Dear Editor,
Bob Cross and Tony Lanza! What are you two thinking? Playing this game with precious lives in the Town of Shandaken. I for one will not stand for this. My husband, Bruce, cannot wait for an ambulance to come from Kingston to take him to the hospital. Tony Lanza will have to find from his own budget, to get his own ambulance and his own personnel.. They already have nurses and ski patrol, etc. We have our ambulance and limited people to work.
This has been an ongoing problem for years and was supposed to be fixed and never was. Now, as town people, we have to do the job that we elected the officials to do. The Shandaken ambulance has saved Bruce's life and many others over the years with their fast response and their expertise. I cannot and will not let this squad fall apart because the State needs them for a broken ankle first, and my husband at the same time needs to be taken to the hospital because he can't breathe.I am very sorry if that sounds selfish but I have been fighting battles for the past 11 years including with the State of New York (which I won). And if I have to I will take this to Albany to the higher ups.
So please Shandaken, stand by your ambulance. Voice your opinion. Tell Tony Lanza and Bob Cross how you feel. Let's stand together.
Linda Storey
Shandaken, NY

Dear Editor,
I spoke at the Public Budget Hearing at Shandaken Town Hall against Supervisor Cross's $5,000 plus pay raise and was told by him that I was personally attacking him. Let me remind Supervisor Cross that he is an elected Public Official of Shandaken. He is responsible to the people of Shandaken. Shandaken is not a privately run corporation.
I explained at the Public Budget Hearing that I believe pay raises should be given on the merits of setting goals and achieving them, of executing job responsibilities effectively. Mr. Cross articulated his goals for 2006 publicly in his newsletter dated November 25th, 2005 and they are: 1) Build a greater sense of community 2) Aggressively protect, preserve, and improve our environment; 3) Physically improve our town; 4) Expand our tax base; 5) Develop a full-scale emergency plan; 6) Significantly expand our stock of affordable housing; 7) Work towards a new community building; 8) Invest in our kids. He also said in his August 2005 newsletter: "All signs point towards an up-and-operating cellular system in 2006 or before."
I would be happy any time to articulate publicly with Mr. Cross how he has failed to meet his publicly articulated goals as a public servant in 2006. His job performance clearly does not merit a pay raise of any amount.
David Pillard
Shandaken, NY

Dear Editor,
After seeing the ad in The Phoenicia Times, two issues ago, naming the planning board members who voted yes about the Poncic decision, I realized that I had to write this letter.
How dare the people in Woodland Valley appoint themselves as speaker for the whole town! The audacity that they believe their valley is the most beautiful in Shandaken already shows you that they are delusional.
To take potshots at the planning board members, who by the way volunteer their time for that job, is an atrocity. To make subtle accusations that money exchanged hands is slander. I know every one of those people who work tirelessly on the planning board, and to infer these public servants are taking money is both outrageous and an insult to our community.
What really bothers the Woodland Valley residents is that, as true obstructionist, they believe they are the only people to be considered, and if they don't want water harvesting, well then that's the way the planning board should vote, so why don't we just throw the laws out the window.
The applicant is within his rights by law to harvest water, and I do believe that you can get "hit by a truck" on any road in this town. Sadly, the Woodland Valley residents expressed a hope that planning board members should also be hit by a truck.
These planning board members not only volunteer their time for the planning board, but are outstanding citizens, doing many other selfless acts throughout the town. They belong to organizations that raise money for scholarships, and to help the poor. You always see them in parades or planting and beautifying Phoenicia. They are patriotic. I never see Kathy Nolan, Judy Wyman, Howie McGowan, or Marcie Meiler ever give any of their time to do a worthy thing for Shandaken. They only make time to complain, or disrupt town meetings. They spend their money and time out of town in Olive, at Parete's Boiceville Inn.
The Democratic Committee has already started their attack campaign against the Republicans with this ad. Don't forget what we had when the Democrats were in office , huge attorney bills, secret meetings, and erased hard drives, not one good accomplishment.
If you have concerns, bring it to the attention of the Republican Committee or Club. We are always ready to listen, and together we can work things out.
And remember, we at least have tried to do something constructive in Shandaken.
Jane Rossitz
Shandaken, NY

Dear Editor,
Enclosed is a copy of a letter sent today to the Onteora Board of Education...
Dear Board of Education,
In your search for a multi-million dollar capital project that meets the needs of the district, please pay utmost attention to making sure any buildings and renovations are as energy efficient and green-energy powered as possible.
It"s vital that the board take all due deliberation in considering any building options and projected budgets and not rush to a deadline for presenting a plan to the public. In light of the dwindling student
population, and the cost of any plan, I believe if the voters of the district see a renovation project that makes bold changes in the way the district meets its energy needs, they will respond positively. I also
believe the voters would see a such a green-plan to upgrade existing and new facilities as an investment in the future.
To suggest spending between 62 million and 70 million dollars of taxpayer money on district improvements and not take advantage of the best possible solutions for our 21st century environmental and energy needs would be unconscionable.
The board and its architects and planners should look at every applicable place for energy conservation, as well as for use of active and passive solar, wind, and geothermal systems that could help make the district energy independent. And I trust you are researching all possible sources for grants and funding of innovative "green" building choices.
When making renovations, the district could implement an "Onteora Energy
Initiative" and aggressively act in ways to make the district"s facilities more energy sustainable. Planning would most likely show that the district could add solar collectors to its existing buildings and properties in Boiceville and perhaps at each of its school building sites for both efficient solar hot water and solar photo-voltaic systems.
Any roofing or building plans for additions to any Onteora buildings must be designed to the highest world-wide efficiency standards and not depend on a narrow search for building options. Onteora could be a leader for energy responsibility throughout our community with a carefully designed project that took into account the kinds of design standards and building practices currently favored in Germany, throughout Europe, and increasingly in use world-wide.
The district could look close by, in Tivoli, at the Common Fire Housing Coop. for ideas on how to design structures and choose materials for energy independence and responsible product purchasing. Recent municipal solar photo-voltaic systems installed in Woodstock, Rosendale and New Paltz also point the way to our energy future. They augment the electricity available on the hottest days when most needed and when they generate excess electricity, the power feeds onto the grid helping meet the need for clean sources of energy. This is a double win for our community.
A comprehensive greening of the district"s buildings and operating systems would be of great benefit to the environment and will be a boon to district taxpayers as they see lower energy costs to operate the district"s facilities. Such an energy-wise approach will go a long way
toward gaining public support for any capital construction plan put forth by the Board of Education.
Tobe Carey Glenford, NY

Dear Editor,
Knowledge is power, but you need excess to information to obtain knowledge. Tax payers of the Onteora School District need to be informed. This is why I extend my sincere thanks to Lisa Childers for her exceptional reporting on the Onteora School Board meetings. For many that can"t go to the school board meetings Lisa Childers reporting provides a wealth of information about the school and helps to generate interest in the school district. For many tax payers of the district Lisa"s articles are the only resource that"s available to obtain accurate information about everything regarding the school and how the School Board is planning to spend our tax dollars.
William Warnecke
Glenford, NY

Dear Editor,
The impact of the recent re-capture of the Senate and the House of Representatives by the Democratic Party illustrates just how much President George W. Bush disappoints the American people. After contributing to the defeat of his own party at the polls he is now asking the same Senators and members of the House of Representatives to return to Washington, D.C. to complete his old agenda as lame ducks.
Lame Duck sessions are not a reflection of a healthy democracy because it permits an old and now political agenda to still be continued in its direction and unabated without recourse for the great mass of Americans.
As a native born American radical I can personally speak about the COINTELPRO and Naval Intelligence tapping of my telephone, dirty tricks firing from jobs, visits to employers and newspaper editors. Wiretapping my telephones from Long Island to upstate New York, calls from security people asking if I was going to attend a specific meeting. Individuals who working with me and others, befriending us, organizing peace demonstrations only to surface later on as special agents. Now George W. Bush still under the disguise of protecting us from terrorism is spying on all Americans who are against his policies in Iraq. After he has lost at the polls he has the nerve to continue full steam ahead lying about cooperating in the future with the new Congress while seeking continued support for John Bolton to represent the US in the UN.
Bolton should never have been there to begin with. The media is now trying to positively message us concerning his replacement for Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld activities of his father"s former CIA Director Robert M. Gates Director who by practicing "plausible deniability" is all of a sudden is rehabilitated and clean as a whistle on the Iran-Contra Affair. After all everyone feels bad for the old George now because it appears his wings have clipped by the American people.
This is truly a farce because once again the media is spinning a web of protection for the Bush administration and Mr. Robert Gates who is depicted as a "team player, works behind the scenes, is a member of an independent study group researching the Iraq War and knows his way around the pentagon and the Chiefs of Staff. It is a plain old dirty trick hoot right out Vietnam to Iraq. It is the same kind of bird who worked with the FBI, and Army/Naval Intelligence and the covert wars in Central America. This is worse than Watergate ever was. It is Bushgate/Oilgate or how do you make a giant stinking mess look like a place even the Queen of England would like to take a room in.
We need to tell our representatives and our representatives elect. " No to Gates, No to Bolton and No to any laws passed by lame ducks" that undermines our constitutional rights to privacy by permitting the indiscriminate use of wiretaps.
If it is true the Brits have 35 different conspiracies of terrorism they are monitoring tells you there is something really rotten in Great Britain and the sink there is about the same as here. What happened to the last crew of alleged terrorists just before the elections" If they know about these people are they just recording tapes for "plausible deniability" or is this just a sequel to the movie "The Anderson Tapes." Personally I am still listening to the Basement Tapes by Dylan and the Band.
Tom Siblo
Shokan, NY

Dear Editor,
A couple days before the mid-term elections I sent a check out to the sandman (oops, correction: that should read "hay man"), along with a little note saying something (he"s a fellow Democrat) to the effect: "Let"s hope for a successful election." (I think I actually even used an exclamation point!) But as the envelope was sliding down the mailbox, I thought to myself, what the H did I write that nutty note for" I say this because 6 years ago I finally woke up (or so I thought) and smelled the coffee beans: Democrat, schmemocrat; what"s the difference" (My therapist says I"m a "recovering Democrat.") Anyhoo, it"s easier to realize that it won"t make one hoot of difference who"s running Washington"Dems, Repubs, Comms"you get the idea"if we have a clear understanding of what politics is and what it is not. Issues, schmissues; it"s not the issues, stupid! Politics is the process of who gets what resources, when, and how. All political activities aim ultimately to controlling wealth and maintaining unchallenged power" in any state or society (sorry, America is no exception here). Who benefits most is the end outcome of the competition. The corporate media and our imperialist warlords (those in power), as well as others jockeying for control and power (read: the "opposition"), obscure the term to refer to differences on other issues.
So, now that we"re clear on that: With all due respect to below and minimum wage earners, tree huggers, the educationally challenged, and all of us proud, lucky Americans living without health insurance (feel the love") in the wealthiest nation on the GD planet: Are the Dems going to restore our Constitution" Our Bill of Rights and Civil Liberties" The checks and balances between the branches of government" Are they gonna revoke the unconstitutional and treasonous Patriot Act, restore Habeus Corpus, restore the Posse Comitatus Act, restore the rule of domestic and international law" Roll back presidential power" Abolish NSA spying on US citizens" I.e., are they going to dismantle all mechanisms of the current dictatorship (AKA "Unitary Executive" by the goons in Washington)" Dooon"t think so. Are the Dems gonna get us the H out of Iraq" Noooope. Don"t think so. They need that hellish disaster to help them in the 2008 prez elections. (It"s milking time, girls and boys.) Are they gonna keep us outa Iran (or at least from bombing it to blitherings) before hee haw homeboy George gives up his Pennsylvania Avenue pad" Nooope. Don"t think so. Same as above. Plus, even a cursory understanding of the power, influence, and reach of the industrial military complex alone answers that question (hint: the IMC, like it"s bedmaiden (or, er, it"s financier), Wall Street, controls the government, not the other way around. Hard fact to face, but, well, as they say, the facts don"t lie). Are the limp Dems gonna hold this outlaw "administration" (AKA "regime" by smart people everywhere) accountable" Noope. (Not if you believe the right wing pundits, Madam Pelosi and the lapdog media: "The Dems DO NOT suffer from subpoena envy!") All this sound a bit cynical" Puuleeeze. We can tie our shoelaces, can"t we" OK, then. C"mon; remember now, we"re living in a c o r p o r a t a c r a s y, not a democracy (remember . . . the facts don"t lie . . .). That makes me a realist, not a cynic. P.S.: While I"m defining things, how about "corporatacrasy": The merger of state and corporate power. (BTW, that"s also the definition for the "F" word. No, not that one, silly! The other "F" word. You know, the one that ends in "ism.") GOOD MORNING, ELIJAH! (A saying we have in Hebrew to mean, "Ah! At last! Finally! You wake up from your long slumber!" or "Wake up and smell the cooffeeee!"
Barb Ellis Boiceville, NY

Dear Editor,
These are exciting, hopeful and yet still frightening times. The recent elections have opened up possibilities for change and for peace and many of us are breathing a sigh of relief. But of course, there is still so much to be done.
And now the people of New Orleans need our help!
Over a year ago the American people watched the destruction of New Orleans on their televisions. We all saw not only the enormous power of Hurricane Katrina, but we also saw the effects of years of poverty and racism on the citizens of New Orleans. Many Americans were shocked and angry. Millions of dollars in relief flowed into New Orleans from very generous and good hearted Americans, while the government poured billions into the war effort in Iraq.
But now, over a year later, the disaster continues, not a natural disaster (so far this year New Orleans has not felt the wrath of mother nature) but more the governmental kind. It's not in the headlines, or even in the back pages of our newspapers. Before Katrina there were over 8,000 units of public low income housing in New Orleans. Many of these housing projects were solid, made of brick and concrete. After the Hurricane, the Public Housing Projects were fenced off, the tenants unable to return, not even to get their belongings. Many of these developments were not seriously damaged by the storm and yet the tenants have not be allowed to return. In a city where thousands homes were destroyed, there is no alternative low income housing.
HUD, which runs the projects in New Orleans is in the process of deciding to tear them down, with some plans to replace some with "mixed housing" - which not only will take years but will also eliminate a majority of low income units. The tenants of these projects lived in them for years, often for generations. They had leases, they had family and friends in their community. Mostly they are dispersed throughout the region, refugees in their own country. The HANO, Housing Authority of New Orleans is deciding this month the fate of 5,000 of these housing Units. While some of the housing projects are in serious disrepair, many can be rehabbed and upgraded at less cost than demolition and rebuilding. While I was in New Orleans in June, I saw the St. Bernard Projects myself and clearly with some gutting and repair, those houses were sound. Some local contractors have recently added their voices to the call to save them. Tenants have organized to fight their demolition and they are asking for our help. I met some of these organizers in June. They are angry, articulate and determined to return to their homes. This is the kind of help that doesn't cost money or require a trip to New Orleans. They need for us to contact HUD, to contact our Congress people and tell them to stop the plans to demolish public housing in New Orleans.
One of the New Orleans tenant's organizations is called Survivors Village.
You can easily go to their web site at www.survivorsvillage.org . Go to "ACTION Alert" and send a letter to the Alphonso Jackson, Secretary of HUD in Washington. And click on "our homes" for more information. Additional information can be found on the Common Ground Relief web site.
Now is not the time to be silent. It is still the time for us to be outraged.
Sue Rosenberg
Saugerties, NY

Dear Editor,
Last Friday evening I attended the first Ulster County Watchfire in recognition of Veterans Day, on Tongore Road, just off Route 209. Lisette Landin has worked for years to get it organized and it finally happened, and it was extremely moving. The night was cold and damp, there was a tent with donated food and drink. No politicians spoke, only Vets, it was low keyed, and when the huge bonfire was lit shortly before midnight, it was emotionaly powerful and serious. I hope this ceremony will continue and grow.
This past Sunday evening I went to Nyack to hear the father of Lt. Ehren Watada speak. Lt. Watada has refused deployment to Iraq on the basis of the "War" there being illegal, and will be court-martialed in Fort Lewis, Washington. He has declared "I refuse to be silent any longer. I refuse to be party to an illegal and immoral war against people who did nothing to deserve our aggression. My oath of office is to protect and defend America's laws and its people. By refusing unlawful orders for an illegal war, I fulfill that oath today...if I am to be punished, it should be for not acting sooner." Please write to Lt. General James Dubik, Commanding General, Fort Lewis, 1 Corps Bldg 2025 Stop 1, Fort Lewis, WA 98433 to register your feelings and thoughts about this brave and thoughtful Lt. Watada.
Jay Wenk
Woodstock, NY

Dear Editor,
The Smile Revolution, which raises conscious awareness to the healing power of a smile had its first mini Smile March in conjunction with the Halloween Parade. We want to thank our sponsors, Houst Hardware; Mountain Massage; Dr. Bruce Milner, DDS; Catskill Art Supply and The White Gryphon for contributing to this new idea in supporting sincere smiles. We want to thank our volunteers for helping with constructing the picket signs that came out so well and those who marched bravely down Tinker Street. We salute you. Thanks to Brian Shapiro and Barry Samuels for all of their support. Thanks for Oliver Brooks Jr. for contributing with professional photographic coverage and Tess Benjamin for covering it for her TV show.
Mindy "Smile" Fradkin
Woodstock, NY

Dear Editor,
The 2006 Garage Rumble in Woodstock, on November 11 at the Colony Caf" was a blast! So much talent in the Hudson Valley! I am honored by their performances and give my deepest thanks to the participating, talented and dynamic teen bands that played at the second annual Garage Rumble this year...Trash Can Alley, Ill Lime Green, Left to Chance, Night Knight, Concrete Wave, Creature of Domination, Baba Yaga, Lemonade Grenade...
Thanks to the families and friends in the audience, the GR hospitality crew, the GR tech crew, our panel, our sponsors, the press
Please see our website - garagerumble.com - soon to be updated with a detailed thanks list.
I would also like to mention the names of a few other teen bands in our area that I have had the pleasure and honor to hear - UTD, The Defenestrators, The Rhodes, Yarrow, Preferably Tapioca, Junior Jones, Frankel, the Chills, Victory March, Backseat Driver, The Warhol Crowd, the Hottness, Frankie and His Fingers and so many more I am sure.
Please support youth in music and the arts!
Kristen Garnier
Woodstock, NY

Dear Editor,
The late 1950's found America woefully behind in the space race and in danger of losing the Cold War. The Russians had placed satellites in orbit and men in space while we sat in front of TV sets watching our own Redstone rockets implode on the launching pad. Our country was losing the war but it wasn't because we were out-manned or out-gunned. Our problem was that we were poorly motivated and misdirected. When President John Kennedy stood up in 1961 and pledged that we would put a man on the moon by the end of the decade it wasn't about the moon. It was about getting our country focused on science and technology and back on track.
Today we find ourselves losing another war and, despite what you might see on the nightly news, this one isn't about Iraq or even terrorism. This war we are fighting is with ourselves and it's about our dependence on an unstable region for our energy needs. It's no secret that some of the money we spend on imported oil ends up in the hands of terrorists. Like the war on drugs we are financing both sides in this war on terrorisms.
The 2008 presidential race is officially on. Our nation has but a short time to find a leader who will stand up and pledge that we will be energy independent within 10 years. Developing alternative fuels, dramatically improving vehicle efficiency, growing our public transportation network, and making energy conservation a national goal will not be easy to achieve. Many sacrifices will have to be made but we can do this thing. As the saying goes, this isn't rocket science.
David Malcolm Rose
Watertown, TN

Dear Editor,
I, and my fellow signatories, hereby make these promises to all Conservatives and Republicans:
1. We will always respect you for your conservative beliefs. We will never, ever, call you "unpatriotic" simply because you disagree with us. In fact, we encourage you to dissent and disagree with us.
2. We will let you marry whomever you want, even when some of us consider your behavior to be "different" or "immoral." Who you marry is none of our business. Love and be in love -- it's a wonderful gift.
3. We will not spend your grandchildren's money on our personal whims or to enrich our friends. It's your checkbook, too, and we will balance it for you.
4. When we soon bring our sons and daughters home from Iraq, we will bring your sons and daughters home, too. They deserve to live. We promise never to send your kids off to war based on either a mistake or a lie.
5. When we make America the last Western democracy to have universal health coverage, and all Americans are able to get help when they fall ill, we promise that you, too, will be able to see a doctor, regardless of your ability to pay. And when stem cell research delivers treatments and cures for diseases that affect you and your loved ones, we'll make sure those advances are available to you and your family, too.
6. Even though you have opposed environmental regulation, when we clean up our air and water, we, the Democratic majority, will let you, too, breathe the cleaner air and drink the purer water.
7. Should a mass murderer ever kill 3,000 people on our soil, we will devote every single resource to tracking him down and bringing him to justice. Immediately. We will protect you.
8. We will never stick our nose in your bedroom or your womb. What you do there as consenting adults is your business. We will continue to count your age from the moment you were born, not the moment you were conceived.
9. We will not take away your hunting guns. If you need an automatic weapon or a handgun to kill a bird or a deer, then you really aren't much of a hunter and you should, perhaps, pick up another sport. We will make our streets and schools as free as we can from these weapons and we will protect your children just as we would protect ours.
10. When we raise the minimum wage, we will pay you -- and your employees -- that new wage, too. When women are finally paid what men make, we will pay conservative women that wage, too.
11. We will respect your religious beliefs, even when you don't put those beliefs into practice. In fact, we will actively seek to promote your most radical religious beliefs ("Blessed are the poor," "Blessed are the peacemakers," "Love your enemies," "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God," and "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."). We will let people in other countries know that God doesn't just bless America, he blesses everyone. We will discourage religious intolerance and fanaticism -- starting with the fanaticism here at home, thus setting a good example for the rest of the world.
12. We will not tolerate politicians who are corrupt and who are bought and paid for by the rich. We will go after any elected leader who puts him or herself ahead of the people. And we promise you we will go after the corrupt politicians on our side FIRST. If we fail to do this, we need you to call us on it. Simply because we are in power does not give us the right to turn our heads the other way when our party goes astray. Please perform this important duty as the loyal opposition.
I promise all of the above to you because this is your country, too. You are every bit as American as we are. We are all in this together. We sink or swim as one. Thank you for your years of service to this country and for giving us the opportunity to see if we can make things a bit better for our 300 million fellow Americans -- and for the rest of the world.
Michael Moore
Flint, MI

Dear Editor, It has recently been reported that Eliot Spitzer said Medicaid reform will involve closing some hospitals. He also said, "Which hospitals will be affected will depend on a "bunch of factors."" This is an issue of concern to all in Ulster County as well as citizens of nearby counties who use our hospitals. Nine years ago I was part of a group that worked to save The Kingston Hospital from merging with Benedictine. The merger would have forced Kingston Hospital to be subject to the Catholic Directives which prohibit access to in-hospital reproductive healthcare. The community learned details of the planned merger only when it was announced. After a lengthy campaign to educate the public that included a petition with almost 10,000 signatures, the hospitals realized their mistake and decided not to merge. We"re told these two hospitals are once again considering some form of cooperation, possibly even a merger, which, like the original proposal, will leave the people of Ulster County without much-needed services. This is happening at the urging of the government via the New York State Commission on the Future of Health Care Facilities in the 21st Century. It is commonly referred to as the Berger Commission " or the hospital closing commission because it is widely expected to close hospitals to save money. The Commission is not telling the community anything, nor is the administration of either hospital. We don"t want another experience like that of 1997, where "final" decisions were sprung on us. The community must have input during the consideration of these issues so that administrators will consider the real needs of the community. After the decision not to merge in 1998, The Kingston Hospital"s Mission Statement was changed to reflect its commitment to secular values. The administration held several forums to dialogue with people around the county. But we are concerned about this commitment. The Berger Commission has held public hearings around the state. When they came to New Paltz, we made clear our concerns about The Kingston Hospital merging with a religiously-governed hospital because of its restrictions on certain healthcare services. The hearings, which included ten-minute presentations with no questions or opportunity to reply, are not enough. The community must be a part of the discussions between the hospitals. Mildred M. Meyer High Falls NY
Dear Editor, The Nov. 9 Phoenicia Times carries a letter by the Rev. James Audlin complaining that an invitation to lecture on Native American history was extended to a woman who is not Native American. Rev. Audlin goes on to say this is just as inappropriate as asking someone of French extraction to speak on Chinese culture. I beg to differ. Besides the famous example of the late Andre Malraux, who was a world authority on Chinese art, one can offer more recent examples. According to the Audlin line of reasoning, the cellist Yo-Yo Ma, of Chinese extraction, should not be asked to perform Bach. The conductor Seiji Ozawa (Japanese) should keep his hands off Tchaikovsky. And surely it was improper of Picasso (a Spaniard) to use African motifs in his art. While this country has many shortcomings, there is one thing it gets gloriously right: it recognizes merit based on competence and willingness to work, not as some function of ethnic origin. Let's keep it that way. Uldis Roze Lexington, NY

Dear Editor,
I have lived in Mt.Tremper about 25 years and recently something quite wonderful and extraordinary has taken place there. I am referring to the people who are now in management of La Dutchess Anne. They are wonderful and courageous people. Fabrice, the chef, comes from Brittany and learned his skills there and in Switzerland and in the United States. His fiance, Tania, a Peruvian princess, performs many tasks. Steve, a sculptor, works in the kitchen and Erica, from Phoenicia, takes care of the dining room and makes an excellent martini. Robert Rizzo, whose parents once owned the Phoenicia Inn, plays an accomplished and mellow piano.
All you have to do is visit and try them for the first time.
Robert Jacobson
Mt.Tremper, NY

Dear Editor,
The Phoenicia Rotary Club would like to extend its grateful appreciation to Mr. Steve Blakely our local Freihoffer distributor, and Mr. Al Higley of the Hanover Farm Stand for partnering with us to provide cider and doughnuts to the children for the community Halloween Parade on Sunday October 29, 2006. We are all thankful to Fr. Phil Tran and the St. Francis de Sales Parish for the use of the Parish Hall as a final destination for the families. The event was sponsored by the M. F. Whitney Hose Company, and organized by various members of the Parent Teachers Association and community volunteers. Once again, the Phoenicia Rotary put it"s Motto into action"..Service Above Self.
Phoenicia Rotary

Dear Editor,
On behalf of Shandaken Area Youth Sports and Helen Cordo, we would like to take this opportunity to thank the following people for their continued support of the Annual James. A. Cordo U-10 soccer tournament.
Olive Soccer for hosting the event. Chris Fischer for organizing and officiating. Tyler Fischer, Claire and Andrew Wilsey for running lines; Phoenicia Pharmacy; Brio"s; Phoenicia Wines and Liquors; Mike Iapoce and Phillip Kirschner; The Nest Egg; The Country Store; Boiceville Florist; Tiso"'; Cathy Neal for her great cakes; Blake Killin.
Congratulations to Woodstock"s U-10 for winning the tournament
Donna Fisher
Phoenicia, NY

Dear Editor,
On behalf of the Phoenicia Library Association Board of Directors, Staff, and our hard working Friends of the Phoenicia Library group, I"d like to thank the people of the Town of Shandaken for voting yes on our budget increase. It"s very encouraging to see this support and certainly validates our position as a key element in the community. With this vote of confidence we can continue to move forward to better serve the needs and wishes of our patrons.
Please stop by on Saturday, December 2 between 11:00 a.m. and
2:00 p.m. and join us for our annual holiday party. There"s something for all ages and this year"s celebration will be even more special.
Sincerely,
Veronica Rowe
Phoenicia Library Board President