Follow Up on the News

The Budget’s Passed

The spending plan passed with little board discussion other than a dismissal of questions from Rita Vanacore, who was defeated in an independent bid for the town board the previous week.
“I know you are going to pass the budget but I want to register my objection,” Vanacore said. “I think you really should be tightening your belt and I feel that we should not be seeing any increase this year.”
Vanacore, who has a letter outlining her objections to the town’s 2010 budget and overall budgeting process in the letters column of this paper, has objected to the manner in which the town’s longserving majority has maintained high contingency levels in their spending plans far above the three to four percent amounts state officials suggest, often to levels over ten percent. Furthermore, she noted that benefit share packages okayed years ago had never been implemented, and inferred that the town’s use of pay raises and benefits seemed similar to the sort of machine politics civil service decrees were initated to bring an end to over a century ago.
Others have complained that it doesn’t seem right to be maintaining such contingency levels and generous employee packages at a time when town taxpayers on fixed incomes are cutting corners, and taxes are rising on school, county, state and federal levels, too. They’ve also pointed out what board opponents are calling “discrepancies” of up to 60 percent between projected budget line items and actual expenditures, asking why taxpayers are being asked to cover what they term as either major padding or sloppy and/or anachronistic accounting practices based.
The board thanked Vanacore after she spoke and voted their budget in unanimously, with their usual opposition vote, from Republican Pete Friedel, absent due to an emergency services call out on Route 28.
Two resolutions came up during the meeting, one involving changes to the way employees reported their “retirement hours,” and the other a matter that outgoing boardmember Helen Chase asked to be tabled because of its wording. Bruce LaMonda also suggested that all cell phones be turned off before meetings, which resulted in a third motion, second, and passage as a resolution… albeit with inclusion of a suggestion from Vanacore, a former Onteora board member and Olive Matters organizer, that announcements to such effect be made before all meetings.
Altogether, the meeting took half an hour.
At the earlier November 5 budget hearing, about $100,000 from the original amount to be raised by taxes by moving amounts set aside for capital reserves and small trims on board and other salaries, as well as several departmental support items.
When Vanacore asked about the unexpended balance and how it works, and is supposed to work, LaMonda quipped, “What don’t you understand about this?”
When Vanacore persisted, stating that would prefer less than an 11% unexpended balance each year, town supervisor Bert Leifeld replied that she and others wouldn’t be happy the coming year “when I come to you with only $75,000 in unexpended balance and have to raise your taxes even higher.”
“I would rather have my money now, Vanacore replied at the time, “Than to be giving extra to the town.”
The board’s next meeting, on Tuesday, December 8 with a workshop gathering the night before, both at the town meeting hall on Bostock Road in Shokan, is expected to include reports from the New York City DEP on its bridge repairs along Route 28A, as well as some persistent local zoning issues.
Meanwhile, all eyes are turning to the county, which was holding a public hearing on its own 2010 budget Tuesday evening as this paper went to press, and trying to wrestle down a $344 million spending plan submitted by County Executive Michael Hein that while only representing a .5 percent tax levy increase at present, also includes enough stimulus and other one-time-only funds to worry folks. And that’s WITH the laying off of 30 county workers, leaving unfilled 22 vacated positions, and elimination of 48 other positions included.
And up in Albany, the state legislature continued to wrestle with the governor’s attempt to trim fat mid-budget season. While down in Washington…
You get the picture.

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Declining Enrollments...

The school board voted unanimously for the grant proposal at Tuesday night’s November 17 board meeting at the Middle/High School.
Horner said there was substantial federal money allocated for energy efficient projects, with schools included in the mix. He noticed that schools have not been as aggressive in seeking funds as other municipalities. After a tour of the roof, Horner and Hurwitz believe Woodstock elementary is a perfect building for solar energy. It has ideal exposure to the sun, and a new roof with a long life expectancy.
Horner added that he hopes that this could lead to other alternative energy projects in the district. They are currently seeking a federal grant for about $350,000. If a full grant is not awarded, then they would need to scale back the project or not take the funding.
Hurwitz recently designed the Town Hall in Esopus with Horner installing large-scale ground photovoltaic solar panels. Horner also secured a grant to install photovoltaic panels on the roof of Woodstock’s town hall. He was on Woodstock’s environmental committee and in 2007 authored the town’s zero-carbon policy.
School Board President Laurie Osmond explained that in October, the district tried to seek a grant, only to discover that they needed to pay for an engineer or architect to be a part of the grant writing as required by State Education law. Horner described the grant process as “complex, even onerous.”
“I’m grateful that this seems to be pulling together,” Osmond replied.
Transportation director Dave Moraca presented a history of the transportation budget as talks begin on future budget planning. This presentation was mostly to bring interim Assistant Superintendent for Business Don Gottlieb up to speed on the district’s contract agreement. Moraca gave cost comparisons between the single bus contractor and the district’s past use on multiple contract companies.
In 2008/2009 there were 53 bus routes at a cost of $1,523,110.85 compared to 55 routes in 2005/2006 at $1,549,495.75. Outside of the district, transportation for special education and BOCES totaled 9 routes at a cost of $461,291.99, up from two routes in 2005/2006 at $66,128.30.
Osmond wondered why this cost increased so much and requested a breakdown between special education and BOCES.
Private and parochial schools are also up from $159.094.40 for 5 routes in 2005/2006 to $240,942.16 for 7 routes in 2008/2009. State law requires that school districts must transport special education students according to need. Private and parochial schools also most have supplied transportation up to 15 miles from the student’s home. The overall total of contract transportation costs went from $1,774,718.45 to $2.262.655,00. Moraca said he will soon be presenting costs comparisons between other school districts and Onteora.
Gottlieb presented school budget trends over the past few years that showed strong interest rates and increased state aid, but last year interest rates and state aid decreased and will continue on that path. He also cautioned the board on spending too much money from the fund balance.
“You may take care of today’s problem but then you create a problem the following year which is what kind of happened to you in 2008/2009 to 2009/2010,” Gottlieb said, explaining that too much fund balance money was spent against the tax levy in 2008/2009, therefore causing a steeper increase in the tax levy the following year. “You have no control over the interest earning, you have no control over state aid, no control over Medicaid, the only thing that you as a board can control is the tax levy and the appropriated fund balance.”
He added that salaries increased by nearly 40 percent and fringe benefits increased 26.24 percent.
“As I look at the enrollment in the 2006/07 year, you had over 1900 students,” Gottlieb said. “This year you started out with less than 1700, so you are experiencing a decline in enrollment.”
He said he has noticed a decline in many school districts throughout the northern part of New York State, speculating that second homeowners are partly to blame for the decline.

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G-HOD!

“Right,” said Tom, the largest of the group, ruffling himself as he turned to the others, his wattle shaking in the chill night air. “First I want to thank you all for coming. With your assistance tonight will be the night that all my long planning comes to fruition.”
“What planning?” one of the gathered asked.
“I’m getting to that,” said Tom, anxiously pacing the near-frozen earth. He couldn’t help it and pecked the ground for a second, but caught himself almost immediately and straightened up, a little embarrassed by his instinctual slip.
“I’ve asked you here tonight to be a part of what I am calling ‘G–HOD’.”
“Did you say jihad?” another asked, a hint of nervousness in his voice.
“No, I said ‘G–HOD’, G-H-O-D,” Tom said, spelling it out as the others moved toward him, listening. “Which stands for ‘Gobblers! Humanicide Or Death!’ For too long our brethren have been kept in the bondage of humans, fattened for their feasting, and I will no longer sit idly, allowing this injustice to go on. The time has come for us to take a stand, to fight back!”
“Dude,” said Jarvis, an older turkey who sounded strangely like a laid back version of Dennis Hopper’s character in “Apocalypse Now”, “You’re sounding crazy, man, you been eating fermented apples, or what?”
“No, but I haven’t been idle either, my feathered friend.”
With a flourish of his wing, Tom stuck his head into a pile of leaves and pulled out what looked to be a sort of fishing vest, bulging at the seams, stuffed with something they could not see. Wires poked out of the front making it seem strangely ominous, and the group gasped in astonishment.
“ I have been secretly gathering fertilizer all year from local farms, and with it, and a few other bits I found, I’ve constructed a bomb. With your help I’ll storm this house and detonate it, sending a message to all humans that the tyranny they call Thanksgiving must end! G–HOD!!!”
At this he threw up his right wing, an air of crazed militancy about him..
“Duuuude,” Jarvis said in a slow gobbled drawl, “This is not cool man. I mean, c’mon, I know we’re ‘wild’ turkeys, but this is too much.”
“If you’re not with me,” Tom yelled, “then you’re with the humans. A few must die so that the many may live. Can you not see that? I am not the terrorist here, it’s them. We must make our gobbles heard!”
“Dude, Tom, think about it,” Jarvis countered. “We’ve just begun to get our respectability back. I mean look, our numbers are, like, way up, man. We’re everywhere. ‘Turkey’ is hardly the insult it once was, and I hear there’s a place named after us that might even make it into the EU, whatever that is. This is big stuff, man. And now you want to turn us into the bad guy? Not cool, man.”
As he said this, Jarvis puffed up his feathers, making himself look bigger, and cautiously edged toward the wild-eyed Tom, who had now donned the vest and was holding one of the wires in his beak.
“Don’t come any closer or we’ll all get it.”
“Be cool, Tom. Just relax and hear me out,” Jarvis cooed, his deep voice an elixir of calm, soothing all who listened. Not wanting to spook this obviously disgruntled bird he gently reached out, extending a wing in a gesture of peace.
“You know, Tom, everything moves in cycles, change being the only constant we can rely on,” Jarvis said, having spent the previous week pecking around the Zen Mountain Monastery and feeling especially at one with his existence. “We may be hunted today, our domestic cousins raised on farms for the human’s table, but our time is coming, I can feel it. Humans were hunted too, once, but they got their act together, and so will we. But for tonight let us be thankful we have each other, and the great blessings of this beautiful world”
“But what about ‘G–HOD’? I’ve put so much thought into it, it sounded so clever?” Tom asked.
“Don’t worry, man, let it go for now,” Jarvis answered. “Be thankful you are free and wild, alive in these deep mountains where our kind have scratched a decent living for thousands of years.”
“I guess you’re right,” said Tom, a little crestfallen. The wire dropped from his beak and he hung his head. “It probably wouldn’t have worked anyway, I mean, I am a turkey, what do I know of making bombs?”
“I am right,” said Jarvis, putting his wing around Tom. “Now let’s go get some grubs. It is, after all, Thanksgiving and I’m feeling really peckish.”
Inside the house the humans gathered ‘round a richly laid Thanksgiving table, sharing in the bounty of the land, unaware of the danger so narrowly averted just beyond the porch light, in a small clearing in the woods, where a feather-brained idea was traded for reason. Yet as the turkeys disappeared into the woods, none saw the slight gleam in the eye of one, a lurking thought of a possible future that might, perhaps, redefine what was once called a ‘turkey shoot’.
Gobble, gobble….

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A Jar Of Olives...
All Good Stuff

One of the benefits of teaching locally is being able to watch students who were awkward teenagers grow into capable adults. I proudly read honor rolls and Dean’s Lists to follow students’ progress. Liz Johnson, who is studying English, made Dean’s List at SUNY, New Paltz. No surprises there! She was a memorable Anglophile and is destined to become famous as a writer. I hope she goes into teaching to inspire others.
Another student I am proud of is Keith Davis. He and his wife Tanya decided to host a Thanksgiving Dinner for seniors, families in need, or anyone who would like to gather together in fellowship to enjoy a free, full dinner of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce, roll and dessert. Keith, like his mom Cookie, is an outstanding chef, so join this gathering at the DuBois Hall at the Reservoir United Methodist Church, Route 28, in Shokan on November 25, Wednesday, from 4- 6:00 p.m. Please RSVP at 845-657-6536. If you are homebound, he will deliver this sumptuous feast.
We sometimes get so involved in the pumpkin pie and cranberry sauce aspect of the holiday that we forget the origins of our Thanksgiving. A way to remember our American roots of this holiday would be to attend the Native American Ceremony to be offered for Thanksgiving on Tuesday, November 24 at 7 p.m. at the Reservoir United Methodist Church in Shokan. Reverend Nickolas Miles, who is keeper of the ceremonial drum, will lead those gathered in the Green Corn Ceremony. The men of the Cloudbreaker Society and the women of the Redfeather Singers will share Native American traditions and songs. There will also be a Smudging Ceremony.
Thanksgiving is, hands down, my favorite holiday. It is a time to gather friends and family, overeat and remember how fortunate, even in these tough times, we are. I am always reminded as I hold my belly and say, “I’m stuffed” that my whole life is “stuffed.” We live in a land of plenty. Many of us have much more than we need, and rather than be “hoarders of stuff’ we might want to share our bounty with others. Be sure to share some of our abundance by donating to the Olivebridge Food Pantry.
One of the things I am grateful for this season is the end of campaigning for elections. I would like to propose that for the next election we ban all road signs. I know the purpose is to establish name recognition; however, when over a dozen cock-eyed signs congregate in blues and reds, they just appear as litter, not literature. I would also like to limit the campaigning to two weeks with a televised public debate moderated by the League of Women Voters. When friends compete with friends for a public office, the vote should be based solely on merit and service. Finger pointing should be replaced by hand shaking. Sound bites need to be expanded to public discussions. Someone remarked that there is “pain” in the word “campaign.” I am thankful that the strain and pain of local competition has a two-year rest. Right now, it’s time to forget the political lingo and TALK TURKEY!
Mark your calendars:
The Town of Olive Tree Lighting will be held on Friday, December 4. Santa and his elf will be there with treats for children.
Breakfast with Santa, and his trusty elf, will be held on Saturday, December 5 at the Boiceville Inn.
The Olive Free Library will hold its holiday sale on Saturday, December 12.