Dear Editor,
Special thanks for your dead-on reporting of the current antics of the Shandaken Planning Board, refreshingly honest and correct... and astonishing!
At last Tuesday’s “workshop” meeting of the Board, board members spoke so softly -- even whispering -- that many members of their audience could barely hear what they were saying. When I asked a member of the Planning Board, and its Secretary, why this was so, I was told that although the public is permitted to attend these workshop meetings, the Planning Board is under no obligation to make their discussions audible to the public. Huh?
I was able to hear a few things, including a number of distortions and misleading statements. The Board is clearly determined to give Andrew Poncic the right to send his big “water harvesting” trucks onto rural, rustic, and heretofore peaceful Woodland Valley Road, two big roundtrip hauls daily.
And what happens when a deer or a bear jumps in front of someone's car and they're forced to slam on their brakes? Will Mr. Poncic’s trucks be able to brake without slamming into the car ahead of them? What happens when someone driving on this winding, narrow road, where for six long miles it's illegal to pass another vehicle, impatiently flouts the law and flies right past Mr. Poncic’s slow-moving truck? It is to be hoped that the children and the bicyclists and the joggers and the elderly strollers who use this pretty country road are not in anyone's way!
A couple of weeks ago, the Shandaken Planning Board permitted us rank-and-file residents to voice our objections to Mr. Poncic’s plans. The meeting was packed -- standing room only! -- with more than 150 local citizens in attendance. EVERY SINGLE PERSON there, with the exception of Mr. Poncic, was vehemently opposed to the project, and the Board listened to these citizens with clear and obvious disdain, even boredom. With the exception of Mr. Poncic, it was 150 plus-to-0 opposed to Mr. Poncic’s water harvesting plan -- and his trucks.
It was clear then, and even clearer at the “workshop” meeting, that this overwhelming public outcry is not of the slightest interest to anyone on the Planning Board. “Where is the common good?,” one guy finally cried out in total exasperation and frustration.
But the Planning Board will not be deterred. Town Supervisor Bob Cross and his Planning Board want to give Mr. Poncic the permission he seeks, and they seem determined to do so -- despite the unanimous objections of every single resident of Woodland Valley. They claim the road (where I live!) is already host to a daily barrage of trucks, trailers, moving vans, loggers (!), and other heavy industrial traffic, and portrayed it as something akin to the New York Thruway. As someone who lives on Woodland Valley Road, someone who uses this lovely road several times a day, I’m certain that there must have been heavy trucks on the road but, with the exception of the weekly garbage truck, I have never seen them!
And so... our local Shandaken Planning Board whispers and mumbles at the meetings they permit the public to observe, and defend their right to do so. Our Town Supervisor, Bob Cross, has been conspicuously absent from both of these recent meetings.
A transcript of the mumbled workshop meeting will not be made available to the public. A transcript of last months’ public meeting is not yet available. There is no way for anyone besides Board members to ascertain what was said at the workshop meeting.
It’s a story, all right, it’s a honey of a story, and I encourage The Phoenicia Times not to miss a single scandalous episode of the Shandaken Planning Board at work. Their machinations would be hilarious if only they weren't so dangerous to all of us who live in, and love, Woodland Valley.
Thank God for the press! and, perhaps especially, The Phoenicia Times!
Jay Fahey
Woodland Valley, NY

Dear Editor,
I am writing about the vandalism in the cemetery on old Rt. 28 across from the American Legion hall in Phoenicia. I was notified by one of my relatives that the head stone of my great grandfather and grandmother,
John Van Bumble and Lydia Wright was tipped over and lying on the ground.
I am really upset over this as my family goes back to the Revolutionary War in the area. John Van Bumble's two brothers, Dewitt and George fought in the Civil War. All my relatives are from the area. I was born in Chichester in 1936.
I am wondering if this is the kind of people who do things like this live in the Phoenicia area now. I was also wondering if the local police know about this and what they are doing about it.
Larry Van Bumble, Ret. USAF
Indian Lake, NY

Dear Editor,
Tonight, I attended my first School Board meeting, at Onteora High School. It was described as a Workshop/Meeting on the subject of the Large Parcel issue. I’m an educator, and one of the many residents of Olive who are not just concerned about our personal real-property taxes, but that the School Board return to its purview: overseeing our children’s education. I’ve followed the LPL issue with care over the past couple of years. And I recently wrote to the Onteora Board, asking members to let the LPL issue drop so they can return to the rightful business of school boards—education, not politics.
I was shocked tonight at the attitude and lack of professionalism of the Board’s new president, Marino D’Orazio. Granted, he and the Board were in the hot seat, since many people from Olive came to the local meeting to listen and be heard. But here are just a few examples of the problems I witnessed with his leadership:
— He seemed unable to decide whether to let the public speak or not during what was billed as a two-hour public discussion period. One minute, he was calling an end to all comments; in the next breath he was placating: “You will all have an opportunity to be heard.” After one speaker’s remarks apparently made him uncomfortable, he suddenly established a two-minute limit as the next person approached the microphone. He needn’t have worried. Henrietta Wise’s impassioned, articulate call to the Board to free itself of politics and return to making education its priority took less than a minute anyway.
— His attitude was extraordinarily patronizing to speakers, except those whose opinions he favored. The sneering was evident in tone of voice, choice of words, and shaming tactics. And he failed to observe the rules of order he expected others to adhere to. One participant from Olive in particular, Byron Utley, was repeatedly interrupted by Mr. D’Orazio. Mr. Utley made the “mistake” of addressing some of his comments toward those seated in the room, rather than keep his back to them the entire time. After he sat down, Mr. D’Orazio made a speech about how speakers were expected to address the Board and not the “audience.”
“Audience?” We are taxpayers, homeowners and parents who came to participate in the type of dialogue and exploration the term “workshop” implies—not to be talked down to like a bunch of unruly children. Actually, children would not have accepted his treatment so gracefully. One woman remarked after the meeting: “If he were a school principal, he’d have had a riot on his hands.”
— He cut in half the time allotted for the public Workshop phase. The meeting started at 7 p.m. and, per the agenda distributed to all, was to go to Executive Session at about 9 p.m. The president cut off public discussion at 8 o’clock. During the Public Be Heard period, I had two brief, on-point questions I wanted to ask the Board. When I stood up to be recognized at about 7:55, Mr. D’Orazio waved me down energetically, as if to signal me to wait till the current question had been fully explored. I sat. As soon as that discussion finished, I stood again, as did two other people. But Mr. D’Orazio immediately called for a recess to Executive Session, despite protests from many in the large crowd that others wished to speak.
At the “audience’s” urging, I went to the microphone anyway to address the members of the Board. While most of them packed up to leave, I asked:
1 If, as suggested tonight by Bob Cross [Supervisor of Shandaken] and John Hurld [of Hurley], Onteora were to create an independent means of implementing school taxes, separate from ORPS, what would be the effect on taxes, and who would make the decisions about them for the towns of the Onteora District?
2) If, as mentioned during the meeting, 30 out of 32 school districts facing the LPL issue chose to simply let it die a natural death, why did Onteora think it needed to jump into the fray, when Olive already had announced definite plans for a revaluation?
As I began to speak into the mike, Mr. D’Orazio himself turned off the PA system on me, with a triumphant grin in my direction. I continued anyway. To their credit, at least a couple of Board members, Cindy O’Conner and Mary Jane Bernholtz, stayed for the extra minute to listen, though at that point the meeting had disintegrated too far for a response.
The coup de grace of Mr. D’Orazio’s impropriety came after the meeting when, as he passed me on his way to executive session, he patted my arm firmly and very familiarly several times, beamed into my face from a distance of about two inches and said, “Good luck!” Was this an attempt at physical intimidation? Sexism? A complete unawareness of appropriate boundaries with a stranger? Or some combination of all three?
If Marino D’Orazio so freely exhibits this sort of behavior with adults, he may need a bit of good luck himself to retain this office of high public trust for our children. As above, so below. We need to ask ourselves, as one united Onteora community: is this the behavior we want modeled for our students by the person at the top of their education chain?
Danielle Woerner
Shokan, NY

Dear Editor,
Oil, Oil, Everywhere But Not A Drop For You or Me...
As we see prices at the pump rising faster than our real wages we wonder when this is going to stop. The price of oil on Wall Street keeps climbing faster than the price of gold or platinum ever grew in human history. There is no other commodity within the global economy that has a central command on the market place and its future development.
There isn’t a single other commodity within the global economy that impacts on the sale, distribution of all products within the “free market.” Wars are being fought for the control and distribution, refining of oil into fuel oil and gasoline. Without either the entire global village either lives or dies. The new imperialism is based on unilateralist-bilateralism, where the cost of human life is less than the precious black gold coming out of the ground. Ruthlessness is the order of the day and this is passed off as neo-compassion where dying now is better than dying of thirst or in bio-terrorist pandemic of the future. Just like when the Europeans sold infested small pox blankets to the Native American people in order to rid the disease from among the white settlers communities. Such are the past practices that have given way to germ warfare and nuclear pointed shells spreading radiation sickness among the people of Iraq. The resistance to occupation will soon die literally when millions of Iraqis pass away from the radiation sickness slowly eating away at their bodies.
Oil, Oil everywhere is the new mantra of the swinging rich and beautiful as they pleasure themselves while watching death and destruction on Fox and CNN.
Why are the mass media folk ignoring the real issues within America? Oil, Oil, everywhere but not a single drop for you or me the low income working people, the elderly, or anyone else living within the modern poverty income guidelines? Does ignorance on the top equal the poverty on the bottom? Can justice be served by uplifting the great mass of the global working class out of the slime and stench of poverty induced by global capitalism. Is the ghost of Karl Marx still spooking the spoken word of the capitalist manifesto of free trade, outsourcing, resources for the few, government for the corporation by the corporations without God, honor or human centered values. Has America finally voided itself all over the planet spreading not democracy but indifference, intolerance, justification of killing all of our children and ignoring the reality of the Greenhouse effect?
“Get up stand up stand up for your rights, Get up stand up stand up for your rights. Don’t Give Up The Fight!
Get up stand up stand up for your rights
Get up and stand up now
that you have seen the light
Don’t Give Up the Fight!
Bob Nasta Marley
2/6/1945- May 11, 1981
Sincerely,
Tom Siblo
Shokan, NY

Dear Editor,
Last week, as I read Glenn Anderson's letter to you regarding a gentlemen he gave a gift too, in exchange for a check to the St. John's Food Pantry, (which never materialized), I thought of all the things I've heard promised but in reality turned out to be promises broken.
We can look around the world today and see many parallel scenarios. We can begin with the U.S. Federal government representatives who promise to abide by the laws of the federal Constitution, but cleverly avoid keeping their sworn promises to their constituents. Or we can compare it to international peacekeeping treaties we see being signed and agreed upon, without any intent of them actually being honored. Daily we see our President call for" peace" and yet he wages war and supports non peaceful mythology. We see Israel and Lebanon agree to observe peaceful borders, yet they quickly violate these agreements.
Let's look at our very own attorney general of the United States, who pledges full cooperation to the federal investigations committee and is sworn to protect and support the highest court in our nation, and yet he too avoids questioning and offers vague answers to continue his protectionist patronizing allegiance to the president. Daily we hear outcries of high gasoline
prices and costs of living, but fail to see even a glint of hope for utilizing alternative energy or encouragement to further develop these goals.
The people need a strong lobby to increase the minimum wage so it provides for an equitable livable standard. All the corporate lobbyists seem to be protected, but what about the workers? Look at the folks who are told that there is state health insurance for their children, yet they can't qualify because they have incomes above the stated allowable amounts that can be earned? What about the folks who have to sell their homes to pay taxes and cover catastrophic illness costs, or medical bills or medicines?
We are told that costs will come down, but do they? You can be sure that these lobbyists are looking only in one direction and that is the one that will maintain the perks and special privileges.
Again, a self serving attitude. Great role models, as we saw with your friend, Mr. Anderson.
People lie and our government lies!
Do we ever see footage of the injured soldiers returning home from the war in Iraq? No, because their injuries are shattering and their wounds irreparable. We are not shown these photos or told of the U2
poisoning they carry. Now, they can transport this contamination back to the USA and endanger their families, communities and their heirs, since the genetic maladaptive mutations have been documented in these soldiers and their new offspring but quietly hushed by our government. And for all their labors and putting
themselves on the front lines, they are facing reduced medical care and benefits via the military.
So wherever we look, we see lies in the world politic, in our very own government, in our military, in our towns and small communities.
True colors come thru and we are left with struggle.
We need to be mindful of these acts as we approach our next elections. Demand the truth and demand action. React to your disappointments, don't settle. Let's all work together and these changes CAN be accomplished.
Personally, I have been involved with the St.John's Food Pantry for over 14 years and want to thank you for all your past support. As for your friend, I'd like him to know that there are many dedicated and honorable people who share in this ministry with donations of time, food and self. The check would have been a great help to us, but we will manage, as in the past, on the selfless giving of our parishioners and many in the community who freely donate items because they are good people and are just there to help, just because they want to! The only gift they get is the giving!)
Lynda Schwab-Edmundson
Olive, NY

Dear Editor,
I must comment on a few letters in the August 3rd edition of the Press and I will include the current conflict between Israel and Lebanon [more like Israel and everyone else].
David Turan feels that the American Oil companies should not catch up to the rest of the world's [oil] corporations re: profits or a return on investment. In 1983 gasoline in Sicily was over $3.00 per gallon [using the metric/standard, lira/dollar conversion]. My source? Myself, as a Naval Reservist assigned to Sigonela Nav Air Base. $5.00 per gallon in Britain has 20 yrs longevity. At present Norway, an oil producer enjoys a $6.00 plus per gallon. Perhaps Mr. Turan would like the American stock market to drop back to 800-900 from today's high of 11,000-12,000 with little or no inflation while interest rates would return to 21%. His pay/pension/benefits would fall commensurately with less surplus [a good indicator as to how well one is doing. What do I have left for toys?].
Mr. Turan, do you know there are more Democrat millionaires in Congress with investments in Exxon Mobil, Occidental, BP which purchased AMOCO; Chevron, and Royal Dutch Shell [which annually eludes the US tax man]? [Wall St. Journal]. To be sure Bush and Cheney hold the same certificates but Al Gore inherited far more interest in the oil companies [most in Occidental] from his father, Sen Albert Gore, Sr. [AP, 1990]. You can all stop "trashing" on a personal basis as if the targets are all unworthy of life on the planet. It's counter productive.
H. Clark Bell would sacrifice an unborn life to possibly save an old life after research. Rejoice Mr. Bell. President "Shrub" just vetoed one bill in six years and that ends your friendship? Ask some 80 yr. old if it's ok to abort a fetus just to experiment with stem cells on his behalf. What has happened to our moral compasses, sir?
Jack Smith, when not organizing protest trips leads the charge for undocumented "visitors" at New Paltz under the guise of "immigration". We know what the definition of immigration is [Noah Webster] but we as a nation of laws have statutes to control the movement of folks into this country. A few days ago some operating figures from Parkland hospital [in Texas] for just their maternity care is astounding [NBC]. And this is being repeated all over the US with schools, public services and social services. Does anyone remember "immigrants rights" organizations from 1850 to 1990? All who welcome the undocumented to come uninvited should be embracing George W. rather than "trashing" him with names and "hate" letters. Attack his policies, not personally. I have trouble with the inconsistent mind set.
Jill Paperno, the writer with wrong or no sources is at it again with her quotes from the "Source" of Great Britain along with some self loathing professor [Finkelstein] with figures related to Palestinian [read terrorist] prisoners held by the Israelis. I did a search and find the Source: is a blogger owned and operated by the Guardian. I traced back to March of 2006 and find no June 24, 2006 reference to the story she quotes of Israeli commandos entering Gaza and taking 2 Palestinians hostage "because they are members of Hamas. Sounds good to me but hat fact does not mean the story was not published. [I wear bi-focals]. Her complaint includes the fact that no US publications ran the report. Neither did Der Speigel or the Shanghai Express. The Olive Press failed miserably.
Check out Reuter's and their "doctored" photo of Lebanon being attacked by Israeli Fighter Jets and Missiles [exposed by "little Green Footballs", an American Blogger]. The photo editor was fired after doing a masterful job [with Adobe?] of photo "enhancement. Dropped flares were "morphed" into missiles using the "overlay" feature which was so obvious [ABC, 08-06[.
I would say that an event such as Ms. Paperno describes is "old hat". Palestinians strap on a bomb, go over to Israel and blow up a school bus, a preschool, a pizza joint or a wedding. The next day or two we are treated to the destruction of the terrorist's family home by my favorite toy, the noble bull dozer. The family response is a sick, "I can't wait until my 12 yr. old son celebrates his 18th birthday. But arresting a terrorist and spiriting him back to Israel is "fair dinkum" as the British say. You understand British "speak" Ms. Paperno since you quote an obscure publication like "Observer".
However, Ms. Paperno does quote correctly the Guardian editorial, "Storm over Gaza, '29 June, 2006'" in which the Islamic group, Hamas killed 2 Israeli soldiers and took another hostage. She is correct in her comment that this incident sparked the current conflict with Gaza but not a word of the 8 Israeli soldiers killed in northern Israel with the kidnapping of two more. Touche Ms. Paperno. You omitted the "biggie"; the current war between Israel and Lebanon. You and others might say Israel and Hezbollah but where are Hezbollah's uniforms? Where is Hezbollah's flag? Who do they represent and who is paying for the war materiel? It's as if a North Dakota "paint ball" Militia has attacked Canada with Florida and Texas financing it. So Canada bombs North Dakota and the governor is outraged He/she claims that the Militia guys are residents and members of the state Legislature. Indeed, the Militia Commander is the Speaker of the House.
We are all in agreement that there has been too many deaths and too much destruction for the last month [6 weeks at publication]. But, and here is the "but". Who and what is Hezbollah? Some say it's a political entity functioning as "Republicans" or "Democrats". That's fine except that the Hezbollah tail is wagging the Lebanese dog and the Lebanese citizens love them and what they are doing.
If a legitimate government allows a Militia or Vigilantes to do what that government should be doing the Nation attacked has every right to return fire in whatever form. This is why the impotent United Nations is doing nothing but lament, wring their hands and attend meaningless meetings. No traction.
On Sunday, August 6, 2006 it was reported that the Lebanese Army has joined Hezbollah in a common effort to eradicate Israel [ABC, NBC, CBS].
Ms. Paperno is correct in what the Dalai Lama espouses. I admire the leader of "peace and understanding" who fled from Tibet to India when set upon by the Chinese, but where do the Jews go? The much admired Dalai Lama, never-the-less "bailed" and left his people to their own devices.
It is not hard to determine where I stand in this situation. I, and all decent folks"have a dog in this fight" based on the history of the Israelites, their nomadic existence and the holocaust that many are denying ever happened. We understand that our sight fails and our eyes go blind. But what of the "blindness of the mind?" What of the "righteous" Germans, Poles, French and Dutch who hid Jews from the Nazis? General Pace made it clear in the Senate committee hearing last week when he stated that, "when Muslim, Arab mothers love their children more than they hate the Jews we will see peace. I would add that when the Sunnis and Shiites stop killing each other [as in Baptists vs Methodists] the world will be a better place.
If we can bring ourselves to tolerate terrorism for the sake of inflicting physical and emotional harm then we have become them. When we reduce human life, including our own to a negative value there is little or no hope of redemption. Remember, Israel must defeat every force that attacks them every time. They only have to lose once and it's over for another 2-3000 years;.... maybe. We have many in this great nation that would dance and celebrate the demise of Israel much as our Muslim "friends" in Dearborn, Union and other [US] towns did on 9-11 [NBC, ABC, CBS, PBS]. Any questions?
Glenn T. Anderson
Olivebridge, NY

Dear Editor,
This Sunday, the website http://www.openvotingfoundation.org/, working in tandem with Bev Harris of http://www.blackboxvoting.org/, issued a report, written by computer scientist Professor Richard Lee, PHD, wherein he recommends a prompt re-examination and possible revocation of certification for the Diebold touchscreen voting machines.
Mr. Lee, who was assigned to a 3 year investigation on voting machine fraud concluded that the Diebold certification process was basically a fraud.
Open Voting Foundation president, Alan Dechert said: " Upon examining the inner workings of one of the most popular paperless touch screen voting machines used in public elections in the United States, it has been determined that with the flip of a single switch inside, the machine can behave in a completely different manner compared to the tested and certified version."
In July, Robert F. Kennedy's law firm filed a suit against the major manufacturers of these voting machines, alleging that Diebold and other electronic voting machine (EVM) companies fraudulently represented to state election boards and the federal government that their products were “unhackable.”. This unbelievably important story failed to make the "news".
I still advocate voting, under any and all circumstances, since we will have exit polls and hopefully we will be able to prove that our votes went to the proper candidates, however, voter beware. This democracy that we pretend to still live in, is fading fast.
Wars and other Federal acts are already effecting many of us, but I can assure you, we will all be effected within the near future.
Jill Paperno
Glenford, NY

Dear Editor,
What is the U.S. doing? What is Israel doing? Why is there so much silence about this question? Why can't we talk openly with each other about this heartbreaking and very dangerous situation? Do we have such passionate opposing opinions?
The U.S. is discussing the use, claiming the right to use tactical nuclear weapons, and is continuing to use radioactive weapons (U238 - depleted uranium, DU) in Iraq causing cancers and genetic defects in the people there now and for millennia to come and now we are shipping these weapons to Israel for use against the Lebanese people. This will be genocide. We are partners in war crimes, ethnic cleansing and genocide - these two countries I once so admired. Will this war involve Syria and Iran? It could become a nuclear holocaust.
Eleanor Roosevelt was the hero of my childhood for her support of the U.N., the hope of peace and justice in the world. Now much of the U.N.'s work is disregarded by the U.S. and Israel. Is this the end of international law?
Is Israel just a wedge of U.S. corporate imperial power into the Arab oil world? Will the Arab world be demolished in the same way Americans wiped out the Native Americans, destroyed their cultures, took their lands, herded the few remaining onto reservations? Maybe with our weapons this could be done. Has the Israeli government too grown arrogant and militaristic, aided and abetted with these very powerful American weapons? Most of the people being killed are women and children. Can we be proud of this? We use the weapons of mass destruction - DU, cluster bombs, white phosphorus. Can we be proud of this? Does might make right? Should anyone care in a few years, after "the birth pangs of a new Middle East" (the cruel, contemptuous, and undemocratic viewpoint of the U.S. Secretary of State speaking for the Bush regime)? Condoleeza Rice does not speak for me and many others. All people should be safe: the Israeli people, the Iraqis, the Palestinians, the Lebanese...Are we safer now? Are Israelis? For how long?
Our Congressman Maurice Hinchey has supported Israeli and U.S. actions in Lebanon but is a cosponsor of the Kucinich Bill for an immediate cease fire. We thank him for this. He has not spoken out on DU. Please write to him. Visit these websites: www.commondreams.org and www.alternet.org. Read about the large peace movement here and in Israel that calls for non-violence, justice, and a Cease Fire. Please support peace and justice for all. Thank you.
Elaine Hencke
Woodstock, NY

Dear Editor,
Thanks to the many volunteers and signers in our area and statewide who worked hard to put Jonathan Tasini on the September 12 Democratic primary ballot for US Senate, the good news is that nearly 40,000 signatures were filed in Albany last Thursday, assuring a primary race against Senator Clinton. Only 15,000 signatures were required.
Why take on a race against such a well-heeled, celebrity, incumbent Senator? Simply because Jonathan Tasini truly embodies the best values of the people in the Democratic party and refuses to support the wealthy corporate elite. We must ask if Mrs. Clinton represents us well in the Senate?
Jonathan Tasini's positions are in line with the majority of Democrats in New York: an immediate, safe withdrawal of all US troops in Iraq, cut off funding for permanent bases in Iraq, and diplomatic solutions instead of pre-emptive war. By contrast, Sen. Clinton carefully crafts statements can be read many ways; mirroring the Bush administration, she wants to find a plan to "win" the war. She has bills to increase the number of troops and has voted for every Iraq war financial bill submitted by Bush.
Among his many clear positions on domestic issues, Tasini supports "Medicare for All", a simple, affordable plan to provide health care to all Americans. Now that administrative costs and paperwork take a full one-third of what we spend on healthcare, to say nothing of the profiteering by insurance and drug companies. By contrast, Mrs. Clinton has collected $854,462 in campaign contributions by the health care industry so far (NYT), ensuring "early donors will get a seat at the table when health care and other issues are discussed", according to one wealthy major player, even as she won't come clean on universal health care.
Locally, Jonathan Tasini opposes casinos and their detrimental effects on our communities. Instead, he supports smart growth that provides living wage jobs and preserves our environment. Mrs. Clinton is non-responsive to local concerns on this issue. More of his positions can be seen on his webpage, TasiniForNewYork.org.
Support what you believe in; send a contribution to Tasini for New York, PO Box 302, New York, NY 10040. Then vote for what you believe in.
Jane VanDeBogart
Woodstock, NY

Dear Editor,
I want to alert your readers to the Pepacton Reservoir cleanup scheduled for Saturday, August 26—and to ask for volunteers. These cleanups are a great way for neighbors to help neighbors, for the heavy rains of this spring and summer have brought more debris than usual to our waterways, and the reservoirs serve half the population of New York state—including local communities.
All that’s needed are energy and a sense of humor. Everything else will be provided. Volunteers should meet at the kiosk on the east side of the Shavertown Bridge on Rte 30 at about 8:45 a.m. From there, we’ll head to our designated cleanup points and put in just a couple of hours of work.
Afterwards, having stretched their muscles and helped the environment, volunteers will be all set to enjoy the Margaretville Street Fair and/or Shandaken Eagle Day. In every sense, it will be a day spent in the heart of the community.
For more information, readers are asked to call me at 845 688-2038. Or check the Catskill Heritage Alliance website at http://www.catskillheritage.org/ .
Jo-Anne Rowley
Phoenicia, NY