpoint, and what it means to get government out of the way of itself. But I think it’s just as important, if not more in the short term, because those fixes take time. But what doesn’t take time is making sure the public, who is trying survive every single day and meet their rent month to month is in a position to do so.”
This is gobbledygook. This is the vacuous regurgitation of buzzwords that mean nothing, the time-honored tactic of bureaucrats everywhere eager to avoid saying anything of consequence. What I hear in this answer is evasiveness, the fear of taking a stand that could be challenged or could start to change the housing situation for the better.
Language — for many of us it’s the English language — is the most powerful tool human beings have yet invented. Even AI would be nowhere without it. Please, Mr. Delgado, make your words count. The bureaucrats already run too much of our lives. We want to be inspired.
Will Nixon
Kingston
Why do illegals remain?
There are countless people in our country illegally from many countries and not because they legitimately seek and qualify for asylum but because they, like all past generations of immigrants, want a better life and opportunities that were non-existent in their home countries. Many have been here illegally for ten, 20, and even 30 years. Most are hard working and have contributed to our economy and communities and, most importantly, have no criminal records. Many might say that the lives they lead are no different than the lives most legal Americans lead.
I would think that they are happy and proud to be here in the United States while living a life that would never have been possible back in their native countries. So, the very obvious question becomes, why haven’t any of these long term illegal immigrants been interested in becoming legal citizens of the country they claim to love? It’s not like the process takes ten years and tens of thousands of dollars.
Research shows, on average, that it takes eight tio 14 months with filing fees costing around $700 to $800. These fees can even go down to zero to $400, depending on the income level of the illegal’s household. If an attorney is needed, their cost can range from $1000.00 to $3000 depending on the complexity of the case — hardly a hardship on the time frame and costs. Again, what is the mysterious hesitancy on the part of these illegal immigrants to become legal citizens? Look at the anxieties and fears they could easily leave behind them if they took this simple final step.
Let’s take a quick look at the hypocrites running sanctuary cities and states, led by the ever “popular” California king of hair gel, Pretty Boy Newsom. Look at the millions of taxpayer dollars he’s wasting on filing frivolous lawsuits against the current administration to block ICE, to stop deportations, while encouraging protests involving attacks of ICE personnel, providing expensive and unearned freebies, etc. when the same money could be much more wisely spent on actually helping the illegals become legal citizens, the same people who Newsom and his phonies pretend to care about, as they do nothing feasible and reasonable for the non-criminal illegals. Thus the well deserved moniker of “hypocrites.”
Think about it, if you’re here illegally and happy with the opportunities this country has given you, why on earth would you not go the final step of legal citizenship, especially to protect yourself and your family from the possibility of deportation? Doing such would erase all your worries and prevent you from having to constantly look over your shoulder for what might happen next. Seems like a no-brainer to me.
John N. Butz
Modena
Graceful aging: satisfaction
Perhaps the most sustained feat of stamina is recorded in the opening of the Bible, where the Lord creates this cosmos for six days, and then on the seventh he surveys his work and “rests.” The Hebrew verb translated as “rest” is shavat, from which the word Sabbath comes.
Whether God experienced divine fatigue or whether he had done “enough” and so could turn his attention elsewhere is a game for interpreters, but what is made explicit is that he is able to survey all he had made and find it “very good.” God appears to know what it is to be satisfied.
We all know the relation between work and rest, activity and sleep, but perhaps the missing ingredient is the capacity to step back, survey, and appreciate what has been accomplished before rushing on to the next thing. The word satisfaction comes from the Latin word for “enough”.
It wasn’t until I was twenty years old that the widely observed custom of stores and even of many restaurants closing on Sundays ended, and the life of 24/7 began. Somewhere deep in my memory lies this experience of the quieting of the roar of progress, the slowing down of life, the temporal pauses that refresh, the time to actually reach out and touch someone.
Nostalgia seems to be an ailment of my aging. Nostalgia is literally a Greek compound noun meaning “home-pain,” a word applied to Odysseus, warrior and voyager, who aches for sight of his island, his wife, his son. Much as I have always had my nose into the future, my heart, my metabolism, was set in a slower time. For example, I grew up when people wrote letters to one another and posted them in a mailbox and waited patiently for a response. And when it came, the reading was often a shared experience, news from a distant friend, a family member. Handwritten. In cursive. How very satisfying.
There is a great deal about the past I do not miss. The anxiety and agony in the dentist chair can stand for a lot. But I confess that I miss that aspect of the past where rest and savoring, where reflection and satisfaction were anchored in the calendar and in the practices of a Judeo-Christian culture. The older I get, the less stamina I have to keep up with the constant turbulence of this culture of Now! I need to rest — and often — from the pace, the interruptions, the disruptions, the distractions, the demands, the dangers of the world I am growing old in. My stamina is ever more limited, and without a break, there is no time for the sigh of satisfaction rom which naturally arises a sense of gratitude and peace.
Peter Pitzele
New Paltz
Moving forward legally
We currently have a Woodstock employee who is a convicted Level 3 sex offender. All five Woodstock town-board members voted to hire this employee in March 2025, and permanently hire him in June, 2025, with four of the five, including me, not aware of his criminal history.
The employee paid his debt to society by serving five years in prison and is on parole until 2034. I understand his parole officer believes his Woodstock maintenance job is a good job for him, but he should not be assigned a job that involves working with children.
I believe in rehabilitation, helping people who recognize their mistakes and are genuinely working to atone for those mistakes and move forward as positive members of society. However, at our July 22, 2025, town-board meeting the people of Woodstock shared their strong anxiety and fear with this employee’s Woodstock maintenance job that has him in many parts of Woodstock, and sometimes possibly in close proximity to women and children.
The statistics regarding recidivism of Level 3 sex offenders causes people additional worry.
My position is that the Town of Woodstock needs to part ways with this employee. In my opinion, we need to do so not because of fault by the employee since he has been hired, but because the level of anxiety and stress understandably felt by the people of Woodstock needs to be resolved. And, of course, we need to act legally.
In the July 30, 2025, HV1, Ken Panza’s letter said, “when three Woodstock town-board members voted to fire a Level 3 sex offender, McKenna and Ricci refused to support the resolution” and referred to “McKenna’s and Ricci’s support of the continued employment by the town of a Level 3 sex offender”. In the August 6, 2025, HV1, Ken Panza’s letter says, “Councilperson Ricci claims terminating the employment of a Level 3 sex offender would be a criminal act by the town board”.
My corrections:
1. The vote by the three Woodstock board members was not for a resolution to legally remove this employee from Woodstock employment. It was a specifically a resolution to rescind the two resolutions that hired the employee. Because I was blindsided by the rescind resolution, I was forced to make an immediate decision with no legal research and no one-on-one conversations. With my 30-plus years of management experience, I didn’t believe it to be legal to just pretend we didn’t hire this employee. We did hire him. He is a NYS employee and a union member. By not voting Yes on the rescind resolution, I was not stating my opposition to removing this employee, I was stating that I believed this was an illegal resolution.
2. At the time of Panza’s July 30, 2025 letter claiming my support of continued employment of the employee, I had already stated privately that we need to legally part ways with the employee. This is a personnel issue. In my years of management experience, personnel issues are normally addressed privately. Plus, I was away for two weeks. I was therefore not quick to state my position publicly. But this is a public issue, and my position is being misstated publicly, so I have stated my position publicly in this letter.
3. I did not claim that terminating this employee would be a criminal act, but said it needed legal investigation. We need to be sure we are legally moving forward.
Supervisor McKenna is working with our professional contacts to move forward legally.
Laura Ricci
Town councilmember, Woodstock
Woodstock traffic tsunami
It’s not just speed, it’s also parking.
Speeding vehicles has been a growing problem as a recent HV1 article highlighted. But, one of the unintended consequences of Woodstock›s burgeoning tourism and related commercial success has been a veritable tsunami of traffic. And with it congestion and overflowing parking.
Much of it is attributable to the growth of new or expanded entertainment venues, but in general whether the annual festivals for cinema, writers, art or the many themed weekend events, the town is being overwhelmed by traffic and by parked cars, bicycles, motorcycles, wandering pedestrians — many crossing Route 212 in dangerous places — and ubiquitous vans and delivery trucks.
As a result of the congestion there have been numerous near misses and many fender-bemders. With east bound traffic in particular, lack of visibility to drivers attempting to exit private lanes and side streets is increasingly challenging, particularly because of parked cars and trucks.
What to do?
First, let’s slow vehicles down to 15 m.p.h. in the town core. Creating more parking off Route 212 will also help. But, additionally, establishing visibility setbacks at locations where private lanes or side streets enter Tinker and Mill Hill and adding two street lights; one at the junction of 375 and 212 and the other at the junction of Tinker and Rock City Road would help greatly. Using setbacks and raised surfaces at crosswalks and. bringing back a traffic assistant at key corners could also help, especially on holidays and all summer weekends at Tinker and Rock City. Adding convex traffic mirrors placed on the westbound side, opposite driveways, private lanes and side streets could also improve visibility. Mirrors and their poles are very inexpensive to put in. Most towns and villages utilize setbacks and a study of nearby communities could help come up with sensible gap measurements for situations such as crosswalks, distances from hydrants and areas where side streets and lanes spill into main roadways in the town core. Establishing a free town core hop-on, hop-off shuttle service spanning the most often traveled points would be inspired. Lizzie’s Vans or Colony Coaches. Or have all commercial enterprises share the burden. Include stops at the existing and new off-street parking sites. Cities and towns throughout America have also limited the days and hours for commercial deliveries.
Don’t keep blaming the state. The oft-cited excuse for no action has been that the main thoroughfares are the jurisdiction of New York State. Instead, work with our state representatives to engage the state to do its part. And, make those changes now that are within our town’s rights.
Doug Sheer
Woodstock
A New Paltz smear
Amanda Gotto paints her acceptance of the Republican ballot line as a gesture of local unity and political civility. But let’s be honest about what it really is: a Democrat accepting a Republican nomination in the middle of one of the most dangerous and dishonest political eras in modern American history.
This isn’t just a local quirk. It’s part of a broader national pattern. The same Republican Party that enabled Trumpism, that continues to push election denialism, undermine reproductive rights, and fuel division through grievance politics, is alive and well here in Ulster County. It’s not just “out there” in Washington, as Gotto describes. It’s at your local Republican caucus.
When Gotto accepted the GOP nomination, she aligned herself with a party that is increasingly dominated by authoritarian rhetoric and MAGA extremism, whether she wants to admit it or not. In fact, at that very caucus on July 22, political rhetoric straight from the MAGA playbook was on full display. One Republican nominator described Tim Rogers — a Democrat who has served New Paltz honorably for over a decade — as “scary” and accused him of supporting antisemitism and racism in local government. That smear was based on New Paltz’s response to the George Floyd protests, when our village chose dialogue and understanding over silence and fear. These kinds of attacks aren’t just dishonest – they’re dangerous. And yet, Amanda Gotto sees this as an opportunity to model bipartisanship.
Accepting a nomination isn’t a neutral act – it’s an association. Voters deserve transparency, not rhetorical cover. Claiming “our local politics are different” doesn’t erase the fact that MAGA Republicans are operating right here in Ulster County, and they’ve thrown their support behind her. I reject this cynical maneuvering, and support Democratic values, Democratic candidates, and the integrity of our local political process.
Neil Bettez
New Paltz
Allow SUNY police off campus
Our New Paltz police officers are in need of and deserve help when the college is in session. I spoke of this concern to both recent town supervisors and now repeat the suggestion for both candidates.
My suggestion: Send an invitation to towns and cities with SUNY for a meeting to discuss how they each handle SUNY police support and local police interactions.
Based on my knowledge SUNY officers are not allowed to patrol our town based on union agreements. SUNY officers in many towns outnumber the local police force but provide no real logistical support for local officers. This causes stress on our local police system and adds significant costs to taxpayers!
Using the collective power of all the communities impacted by the large number of SUNY students, I would suggest a united approach to our local state legislators to push for a change in the SUNY police contract to allow for them to leave campus and patrol with our local police. It is only fair that SUNY communities and our local police officers, annually impacted by thousands of additional residential students, get the help we deserve.
Ron Stonitsch
New Paltz
Formal feedback from DOT
For years, we have been asking informally and formally via various village-board resolutions, for the NYS DOT to look at various Main Street safety issues. This morning, DOT staff provided us with summaries from the detailed studies they have performed.
We’re pleased to share that several of our asks were included in their findings.
Some of the DOT’s recommendations included:
• Install crosswalks and/or rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFBs) with bump-outs to extend curbs into Main Street at Joalyn, Prospect, Grove, and Oakwood.
• Improve sightlines at two driveways. (Remove two on-street parking spots that flank the entrance to the parking behind Apizza snd Burger Box. Remove one on-street spot in front of B-Side)
• Add a vehicle traffic light with push buttons for pedestrians at the library, P&Gs, Chase, Starbucks intersection, where North Front, Plattekill and Main meet.
All these ideas are preliminary, would still need to be designed, and require figuring out how their implementation gets funded. But receiving this formal feedback from DOT is an encouraging first step that we have not been successful securing previously.
Very unofficial brainstorming from our meeting suggests the traffic light’s design and implementation would cost $500,000 to $800,000, and an intersection with a new crosswalk, bump-outs to extend curbs, and RRFBs would total $100,000.
Tim Rogers
Village mayor, New Paltz
Wastewater tests
Overloading wastewater treatment systems with stormwater is a big waste of treatment capacity and energy. To assure the town is not contributing unnecessary load, we have undertaken testing to determine if any stormwater is unintentionally getting into the town portion of the wastewater system serving New Paltz.
Thanks to a grant from the New York Environmental Facilities Corporation (NYEFC), the town has contracted for examination of all its wastewater manholes for leaks and just last week a “smoke” test was also conducted. The “smoke” test, actually an odorless white vapor, blows vapor into open wastewater manholes to see if the vapor can be seen exiting any place but where it should, the sewer vents. Any location except sewer vents that shows vapor coming out is a place for stormwater to get in and must be addressed.
We will have all the results to report in the next few weeks and will continue to do our part to keep New Paltz wastewater treatment working as it should.
Amanda Gotto
Town supervisor, New Paltz
Progressive pedestrian protection
“Design features like raised crosswalks force drivers to slow down and to help make pedestrians more visible.”
So simple. So inexpensive. So effective.
Woodstock, High Falls, New Paltz and Rosendale, four progressive, citizen-first towns (remember when Rosendale appeared third nationally in a top list ten of most liberal towns in the country?) in one of the most progressive counties in the United States, all chronically unable to protect pedestrians and enforce speed limits on their main streets.
Am I missing something, or is the tyranny of the worship of moving vehicles so blinding that town boards are myopic to the obvious: install speed bumps on your main street crosswalks?._
Christopher Spatz
Rosendale
Unlivable shelter conditions
I’m reaching out because the conditions at the Kingston Motel shelter in Kingston are unsafe and unacceptable. Many of us are staying here through the department of social services, and we are dealing with serious issues including mold, pest infestations, no clean water, water being shut off without notice, broken AC/heat, unsafe environment, harassment, lack of sanitation, and constant fighting and police presence.
My mother and three siblings, on whomst behalf I am writing, do not get social services. My mother works two jobs. And the motel manager wants them to pay $3000 a month to live in one small room with three teenage children, despite the cockroaches, mold, unclean/no access to water. Yet he refuses outright to fix anything. There are also pedophiles being placed up here with children.
Some families have children and elderly people who are getting sick or struggling because of these conditions. We’ve reported the issues, but nothing has changed.
We believe the public needs to know what’s happening here. Would you be willing to speak with us and consider covering this story? We can provide photos, statements, and connect you with other residents who are willing to talk.
We’ve been suffering in silence. Please help us bring light to the forgotten families.
Daniela Moreno
Kingston
Join the family! 
