Local Warming
Perhaps we’re just having an unseasonably toasty runup to a winter that’s yet to arrive. Or perhaps it’s the ghost of Christmas Future on a planet slowly marinating in carbon dioxide from Chinese smokestacks making product for Walmart. Either way it seems winter sure isn’t what it used to be. We don’t know what that means long term, but it’s been awfully mild out there. Nobody it seems, is going to run out of firewood before it’s time to plant again. Sort of like winter in the Great Smokies maybe, or fall in Alaska or something. We hope everyone’s enjoying it because our guess is, well, it’s the future.
So on balance, we think 2006 has been a positive year for our valleys, our region, our state and our nation. We believe people have spoken clearly and their voices been heard clearly on a range of subjects crucial to our future direction. In Washington change is coming and none too soon. We wish our friends and loved ones abroad Godspeed home from where some of our nation’s disastrous policies have landed them. For all of us, we hope the new year holds many changes to look forward to in terms of how our government works and how it doesn’t, and how what we do as a nation reflects who we are and what we want for our future. That’s kind of the point of democracy, and we think ours is maybe on the mend. If 2007 turns out to be a good year for our constitution and especially for the Bill of Rights, that’ll be the sign it is.
In Albany we welcome Governor Spitzer and the promise that his arrival will help restore the public interest to its rightful place as the whole point of public governance. That shift, we predict, could be seismic in its implications, even as far south of the Capitol as we are. First thing we’re hoping for from the new Governor? Funding, of course, for the Catskill Interpretive Center in Mt.Tremper, as the essential regional economic development initiative that it’s always been. We believe come January, we’ll finally have a Governor and a DEC commissioner smart enough and concerned enough to get it. And maybe even in the process get the City to pony up some money for it as well.
Locally as the year winds down, our largest hamlets, Phoenicia and Boiceville, are both moving forward as they should on badly needed septic treatment facilities. Both systems we believe, are essential to the long term economic viability of the hamlets they’ll serve and our towns as a whole. We’ve sometimes disagreed on the best solutions available – two new plants instead of one to serve both hamlets is still astonishingly stupid - but we’ve never varied on the absolute necessity of a permanent waste-treatment solution for both places. And regardless of the quality of DEP’s planning on this subject, those solutions that appear to be developing in both hamlets will work well, we think, and to everyone’s benefit. Ultimately we believe, this critical infrastructure is in everyone’s self-interest and deserving of everyone’s support. No politics here, this is simply what’s needed for every business and especially for every homeowner in the districts.
Our school district too is looking up this year: Spending’s under control and special thanks are due to Jack Jordan who’s stepped up and done a great job as Interim Superintendent. Yes, the issue of tax equity persists and there are tough choices ahead no doubt, especially given the master plan reconfigurations on the table for 2007. But we think those issues will be handled as well as they can be. And we trust in the board’s choice of Dr. Leslie Ford to lead Onteora going forward, and welcome her to our community.
If there’s a theme that’s emerging as the year draws to a close, it’s one we might not have expected given some of our recent history. That theme is that problem solving might actually be possible. Some days of late, our mountains seem practically awash in the spirit of realistic compromise. It even happened at a town meeting in Shandaken recently, a possible first, where residents, business owners, elected officials, and the press may have collaboratively fashioned the structure for a truce, allowing for an unopposed wastewater referendum vote in Phoenicia February 3. We certainly hope that’s what happens.
Similar breakthroughs might even be happening in state-run talks on a possible fast-tracking of a Belleayre Resort compromise. As we’ve said for years we’d welcome that, if what it meant was a project on a scale acceptable to our community and fair to our taxpayers. Our concern however is we’re not sure our interests are being represented as they would be under the SEQRA process and that we find troubling. Still, on balance, the talking is positive so let’s see what comes of it. Doesn’t appear we’ll have long to wait.
To be fair of course, there’s plenty ahead for 2007 not to look forward to, but there will be time enough to deal with those things as they move front and center. But the drift as we see it, is toward local warming. So far the only explanation we’ve come up with is that it could be the Dalai Lama Effect, whose September stay here clearly brought a warming and clearing trend that many folks agreed was palpable through much of the fall. Either that, or maybe we’re starting to mature as a community and realize that conflict isn’t the only way to get where we’re going. If that’s what’s happening, we’re all for it. So to that end we want to remind you that we’ll soon be sponsoring a series of regional round-table discussions at the High School, facilitated by our editor, Paul Smart. We hope many of you will plan on joining us for what we hope will be new opportunities for dialogue.
Snow or not, we wish everyone a joyous holiday season and the riches of friends and family and community throughout all our magical valleys. BP