10/25/2007

Dear Editor,
After the horrible Spring/Summer of 2006 weather and pestwise we are grateful to have been blessed with what I think has been wonderful Summer weather this year. Especially compared with other parts of the country I would like to give thanks to Mother Nature for dealing us what seemed like the right amount of rain and sunshine and seemingly at the right times.
As a business owner here in Phoenicia I would also like to thank those who helped make Phoenicia look even greater than it otherwise would have. The
hanging baskets and pots around town looked wonderful again this year and the garden on the driveway between Brio’s and the Boardwalk and the extra tier under the sign at the exit off route 28 were stunning additions.
Hopefully I'm not missing anyone in thanking Ted French at the helm, the SHARP Committee, the Phriends of Phoenicia, the Town Board, fellow Business owners and Aquaman Mike for all that was done to make us feel proud of the way our town looks.
As the petunias disappear and we take in the magnificent concerto of Fall foliage color around us I'm only saddened to see the ugly sprouting of the inevitable political signs all over the roadsides. A meaningless and not a particularly nice sight to greet the visitors to our area. Aren't forums like Meet the Candidate evenings, articles in local newspapers, mailings etc better ways for us to become informed as to who to vote for?
I realise the period that they are up is short but please candidates spend your advertising money elsewhere next year and raise your profile in other ways. Give the electorate a bit more credit than in thinking that these roadside eyesores will sway any votes.
Cheers!
Tom Fraser
Phoenicia, NY

Dear Editor,
As we close on this session of the Ulster County Legislature, we have much to be proud of. We inherited the Jail Fiasco bleeding revenue and a budget mess that at times seemed insurmountable. It ate up a great deal of our time, yet we were able to create more reform and forward thinking programs in these past 22 months than was accomplished in the past 22 years. Although differences were many, it was clear that working past them was more important to a vast majority of the legislators then their private agendas. Much of that mindset was a result of key legislators.
With this letter I would like to thank the people of County District 2, Woodstock, Shandaken, Denning, Hardenburgh and parts of Saugerties, for sending Don Gregorius and Brian Shapiro to the legislature. Both were instrumental in our success. They clearly put aside politics to get done what was best for Ulster County and their constituents.
Don was the first freshman legislator to ever serve on the Ways and Means Committee and served on an emergency budget oversight committee where he worked diligently with legislators from both sides of the isle to get control of spending and create clear oversight on all budgetary issues. He was also appointed as the Chairman of the Labor negotiating committee, a position that brings a great deal of hard work and little in the way of rewards.
As Chairman of the Environmental Committee of the Ulster County Legislature, Brian Shapiro brought forth the most progressive environmental programs seen in any legislative body in New York. Working with both sides of the isle he capped that off with the creation of the first real county Department of Environment in New York State and doing so with existing expenditures. That passed the Ulster County Legislature in a unanimous vote October 10, 2007.
There is no way to list all there accomplishments in a letter. It is best said that I could always count on both of these legislators not only to get the job done on any issue they were handed, I could count on it being done with style, grace, a sense of urgency and with bipartisan support.
So again to the people of County District 2, Thank you.
David B. Donaldson
Chairman of the U.C. Legislature.

Dear Editor,
My name is Tim Malloy. I would like to take this opportunity to tell you a little about myself, and why I am asking for your support as a candidate for councilperson on the Shandaken town board. As a life-long resident who has worked in Phoenicia for over thirty years, I have had the unique opportunity to work with and socialize with people of varied backgrounds, cultures and
income brackets. The way we earn our living may be different, but the things that tie us here are mostly the same. Shandaken is a jewel, a safe and wonderful place whether to raise a family or spend a well earned retirement fishing its world renowned fly fishing streams.
I feel it's time for the town board to start protecting the people who have "hung in there" no matter what, through hard winters, no winters and bad economies, people who worked hard to bring Shandaken from a poverty stricken ghost town to the vital solid community and natural recreational destination it is now. I'd like to see the channels of communication open to all citizens and committees.
The town board has the responsibility to acknowledge all input in a respectable manner. Our problems are not insurmountable, with a little civility and patience we can work through the many changes that are happening around us. Lets not sell Shandaken out. Lets’ protect the way of life we've built. Let’s utilize what we have, fresh air and local color. Let’s keep our elementary school open, know where our tax money is being spent and protect the freedom to own and live on a little piece of this jewel we know as Shandaken.
As councilman, I'll work hard for you. I'll remain focused and keep a good attitude. Let me bring my experience to the table. Please support me on election day.
Tim Malloy
Mt. Tremper, NY

Dear Editor,
As Election Day rapidly approaches I would like to take this opportunity to share with the voters of the Town of Shandaken my visions for the town as a potential town council member and a fellow resident:
Quality Leadership
Open Communication
Mutual respect of all residents-regardless of political party, opinions, beliefs
Encourage the true definition of community-“sharing, participation, fellowship”
Stewardship of our environment and at the same time encourage healthy economical growth
· Encourage our youth to love their community and want be vested in its future
Help our seniors to continue to remain, healthy, happy and active throughout their golden years in the Town of Shandaken
During the few remaining weeks before Election Day I intend to get out and meet with as many of you as possible. I am currently serving the Onteora School District as the interim high school principal until the end of December. Although I am thankful to once again have had the opportunity to contribute to the effective education of our students, my work hours have prohibited me from getting out door-to-door as I had hoped to do. Since many of you work full time, I realize the value of your precious few waking hours in the comfort of your home. Door to door campaigning is an effective tool to meet and greet, listen and speak directly and attentively-but for some it can be an intrusion on your precious free time.
I will be making an effort to meet many of you at community functions and social events. I welcome anyone with concerns or questions to call me or email me and I will make every effort to respond as soon as possible. It you would prefer I come to your home, I am certain we can arrange a suitable time to do so.
Our phone number is 254-6339,e-mail address is: kjordan2007@wildblue.net.
I am also aware that campaign signs are a common form of “candidate awareness”. Although that might be proven successful, Kathy and I have decided that we will not utilize that method of campaigning to any great extent. In an attempt to be more environmentally friendly, we would prefer to contribute the money that would have been spent on signs back to the community. Therefore, we have sent contributions to the Pine Hill Community Center and Friends of Snuffy.
I hope that you will trust in my ability and willingness to serve the Town of Shandaken as councilman. I appreciate all the support and warm greetings I have received over the past months and look forward to meeting many more of you and experiencing the true definition of community-sharing, participation and fellowship.
Jack Jordan
Pine Hill, NY

Dear Editor,
With over 42 years of management and public relations experience in some of New York City's highest grossing restaurants and hotels, I appreciate what matters most in conducting the business of our town: financial knowledge, fiscal responsibility, people skills, and advocacy for the community.
I believe the town clerk's office should be streamlined and costs cut -- resulting in taxpayer dollars that can be saved and redistributed to town projects and the many issues facing Shandaken.
I also believe our townspeople are entitled to a smiling face, a sympathetic ear, and someone who is willing to speak up for our concerns and assist you with any questions or problems you may have whenever you contact the town clerk's office. You should be able to speak with someone throughout the work day. The office should NEVER be empty.
As a cofounder of the Phoenicia Cat Project (a Trap-Neuter-Return program for Phoenicia's stray and feral cat population), I have a strong commitment to the wildlife and companion animals of Shandaken. I have nurtured a good relationship between the town and Friends of Snuffy, and I actively seek caring adoptive homes for the dogs in Snuffy's Suites.
I love this town and the people who live and work here. That's why I left NYC to live the rest of my life in this beautiful, pastoral setting. I believe I can make a difference and help unite the wonderful citizens of Shandaken.
Please put me to work on your behalf by voting for me on Row A, Tuesday, November 6th.
Carol Shalaew
Phoenicia, NY

Dear Editor;
Are you satisfied with the last 4 years of town government? With closed-door meetings, government run for a few select people, no major problems solved, unruly conducted town board meetings, a very poorly run ambulance department, and last but not least, a town budget that goes up at least twice the amount of inflation. If you ran a business this way you would go bankrupt! But all the town board has to do is to raise your taxes higher to pay for it.
This is the worst performance by a town board since I started voting! We need town board members who will listen to all people and work things out. Ones who know how to run a business and be fiscally minded. Ones who will solve problems - not make them worse or drag them out.
For these reasons (and many others) Peg and I are supporting Peter DiSclafani for Supervisor, Vincent Bernstein and Jerry Pearlman for Councilman, and Eric Hofmeister for Superintendent of Highways. Join us to help make Shandaken a better town to live in.
Lonnie Gale
Phoenicia, NY

Dear Editor,
Election Day will soon be here. Please don't make it just a popularity election. Vote for the person who is able to do the best for our people and the town. In other words, the most qualified. We have many good candidates running this year. I wish them all good luck. I feel that Jane Todd will be a great Supervisor.
Helen Cordo
Phoenicia, NY

Dear Editor,
Voters in Shandaken are facing a clear choice in the approaching election. For six years now our local politics has been dominated by the influence of our local mega-resort developer. He has chosen to push his agenda through by doing to Shandaken the worst possible thing you can do to a small town he has embraced the strategy of dividing neighbor against neighbor. Now we come to find out that our Republican candidate for town supervisor, Mrs. Ward Todd, along with her daughter, is aggressively buying up property adjacent to the mega-resort!
If you are comfortable seeing Shandaken being used this way, as nothing more than a tool in a mega-resort developer1s profit scheme, you will probably feel comfortable voting for the Repubican candidates whose political campaigns have been financed by the mega-resort developer and his wealthy New York City investment partners. If, on the other hand, you feel strongly that Shandaken is a wonderful place to live, work, and raise your children and you want to keep it that way, you might want to consider voting for the people who have shown us a commitment to moving beyond the rancor and preserving the best of the gifts God has given us. When you go to your polling place on November 6, you can find these people on Row A. The choice for Shandaken has never been more clear.
Mark Loete
Chichester, NY

Dear Editor,
In the midst of the upcoming election, a very impressive ad was put in the Phoenicia Times centerfold. It's a full page ad of the Democratic candidates. Peter DiSclafani, at the helm with a wonderfully written little synopsis of how he will bring the town together and get things done. How he will be a impartial, confident LEADER.
Unfortunately he and the other candidates are being LEAD.
Yes, that's right! Lead by a group of people who spout open government and transparency, yet they are the ones who split this town in half the last time they were in office. Do not forget the Conservation Advisory Board, the, "if you move 1 yard of dirt you need a mining permit," 400 angry people at Belleayre. The circus that was the Comprehensive Plan. The people who made us lose the museum to Arkville. This is the group that really makes the decisions.
These people write all that Peter says now and what Pete said then. This is true because with all they write they say NOTHING. Never take a stand either way. They are accomplished at dancing around the issues. How much money in legal fees will this background group cost us if there is a next time around.
So remember that when you go to vote, that a vote for Peter is a vote for Kathy Nolan, a vote for DiModica is a vote for Mary Hermann, and a vote for Tim Molloy is a vote for Dave Channon, and all the other disruptive people we have come to know over the years. These are the real people who will run this towns government, the so call OPEN government they keep telling us about. They managed to disrupt every meeting for the last 4 years and they want to blame the current board for it. If they think nothing has been accomplished, then they are not without fault.
If you want these background individuals to run your town, then you know what to do. If not, VOTE FOR THE BEST TOWN BOARD YOU WILL EVER HAVE! Vote for Jane Todd, Jack Jordan, and Lynne O'Brophy on Nov 6th.
John & Jane Rossitz
Shandaken, NY

Dear Editor,
I want the Town of Shandaken residents to know that the Superintendent of Highways Keith Johnson hired a temporary worker with a suspended license and he was caught driving a town vehicle. Do you think that could be a liability? Why wasn't his license checked prior to his hiring? Could it be because he is the secretary's boyfriend? When I asked why he was hired over others and myself who had put in applications long before he did, not just within the last month, I was told he was more qualified than myself because he had a CDL license. He had a suspended license, which means he should have been fired! He's not any more qualified.
I confronted Keith at a town board meeting. He said that he had no knowledge that the worker had a suspended license, and since then it had been fixed. Another woman at the meeting said that I had a valid point and the worker should have been fired. Keith also said that he was only filling in for an employee who was out on workman's compensation and when this person returned, they wouldn't need the person in question anymore. Well he's still working and the person that was out on leave has returned. I just want to know if he was only a temporary employee, then why did they spend our tax dollars to get him uniforms? That's a waste of money. But Pete DiSclafani told me there is nothing that could be done by the board as long as the highway department didn't go over their budget.
There was another question asked about patching the Highmount Post Office parking lot. Keith said that his workers didn't do the work in question and that it was probably Middletown that did the work. Well I took it upon myself to talk to the superintendent of highways in Middletown, Bill Russell, and he stated that it was not his crew that did the work. So who's lying? There is also the business of chip and tarring the road to Dean Gitter's office. He lets the town turn around on his property during snow storms. So in turn the town plows his road, that is fair. But spending all the money on chip and tarring?
Lastly if I lived in Woodland Valley, Keith would have gotten a bill for a front end alignment. The condition of that road is uncalled for. He could have gotten it done by last winter or he shouldn't have started it. Now I hear that the town is delivering wood to select people, even those who sell it. It should be brought up to the gravel bank and if someone wants it, they can go and get it from there. I can see delivering it to the elderly or those incapable of getting it themselves just like my father Neil Grant did. He helped everyone in need.
So my fellow Shandaken residents think about who you are going to vote for on Election Day. My vote is going to Eric Hofmeister.
Theresa Grant
Phoenicia, NY

Dear Editor,
Mr. DiSclafani sounds like a nice man, but Phoenicia already has the best possible friend, and Town Supervisor in Deputy Jane Todd.
I was a stranger in this town, one of countless numbers, when Jane Todd came to my aid providing me with a job (through the Experience Works Program), and a small loan so I could have the security deposit to rent an apartment.
This act of unmitigated kindness and generosity, not politically motivated, (I am not eligible to vote.) is too rare a phenomenon in a society where individuals don't count and money and military power are King.
Furthermore, Phoenicia's economic stability owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to Jane Todd.
Carolyn Handel
Woodstock, NY

Dear Editor,
The new line on the Belleayre Agreement in Principle (AIP) is that since it has the backing of what a local pundit has dubbed “almost everybody of consequence,” resort opponents should now call it a day. This is the standard outcome in cases like this: local concerns are invariably made to yield to the so-called bigger-picture goals, which, as in this case, are undeniably profound and far-reaching.
For the six years of the process thus far, what matters to the people who live here has played second fiddle in the eyes of the press, the political leadership, business and civic leaders. Nor is it surprising that the coalition formed to oppose the resort ultimately dissolved along local-vs.-big-picture lines. That too happens every time, although not, one hopes, in quite so ham-fisted a manner as this particular dissolution. For years, the symbiosis that held the coalition together worked like a charm: the brand-name organizations, some of them national in scope, provided the expertise and wherewithal the local grass-roots groups couldn’t muster, while the locals gave “cover” and credibility to the name organizations. But when the negotiations got down to the wire, with the new Governor chomping at the bit for something he could call a “win,” it was local concerns that were brushed aside.
Every member organization in the coalition got what it came for—except the local grass-roots organizations. What those brand-name organizations came for and got is substantive and important: 1200 acres designated “forever wild,” stream and reservoir protection, and more. And while the AIP remains questionable on water issues and allows precedents that may prove disastrous down the line, these are notable achievements; I applaud them and am grateful to the achievers, many of whom I know as friends. That, in fact, is why the 11th-hour exclusion of the local grass-roots groups from the process was both so puzzling and so offensive. Puzzling because it was strategically unnecessary and tactically inept. Offensive because it broke faith.
We get it. We know we’ve now been dismissed as die-hards. On the other hand, it is our hamlets and villages that will be swamped by what will be nothing less than the biggest city between Kingston and Delhi, with its sprawl, its traffic, its noise. It is our homes and roads that will be flooded when a big rain washes down slopes that are way too steep to build on. It is our night sky that will be lost and our view that will be scarred. It is our wallets that will be emptied to pay for this resort—first in taxpayer money that’s providing sweeteners and incentives to the developer, then in higher property taxes to pay for more police and fire protection, schools, health care and social services for the work force that will have to be imported.
It’s too bad. The developer, the environmental groups, and the Governor who promised that “on day one, everything changes” had a chance here to lead the way to the kind of smart, sustainable public-private development that could have been a model for the nation.
They blew it.
As always, we who live here will pay the price.
So as the state-mandated review process for this project continues, we’ll keep on opposing in the great tradition of American die-hards.
Susanna Margolis
Fleischmanns NY

Dear Editor,
Please re-elect Don Gregorius to the Ulster County Legislature for a second term. He has done a highly commendable job, is committed to transparent and accountable government, and possesses strong leadership qualities.
Don is Chair of the Labor Relations and Negotiation Committee, responsible for negotiating all labor and management contracts with unions along with promoting better relations with labor outside County government.
He’s a member of the Ways and Means Committee, responsible for all budgetary and financial matters including oversight of the offices of County Administrator, Auditing, County Clerk, and County Treasurer.
He serves on the Economic Development, Housing, Planning and Transit Committee promoting industry and commerce and overall economic development, including Planning Department, Agricultural Advisory/Farmland Protection Board, Transportation, UC Economic Development Agency, Industrial Development Agency, Hudson Valley Regional Council, Housing Consortium and the various Chambers of Commerce in UC.
He is also a member of the Criminal Justice and Safety Committee, responsible for all phases of the County court system including the Sheriff’s Department, Alternative Sentencing Program, Probation, District Attorney, Public Defender, all the Community Corrections, Stop DWI, Consumer Fraud and Weights and Measures.
He works on behalf of all County residents, not just those he represents. And his sense of civil duty does not stop there. Don is also on the Board of the Community Action Committee, a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing poverty, revitalizing of low-income communities, and empowering low-income families and individuals to become self-sufficient. Please join me in voting for Don Gregorius to continue his efforts.
Patti Candelari
Denning, NY

Dear Editor,
Ulster County Legislator Brian Shapiro is one of the hardest working, and
most honest people we have in county government. As Chair of the county's Environmental Committee, he has protected large wetlands, passed the pesticide notification law, championed alternative energy and established New York's first county level Department of the Environment. These are only a few of his accomplishments. Lets continue to protect our natural resources in Ulster County, and reelect Brian Shapiro to a third term in the Ulster
County legislature.
Andy Glick
Woodstock, NY

Dear Editor,
With snow white hair, chiseled features and a ready grin, the guy sitting next to me in the West Hurley Firehouse looked like Hopalong Cassidy. He introduced himself as Don Gregorius and he turned out to be my neighbor. This was a three years ago, and the issue was a bridge fabrication facility that the county had decided, in the person of Woodstock County Legislator Mike Stock, Speaker Richard Gerentine, and the rest of the ruling Republican majority, to move into our residential neighborhood.
Don not only opposed the facility on environmental grounds --no pun intended -- he detested the high-handedness the majority used to get what it wanted. Soon after, he decided to run for Mr. Stock's seat. Not only did Don win, and handily, his victory ushered in a Democratic take-over of the county legislature that has seen our property taxes finally begin to stabilize after years of skyrocketing.
While I can understand opposing a legislator on political grounds, Don proved in his first term that his sense of ethics went way beyond politics. When it was revealed that county Democratic Party head John Parete was one of two elections commissioners on the county payroll, Don thought that was wrong. Not only did he say so publicly, he said it privately. The question for him was a simple one -- how do you engender public trust in the election process when one of the guys in charge has reason for certain candidates to win? It was a matter or principal, not party or person.
Mr. Parete and his supporters went on to make eloquent counterarguments. For Don, it really came down to a matter of conscience. That Don stuck his political neck out opposing the head of his own party, and some of those within the party organization as well, says much about his sense of commitment to his constituents, many of whom aren't lucky enough to be on the county payroll.

Don Gregorius is running on the Democratic line for his second term as a county legislator representing Woodstock. I'm voting for him again, and feel lucky, really lucky, that we have him.
Fred Rosen
Woodstock NY

Dear Editor,
This past Spring I wrote a letter to my Ulster County Legislator, Don Gregorious, asking him to address a concern of mine. I received the message back within a day, "Call me.(his phone number) We must discuss how we can both address this." It is all too infrequent that one experiences personally the gut level satisfaction of living in a democracy. That satisfaction was a product for me of this experience.
As one of the majority Democratic UC Legislators this past term, Don Gregorious has been active in making real positive changes that will prevent another Jail fiasco and do much much more.
The Legislature under the Democrats have instituted fiscal responsibility which belies the obviously false reputation of Democrats as "big government spenders." Contracts are being strictly and fairly managed (for a change), Consolidations are making County Departments more efficient. There is now workforce accountability through evaluations, retraining, and new hiring practices. Amazingly, Ulster County health care costs went down last year for the first time ever!
In light of the erosion of State and Federal funding, these Legislators who are in charge of services from our top notch Community College to our Golden Hill Nursing Home, need to stay on the job. Certainly we must return Don Gregorious to the Ulster County Legislature.
Joan Walker
Woodstock, NY

Dear Editor,
It is not often that we find a county legislator who works as hard as Brian Shapiro from District 2. Brian has overseen the drafting of a tough new ethics law for county government and established a groundbreaking county wide Department of the Environment. When other legislators wanted to avoid passing a Domestic Partner Benefits plan and let taxpayers pick up the bill through an expensive lawsuit, Brian pushed for its adoption. His commitment to standing up for the powerless is unflinching. We deeply need the integrity and sense of community that Brian brings to the county legislature, so please get out the vote and reelect him on November 6th!
Kirsti B. Gholson
Woodstock NY

Dear Editor,
For more than eight years, Trout Unlimited has fought a proposed resort development project that was slated for two parcels of land located on east and west sides of the state-owned Belleayre Ski Center area in the central Catskills. The original Crossroads Ventures proposal for the 1,960 acre Belleayre Resort development called for three, then later two, golf courses and two hotels, as well as hundreds of timeshare units to be constructed on steep slopes, with the entire development expected to disturb more than 573 acres, presenting a serious threat to local and regional waters.
TU’s opposition to the project has focused on protecting water quality, water quantity and the wild trout populations of the Esopus Creek watershed and the East Branch Delaware River watershed. TU chapters, the New York State Council, and national staff gathered scientific information and funded expert studies and witnesses to participate in the environmental review process for this project. I would like to thank all the TU members who have taken action, contributed funds, and spoken so passionately about the need to ensure that the project be fully protective of the critical water resources of the Catskill Park.
The Agreement in Principle that was recently signed by representatives of TU and six other environmental groups marks a favorable turning point in this long-running dispute. Like almost every settlement agreement, this one is not a perfect solution. But looking at it from the vantage point of our mission, the agreement, if fully implemented, would include significant protective measures for the local and regional waters in the Catskills. Those measures include: Complete protection of the Esopus Creek and Ashokan Reservoir watershed via the permanent protection of the entire eastern portion of the proposed project site from any future development. More than 1,200 acres of land would be acquired by the Trust for Public Land and eventually incorporated into the Catskill Forest Preserve and protected as “forever wild,” representing one of the largest state land acquisitions in the Catskills in recent decades. Permanent protection of 86% of the land now owned by the developer; Only a single golf course will be constructed, instead of the two (or three, as originally proposed). The golf course would be significantly redesigned to be environmentally-friendly, operate as “organic,” and minimize stream crossings and removal of natural vegetation. Significant reductions in threats to water quality across the revised project site, including reduction in total new road construction from 8.2 to 3.2 miles, use of modern stormwater management practices for all buildings and infrastructure, and an unprecedented agreement that no individual lodging units be constructed on slopes greater than 20 percent.
The Agreement in Principle notwithstanding, TU must continue its work to reduce the impacts of the proposed development slated for the west side of Belleayre in the revised project plan. It is imperative that we diligently work to further downsize the project’s ecological footprint, identify remaining threats to the East Branch Delaware River and Pepacton Reservoir watershed, seek ways to eliminate or mitigate those threats, and ensure that the final plan and the protective measures described above are fully implemented and monitored.
I urge those who have dedicated so much effort in this battle over the years to continue their involvement in the upcoming public scoping process for the revised project that is expected to take place soon, and the public hearing on the Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS) that will take place in early 2008. We must carefully scrutinize the SDEIS. The next round of public hearings will provide a formal opportunity to continue to advocate for clean water, healthy aquatic habitat, and the region’s trout populations.
Eastern Conservation Director Elizabeth Maclin will coordinate our continuing involvement in this matter. Please email or call her (emaclin@tu.org; 703-284-9437) if you have questions.
Charles F. Gauvin
President, Chief Executive Officer
Trout Unlimited
Washington, DC

Dear Editor,
Is he Prince Charming, or Prince of Darkness?
Erik Prince began his company, the Prince Grouop after his father died, leaving enough money behind to form Blackwater, and other companies. The Government awarded contract to Blackwater, followed a line of sub-contracting - a common practice. It goes from Haliburton, to Kellog, Brown and Root and then to the Prince Group and finally, it's subsidiary - Blackwater. A good Christian and a good Republican, Prince is indeed a handsome and smart young man, who may even believe in his mission.
But what is it's mission in Afghanistan and Iraq? It is supposedly to provide
security to our dignitaries and sometimes to our armed security forces. Their numbers equal our armed forces numbers, and supposedly, we couldn't run a war without them, (unless of course, we instituted a draft).
During the recent hearings on a current Blackwater incident, wherein some Blackwater contractors opened up fire on Iraqi civilians and killed about 17 of them, much more began to reveal itself.
Henry Waxman brought up an incident that occurred in 2004, wherein a Blackwater plane crashed into a mountainside in Afghanistan killing all six on board - 3 Blackwater crew members, delivering 3 US troops to their post.
As an independed contractor, Blackwater is not under FAA or military rules, which would include a least one pilot experience with the terrain. The crew had been in Afghanistan only 13 days. Common military and civilian practice is to pair a pilot who is new to an area with a veteran. The two men somehow decided to take a dangerous path and flew into a box canyon, essentially a dead end bordered by mountains. According to the cockpit recordings, they were cowboy types. One of the recordings revealed, heard the pilot say: "They wouldn't pay me if they knew how much fun this was".
Furthermore, there was no dispatcher to report that the plane was missing, since they didn't file a flight path, which would have saved the life of one of the soldiers, who was found outside the plane with cigarettes and a sleeping bag, to wait for a rescue, which didn't come in time for him.
Now, to be fair, I must report the general Republican side of this investigation. It is: Blackwater is paid to protect us when we make trips to the Middle East. Not one of us has been harmed. We believe that our lives are more valuable than
our troops, and expedentially more valuable than Iraqi civilians, so let's adjourn. That's not a quote, but a summary by yours truly. Watch it on U-Tube if you want further proof.
Now for the numbers:
Blackwater has received over 1 BILLION dollars of our tax money so far. We pay their soldiers of $400,000 a year, whereas we pay General Petraeus $180,000 a year. Furthermore, since Blackwater hires mostly former veterans, they don't have to pay for their training.
When asked about some of these figures, our Prince replied: "We're a private company, and the key word is private". Well, he lost me there, despite his looks and charm. So, in summary: We - you and me - pay for Blackwater's subcontractors with our taxes, but we do not have the rights that any stockholder would have with
a public company. Supposedly, as citizens we still have some rights, or so it seems
with people like Henry Waxman representing us.
But if we don't get involved with our government, I suspect, not for long. So -(MUSIC UNDER) "I hope someday you'll join us... And the world will be as one".
Jill Paperno
Glenford, NY

Dear Editor,
My apologies to Ronald Deiti of Kingston for editing his wonderful letter about the hospital scam, in his letter to the editor Oct 11 edition. I wholeheartedly agree, the merger of both hospitals is long overdue, including Margaretville, is merely a bonus. Currently Kingston hospital and staff can and will rip the babies from their mothers wombs they have the space and facilities. BUT there is a bigger issue at stake here. Kaminski wants his own building where he can perform abortions and other experiments. Remember Dr. Menendez fifty years ago. Perhaps Kaminski will include in his plans a modem furnace, but more efficient, than those used at Auschwitz in Poland, highly capable of disposing of babies, difficult patients, and the results of experiments scheduled for the new building. Soon the air over and around Kingston will smell of burnt flesh. It is not his intention to use the money for healthcare. His hunger for power affirms that he speaks with false tongue, only satisfyinghis personal wants and needs. Did you know the public relations firm that handled hospital affairs quit? Do you know he has a hand picked goon squad that will stop at nothing to torture prisoners, and yes, that is the correct word. Once there, patients become prisoners. He has become an expert in the law, knows and uses every loophole to satisfy his personnel wants and needs.
I was indeed fortunate to get released before my term of interment was up. His hand picked goon squad would stop at nothing tosilence a prisoner, for that was what we were. I received a letter from him written in a fairy land which he has created in his own mind. He blatantly lied about all the accusations, which as you know have been sent to numerous governing bodies for their evaluation. Scars which I have pictures of, he claims were made by myself, a physical impossibility, unless I unknowingly am double jointed. Remember they had put me in restraints, which by the way can only be ordered by my doctor, as a precaution to hurting myself.
How long before we must sic heil to him. I already have a salute worked out. Stand tall, feet together, left arm across your stomach, extend your right arm as far as possible, close you fist, extend your middle finger to pay homage to this don't know a word that suffices. I sit behind closed, curtained windows, in fear, awaiting the arrival of his people because I hide nothing. If anything happens to me it was him that brought me down. We can't allow these things to happen, I believe this still is a free country. .
Robert Bossick
Olivebridge, NY

Dear Editor,
Think of Shokan and many words come to mind - beautiful, rustic, rural, small, friendly, scenic. After living in Shokan for 20 years these are the words that I use to describe this wonderful place situated along Route 28 - a haven from the hustle and commercialism of the Kingston area. This is why people make their way up to our area and beyond - to get out into the beauty of nature.
Imagine my dismay when I opened my mail Monday to find out that cute little PetFare may now be replaced by EIGHT STORAGE SHEDS 100' x 30' in dimension. Robert and Russell Oakes, who own the Storage Shed business just up the hill behind PetFare on Ridge Road (two acres containing seven or eight large sheds and a garage) have applied to the Town of Olive Planning Board and to the Ulster County Planning Board to: "demolish an existing commercial use and to construct a 23,400 square foot self -storage facility in the HB zone on 2.1 acres" (Quote from Ulster Co. Planning Board) The Ulster Planning Board deemed the plan submitted "incomplete" stating that not enough details were given about the project. For example if this is supposed to be integrated into the other area, there should be plans that discuss both together. (This would mean over 4 acres with 16 storage sheds!) Other County impact concerns are access onto the state roadway, landscaping, lighting levels, and stormwater drainage, especially considering that the proposed site has over an acre of "disturbance."
There is an Olive Planning Board meeting on October 30, 2007 to discuss this project and all are welcome to give their input. You may also write to the Town of Olive Planning Board, POB 180, West Shokan, NY 12494 or fax it to 657-6117. The new Planning Board Chair is Drew Bogges, 657-9735, and the other members are David Sorbellini, James Konjas, David Jones, Helene Grant, Robert Tischler, and Edwin Maldanado. The Planning Board's phone number is 657-2015.
This is a big step in Shokan's history. If these sheds go in, we won't be that pretty place on Route 28, we will be that town with all those ugly storage sheds. That will be what you see on your ride home. Based on the appearance of the current Storage Shed business, there will be no beauty left to look at when you glance toward the mountains. You will be able to see OVER FOUR ACRES of gravel pit-like landscaping with 16 storage sheds placed on them. They are on a hill so they will be very visible. Based on dimensions, any trees will have to be cut down and there will have to be modification in the hillside. Where will all this water go? What about the value of our newly assessed homes? Residents on Ridge Road, Onteora Court, Shokan Park Road and beyond - this will be something that will impact you especially!
I ask the new Planning Board and the Town Board to think about the image our town wants to project. Nine towns in the Shawangunk region banded together to try and ensure that their scenic beauty is maintained. Why aren't we concerned about protecting the beauty of OUR area? When Hannaford built in Red Hook, restrictions were made so that you can't even see the shopping area from the road because they were concerned about their town. Why are we not concerned? The last few additions to Shokan went out of their way to appear rustic and pretty. Shouldn't restrictions apply to all new area businesses? We are a beautiful town in a beautiful area in a beautiful mountain region. What will we do to protect this beauty for years to come?
This is an election year. Who will step up and SAVE SCENIC SHOKAN?
Allison Irwin
Shokan, NY

Dear Editor,
In the middle of July, this former County Legislator received a letter from investigator John J. Mavretich, co-signed by Tracey Bartels, Chair of the Special Committee to Investigate Matters Regarding the Pre-Planning, Planning and Construction of the Ulster County Law Enforcement Center -- in other words, the projected new Jail.
This is by way of stressing that Ward Todd was not in on the ground floor...I was. He was elected a few years later to my spot in District 2 when I retired to become Supervisor of the Town of Shandaken.
Included with the aforementioned letter was a questionnaire and a request for my "input in any form you feel would be more helpful or appropriate."
Referral in the missive pertains to a 1987 Resolution enacted by the Legislature entitled "Establishing Policy for Future Capital Projects," which was proposed by the Ways & Means Committee and the Public Works Committee, neither of which was I a member.
, The vote on said Resolution on September 10, 1987 was 29 to 1, with ALL of the Democrats, including continuing (present) Legislator Jeannette Provenzano, voting in favor.
I remained in "Peopletics" as a Legislator for a few more years, but, as Chairman of the Community College and Cultural Affairs Committee, and as an active member of the Youth, Aging, Veterans and Handicapped Committee, I was kept very busy with meetings, investigations, phone calls and correspondence. I also attended all the monthly meetings of my three Town Boards. ,
In the dozen years I faithfully served District 2, Towns of Woodstock, Shandaken and Kingston (principally Sawkill), I never missed a single meeting...regular, special or committee. However, when discussing the "need" for a new Jail complex (of which I wasn't too sure), along with most of the other Legislators, I was not an expert on Engineering, Architecture, large structure construction, plumbing, cell layouts, etc. With our hands and minds full on other County property needs and requirements, how COULD we, as lay persons and so-called "part-time" caretakers, and not being qualified "Clerks of the Works", be expected to know the ins and outs of such a mammoth project?
(At the time, I recall arguing that we might better look into a new, more modern nursing home for our elderly ill, who have been long-time local tax-paying residents, than a luxury 'resort hotel' for those who break
the law and are mostly 'outsiders'.)
When answering the official letter, I expressed some of the foregoing sentiments. Needless to state, I was not called to testify in person -- most likely for fear that I would open my big Irish mouth and stress that NEITHER the Republicans nor the Democrats on the Legislature were to BLAME for the so-called "fiasco", as they were apparently "hood-winked" and I'm certain much of the fault lies with the contractors!
Marian Callaghan Umhey
Mt. Tremper, NY

Dear Editor,
As a member of the Catskill Center for Conservation and Development, at least until now, I received a mailing from the group touting the new Belleayre resort agreement as a "great victory!" A "great victory!" for whom? Some ten groups participated in the Catskill Preservation Coalition that opposed the original Belleayre megaresort proposal. Six signed the agreement, including the down-staters defending New York City's water supply. They were satisfied to see the development's runoff problems moved from the troubled Ashokan reservoir watershed into the Pepacton reservoir watershed. But they don't live here. They weren't concerned with all the other problems that such a large development would create for our region.
The three groups based in Shandaken opposed this agreement. So did the Sierra Club. As I've now learned, the board of the local chapter of Trout Unlimited voted unanimously to oppose the agreement, after being stunned to learn that their state representative had signed it already. More than 100 members of the Catskill Heritage Alliance based in Pine Hill voted unanimously against the deal. That leaves the Catskill Center and the Zen Mountain Monastery as the two local supporters. As a "member" of the Catskill Center I can't say I was ever asked for my opinion about the agreement. All I got was the "great victory!" letter.
I'm tempted to say a "great victory!" except for the people who live here.
The agreement does save the eastern ridge of Belleayre Mountain from development. Some 1,240 acres will be added to the "Forever Wild" Catskills Forest Preserve. Until now, this eastern ridge has been the great battleground in this conflict. I must say, I think this news is fantastic! The eastern ridge is visible from the Overlook fire tower and many other Catskill peaks. To know that it won't become a golf course resort is a great relief. I've probably hiked the eastern ridge trails twenty or thirty times in the past dozen years, so I feel particular affection for this area. The forests already on state lands have towering tall trees that offer in summer the green cathedral-like atmosphere of the wild Catskills at their finest. The private lands nearby, which had been slated for the resort, have been heavily logged over the years, providing a stark contrast with the state lands, but now these forests will grow into magnificence in the coming decades.
It's the western ridge that's the new battleground.
Apparently, the powers-that-be, including Governor Spitzer, Congressman Hinchey, the Catskill Center, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and others believed they negotiated the best deal they could to save the eastern ridge. To save the east they accepted big increases in proposed building in the west. Did they really need to endorse so much development? The local groups who didn't sign don't think so.
Although relocated and reconfigured, Crossroads Ventures still intends to build 80 percent of the resort it has always wanted to build. That's 80 percent of the visitors, the traffic, the water demands, the increase in local taxes to provide public services, etc., that have long troubled many people who live in this area. The Catskill Center's letter included a "fact sheet" listing the agreement's achievements. But "fact sheets" can be slippery things. This one touts the fact that all roads and residences will be limited to slopes of less than 20 percent grades. Sounds good, right? So I was surprised to learn elsewhere - not from the fact sheet - that the agreement also permits a 250-room hotel on a 35 percent slope! A 250-room hotel to be built into the mountainside, perhaps with an underground parking garage, a construction job that will require tremendous blasting and earth moving.
Or take the 19 homes to be built at 3,000 feet. How high is 3,000 feet? Although mountains are all different, making comparisons like the one I'm about to make less than perfect, if we approved the construction of 19 homes at 3,000 feet on Overlook mountain, we'd find them 100 feet above the hotel ruins on the way up to the fire tower. That's almost at the mountain top! Granted, Belleayre Mountain is nearly 250 feet taller than Overlook, but I question building 19 homes on any 3,000 foot mountain ridgeline within the Catskill Forest Preserve. One remarkable feature of our park is that the mountains are still so wild. They're not capped with trophy homes and night lights. (Certain mountainsides, such as lower Overlook, are another, sadder story.) Our mountaintops are the wild rugged crown of the Catskill Park that New York State has worked for more than 100 years to protect with all its natural beauty for us to treasure today. Are we now willing to give up pieces of this Catskill mountain crown to private developers? Do we want to see mountaintop homes within the Blue Line?
There's more, I'm sure. The public review process will begin soon. I urge everyone who feels passionately about the Catskills to take their own independent look at this proposal. Don't believe the hype. Investigate.
There's an old adage: A good lie will travel half-way around the world before the truth has time to put its pants on. Perhaps the same should be said of press conferences. Governor Spitzer's announcement of this deal in Kingston certainly impressed reporters and editorial writers, who have praised this agreement in the Daily Freeman, Middletown Times Herald Record, and New York Times. But I urge readers to check the details for themselves. We weren't part of the secret negotiations that lead to this deal. Yet we will have to live with its consequences for as long as we live in the Catskills. We better know what we're getting into.
Will Nixon
Woodstock, NY

Dear Editor,
Hey , what a blast we had at Shandaken days. It was our pleasure to donate and supply a children's carnival type moon bounce. We hope in future years to expand the children's carnival section and create child friendly environments in Shandaken. It was great fun working with The Pine Hill Community Center and all those wonderful people.
Best Wishes
Bob & Veronika Townley
Pine Hill, NY

Dear Editor,
President Bush just vetoed a bill extending and reforming the State Children's Health Insurance Program. So Senator Kennedy wants to know: If government-supported health care is good enough for him, and is good enough for President Bush, why isn't it good enough for America's children? We can be a voice for the nation's children - a voice that every member of Congress needs to hear. If government-supported health care is good enough for Congress, it's good enough for America's children. Show your support for SCHIP today by watching Senator Kennedy's video and signing his petition: http://www.democraticmajority.com/childrenshealth.Thanks!
Tom Siblo-Landsman
Woodstock, NY

Dear Editor,
When it comes to the fight for the environment, beheading one dragon rarely means victory. These guys have a way of growing a bunch of new heads. Witness the Belleayre Resort. Slay the eastern part of this mountain-eating dragon and the west side sprouts into a behemoth. The worst part of it being 19 trophy houses built at 3,000 feet that will be plainly visible on the western ridge line of Belleayre Mountain. So spare the Ashokan and burden the Pepacton. It will degrade the City's drinking water either way. And, most dangerous, this monstrosity will represent an unprecedented attack on the concept of the Catskill Park.
Too many of the people fighting the good fight have fallen for some very clever negotiation on the part of the developers. It wouldn't surprise me that the eastern portion, being a very difficult build, was a negotiation throwaway all along. What I do know is that Crossroads Ventures is planning on building 80 percent of its original intention. This doesn't sound like much of a compromise to me. We are still stuck with what we were scared of all along - traffic, air pollution, water pollution, visual pollution, erosion and tax increases for the locals in exchange for minimum wage jobs.
I know the following smacks a bit of conspiracy theory, but here's something to think about. I don't really believe this resort as planned would ever be a moneymaker. It is 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.
There is something missing in the immediate plans that would guarantee the resort's success. And that is the ugliest dragon of them all - Casino gambling.
Peter Koch
Woodstock, NY

Dear Editor,
Polls admit that most of us are outraged by a war for oil and empire that has killed over 3,000 American kids, and nearly a million Iraqi civilians, and that continues to funnel hundreds of billions of our dollars into the pockets of war profiteers and Bush cronies like Halliburton, Exxon/Mobil, General Electric, and the like.
We voted for Democrats on the promise that they would end the war, yet they refuse to cut the funding or begin impeachment proceedings. It seems that our presidential candidates for 2008 have already been picked for us, and they will surely bring us more of the same; the righteous ones like Democratic Congressman Dennis Kucinich, or Republican Congressman Ron Paul having been trivialized, ridiculed and ignored.
We protest, march and petition, and are ignored by the corporate media, the idiocy of Britney Spears or O.J. Simpson being oh so much more important.
But we can at least post flyers on bulletin boards to publicize events that big media won't cover, right?
Not so if some of the petty dictators who oversee these bulletin boards have their way. After shopping last Tuesday at a certain large Kingston Supermarket, let's call it "Shopwrong" (not its real name), I posted a flyer publicizing a peace march in Washington which the store manager, Mr. "D." saw fit to contemptuously rip down. He said they don't allow "political or religious" flyers, even though those guidelines are not posted. In fact, plenty of political and religious items have been posted there. Indeed, the mega chain itself recently posted a giant ad opposing the improved bottle bill, a much more "political" ad since it urged shoppers to contact politicians in opposition to that insidious left wing concept of recycling.
The one "vote" we still have that has any real meaning, is our choice of where to shop, although even that is minimized as smaller stores get sucked up by giant chains.
Those of you reading this who think it is just great that we are pouring our blood and treasure down the toilet so that we can earn more hatred around the world for this once great country, and hence more future war profits, should shop til you drop at places like "Shopwrong." But the rest of us would do well to consider whether to support businesses that would send our kids to die for oil. We should try to favor the few remaining local stores, maybe even grow a garden. Do we want to patronize Corporations like Walmart, Shoprite, General Electric, Exxon Mobil, which are major Bush donors, and/or trample on free speech?
I'm not suggesting a total boycott of any store. Many of us need to go for the sale items and take advantage of those coupons. But let's look at what our hard earned cash is funding, and if it isn't an irresistible sale item, buy it from a local store, food co-op or farm. Local produce is fresher and healthier anyhow, and its purchase keeps more dollars in our local community.
It's time to take our country back, nickel by nickel.
Edmund Haffmans
Accord, NY

Dear Editor,
Bright red "Save the Mountain" lawn signs began sprouting up along Catskill roads this past weekend. This blown-up version appeared at the old Highmount Ski Center, right at the heart of the proposed Belleayre mega resort (not to be confused with the NYS owned and operated Belleayre Ski Center).
What's "Save the Mountain"?
It's a coalition of mountain neighbors who are standing together with the six organized groups (Catskill Heritage Alliance, Highmount Preservation Association, Hardenburgh Association of Residents and Taxpayers. Sierra Club, Friends of Catskill Park, and the Ashokan-Pepacton Watershed Chapter of Trout Unlimited). They've joined together to counter the overkill of the resort developer, to voice opposition to the huge scale of the project, to get the true story out that this is not a "done deal", and to encourage everyone to take part in the public hearings that will take place (this winter) before any decisions are made on the project, pro or con, and before any permits are issued.
The group has found that few even know about the entirely new part of the development, the ridge top Highmount Spa Resort" which was added to the complex just last month. It has a 150 room hotel which will be partially blasted into the hill, 2 lodges with 60 2-bedroom units in each, plus 60 3-bedroom time share units (houses) , many perched right on the ridge line, AND it has ski-home trails. Belleayre Ski Center may make snow, maintain trails and build chair lifts within the private resort's boundaries.
For more information, or your very own lawn sign, go to SavetheMountain.net.
For more information on this photo, or lawn signs, contact me.
Beverly Rainone
Highmount, NY

Dear Editor,
The first thing I do once we’ve settled in on the porch looking out over the mountains, cup of tea in hand, is read the local papers. But somehow the last few years I’ve found that this ritual ends up leaving me with a sick feeling in my heart, a sense that everything I loved, everything we moved here for, albeit part-time, is being slowly destroyed.
We hadn’t been up in a while, and I’d forgotten that feeling. But now, finishing up a bunch of old issues while husband and toddler slumber, I read about how a governor we thought would change things showed that nothing at all has changed. I feel so sick I can’t sleep.
On our quiet valley road, soon the trucks will be roaring up and down to collect water for more plastic bottles for more consumers to suck at somewhere far away, and the folks who voted that terror in, over the hundreds of pleading voices of their neighbors, are sleeping peacefully in their beds in some other valley.
Out on route 28, the road doesn’t know it has to brace itself for a much bigger onslaught, an army of crusading construction workers sent by General Gitter to save us from the slowly growing economies we’ve been creating all on our own these last few years.
What makes me so tired about it all is how our own moral imperatives get slowly whittled away, so that before we know it, we find ourselves thinking that we understand that a compromise has been reached, thinking that the Owners of lands big and small have some kind of unalienable right to decide what to do with their lands big and small, no matter who lives in, around, near, through or even under those lands.
None of these rich folks wants to start a university in our mountains or found an orphanage or undertake any other great public work, as their contribution to this moment in history. No one cares to be remembered for such a thing or cares that the world they leave will be a lesser place for what they’ve done to it.
The rain is falling hard outside, I can hear the massive drops sliding off the roof and smacking the wet ground; and down the hill, the stream is rushing, full, alive. My heart is beating so wildly. I try to imagine that I am an old woman, thinking back on this moment in our little house on this rainy night among the dark wet trees, so that the desperate sorrow of it will seem thrown into perspective. My heart is still beating; I must press my hand against my chest but it will not slow --
I stand on the porch and look out into the darkness and ask God to help me ask for blessings for even those souls sleeping so sound in their beds, dreaming of those money piles, those plastic bottles, those mountain-tops whose silent and eternal promises to all of us will be hacked at, shaved off, sealed over with buildings that pretend they are greener than what is there now! — those silent and eternal promises to all of us stolen by promises made to only just a few of us — wretched money! Wretched money! Wretched money!
- Evelyn Polesny
Woodland Valley, NY