Dear Editor,
As an enrolled Independent voter, I recently received a letter from the Shandaken Republican Party regarding the upcoming Fall election. I was both shocked and offended to learn that Democrats cater to “liberal zealots” hellbent on obstructing any business enhancements and that there was a danger of the town falling into the hands of “liberal elitists,” who wish to stop and deter future business development.
While I don’t object to people stating their views, I am dismayed by the apparent need to resort to name-calling. If our children were to begin calling kids they disagreed with names, we would scold them and remind them how rude and impolite such behavior is. I can only imagine the author of this letter is attempting to whip his readers up emotionally rather relying on a simple statement of his views.
The thing that I object to most in this type of behavior is that it increases division, not dialogue. It draws the proverbial line in the sand and reduces issues to an “us verses them” mentality, which does not lend itself to community building or a free and open discussion of the pros and cons of whatever issue is under consideration. That the present Republican administration in Washington, D.C. operates along these same lines goes a long way toward explaining why we as a nation have suffered a loss prestige and respect from countries all around the world.
I was certainly impressed by this letter, though not in the way the author intended. I hope that we will choose to employ a tone of civility and mutual respect when addressing differences of opinion in our community.
Yours truly,
Bill Colagrande
Phoenicia, NY

Dear Editor,
I find that I must comment on the direction that the leadership of the Town of Shandaken has taken regarding the benefit package of Gloria Braman. It would seem that once a Town grants through policy or Resolution a benefit package that it should be irrevocable by a later convening administration. I certainly am aware that the action is Legal and falls within the purview of the Town Board. We are told that the motive of the Town Board is to save taxpayer monies. OK that’s not a bad thing. At the very least this is an extremely mean spirited action that seems to single out one individual. I suspect that this action has more to do with payback to the individual or her family for its political stance on actions or directions that the Town Board has taken. .
As you may or may not know a Town Board is made up of a Supervisor and four (4) council people, each having one vote. On its face it appears that the Supervisor has one vote and the remainder of the Council with their votes act as his “checks and balances”. Experience and Town Board Minutes from municipalities have shown that very seldom, if ever, does Legislation become enacted without the support of the Supervisor. It is this experience that leads me to lay the weight of this decision squarely on the shoulders of the Shandaken Supervisor.
On to the Supervisor’s altruistic & politically charged phrase of “saving taxpayers monies”, this is generally a good thing, but during Shandaken’s current Supervisor’s tenure I have seen little if any
attention paid to the pending State of New York’s legal action against Shandaken for Real Property over assessment for a period of years during the 1990’s. Constituents of Shandaken need to ask their Supervisor the status of this case and what actions he has taken to resolve this issue. I can assure that this issue wilt not go away because precedent has been established in a case by NYS vs. Town of Hardenburgh. The constituents need to know that whether the agreement is between the two parties or by adjudication there will be interest charges added onto the refund up to the date of settlement. The Supervisor might tell you that interest rates are low and the total is no big thing, but the settlement agreement may read something like this “Pursuant to RPIL Sec.726, the Petitioner is entitled to interest on the amounts to be refunded determined at the statutory rate of interest certified annually by the Commissioner of Taxation and Finance.” In other words the interest rate for the refund years has a1ready been set for those years and every day that there is not a settlement the taxpayer’s cost grows.
The constituents should ask the Supervisor an approximate cost of the interest on a “middle of the road” settlement to the taxpayers for each month that this case continues without resolution. The Town of Hardenburgh settlement is the precedent and can be used as a rough guideline. Don’t forget that the Town is only one portion of the payback. Also inclusive will be a County portion. a School District portion, a Fire District portion, and any other Special District (Water, Sewer and Light). Yes, these will all be paid by the taxpayers of Shandaken. In the Hardenburgh case the interest on the refund was more than the refund itself and that was settled three years ago. Shandaken’s interest cost just keeps on growing.
I bring all of this up only because it may put into perspective the pettiness of the Supervisor’s decision to deny Mrs. Braman’s previously allocated benefit package. Is this any way for a Supervisor to treat and care for our Senior citizens?
And that’s all I am going to say on this matter!!
Jerry Fairbairn
Hardenburgh, NY

Dear Editor,
When it comes to federal and state politics party allegiance differentiates policy. When voting in a small town party allegiance breaks down. Votes are given for individuals not parties. Most of the voters in Shandaken are non-enrolled, as am I. The bickering between the Democrats and Republicans is both ridiculous and embarrassing. Bob Cross ran for Supervisor to bridge the confrontational arena that has long festered here. He may have been naive in believing he could do it, but has continued to try. The Democrats on the boards are not following any specific democratic policies. They are simply being obstructionists. They fought the Higleys’ farm stand on every minute technicality that they could think of. They did the same thing to the Phoenicia Plaza. Apparently they preferred the dilapidated buildings to the beautiful place it is now. Many local people are now employed there. They are fighting Crossroads by making the town pay outrageous fees. The town is not the lead agency. Legitimacy and legality will ultimately be determined by higher entities. Why should the town bankrupt itself? How can Judith Wyman state that there is very little interest in snowmobiling? These people, and it always seems to be the same ones, slay me! The reasons for cell towers are too numerous to list here but even if one life is saved because of them, they will be well worth it. I hate to say it but opposition is just plain ignorance. It basically comes down to selfishness; they have their piece of heavenly pie and don’t want anyone else to have any.
Eric Hansen
Phoenicia, NY

Dear Editor,
For the past year I have traveled between Phoenicia and Mt. Tremper on a daily basis, and sometimes twice in one day. I can see no reason to tear up the "four corners" area and put one of those dreadful traffic circles in this location. If anything, an additional stop sign on the approach from Rte 212 could add a measure of safety. Also a "stop sign ahead" sign could be added in all directions.
If the DOT needs something to do, maybe they can work on that mess of a traffic circle in Kingston.
Jo-Anne Rowley
Phoenicia, NY

Dear Editor,
Will prisoners housed in the new Kingston prison, under construction with its cost "overuns" etc... be charged 6 times the long distance phone call rate to contact their children and other family members? This outrageously, a common practice faced by our incarcerated population, is unbeknownst to the general public. While kick backs to govt. agencies awarding the contracts result, the family, so touted as a value in the USA, is mocked! Contact, between jailed fathers and mothers and their children is stopped because it is too expensive, as readers here may know. Does someone want to break the spirit of these people who are often in jail for want of money to pay a good lawyer?
Roberta Gould
West Hurley, NY

Dear Editor,
In a country where environmentalism seems to be under attack on a daily basis, I find comfort in the small contributions I personally can make in helping make our planet a better cleaner place for our children and grandchildren.
I like many others take recycling very seriously making sure that my recyclables are sorted and bundled properly. I make a concerted effort to do what we can to help recover our resources by recycling.
Recently I watched the Evergreen sanitation truck pull up to my driveway and throw my recyclables in the back of the truck with the garbage. This is the third time that I have witnessed this. Each time I have called the Evergreen office and complained this. Each time I was told that the recycling truck had broken down and that they were sorry.
I told them that recycling was the law and that if they were short of equipment, they should simply leave the recycling for another week, or send another truck to pick it up.
Customers of waste collection companies are paying for their services to collect and properly handle recyclables. If companies such as Evergreen throw recyclables into the trash, then we are not getting the services that we pay for and those materials will never able to be reused.
I urge everyone who is paying for their waste and recyclable pick up to make an effort to watch the sanitation crew as they make their collection. If they are mixing the recyclables with the garbage then you should contact Andrew Ghiorse, Recycling Compliance Officer or Charles Shaw Executive Director at the Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency at (845) 336-0600.
The information you supply them will assist the agency in having the collection companies obey and conform to the law. If you wish, your call will be kept confidential.
Bruce and Wendy Barry
Chichester, NY

Dear Editor,
This morning I happened to be looking out an upstairs window when the Evergreen truck arrived to take our garbage. I watched as the haulers took the recycled stuff that I had carefully separated all week and threw it in the same truck with our garbage. No trash separation at all. I called to complain.
People who care about recycling and use Evergreen to haul their garbage may want to occasionally monitor their garbage pickup to see if they are getting the service they pay for. And if you use a different garbage company, my guess is you should occasionally check your trash pickup too.
We definitely care about recycling our garbage and make an effort to do so. It seems to me that it should be against the law for garbage haulers to mix recyclables with regular garbage.
Elizabeth Holland Kern
Phoenicia, NY

Dear Editor,
On the second morning of my new temporary job, the air was chilled and crisp. Central Park, my new office, was mad with sunshine. I looked out across the North Meadow and could see the trail of orange instantly growing.
By mid-day it was evident how well the eight person teams on Christo and Jean Claude's The Gates project were getting along. During those first two days, and through the days that followed leading up to the unfurling of the 7,500 gates, we became fast friends and loyal teammates. And we became very good at putting up The Gates, doubling our efforts of the previous day.
It was all such a beautiful dream, my week in the park, filled with purposeful work and genuine laughter.
I was carrying a horizontal piece along our path with a teammate -- one of seven people I fell in love with during the installation - and thought about the craziness of the whole project. I looked out at the orange madness and asked myself one simple question: "What the hell are we doing?" And then I began to ask myself, why do I do anything in this life. Why do we wake up in the morning and do anything? I began to think of all the important things in my life - the people I love, my own art, working for social change - and I bowed to The Gates, silently thanking their crazy creators for reminding me about my own life.
"What do they mean?" Jean Claude asked us the first day. "They mean nothing, of course," she answered. They are here, and then they will be gone and it will be a dream we all shared. It's a wonderful, joyous exercise in saying hello, and then just as quickly, saying goodbye.
The Gates, Central Park, NYC, 1979-2005 was up until February 27. They will then be industrially recycled. The Gates are free to the public, a gift to the city from two of its inhabitants. All merchandise proceeds go to The Central Park Conservancy and Nurture New York's Nature.
NYC is the greatest city in the world, but there's nothing like home.
Michael Hunt
Mt.Tremper, NY

Dear Editor,
Is nature a comodity? Could the personatity of the Catskill mountains be lost by golfing, billboards and clearcutting 573 acres of mountaintop forest? Will the DEC prove to be true stewerds over the peoples park as the lead agency during the review process of the controversial Belleayre Resorts project? An article of the may 1984 edition of Adirondac magazine by Joseph Emery Caruso titled "Belleayre... a story of constitutional violations", proves that DEC may not be the guardians we presume. Violations included illegal timber cutting among various other charges.
The following correspondence written 170 years ago by Thomas Cole, pioneer painter of the Catskill Mountain forest and founder of the Hudson River Schoolof painting and leader in conservation, is dedicated to the survival of 573 acres of Catskill forest slated for extermination:
March 26, 1836 "They are cutting down all the trees in the beautiful valley on which I have looked so often with a loving eye. This throwas quite a gloom over my spring anticipations. Tell this to Durand, not that I wish to give him pain, but that I want him to join with me in maledictions on all dollar-Godded utilitarians..."
March 28, 1836 "After I had sealed my last letter, I was afraid that what I said about the tree destroyers might be understood in a more serious light than I intended. My "maledictions" are gentle ones and I do not know that I could wish them anything worse than that barrenness of mind, that sterile desolation of the soul, in which sensibility to the beauty of nature cannot take root. If I live to be old enough, I may sit down under some bush, the last left in the utilitarian world, and feel thankful that intellect in its march has spared one vestage of the ancient forest for me to die by."
August 1, 1836 "I took a walk last evening up the valley of the Catskill. This was once my favorite walk; but now the charm of quietness and solitude is gone. It is however still lovely: man cannot remove its craggy hills, nor destroy all its rock rooted trees: the rapid stream will still have its course... I often think that the dark view of things is perhaps the true one. If such a view were always presented, I doubt whether we could long survive."
Keep it green and natural- that's why people come here.
Mark McCarroll
Shandaken, NY

Dear Editor,
I wonder whether Dr. Giuliano, who so fervently believes that past historical injustice ,ie the theft of the lands now under the reservoir from the bereaved denizens of Olive, would agree to a tax on these same denizens, including the good doctor, from now unto all eternity to compensate the native Americans for the land that “Olive natives, with roots that go back generations” stole from them?
How does she feel about paying reparation to the descendants of the slaves, whose forebears donated almost three hundred years of nearly free labor to White Americans, creating vast amounts of excess capital with which this great country was built? How would she like to keep on contributing to that cause, not once, or for a while, but forever?
Let her answer those questions honestly, and perhaps she will see the plight of those in surrounding towns whom she expects to carry the financial burden forever of the wrongs she claims done to her by New York City. I find this argument particularly dastardly in light of the new and higher assessment of the reservoirs which Olive just won in court.
I live in the Town of Denning, just over Peekamoose Mountain from you, which, as part of the Tri-Valley School district, shares the school tax burden with Neversink, the lucky (or benighted, depending on ones point of view) recipient of millions in tax revenue from their two reservoirs. When they feel like erecting a six million dollar addition to Tri Valley, they don’t think twice about it, since their vast tax revenues from New York City makes it an easy decision. Hey, they’ve got the money. And the votes. We have a mere 552 people living in Denning. So what costs Neversink about $1500 per student per year costs us over $35,000 per student! Under these circumstances, we should be sending our kids to Choate!
Ironically, much of the water captured by these two reservoirs originates in the high mountains of Denning, a fact that does not make us one damn dime. Even Dr. Giuliano must see the crass injustice of this situation. I think she underestimates the sense of fairness which others in Olive still harbor. I’ve met many in the Town of Neversink who agree that their revenues should be more evenly shared. It saddens me, as the good doctor so coyly put it, that someone with the level of education evidenced by the appendage of PhD to ones name could be so ethically challenged.
Alden Thayer
Clueless in Claryville

Dear Editor,
We in the Town of Olive do not have to apologize to anyone! The Town of Olive is owed an apology from the state, school and county representatives for creating this entire mess.
When the large parcel law was enacted there was no notice given to the town or to the school; it just appeared. Now our state leaders say there was no opposition to the bill. B.S. No. 1
In 2003, when the Town Board attended the first school board meeting on this matter, the school board voted not to enact the large parcel option and told the town of Olive to get its house in order. Fine. Immediately we challenged ORPS on their value of $119 million on the New York City property and after many months of meetings we were successful in having this value increased to $340 million - thus beginning the re-evaluation of properties within the town of Olive. Everyone in Olive was made aware of this and was informed that this act alone would cause a shift in taxes to Olive taxpayers. Also, as Town of Olive Supervisor, I publicly informed the school board of this very important development at one of your meetings, Mr. D'Orazio. For you, Mr. D'Orazio, along with the school board and Assemblyman Cahill to imply otherwise is B.S. No. 2.
In 2003 when Mr. D'Orazio, President of the Onteora School Board, stated that if Olive got its house in order then the school board would not enact the large parcel option the following year, we took him at his word. That was B.S. No. 3.
There was a meeting held at the Onteora High School last fall attended by Mr. D'Orazio, Bruce La Monda, Bob Cross, Jeremy Wilber, myself and members of the school administration. One of the issues discussed was that as officials we would try to keep this issue out of the papers as much as possible so it wouldn't hinder the school budget process. Well, thanks to Mr. Wilber's relentless attacks on Olive citizens - both in the newspapers and on his favorite radio station - this will never happen. B.S. No. 4.
In an effort to do what I felt was in the best interest of the Town of Olive, I've been diplomatic about this all along; but, unfortunately, there isn't a sympathetic ear in the entire county. I've had enough of being nicey-nice, so let the chips fall where they may. Olive has been lied to, stolen from, called names and has been bullied; but we in the Town of Olive have a strong will, moral courage and the integrity to endure.
Berndt J. Leifeld, Supervisor
Town of Olive

Dear Editor,
A couple comments on Hugh Reynold’s “City beat” column in the Daily Freeman of Saturday, February 12.
The County Legislature’s implementation of Large Parcel was good not only for Woodstock, but also the Townships of Denning, Esopus, Gardiner, Hardenburgh, Kingston, Lloyd, Marbletown, Marlborough, New Paltz, Plattekill, Rochester, Saugerties, Shandaken, Shawangunk and Ulster, also the Villages of Saugerties and New Paltz and the City of Kingston. All the taxpayers in those communities should be grateful for the Legislature’s action which in essence treats ALL county tax payers the same (and brought County taxes down in those municipalities listed above).
The Onteora School Board’s implementation of Large Parcel was good not only for Woodstock, but also Shandaken, Marbletown, and Lexington.
The Town of Hurley, because of its updated valuation, is barely affected one way or the other by the actions of Ulster County and Onteora School Board.
Large Parcel does not make Olive’s County and Onteora School rates higher than any other township with which they share services. What it does is close a loophole in New York State Real Property law that up until now allowed them to pay less than any other township.
To those who argue that Olive is entitled to pay less tax on properties of identical value in other towns because its residents are importuned by a reservoir, I offer these observations:
Last September, even with the reduction in our school tax as a result of the School Board decision, Woodstock paid $10,540,354 on its 3683 parcels to the district. Woodstock enrolled 388 students. The cost per student for Woodstock to educate its youth was $27,165. While enrolling only 18% of the total number of students, Woodstock paid 33% of the total Onteora levy.
Olive taxpayers paid $5,706,115 on its 3077 parcels. New York City paid $5,397,317 on its portion of the reservoir located in Olive (yes, NYC still pays taxes on its reservoir) for a total of $11,103,432. The Olive enrollment in the Onteora district was 739 students. The cost to Olive o educate each of its youths was $15,024. Olive, including the reservoir, paid 34.8% of the total Onteora levy, while enrolling 35% of the total number of students. If you take away New York City’s contribution the cost for Olive taxpayers was $7721 per student, so non-NYC taxpayers in Olive paid 18% of the total school levy.
Gee whiz, since we are entertaining the idea that school costs should be apportioned by means other than property values - taking into account long drives around reservoirs, for instance, -then Woodstock can make the argument that we should pay less based on our MUCH SMALLER enrollments. It really begins to sound silly, doesn’t it?
Mr. Hugh Reynolds in his City Beat column hit the nail square on the head when he stated, “Those stats alone speak volumes,” after noting the fact that Woodstock (and Hurley as well) just recently revalued their properties while it’s been at least thirty or thirty five years since Olive has done so.
School taxes are no fun. Never were. Probably never will be. Now we’re equal partners. Let’s work together to get the best service for our money.
Jeremy Wilber, Supervisor
Woodstock, NY

Dear Editor,
Well, it has finally happened. When Woodstock Supervisor Jeremy Wilbur insinuated that residents of the Town of Olive are ignorant liars (Daily Freeman, Saturday February 19, 2005), he drove the final wedge between the Towns of Olive and Woodstock.
In his enthusiasm to belittle Town of Olive residents, Wilbur has fortified the resolve of the residents of Olive to stand together as a community. The reaction to his denigrating comments has caused locals of Olive to retort, ‘’as long as the board (school) supports Woodstock over Olive or won’t vote for their budget and I’d go to Newburgh to buy a nail before I’d spend a nickel in Woodstock.
Taking the Large Parcel issue to a personal level of name-calling, the Supervisor of Woodstock has done a disservice to the school district and to his own community.
Bruce La Monda
Shokan, NY

Dear Editor,
When the Onteora School Board opted to enact the Large Parcel Legislation, it did so in response to Woodstock & Shandaken's cries about "Fair and Equal!" taxes of all taxpayers in the Onteora School District. This "equalizer" of taxes did no such thing. If anything, it has made matters worse.
-Some Woodstock taxpayers who support the Saugerties and Kingston School budgets now pay more than those who support the Onteora School District.
-Olive is one year into a total re-val. It seems that Shandaken has not had a property re-val since the SEVENTIES while they are pointing fingers at Olive who hadn't undertaken a full re-evaluation of all properties since 1988.
-It seems as if the State set the value of Shandaken's state property at under $750 an acre while Olive's City land is assessed at $1,300 an acre. Now who is under-assessing land? No wonder Shandaken's citizens, who comprise 24%, are over-taxed by picking up this burden (76%) of under-assessed state land.
-Olive is adjusting its own taxes by 35% by its successful negotiation with the Office of Real Property Taxes that raised the value of the Ashokan Reservoir from $119 million to $340 million.
-The large Parcel legislation created "wide swings" in property value - the very thing it was supposed to correct. Some people in Olive, who hadn't reassessed since 1988, saw smaller increases than those newer or refinanced homeowners whose increases measured in thousands in dollars.
The only "Fair and Equal" way to equalize taxes of property owners would be to have the entire school district undergo a 100% property re-evaluation at the same time. The Large Parcel Bill is only a reverse Robin Hood solution that takes from the few and gives to the many.
Rita Vanacore, Shokan
Claire Kassor, West Shokan

Dear Editor,
We are opposed to the Onteora School Board's decision last year to adopt the large parcel legislation that resulted in a 62% school tax increase for Olive residents. We do not believe the legislation was intended to apply to reservoirs or to have that kind of impact on any town.
We will lobby the school board to reject the large parcel legislation this year. But that issue should be decided on the basis of facts and fairness, not threats. We believe it is a mistake to link the large
parcel issue to the school budget issue.
If the school board does not come to its senses this year on the large parcel, then we will keep working to change their minds and perhaps to vote them out of office. But we still intend to vote in favor of the school budget.
Unlike federal taxes, which we resent paying because such a large percentage goes to pay for an insane war, school taxes go to pay for something we actually believe in: education.
It is not fair or appropriate for our frustration over the large parcel bill to undermine the education of our students.
Sincerely,
Sarah Plant
Zachary Sklar
Olivebridge, NY

Dear Editor,
If the Large Parcel Bill is not reversed, I will never again vote in favor of a Onteora school budget.
Bill Saveskie
Olivebridge, NY
Dear Editor,
I have recently retired from the work force. I have spent the last 35 years of my life as a financial officer, with expertise in budgeting, financial forecasting, and fiscal reporting in an accurate and timely manner. I now have adequate time to focus on other things, so I have decided to declare myself a candidate and begin my campaign for one of two seats on the town board. I believe I can be a great asset to the Town, the Board and the Supervisor. The time is fast approaching for the 2005 Election in the town of Shandaken. There are many issues to address and campaign speeches to write. As in the past each candidate would declare his or her candidacy and bring forth a platform of their views and solutions. The important issues will include, cell towers, the comprehensive plan, healthy economic growth and development and many many more issues that affect our lives daily.
As a constant participant and observer of the town government, I feel it is my duty and obligation to attend as many meetings at town hall that I possibly can, and I have. As a citizen of the town I believe I must be vigilant to insure that certain issues be addressed and solutions brought forth, and that petty disagreements and personal agendas are kept at a minimum.
I have spent quite a bit of time doing fund raising, volunteer and charitable work with many organization in town and feel that there is much more needed work to be done. Some of them are family housing, senior citizen problems and trying to get the best education for our children, and to insure and encourage recreational and artistic avenues for their growth.
I now look forward to your support and vote and hope that together we can make Shandaken grow and develop gracefully for the benefit of all her citizens.
Joanne Kalb
Big Indian NY