(letters from July 20, 2006)

Dear Editor,
What kind of people do we want to be? And in what kind of community do we want to live?
Over and over again, that is the question facing us; and so far, we have seen our community violently split in an effort to answer it.
Now, once again, we face that question with Andrew Poncic’s dreadful water harvesting proposal.
Unlike the Belleayre Resort proposal, which some could at least attempt to argue benefited our community, this proposal benefits NO ONE except for Mr. Poncic and perhaps his heirs. They stand to make lots of cash, and that is their ONLY motivation for harvesting the water of our precious stream. They do not want to benefit the community in any way. They do not want to help our kids. They do not want to create a destination for tourists, thereby bringing money and jobs to our community. They do not want to improve their land for future generations.
All that Mr. Poncic wants to do is to make some cold hard cash.
What is the price the rest of us will pay?
Those of us who live in Woodland Valley will see our peace and quiet destroyed. All day long we will hear trucks thundering up and down the road. Our stream, famous across the country for trout, will see its temperatures rise and its trout populations decimated. Trout fishermen will spend their dollars elsewhere. Our children and our pets and our seniors will be at risk as they wait for the school bus or walk along the road. Cyclists will choose other roads — and other towns to spend their dollars. Those of us who offer rentals will see our rental income dry up — and the businesses to which we refer our renters — from Sweet Sue’s to Kirk’s to Bethken’s to tubing -- will see less business as those people decide to vacation somewhere else. Those of us who have invested so much time and money in our properties will see our property values fall. Our bridges, built for cars and bicycles, not tractor trailers, will suffer and perhaps require yet more costly repairs.
All so that Mr. Poncic can make some cold hard cash.
Don’t live in Woodland Valley? Don’t think that this affects you?
The Shandaken Planning Board is watching to see how all of Shandaken reacts. Our response to Mr. Poncic’s attempted theft of our stream water is a gauge for many of their future decisions. Our stream is your stream — our community’s response to this crisis may mean that your stream, your street or even your front yard will be protected — or destroyed.
Evelyn Polesny
Woodland Valley, NY

Dear Editor,
(The following letter sent to Shandaken's Planning Board chairperson Joan Munster)
The Shandaken Zoning code, Article VII - Special Permit Uses - 116-39, General Standards, states "In authorizing any special permit use, the Planning Board shall take into consideration the public health, safety, and general welfare, the comfort and convenience of the public in general and that of the immediate neighborhood in particular."
We the undersigned, owners of all six of the adjacent neighboring properties bordering the proposed Goodwater harvesting project sites, strongly object to this proposal due to its obtrusive impacts. It is not in keeping with the community character of our neighborhood and will seriously compromise our comfort, convenience, property values, public health, and the general welfare.
Respectfully,
Carol Seitz
Brigitte & David Hershkovits
Peter Hamon
Michael Latriano
David Ilku
Marcy T. Meiller
Woodland Valley Road
Phoenicia, NY

Dear Editor,
I am perplexed by the assertions of those in power in the Town of Shandaken of their supporting the development of local businesses when in fact a unique business that attempted to establish itself in Shandaken has been forced to relocate to Saugerties.
Lucky Chocolates, a first-rate and creative endeavor of Rae Stang, offering exceptional products, cookies and chocolates, enjoyed by locals and visitors alike, tried to establish itself on Route 28. Although permits were garnered from the Department of Agriculture, it seems that on the local level, she didn't fare as well.
Apparently, the changes required by the town were so complex and expensive Ms. Stang had no choice but to get out of town. Not only are the cookies and chocolates going, but so are the tax dollars that would have been paid to Shandaken.
Funny, the town supports big developers, giving tax incentives and other types of assistance, but a small, local business, run by a talented and creative woman, offering a product of quality and distinction, is resisted. The town offered little in support, guidance, and encouragement.
So the tax dollars will go to Saugerties, and we who live in or visit Shandaken and its beautiful environs lose out. It is a shame that those in charge did not support a local businesswoman.
Michelle Macau
Chichester, NY

Dear Editor,
I was glad to read Mr. Teplensky's remarks that were quoted in this paper. It is his right to make choices for his family, but not his right to force his values on other young, vulnerable kids. His obvious determination to make sure predatory military recruiters have daily access to our children while they are trying to learn is unacceptable to me, and most parents I know. His jail-house vision for our schools assures a nightmarish Gestapo-like educational environment of dogs and police, even coming into our own homes! Our children are not criminals! They are students! This awful obsession with more and bigger jails is breaking our county and must stop before our schools and neighborhoods are incarcerated.
Teplensky's failure to reveal his religious belief shows me he is sympathetic with the movement to Christianize the public school system. "Intelligent Design" is stealth code for religious indoctrination. Teach various courses in religion, but not in the science classroom. I strongly respect Mr. Teplensky's right to his own beliefs, but his obvious desire to force his personal beliefs on others makes him an bad choice for School Superintendant. Far worse, this is a consistent national pattern of fundamentalist religion walking hand in hand with the military and repressive prison culture and politics. Freedom of religion is a founding principle of America. Politics and religion don't mix.
On another note, I wish to express support for the person who created the post cards criticizing Bob Cross and the proposed Belleayre Resort. They contain fair and accurate statements. Freedom
of speech is another founding principle of America. People who run for public office must be prepared to face criticism from their constituents. Mr. Cross does not have his temper under control. He just got in a "fist fight" outside town hall with someone who opposes his administration's policies. I have heard that Mr. Gitter got in a fight with an opponent a while back. We do not need this barroom brawl mentality in Shandaken. I believe words are more powerful than fists anyway. To Mr. Gitter: Please restrain yourself! Don't extend the grotesquely elongated "Emerson Plaza Shopping Tunnel" all the way to Route 17. To Mr. Cross: No slapping.
Dave Channon
Shandaken, NY

Dear Editor,
I apologize to everyone in Shandaken who may have been embarrassed by the incident involving Bob Cross, Jr. and myself last week. I would like to be very clear about something. As Rob Stanly and Peter DiModica can attest, I was standing alone, smoking a cigar on the town hall steps when Mr. Cross came outside to confront me.
There are many falsehoods about the incident and its background as reported in the Ulster County Townsman in fact so many that I can only address a few here. One of the worst of these is the claim that the landowners legal actions are directed against our current town board, which they are not. Also false is the assertion that Brian Powers and I brought these actions. Mr. Powers is one of 27 plaintiffs and 43 members of our not-for-profit and completely bipartisan group. He is not even one of our board members.
Please allow me to clarify a statement I made at the meeting that has been quoted more then once out of context. After being spit in the face and punched by our town supervisor I was frankly very upset. I wanted the town board to understand our commitment and that we would not be bullied out of protecting our rights. In conveying that in a lengthy address to the board, I used the phrase “bury the town.” What we want to bury, forever, is corruption in the town government. My own feeling is that we are all one Family in Shandaken and have no issues with any of my neighbors. I do not even dislike either the town assessor or Bob Cross. I tried to befriend both of them for over a year and after being misled and lied to, I felt I had no choice but to take a stand and bring the facts to the public.
On behalf of all the Shandaken landowners, we regret the town has cancelled settlement discussions which Mr. Cross and I had negotiated over several months and which I believed would have shortly led to a resolution of the town’s tax problems and an immediate end to all legal action against the town and its officials. Unfortunately the town has unilaterally chosen a different course and the most expensive one possible.
We brought our actions because our town supervisor and assessor broke the law and violated the constitutional rights of over 250 of our taxpayers. What was done was no accident or mistake; they knew perfectly well the town’s 2005 selective reassessment - which is what this whole thing is about - wasn’t legal. In fact we believe the town’s illegal action against its own taxpayers was used to defraud the state into settling its own long-standing dispute with the town. And if we have to prove that in court, which the town it seems now wants us to, we will.
We tried everything possible to resolve this before taking legal action. Once begun, we tried everything we could to continue to resolve it out of court. The town’s response by contrast, continues to be unreasonable and is actually escalating in its ridiculousness and its cost factors. For longer than people in Shandaken can remember, most of us have lived in fear of unfair taxation practices. We think it’s time they all came to an end. If you think you’ve been victimized by the town’s assessment practices, call me at 688-2300 and let us know. We don’t care how many acres you do or don’t own. We’re all entitled to the equal protection under the law and to be free of fear of its misuse by our town officials. “.
Peter Vinci
Executive Director
Shandaken Landowners Association

Dear Editor,
In both J. Blake Killin’s editorial and “news story” (Ulster County Townsman 7/13/06) about the events that occurred at the Town Board meeting on Monday 7/10, he alleges that Peter Vinci “went after” Supervisor Cross and that Cross was “set up”. I was one of the three other people standing outside the building besides Vinci
and Cross. My back was to them during the incident so I can’t comment on who slapped who first, but just previous to the incident when we first stepped out during the break Vinci asked me for a light for his cigar and was out on the street smoking when Cross came out to confront him.
Why did Cross come out to Vinci when Vinci was outside having a smoke? I’m having some trouble understanding how that can be a set up. Since Blake was not there, how he can be so sure of what happened outside? The incident was unfortunate and childish but there’s no need to construct a conspiracy around it.
As far as the lawsuit goes, if the court finds that the spot reval was illegal, it may cost the Town taxpayers much more money in legal expenses than a straight settlement would have, so Cross’ attempt at “bringing home the bacon” may result in putting the Town’s taxpayers in the frying pan.
Pete Di Modica
Pine Hill, NY

Dear Editor,
Is the Onterora School Board confused or what? Or maybe they forgot to do their homework. First they hire a school Superintendent that had to resign after the board found out that he had troubles in his district. I still can’t believe that apparently no board member thought to make a phone call to the school district that the Superintendent worked for before they hired him. If they had checked it’s more then likely they would have found that there was a big problem in that district.
As reported the board decided to hire back several special education positions that they just voted to eliminate a few months ago. During the budget process the board voted four-to-three to eliminate those positions to save over $300,000.00. Now the budget must be increased. I guess at that time they were thinking about all the tax payers that are finding it increasingly harder to pay their taxes. Now evidently tax payers don’t count. Every board member that I communicated with before the elections last May told me that they were very concerned about the cost per student in the Onteora School district. In fact Dave Patterson in an e mail said that the rising cost to educate students in the district was one of his prime reasons to run for a seat on the board. Of course the $44,000,000.00 plus budget that the board accepted earlier this year raised the cost per student in the district.
The next turn of events that would make anyone wonder what they were thinking is when they elected Marino D’Orazio President of the Board when last year they ousted him. What will be the next thing that they decide to change?
William Warnecke
Glenford, NY

Dear Editor,
Dave Patterson stepped down as president of the school board, at the July 11 meeting, citing the reason as lack of confidence in him by two school board members. Patterson’s sense of fair play and calmness will be sorely missed.
Marino D’Orazio was voted in as President. During the course of the meeting, D’Orazio yelled and hurled accusations LOUDLY and relentlessly over the microphone at Rita Vanacore because they disagreed. While some board members sat helpless, others were unsuccessful in calming down the rancor directed at Vanacore by D’Orazio.
Regardless of who was right or wrong, D’Orazio’s behavior is an embarrassment to the school board, to the position he holds, and how he is seen by the community. All his bellowing didn't win him anything. He lost what he was fighting for, but in the fight, he showed what the board members will be up against this year with him as president. This man is a bully of the highest kind. He lives to argue. He is a lawyer. He's the kid that loves to play, but runs with scissors. As a leader, what a poor example of decorum he sets for the students and staff of the Onteora School District.
By the end of the meeting I was shaking internally from the episode, and expressed my concerns privately to D’Orazio about the physical effect his yelling had on me. He blew me off and never extended an apology as any gentleman would have done. I expressed my concerns to two of the board members who voted for D’Orazio to be president. They blew me off also. It was an affront to be treated so condescendingly.
The Onteora School Board and the district are facing big issues this year: the possible downsizing and consolidating of classrooms, the possible building of a local campus, and the selection of a new superintendent. The school board does not need a tyrannical, abusive, father figure-cum-president to badger them in their decision making.
Mr. D’Orazio, gets a vote of “no confidence” in leadership from me.
Judith Boggess
Shokan, NY

Dear Editor,
Academic Year in America is bringing more than 1,000 international students to the U.S. this August and relies on the generosity of American families to provide a loving, caring home environment to these bright ambassadors. Essential to this mission is the support of civic minded individuals. AYA Local Coordinators play a pivotal role in the year long hosting of an international student.
Academic Year in America (AYA) is looking for men and women to serve as Local Coordinators and make a difference in the lives of young people all over the world! The process of finding loving, caring host families around the country and helping these students acclimatize to the U.S. are responsibilities of an AYA Local Coordinator (LC).
LCs are actively involved in making the international exchange a wonderful experience for the students and families. They act as a program liaison for AYA at a local level. If you live in the Phoenicia area and would like to work with teenagers from overseas, then perhaps being a LC is right for you! As an LC, you will work closely with the students that you place in communities in your area. You will supervise the students and meet with them on a regular basis to make sure they are getting the most out of their time in the U.S.
AYA rewards Local Coordinators for the number of placements they make over the course of a year. As a new LC, you can qualify for a place at the 2006 AYA National Meeting in Munich, Germany this November. Local Coordinators also earn bonus points that can be redeemed for travel or supplies to enhance your work as an LC: digital camera, computers, office supplies and business cards. The effort you put into the position dictates the rewards you receive.
Find out how you can change the world with us! Contact Kelley Quigley at ( 800) 322-4678 ext 5164, or e-mail kquigley@aifs.org.To download the LC application, visit: http://aifs-aya.cmail1.com/.aspx/l/66739/42688874/www.academicyear.org/lcapp.htm.
Danielle Carpino
Stamford, CT

Dear Editor,
I finally forced myself to read the ridiculously long letter written by Maureen O’Sullivan on the evils of hunting. Whew, I barely have the strength left to offer a response, but I’m going to give it a shot.
For the record, I don’t hunt any more. The last time I shot a deer I felt awful, so I stopped doing it. I blame catch and release fly-fishing, but the fact that I no longer hunt notwithstanding, I found Ms. O’Sullivan’s letter so critically flawed as to be outright offensive to my intelligence.
I’m sure there are a lot of rebuttal letters heading your way full of reasons why people hunt, so I’ll leave that to them that do and concentrate on the illegitimacy of her argument.
Ms. O’Sullivan’s attempt to use Dave Grossman’s book, “On Killing,” to bolster her argument is simply absurd. I haven’t read the book, but I did take the time to Google some reviews and an abstract and I spent about a half an hour on his Website, “Killolgy.” Guess what? Not a word about hunting. Not even when I put the word hunting into his site’s search engine.
The main thrust of his important research is that violence (human on human violence, he makes quite a point about emphasizing that) in movies, video
games and the like desensitizes humans and, in particular, children to the killing of other humans. I am in complete agreement with that, but to take his research, cherry pick a bunch of stuff from it and use it completely out of context is not only disingenuous, but can only serve to undermine his very important work. I’m guessing Mr. Grossman would not be pleased.
How could someone use research on the horrors of war and murder (human on human murder) and equate it to hunting? Consider the following quote from Ingrid Newkirk, President, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals: “A rat is a pig is a dog is a boy.”
What the hey? you might rightly wonder. Simply put, the killing of a rat is the equivalent of killing a child. Accidentally run over a squirrel, might as well have run over a human baby. Sorry, can’t do research on a rat just because that research could result in curing your precious child of cancer, because the rat has as much value in our society as your kid. That’s how such a thing as using Mr. Grossman’s book as an argument against hunting can be proffered. Does this make sense to anyone?
Don’t want to hunt? Do what I do. Don’t hunt. It’s easy and you don’t have to get up real early.
The world would be a very boring place indeed if we all thought alike, but that palaverous letter smacks of the city slicker that moves to a charming farm community and then lobbies his councilperson to outlaw the spreading of manure because it's smelly.
Welcome to the neighborhood Ms. O’Sullivan, but you have chosen to live in
an area rich in the hunting tradition, deal with it.
Colin Houston
Boiceville, NY

Dear Editor,
I have written several letters concerning the HAVA law and it appears that major changes are very soon on the horizon. Brad Williams who is the Director of the New York Independent Living Association (NYILA) sent me important information concerning the recent developments and what they mean for voters with disabilities.
The NYS Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno sent a letter to advocates who responded to an earlier action alert to update them about the Senate’s efforts to comply with HAVA.
Mr. Williams indicates that the letter was written in a “technical way” to “create a responsible tone” informing recipients about actions being taken by the State to comply with HAVA. The letter highlights the availability of federal HAVA funds, addition of state funds for polling access, and compliance with the recent federal court order.
All concerned citizens and advocates alike need to understand, according to Williams, this communication is “in no way shape or form, ensures full and meaningful compliance with HAVA for New Yorkers with disabilities. Even the “present court order referred to in his letter is woefully insufficient to provide New Yorkers with disabilities the ability to vote “privately and independently” on Primary and Election Days 2006. Most of the counties in New York State are looking to implement one fully accessible polling place per county with one or more accessible voting machines. This is an outright violation o the spirit and purpose of the HAVA law, and it imposes tremendous transportation barriers and does not even come close to meeting the voting needs of people with disabilities. New York City, for example, is in the process of “expanding” its’ already “inadequate requirement to only five accessible sites per borough,” which is totally absurd.
It is important to note the Hon. NYS Senator John Flanagan; Chair of the NYS Senate Elections Committee, recently went public with his “disapproval of this court approved plan.” Below is an excerpt from an Associated Press article by Marc Humbert on May 16, 2006:
Under a state plan before U.S. District Judge Gary Sharpe in Albany, many counties across the state would have just a few accessible voting machines in place for the 2006 state elections. That would leave many polling places without such new machines. In New York City, only one polling place in each.
New machines. In New York City, only one polling place in each of the city's five boroughs would have fully accessible machines for the disabled, said Flanagan.
"It is a bad plan," Flanagan told an Albany news conference.
In a letter to Sharpe, the Long Island Republican called the state board's plan "wholly insufficient to meet the needs of voters with disabilities in New York State. I believe the state can do better."
The current court order is being challenged by a group of disability, civic and civil rights organizations in the U.S. Federal District Court and the issue is far from resolved.
By obtaining state funds to help with polling place access begins another entire set of problems. The American with Disabilities Act (ADA) mandates both public and private access. This includes access to polling places. The owners of public and private properties are responsible for making their premises accessible. They should comply with the law, invest the monies to make sites accessible, or risk losing designation of being a polling place. Throwing more state public money at a given responsibility only adds to confusion. The exact process has not yet been fully defined. Does a site apply to their county, establishing no other alternative? The accessible site is in proximity, has an accessibility expert suggest the most efficient solutions, obtain necessary bids, apply to the state for final approval, hire the contractor, supervise the work and notify the county upon completion? This process could take several years. This is just not good enough for the concerned citizens with disabilities.
NYS Attorney General Spitzer sued three upstate counties back in 1999-2000 regarding the lack of polling place access. Two of the counties complained in the media and before the court date how impossible it would be to meet substantial compliance. Finally, in the end when the counties put their mind to it they were complaint within nine months by Election Day 2000.
There is an interesting article appearing in the July 5th, 2006 Albany Post-Star. It illustrates the beginning of some local responsible action on the part of election officials. It is satisfying to see them acknowledge, on the record, their own responsibilities under HAVA and the ADA. Their view of consolidating polling sites so that all locations are accessible and have one of the new polling places at the local Independent Living Center!
I will continue to keep the good citizens of Ulster County apprised of the current situation and will continue to pass on significant events as they develop in the days, weeks and months to come.
Thomas R. Siblo-Landsman
West Shokan, NY

Dear Editor,
Amy Goodman had an interview with a woman who's 18 year old daughter was recruited into the Army on the promise that she'd "travel and see the world" and get a college education.
In her Basic Training, she learned about "command rape". You won't find that expression on the internet, but apparently, you will find it when you get to Iraq.
Apparently, when this young woman, Suzanne Swift, got to Iraq, she was invited by her Sergeant into his jeep and told: "you want to have sex with me, don't you, Swift?"
She went to her equal opportunity officer and reported the incident, but since he didn't believe her, she was on her own. After that, she was pursued by other's in command and felt that since her life was in their hands, she had best do what they wanted.
When she felt she had enough, she stopped complying, and the Sergeant made her wear a wall clock around her neck for 2 weeks. After l8 months, when she got out, she told her mother that she had to return, since they had forced her to sign a waiver ensuring her redeployment.
When she went on leave, she went into hiding. She was afraid to go back, not to risk her life, but to get repeatedly raped by her superiors. Later, the police came and arrested her for going AWOL, and at present she's confined to her base. she has a lawyer.
Since her mother put up a web site, she said that she'd gotten hundreds of emails and out of that she said that they've only gotten three negative emails.. Mostly, they had a huge number of people saying, “This happened to me, and it was swept under the carpet,” or “He was promoted and moved and it was swept under the carpet" or "my needs were not met, and I was treated like a piranha.” My message today to young women who want to serve their country. Take your basic training on the internet, on the streets and at the polls and fight for the return of Democracy.
Jill Paperno
Glenford, NY

Dear Editor,
Are we any safer today re: terrorists than pre 9-11? It matters not that we are the richest, most powerful and the nicest people on the planet as our fraudulent security measures and equipment are well fortified with loads of political hype and "smoke". [ref: the new catalog listing 11,000 mini-towns that attract terrorists].
As we arise each morning we are informed of some new and more bizarre terrorist attack on a different unexpected target. Instead of a rail road station the train itself now gets attention. And the list of dead and injured is extensive and "profitable".
My point is, "do we take an alternate route to work and home each day?" Do we go to Malls, Sports events, Museums,Theatre and other events? Reject mass transit and stay out of taxis; you may be riding in a "4 wheel bomb". Ignore Pizza shops and McDonalds. Junk food is not healthy anyway. Stay home!
One might think the military is a safe haven and it might be if one is stationed in Nepal. Each evening a list of 12-14 casualties runs across our TV screens complete with photos. [It's depression time].
Then our minds and hopes sink to a new low as we realize that we are no closer to discouraging or eliminating terrorists who enjoy doing what they do, especially joining their victims in a "happy" death. Just the planning promotes a "high".
There is however a possible solution; there always is. During WWII the allies wreaked havoc on those countries that harbored Nazis, Fascists and the terrorists of the day. Even occupied countries were destroyed in the retaking. We have differences among some retired Generals and "sub" Flags as to how to deal with this phenomena.
They can take a page from the Book of Joshua, a 13th century BC General who with his troops took down the walls of Jericho with a mighty shout; then rushed in and put the vanquished to death by the sword. Of course we have more than "hoots" and shouts in our arsenal but Jericho was destroyed and "burnt to the ground". Thus began the ACLU and UN with their numerous dubious complaints.
One modern day warrior states that bombing Dresden was not acceptable. Another declares the A-bombs that leveled Hiroshima and Nagasaki was an atrocity. Keep dreaming guys. It will only get worse until we either leave or decide to convert Iraq into a parking lot and then enforce the immigration laws back home for everyone.
There are those who remind us that we are descendants of Illegal immigrants and that is correct. The Native American welcomed us as history reveals; some upon landing on whatever shore and others as we moved west. Then we became greedy, arrogant and "superior" and eliminated our hosts either by annihilation or by moving them around onto reservations created just for them. Get the point?
I continue to ask [not rhetorically] why are we in Iraq? They have nuclear weapons or components? They have assorted gases and toxic materials? So do we. But we don't have that much oil.Then too, Iraq was terrorist free until we arrived. Sadaam would not have shared anything with Bin Laden or anyone else. Bin Laden applied for a "green card" but Sadaam stamped it "rejected". [See CIA].
The best thing we could do is pardon Sadaam and reinstall him without a leash and Iraq will go away [for us]. If he is not executed he will return. The Arab is persistent.
Now I must prepare for an analysis of the Israeli, Palestinian, Hammas, Hazbolah world wide local event that is usurping our attention re: Iraq. Stay tuned. It's sure to turn some folks off.
Glenn T. Anderson
Olivebridge, NY

Dear Editor,
Is our past and present Shandaken Town Board and others trying to bankrupt Phoenicia? First we have the partially completed water filtration plant. Who ever gave the OK for it to be built on a floodway? Part of the fill and boulders were washed away in the April flood of 2005. And the erosion that it is causing on the other side of the Esopus Creek has not been taken care of. Who designed it, engineered it, and was clerk of the works? How could anyone allow something to be built when there wasn't enough money to finish it? I think someone should be held accountable for this - The county Board of Health - the engineers - and whoever designed it. Phoenicia has its version of the Ulster County Jail - money is no object. But - to top it off - the water is lousy - it is only good for scrubbing the floors or flushing the toilet. Check on how many people in the district are buying bottled water for drinking! With being surrounded by wonderful water to drink, who do we thank for this - the County Board of Health!
Then we come to the sewage treatment plant. Watch out for the costs and the floods. How many of you noticed about the sewage treatment plants in Broome and Montgomery Counties in this last flood? Some were shut down. And don't you think this could easily happen here? What happens then? Most likely you would be forced to lock your homes and leave until everything was fixed. How long could this be? A week - a month - six months?
How many floods have we had in the past 50 years and how many people had to leave Phoenicia because their septic system wasn't working? Let NYC maintain the present ones and for the few in trouble build a small community system. As far as polluting the Esopus - what is worse than the turbid water we have seen for far too long? And it certainly doesn't help our economy. Instead of concentrating so much on the treatment plant, more time should be spent on seeing that the streams are dredged and on flood control.
Lonnie Gale
Phoenicia, NY