Letters 1/31/2008

Dear Editor,
The following are excerpts from a letter that I wrote to the Onteora School Board and Dr. Ford...
I am extremely opposed to the changes that are currently being proposed for the Onteora Middle School for several reasons outlined below:
1) None of the plans, as presented, seem to make fiscal sense. Costs for the re-configuration run between $ 70 and $85 million and these figures do not include charges for school closure, athletic facilities or technological upgrades. Since closure of a school is currently an essential component of all the plans, that figure must be added into the $ 70-85 million figure, making the true total more like $ 75 –90 million. Bear in mind that this huge expenditure will not leave us with any new facilities. We will simply be doing upkeep and cosmetic changes to buildings that are already unattractive and run down. Perhaps a new roof or boiler will be installed, maybe an addition, but a real, true capital improvement—a new, modern building that we can all be proud of or that might increase our property values--not at all. Furthermore, to spend all of this money without upgrading technology is to leave our children totally unprepared for their future in the 21st century.
The issue of payback further compounds the poor financial picture. In other words, when will this large expenditure break-even for Onteora? In round and generous numbers, I am guesstimating that we will save roughly 1/6 of our annual operating budget by closing 1 of the 5 schools in the District. This saving amounts to roughly $ 7 million per year, at best. However, interest on the bond of $70 million (the lowest cost alternative) at a nominal rate of 5% will be $3.5 million per year in the earliest year alone. This means that, in the beginning, we will save only $3.5 million per year by doing the project. In round numbers, it would take us roughly 15 years to pay off the bond and reach our break-even point on this project, if there were no debt service at all. With interest, the payback on this project extends out way beyond 20 years. Meanwhile, the existing obsolete buildings continue to age. Now, who is to say that in all of these years, the proposed configuration with only 2 elementary schools, a 5-8 Middle School and a 9-12 High School will still work for Onteora? No one can truly forecast population beyond the next 5 years, because we are projecting enrollment based on children who have not yet been born. With the Belleayre project, there will be an influx of workers and their families—meaning more children needing to go to school. In addition, with the trends in telecommuting and the exodus away from the large cities, it is reasonable to postulate that somewhere in the 20+ years that it takes for this project to break-even, we will actually need to re-open one of the closed schools, eliminating the savings and making this project a huge waste of money
2) If the intent were to develop a true Middle School for Onteora, then a 6-8 configuration would be far superior to a 5-8 that is now being proposed. A 7-9 configuration would be even better.
The educational literature is divided as to which configuration is best, so there is no clear-cut superiority to the proposed 5-8 plan. The community has never had an opportunity to voice its point of view in a meaningful way. My own admittedly anecdotal experience indicates a huge increase in the academic and social maturity of 6th graders, compared to 5th graders. If you polled recent 5th and 6th grade parents or their teachers, I think you would find fairly uniform agreement that 5th graders, at the start of that academic year, are simply not ready for the challenges of Middle School.
3) Transporting 5th graders along with 12th graders is potentially dangerous and definitely undesirable. To have 10-year olds in an unsupervised situation daily with 18-year-olds is simply bad policy. The 10-year-olds will be exposed to talk about sexual and social ideas that are often inappropriate, at best. There can easily be instances of unwanted touching, done to children who are too young to even appreciate the meaning of the contact. The potential for sexual harassment or bullying is enormous. I cannot overstate how disturbing this part of the plan is to me, as a parent.
Consequently, if the plan is to transport Middle and High School students together (as is currently done), there needs to be monitors on each and every bus. The drivers are simply not in a position to function as behavioral supervisors or to safeguard the younger children. Therefore, there will be additional costs added to the transportation budget to cover the costs of the extra essential bus personnel. We cannot underestimate the importance of transporting our children safely. Failure to provide a safe and secure environment will open the District to lawsuits, not to mention the daily tribulations for the youngest Middle School children and their families.
4) Eliminating yet another community school, in this case Olive’s, is also an unacceptable part of these plans. We all know that the closure of the West Hurley School was disastrous for the District and that the Woodstock and West Hurley communities never really fused into a cohesive whole. In that case, the children were only bussed to a school 5 minutes beyond their original school and the entire town of West Hurley had all of its children stay together in the move.
In the current proposals, it will be impossible to keep all of the children of Olive together. Olive’s children will be fractured, with some going to Woodstock and others to Phoenicia. The children in areas like Samsonville, who already travel long distances just to get to Bennett, will have bus rides that are at least 15 minutes longer each way. Bear in mind that it is the youngest children will be doing all of this traveling. Is it really reasonable to expect a 5- year old to take a bus from Samsonville to Phoenicia, just to go to kindergarten?
Of equal, or perhaps greater, importance, is that the closure of Bennett further erodes the already fragile identity of Olive. Olive has no town center (like Woodstock or Phoenicia). We are a geographically sprawling town, rent apart by the reservoir. A big part of what holds Olive together as a town is the Bennett School. What makes Bennett so endearing is that all of Olive’s children have an opportunity to attend school together as youngsters and build a cohesive identity with their neighbors. Without that school, we are merely unwelcome guests in another town. And, apart from Olive Day, what will be left of Olive? A few strip malls on Route 28? The closure of an Elementary School in Olive is simply an unacceptable alternative.
I do understand that the Board is grappling with the real issue of declining enrollment, along with a desire to promote and enhance the Middle School and this is a worthy objective. Instead of the proposed plans, however, I would suggest that the Board consider the following:
* Keep the 3 elementary schools open because it is the best and most cost effective alternative. It promotes the individual communities and provides greater welfare and a better educational environment for our children.
* Look at a 7-9 Middle School and a 10-12 High School configuration instead. You could use the existing Middle/High School property, which will have more space simply by virtue of the declining enrollment of which we are certain. The building could be enhanced, and some separate new facilities could be added (eliminating the problem of too much interaction between the 2 age groups). A bond for these limited, but concrete, improvements would probably pass.
* A 6-8 Middle School is preferable to a 5-8 School because the youngest children are simply not ready to grapple socially or academically with the older students.
* A 15-20 year payback is simply too long. The plans that are on the table do not provide either enough savings or capital improvements to justify the huge expenditure of money.
A plan that closes a neighborhood school and simultaneously raises taxes will not be approved by the voters.
I sincerely thank you for taking the time to consider my point of view.
Wendy Wolfenson
West Shokan, NY

Dear Editor,
We face a huge development threat that will undermine the integrity of the Catskill Park and the intent of its founders. Gitter's gigantic golf resort will smash its way through the forests and mountains near Belleayre and change the Catskills forever. The oversized development intended for the west side of Belleayre represents 80 percent of the developer's original intention, the worst part being roads and buildings at an altitude of 3000 feet. This doesn't sound like much of a compromise to me. We are still stuck with what we were worried about all along - traffic, air pollution, water pollution, visual pollution, erosion and tax increases for the locals in exchange for minimum wage jobs.
Looking down the road economically, we are very fortunate to live in the Catskills. We are in an ideal position to cash in on our natural wealth.
It's abundant and the ever-growing megalopolis is near at hand and loaded with potential escapees. All we have to do is keep the mountains uncluttered and the waterways clean. The ever-increasing numbers of hikers, hunters, fishermen, kayakers, cross-country skiers, artists, etc. as well as those simply looking for peace and quiet will come knocking and bearing their pocketbooks. Local businesses can thrive and grow by providing services for the many interested in these low-impact activities. I think most would agree that these folks are looking for a bed-and-breakfast with a lovely view rather than something akin to Disneyland. Careful development with quality instead of quantity in mind will enhance what we already can offer and help to build a solid economic infrastructure for the region - an infrastructure not dependent on the whims of big business, the pushers of conventional large-scale development.
The frustrating thing is, after we sell out the environment to build this inappropriate and oversized resort, there is no guarantee it will be a success. It is quite remote and hard to get to which are factors not appealing to the wealthy patrons who can afford a resort like this. Why would they come to ski at Belleayre when they can ski Colorado or the Alps? Why would they come to play golf when they can play golf in Florida or Hawaii? The Catskills are down-homey little mountains that we dearly love; they are not the stuff of grand resorts like they used to be before travel became easy and globe-hopping routine.
Peter Koch
Woodstock, NY

Dear Editor,
By February 8, 2008, our Boards of Election commissioners are required to choose whether to use a paper ballot with an optical scanner system or a direct recording electronic device (DRE). The League of Women Voters, as well as other similar organizations, has extensively studied this issue since the adoption of the federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA) and has concluded that a precinct based paper ballot with an optical scanner system should be adopted uniformly in New York.
The evidence is substantial and compelling. Beyond the significantly different and long lasting financial impact this choice involves, the most fundamental element of American democracy – fair, open and honest elections – is at stake.
This is a decision that should be made above the fray of partisan politics and special interest favoritism rampant in New York government. Our local commissioners should make and publicize their decisions in the full light of public scrutiny along with the basis for their choices before any final action is taken. Join us in urging our public officials to choose a paper ballot with optical scanning.
Jean McGarry, President
Mid-Hudson Region
League of Women Voters

Dear Editor,
Hillary is for Casinos in the Catskills and Obama is Against The Expansion of Gambling
If you thought the casino fight in the Catskills was over, think again. Besides the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe filing a lawsuit against the Secretary of the Interior over his rejection of the Monticello casino, the next President will actually be making the final decision on casinos in the Catskills, not Spitzer. It's a federal matter in the end.
If you are in favor of casinos in Ulster County, in towns like Saugerties, Hillary is the candidate for you on Feb. 5. Clinton has long supported developer efforts to put Indian gaming casinos in the Catskills. Nevada-based Empire Resorts, which would operate the proposed Sullivan County casino in partnership with the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe, lists Hillary as a supporter of Catskill gambling on their Web site.
Clinton has said that casinos are an "economic development tool" and said that "for many places in the country, it seems to be an important part of what they are trying to do to revive and maintain an economic base." In her first campaign for Senate, Hillary supported Indian gaming in the Catskills and Upstate.
When asked by the LA Times on January 18th about the social costs of gambling, like wrecking middle class families and tripling local bankruptcy rates, Clinton replied, "Any human activity has social costs, really," she said, adding later: "Life is filled with trade-offs, and you have to do the best you can to balance the pluses and the minuses."
Mrs. Clinton’s big gaming industry fundraisers include the senior executives of Harrahs, Jan Jones and Philip Satre.
In contrast, if you are against casinos in the Catskills and Ulster County, Senator Obama has never been in favor of the expansion of gambling, saying that the "moral and social cost of gambling, particularly in low-income communities, could be devastating." And, with casinos, "you'll have a whole bunch of people who can't afford it gambling their money away, yet they're going to do it." Obama has opposed expanding specific gambling projects in Illinois.
"There's a fundamental question here," said the Rev. Tom Grey, executive director of the National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling. "Until this point, Obama's statements seemed to suggest that he did not buy into the industry arguments that this is a product like golf or Starbucks that should just go on Main Street. And Hillary, by attacking him, seems to have come down clearly on the side of the industry that this is economic development." (LA TIMES - "Clinton Plays Gaming Card against Obama" Jan 18 2008)
On Feb. 5, if you are opposed to Ulster County casinos, your only vote is for Barack Obama for President. Go to barackobama.com and sign up to volunteer or donate today or stop by the new Obama field office in Rosendale.
Michael Schacker
Willow, NY

Dear Editor,
I first heard Barack Obama speak at the Democratic Convention in the summer of 2004. I felt I had stumbled across a force of nature, someone with the stature of a Nelson Mandela. "Here," I thought, "is someone who can change history." I still feel that way. Barack Obama will change history. He has that kind of strength, brilliance and imagination.
Something I have never - in my fifty years - seen before in a candidate.
Marta Szabo
Woodstock, NY

Dear Editor,
I support Barak Obama first and foremost because of his (so-called) “inexperience” (the verbal attack used by his opponents in the hopes of discrediting him). Let it be understood that I in no way believe Senator Obama to be “inexperienced”. In fact quite the opposite is true. I believe Senator Obama’s “inexperience” should be more truthfully called “Integrity” (or as the late, great Dame Anita Roddick titled her book, “Business as Unusual”). Senator Obama may be “inexperienced” in the ways of “special interest groups” and multi-national corporations controlling our policies (as well as world policies), and for this I say “thank you;” I’ve had enough of that. “Business as Unusual” - a statement worthy of contemplation. Although for argument sake, let’s look at “experienced” politicians and “business as usual”. The International Community despises & fears us (“shock and awe” doesn’t work); the eco-systems of the world are (most likely) damaged beyond repair (we all know the corporations / special interest groups that are responsible / are not held accountable); our Health Care system is a joke – although no one’s laughing except “special interest” groups; our Economy is in crisis; New Orleans, a place I go often to volunteer, is in shambles. These are, to name a few, situations that have been created by “experienced politicians” – people who, in my opinion, have neither integrity nor moral fiber. I believe, without question, Senator Obama has an abundance of integrity and moral fiber (inaccurately labeled “inexperience”).
Senator Clinton states that “she is experienced / look at my track record” so I would like to address Senator Clinton’s failure to speak up and protect the United States and it’s citizens from the environmental degradation that occurred during her years as “first lady” – a time that she had the ability, and the “political clout” to create change - a change she failed to be involved with, nor seemingly cared about. The Clinton and Bush (“experienced” politicians) administrations paved the way for the crisis we face today. Nothing was done to improve the fuel efficiency in the United States; “experienced” politicians did nothing when a hazardous waste incinerator, located near an elementary school in Ohio, was approved (the facility is tied to a generous, Clinton supporter). Business as usual. As “first lady”, more old growth forests were cut down than under any other recent U.S. administrations (and yes, the committees used to establish these practices were “special interest” / Lumber industry); under “experienced” politicians, the bio-tech industry was given carte blanche to write the U.S. government’s regulations (a joke) on genetic engineering of agriculture, and to move full speed ahead with implementing the private patenting of genetic sequences (do I hear “special interest groups)? As “first lady”, the destructive deal with the Sugar Barons (special interest group) of South Florida was arranged with “experienced” politicians, thus dooming the Everglades. During her tenure as “first lady” a “timber summit” was convened in Oregon (a conference dominated by Logging interests) and a plan to restart the clear-cutting of Ancient Forests was established. The Timber Industry / special interest groups got rich. We the people, lost yet again, to “experienced politicians” / special interest groups. To summarize (in part) the environmental damage done during Senator Clinton’s tenure as “first lady”: thousands of acres of healthy forestland across the West were rampaged; 4,000 acres in Washington’s Colville National Forest were clear cut; thousands of acres in Montana’s Yak River Basin; hundreds of acres in the pristine forest lands in Idaho; the endangered Mexican Spotted Owl’s habitat in Arizona fell victim to “corporate interests”. The list goes on and on – all authorized by “experienced politicians” / “special interest” groups. Should I address the passing of legislation that authorizes the “safe” amount of “carcinogenic chemicals” in our foods? No, I think we’ve had enough. I for one have had enough of “experienced” politicians; my vote is with Integrity – with Senator Barak Obama.
In closing, as my beloved The Right Reverend Desmond Tutu says, “I am me only because of you”. I believe Senator Obama is for the people – not special interests. I believe he will unite us, and have us remember that we, the American People, are a loving and kind people – not a people to be feared, who cause destruction.
Elise Muller
New York, NY

Dear Editor,
The exit polls in Iowa indicate that some 93 percent of the caucus voters were white. There are few Blacks, Hispanics or Asians in Iowa. Iowa is not a diversified, pluralistic state.
The Democratic rules are not in step with the two core standards of our democracy - the sanctity of the secret ballot and the one man-one vote doctrine. In Iowa there is no secret ballot for Democrats. The caucus voters are all in one room and they can do whatever they deem best to get a vote for their candidate - threaten, cool, beg, intimidate, etc. If a candidate does not achieve viability - 15 percent of the total vote in the caucus room, the voter can leave their candidate, join another candidate's group and vote again.
The National Democratic Committee needs to forcefully address this situation before the 2012 election.
Notwithstanding the above, Senator Obama prevailed with a good plurality.
When Senator Obama proved he would win in Iowa, he gives strong credence to the proposition that he can win in America. This country has come a long way in the last 50 years. Hopefully, America will complete the cycle this November when it elects Senator Obama our next president.
H. Clark Bell
Woodstock, NY

Dear Editor,
I've been seeing a number of writers pushing the idea of impeachment of the Bush and Cheney cabal. I certainly resonate with those sentiments.
But in thinking them through, but not being legally trained, it does occur to me that there might be a giant hole in what is being proposed even by Kusinich
I am assuming that most of those who propose using the impeachment process do so [as opposed to, for example, kidnapping or assassination] with a strong respect for the legal process and the Constitution that supports that process. Then, under that assumption, it seems to me that the only one of that pair that is presently really subject to impeachment is the president since Cheney has had little OFFICIALLY to do with the mess that they have made of the Presidency [I'm certainly not naive as to his power in the workings of that office, but, officially, he is working for Bush and is not formally responsible for much of what comes out of the White House]. Therefore, if Bush were impeached and convicted [and that is certainly not assured given the Republican power in the Senate] and removed from the Presidency, we would then be faced with dealing with Cheney in that position. AND, even more scarily, Cheney would be, via the Constitution, charged with choosing [with Senate approval] our next VP which would have the effect of perpetuating the present Neo Conservative line of action since Cheney and/or that new VP would be eligible to run for president in '08 and, with the power of incumbency, be strongly favored to win. I grant you that Cheney would probably not run or he would have already sneaked his hat into the ring. However, he would certainly try to pick a new VP who would have a good chance of both winning as well as continuing his philosophy.
Do we really want to enter that mine field? I'm certainly not sure. I wonder if Maurice Hinchey might not be right to resist the urge to use the impeachment process at this late date. We are apparently much better advised to stop spinning our gears with impeachment and put that energy to work to pick a really strong change agent in '08.
Jac Conaway
Olivebridge, NY

Dear Editor,
I’m a mother of 5 and was very fortunate not to have come across the following situation until my third daughter was 16 years old. In August of 2006, while out of state with my husband and younger children, we received a call from the State Police at 1:45 AM. They said there were 50 drunken teenagers on our property with more alcohol than they had ever seen. They asked what we wanted them to do. We instructed them to block the driveway and call all the parents to come pick up their kids. I was appalled to learn that one parent put his ID in a Troopers face and said, “I am an attorney, I know the laws and you can’t do this to these kids”. It exposed the differing opinions of the parents whose children were involved. I decided I needed do something about this pervasive problem. I contacted two seniors in high school and asked them to help begin breaking the underage drinking cycle for middle school students. We had a meeting with the middle school principal to ask for help in the school. I was shocked to hear that they had an issue with 7th and 8th grade students bringing Poland Spring water bottles filled with alcohol into school. We had a training date set with the school to start a mentoring program, but at the last minute school officials decided it was a liability. They wished me well and said if we were successful they would consider using the program in the future. The teens trained under a Mental Health Association trainer and the AWARENESS Program was born. AWARENESS is an acronym for: Assisting With Adolescents Resolving, Empowering, Nurturing, Each, Student, Substantively. The program is run by teens and is a recreational alcohol prevention mentoring program. There are two coordinators from each grade 9-12 along with the student mentors. This group has a total of 15 including a teen administrator. Another 30 middle school students are involved in the program. The high school mentors plan and participate in fun social activities with the middle school students. This raises the younger students self esteem and creates a feeling of inclusion for them which carries over in the school. Younger kids light up when the older kids just say hello to them in the hallways. The program started in November 2006 and is now in its second year. The program has been operational without major funding for over a year. The group decides what they think will work to help solve the underage drinking problem and then the adults help them to achieve their goals. Many of the teens have jobs which limits the time devoted to the group. Our goal is to raise enough funds to employ the coordinators and break the underage drinking cycle. We would like to create enough AWARENESS groups so all Ulster County middle school students can belong and feel included. I would like to thank whoever called the police that night and special thanks to Trooper Cooper and Trooper Baney who answered the call. They very well could have saved a life that night. Anyone who would like information or to help expand the program please call
www.hvinet.com/awareness I lost my brother in a car crash twenty years ago this July. It was caused by two boys in a different vehicle who were drinking and driving. It was then I knew the horrific feeling of losing the person who was closest to me. My brother and I were only 11 months apart and he was my best friend. After feeling the helplessness people have in the face of tragedy, I realized that we have these same accidents year after year. The names change but the incidents are all too familiar. After the fatal prom crash in May 2007, which took the life of their friend, the teen Administrator of AWARENESS reached out to the two teens that survived the crash and asked if they wanted to try to help impact underage drinking and driving. One of them chose to participate, he was peer trained by the AWARENESS Mentors with a Mental Health Professional supervising. On June 25, 2007 the group of mentors from the original AWARENESS program and the friend of the administrator took an alcohol intervention / prevention training certification class designed for University and College students. They decided on the drive home that they would create a similar program to target underage drinkers. They worked together all summer and created a program we call AWARENESS II an alcohol awareness program. They introduced their concept in a formal presentation to Ulster County Judges and law enforcement officials this past November at the Ulster County Law Enforcement Center. It is very difficult for these teens to continue to participate while going to school, playing sports and working. Yet they all work hard to fit this program in their schedules. Stephan, a Senior, soccer and basketball player manages to be both programs teen administrator while also working. He spoke about his part in starting this to everyone at the presentation in November. Rose shows amazing energy as the senior class president as well as playing soccer, basketball, working and being in charge of planning the prom for this year’s senior class. She has also agreed to go above and beyond and help us plan the 1st in what we hope will be a traditional safe after prom party. Ryan, a Junior and quarterback of the football team, plays baseball and has actively been participating as the Junior Coordinator of the Mentoring program as well as working in the Awareness II program. The survivor of the crash has a full schedule at college with a focus on Psychology. He is currently utilizing the OASAS (Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services) website and has found a Substance Abuse Prevention Course he is now completing online in addition he has taken on the work load as the coordinator in the new group called AWARENESS II. While no one can turn back the hands of time and undo any of these horrific losses. This group has pulled together in the face of tragedy and loss of a best friend and they are trying to ensure by their work on this program that what they have been through doesn’t happen again. Instead of the current penalty that teens now receive for underage drinking which is a fine up to $100.00and/or community service, the AWARENESS teens developed a 5-step program that can be used as part of the sentence by the Judge. This fulfills the alcohol awareness program part of the current ABC (underage drinking) law. This 5 Step Program shows underage drinkers what could happen if they continue to drink and make ONE LIFE CHANGING MISTAKE. Our goal is for these teens to lead the way and change the environment for all underage drinkers and help to put them on a more positive path in life. Most importantly to stop these horrific car crashes which take lives every year for generations. I have had the honor of working with many of our Ulster County Judges. When I called and invited each of them on short notice to come to the presentation at the workshop room at the new law enforcement center I was deeply touched to see how much they all cared about this problem. AWARENESS and AWARNESS II are in desperate need of funding. I have a passion for both of these programs and believe my brother, Wade, is playing a huge part in putting all the wonderful people in our life to enable us to have brought these programs as far as we have without funding. If you would like to help these teens make a difference by making a donation. Please contact me at the number below. I would especially like to thank this magical group of High School teens who have donated their time and incredible ideas to really make a difference in this underage drinking and driving epidemic. Marie Shultis, Adult Coordinator
mslogger@aol.com or 417-1483
Stephan Bielecki, Teen Administrator
www.hvinet.com/awareness2
Dear Editor, It is quite ironic that in this day of wanting and needing to conserve energy, one finds that if you buy propane for your home, the less you use, the more it costs. There is absolutely no difference between propane for cooking and propane for heating. It gets delivered to you in the same truck. But if you don't use enough you will pay at least 20 cents a gallon more. Some suppliers charge more than that. I heat my home with a wood stove and use my furnace for the mornings to take the chill out. I called my supplier to ask the price and was told $2.79 per gallon. When it was delivered the next day the bill was $2.99 per gallon. When I called I was told I did not use enough, therefore, I was charged more. They ultimately said they would adjust the bill. All of you who use propane just for cooking are being penalized for not using enough fuel. What is wrong with this picture? Hariet Hunter Woodstock, NY
Dear Editor, The Shandaken Theatrical Society would like to thank everyone who came to our first film showing on Friday, January 25, to see “You Can’t Take It With You”. Unlike going to a movie at the mall, it was a real community event, a gala evening with friends and neighbors, and we’re looking forward to lots more of them. Many thanks to Mark Lerner for finding the equipment, researching films, and organizing the whole event so capably. Thanks to Willard Crichton for donating $400 to equipment purchase, and to the Phoenicia Business Association, which gave us $100 way back three years ago when we first started thinking about showing movies. We hope the town businesses will benefit from drawing people into the theater to see films. And thanks to all the STS board members who showed up to help out on Friday. Because the theater’s main job is putting on plays, we don’t have the personnel to show weekly movies, so we’re starting with once a month (usually the last Friday of the month, unless there’s a show running on that date). If film buffs in the community want to volunteer to help out, we may be able to show movies more often. We need help with selling refreshments (the popcorn was great!), cleanup, and projection. Call us at 688-2279 if you want to volunteer. See you at the theater! Violet Snow, President Shandaken Theatrical Society

Dear Editor,
I'm not really sure how to ask this, so I'm just going to come right out and say it - How is it possible in this day and age that a newspaper such as yours is littered with spelling errors each and every week?
I appreciate your paper's efforts to keep us informed beyond what is fed to us by the mainstream media, as I love the wonderful political humour about how our President has no credibility due to his apparent lack of intelligence. But how then, can I at the same time, look to your publication with respect and trust when you allow such egregious misuse of the English language yourselves?
I mean no disrespect here - it's just such a mystery to me how with the omnipresence of spellcheck in every piece of software today that this could be possible.
Sean Lathrop
Big Indian, NY
Edtiros Notee: Nt alle layoute prgormas have spollcheek. Wee’lle tri bettre. Maybe looke atv thesee problemos as thee intreactiv eliments of oru paper.