(letters from May 11, 2006)

Dear Editor,
On 3/30/06, NY State Senator Bonacic, announced that state owned Bellayre Ski Center was getting an additional $5,500,000 in state aid. Meanwhile one of the key roads to privately own Hunter Mountain looks like this (picture enclosed of rutted state highway).
The picture is of state rte 214 in Chichester- approximately 1.5 miles from Phoenicia (Town of Shandaken). The State D.O.T. Engineers in Ulster County seem unable or unwilling to address the problem which has existed for years. The solutions of the past, have been temporary blacktop added on top, which results in more sinking and a continuous problem occurring in just a few weeks! The road needs to be dug up and rebuilt in that area.
There is a small "DIP" sign warning travelers of the danger ahead. I have seen more signs, cones and lights warning of much smaller problems on roads. You can see in the photo how deep the crevice has become, there are scrapes on the pavement where the undercarriage of cars have hit it.. Now, drivers just drive over into the oncoming lane to avoid it. This, before a curve where there is not much visibility.
On top of this, rte 23a (in Greene County) another key road to Hunter, is now having construction done - and will probably result in more traffic on rte 214.
Setting aside the question of why the state is still in the ski business I think the $5,500,000 would have been better spent on our state roads!
Joyce Grant
Chichester, NY

Dear Editor,
As the cost of gas, land, and taxes rise in our community, one thing we thought we could count on was the quality of our local education system. Onteora has always had a reputation for caring about all students. Other school districts have admired our school district and its accomplishments. What is it now that we really care about? Surely the vote by the Board of Education on April 18th shows that we do not care about the needs of all our students.
There was an outpouring at board meetings this month from the community to keep all our special education programs. Families were especially interested in keeping intact the program for the deaf and hearing-impaired. A majority of the board of education ignored the public outcry and voted for the proposed cuts. It is hard to understand why money couldn’t be cut from other areas in the budget. All administrative agendas have been preserved, even though these are the most expensive positions in school districts. It was brought to our attention that the district is hiring an interim superintendent at a cost of over five hundred dollars a day for the next six weeks instead of letting the current assistant superintendent fill the position temporarily. Also the district plans to hire a search firm to present new candidates for the position at a cost of eighteen thousand dollars. The district will be over thirty thousand dollars in the hole before anyone is even interviewed, even though there are already qualified candidates who work in the district and are familiar with the school system and its educational policies.
As Olive residents whose taxes have skyrocketed in the past few years we ask, “What are we paying for?” If as a board you cannot support the most challenged students in your community obviously your agenda is based solely on your financial plan and not one that benefits the community at large.
We like many other voters had high hopes for our new board members. Obviously we held you to a higher standard than you are capable of achieving. The bottom line is that you don’t seem to have empathy for our students with disabilities. It seems that the four board members that have voted for these cuts have looked into the budget and ignored the most defenseless children in our community. How quickly we forget what really is important.
Tedd and Katharine Van Wagner
Shokan, NY

Dear Editor,
I am writing to express support for the proposed transportation contract as per the BOE. Anything that will give the district greater control over the transportation of our children is a good thing. Twenty year old contracts are not reflective of today's needs or today's kids. If this proposed contract can provide safer transportation, what's the issue? However, if it is merely a cost effective measure, I will be painfully loud and tirelessly vocal in the coming years should it pass and it be anything but safer. But I believe it will be. And we should support it. Here's why: If Cindy O'Connor, whose beloved son's life was tragically taken by a bus/driver in our district, supports this contract and believes it is a wise move and will provide greater safety and control, then I will take her word for it. She has the children's best interests at heart. If there is anything I could trust Cindy to be on top of, it would be bus safety. Think about it.
Furthermore, for three years my son has taken a bus to school. We have had great drivers (and you know who you are!) and drivers I don't think belong on a school bus (you know who you are too!). Some are too old and some are just plain ignorant of children. I understand there aren't people knocking down the doors to get a job driving a school bus, but those who do should have an understanding of children. They should be able to connect with each child on some level and be able to communicate to them as well as the parents. And they better be excellent drivers!
One particular harrowing experience for me happened in 2003 when a driver from Tonche drove by my house too fast, missed my stop--even with me waiting, stopping further up the road and allowing my son, then a kindergartener, to exit off the bus and walk behind it to reach me. Though I didn't have him by the hand, once my son got off the bus, the bus door closed, the stop sign went in and a car was approaching. Had I not been running to get to him, had I not run out in the middle of the road, had the driver of the oncoming car been careless, well, I can’t think about it.
Even more disturbing, this same driver, this year, denied it happened even though he phoned me to apologize after that incident. Either he's a liar or has dementia. Doesn't matter, he shouldn't be driving a school bus. I wonder if he has passed all the tests, medical or otherwise, and what types of tests do drivers have to take? I was told he “fills-in” from time to time. If he was such a great driver, he'd have his own route, but he isn't and the company knows this, but the bus company allows him to “fill-in”. This is totally unacceptable. I am hoping this new contract will make sure ALL our drivers are competent, including the “fill-ins.”
From a cost effective perspective, though it worked out for my family, THREE buses pass my house daily for the elementary school. None but the small bus is full. Combining routes makes sense and may not mean our kids are overcrowded, but it may make for more troublesome issues. We need to be careful.
However, we parents are responsible for our kids' behavior on those buses. Read the rules of bus safety to your kids. Be respectful of the drivers and their task at hand, which is to drive the bus, not teach your child how to behave. That’s YOUR job. Still, the driver has to be discerning and if everything distracts the driver, the driver shouldn't be with little kids. In addition, there is an issue of bullying on the buses which is permeating every route in the district--verbal abuse, such as: name calling, goading, provoking fights and physical abuse, such as: hitting and spitting...it's disgusting and pathetic! And if your child is a bully, you need to do something! Spend some time with your kid. Love them well enough to take a good long look at how you are doing your job. Bullies tend to be angry or abused themselves and that is YOUR problem. Therapy is a good thing too. This is YOUR kid, not the school's, not mine and certainly not the bus driver's. But the driver has to deal with it because of YOUR ineptitude. Drivers, I implore you to identify the bullies, keep them close and be relentless in your care. The children depend on you. We all do and that's why we need to support anything that will provide safe transportation to and from school.
Deborah Izzo Jasinski
Olivebridge, NY

Dear Editor,
Almost four years ago a young student, 15 year-old Kevin O'Connor, lost his life because of the lack of safety controls implemented by the Onteora Transportation Department. I know. I was there the day Kevin lay dying in his parent's driveway. I will NEVER forget what I saw June 18, 2002 as long as I live.
The lack of safety controls was in two areas 1) our internal department and 2) our outdated contractor's contracts. Gone are the days of the good old boys deciding who gets what contract and for how much.
The present Onteora Board of Education has done two things to directly address the two areas of safety control. 1) Passed a resolution to implement an internal safety review to find where the internal department is not meeting NYS laws and regulations and then implement procedures to make sure they are. 2) Redesign the outdated contracts to the local contractors through a bidding process that now gives Onteora CONTROL of its contracts and requires the contractor to supply monthly reports, a safety manager, bus dispatcher and terminal manager. Onteora is now requesting more from both their internal department and contractor.
I have heard the Tonche Transit contractor and drivers complain about this situation but the bottom line is their employer DID NOT submit a bid on the new contracts.
Onteora is paying $106,799.00 more for the new contract won by Hoyt Transportation but to me that is worth one life. How quickly we forget.
Karl Brueckner
West Hurley

Dear Editor,
I am not Town Supervisor. I am not a Tax Assessor. I am a mother. And although my title may not carry the weight of the preceding two, my job carries a heavy load, including the responsibility of ensuring the best education for my children.
My family and I recently moved to the Onteora School District because of its commitment to educational excellence—not to mention the class sizes, creative extra-curricular programs, and friendly communities that contribute to its appeal. However, the future of the district faces many challenges, including declining enrollment, possible redistricting, the large parcel bill, and the bond issue. Added to these troubles is the loss of Superintendent Winters.
So while parents are trying to work, raise kids, and keep the house in order, how are they supposed to keep apprised of all this information? Let someone you trust do the work for you. And that person is Maxanne Resnick, Onteora School Board Candidate.
I’ve had the pleasure of working with Maxanne in several capacities, including the Phoenicia School PTA and as fellow class mothers. She is a hard working, diplomatic person who carefully considers all options when making decisions. The Phoenicia School needed a new stove, she had one donated within a week. We needed supplies for a craft fair, she found the best supplies at the lowest prices. Max does not compromise quality. She searches and searches for creative solutions that are fiscally responsible, and this is what she will do as an Onteora Board Member. I have already witnessed her campaigning. She has been out many nights meeting with Democrats and Republicans, Olive and Woodstock and Shandaken residents alike. She is investigating, she is asking questions, she wants to hear what taxpayers have to say.
In essence, the Onteora School District is akin to a $43 million corporation. School Board Members have the tremendous responsibility of overseeing this business and ensuring that the schools meet their primary objective: the proper and thorough education of students. Max undoubtedly has the experience and professional background to be an effective member of this team. For seven years she developed and managed an extremely successful national jewelry business. Prior to that, Max helped start the renowned Chelsea Markets in New York City. Max moved to our region 12 years ago in recognition of the quality lifestyle available here—we all now have the opportunity to utilize her talents in securing quality education of our children.
Maxanne Resnick will be an excellent addition to our current board. I want Max and I hope you do to. So please vote on May 16th for the candidates who will lead the District in the direction we need to go…without continuing quality education for our children, how will Onteora be represented in the future? Make the commitment to Excellence in Education and vote for Maxanne Resnick.
Rebecca Ffrench
Phoenicia, NY

Dear Editor,
I would like to remind voters in the Onteora school district that school board elections are coming up on May 16th. This is an important election that will effect our taxes and quality of education for years to come. I strongly endorse both Maxanne Resnick and Herb Rosenfeld for positions on the Onteora Central School board and encourage voters to bring a fair sense of balance back to our district. Tell friends and family, do not stay home - mark your calendars and vote for Resnick and Rosenfeld in this very important election on May 16th.

Brian Shapiro
Woodstock, NY

Dear Editor,
I know Maxanne Resnick because her children attended my preschool. I watched as Max opened her arms to whatever her children’s needs were as their school experience unfolded. There was not a day that went by when Max did not ask what she could do to support what we were doing in the preschool for her twins. Max and her family were great supporters of not only their own children, but also other children who attended school with them. I watched as her children moved on to kindergarten and saw that same support transfer from preschool to elementary, yet she has never lost touch with us at preschool. Max is not only an advocate for her own children and their school experience, but for others as well. What has marveled me is although her children continue to mature and move up the educational ladder, she does not forget from where they came. She continues to support the educational system – the people who make a difference in all of our children’s lives. She takes information and uses it willingly to make the best decision, supporting not only the decision, but also the process and more importantly, the people involved. I know Max will put her heart into this board position. She will learn what she needs to and think always of the children. And isn’t that what we are all fighting for?
Cathy Johnan
Discovery Preschool

Dear Editor,
Onteora Board of Education elections are coming up on May 16th. We urge
you to support Maxanne Resnick and Herb Rosenfeld, the two candidates who took the time and energy to collect the required signatures to earn a place on the ballot.
This tells you something about the qualities they will bring to the Board of Education. No short cuts for Maxanne and Herb in their commitment to the district and the students they wish to serve.
At present the board is heavily skewed towards one part of the district. We believe it is vital that the board represent all sections of the school community.
Vote for Maxanne Resnick and Herb Rosenfeld to ensure that caring, qualified candidates from throughout the district are in place to help choose the next Superintendent of Schools and to help set the direction for the future of Onteora.
Meg and Tobe Carey
Glenford, NY

Dear Editor,
The Olive Press of April 13 "News in Brief" has a column devoted to too many military recruiters roaming around the halls, lunchroom and grounds of Onteora Central School doing exactly what corporations and colleges do; making love to the brightest, most ambitious and talented of the lot. The military after all is also an employer; one of the best that offer opportunities for further development, promotion, vacation and medical attention, not to mention BAQ [basic allowance for quarters], food or food ration allowances, college education, broadening horizons and more. One can raise a family quite comfortably in the military today with pay and benefits plus 20 year pension.
A writer in the April 27 issue echoes the above complaint with the addition of "the government interest is to get people to fight in the [Iraq] war". My dear Ms. Walker, that is what military people do. They break things and kill people. Our present day military is totally volunteer thanks to President Nixon. I wonder if all the "experts" know what section 9528 (II) of the "NO Child Left Behind" Act of 2001, Public Law 107-110 says. Here it is, plain and simple for all of you who cannot read and understand a Florida "punch ballot". It states that, "each local educational agency receiving assistance under the act shall provide, on a request made by the military recruiters or an institution of higher education, access to the secondary school students names, addresses and telephone listings. I found no mention of corporations or mega sport scouts in the "mix" but they too prowl the lunch rooms, halls of learning and varsity fields. The OSD Attorney has it right and apparently the recruiters are requesting to visit rather than constantly "barging" in as some have charged. Every attitude includes a caveat and that is that we don't transfer our hate for politicians and other miscreants to our fine young folks in uniform, Amen?
I can testify from first hand activity as a recruiter and retention Petty Officer during service from 1943 to 1986 [USN/USCG/USNR] that military recruiters go through an extensive training period with emphasis on public relations, personality, dress, appearance, knowledge of unit history, sales and civility. The local recruiters in Kingston tell me [as I already know] a long practice since the invention of the phone book is to send a recruiting post card to everyone listed from A to Z, so relax. The NCLB act is not as dangerous as is being exaggerated. Parent and/or student have the right to opt out and the recruiters will stay out of their school life. I can also tell you that the military does not want you if you don't want to be there. Discharges have been modified to "undesirable" and "incompatible" [General] to pre-empt the "BCD's" of years gone by. But guess what folks, the 18 year old can enlist without parental permission [unless it has changed] and in that last year of HS as a [dep] "delayed entry participant". He or she is not in until they raise their right hand [left hand for Florida voters].
The genesis of NCLB is the "Goals 2000" Act which mandated performance based on testing and regents exams which stirred the same level of opposition because Goals 2000 replaced "social promotions".
No secondary school is willing to pass up the federal funding that NCLB provides so the military recruiter comes with the package. An additional funding is added to administer and implement the NCLB act and further funding for the accommodation of the "uninvited" guest recruiter. Does IBM, MIT or GM, P&G pay to post their ambassadors in secondary schools? If the Onteora Board or Admin. rejects the NCLB offer then I would question their unending quest for more dollars each May. The schools, like the student or parents can opt out but having it both ways is not an option.
These funds are funneled through each state so I would be looking north to ascertain the integrity of the "middle people" [PC].
Glenn T. Anderson
Olivebridge, NY

Dear Editor,
Tax payers in the Onteora School District have a lot to consider this year. On May 16, 2006 they will be voting for or against a $44,664,222.00 budget and two new buses at a cost of $156,000.00. Then there’s the vote to allow the school to set up a capital reserve fund not to exceed $3,000.000.00 and to give the school permission to extend the bus contract for two more years. Plus vote for trustees to the board. The budget is a 3.8% increase over last year’s budget.
Wow, that’s a lot to think about. Did your pension or salary increase this year? What about the present price of gas and what will fuel oil cost this winter? How will those higher then normal prices affect your ability to pay the school tax? What about the $3,000,000.00 reserve fund? That’s a lot of money to have in a reserve fund. If approved by the voters any fund balances left over at the end of this fiscal year the board will have the option to put that money into the reserve fund. There’s a question that should be asked. Is there unnecessary money in this year’s budget to make sure that some money will go into the reserve fund?
The School’s Superintendent’s original recommended budget was $44,899,221.00 a 4.39% increase. The budget ended up getting reduced to $44,664,222.00. That’s down about $250,000.00. The budget was finally reduced by taking money from the Health Insurance and Unemployment line items. How much more money is in this budget that could have been used to reduce the tax burden. Reducing the budget by almost a quarter of a million dollars ought to make anyone wonder why that much money was in the budget in the first place. The budget reduction came about because at the April 04, 2006 school board’s meeting trustee O’Connor requested discussion on reducing the proposed budget to the same level as the contingency budget through additional cuts. Trustees Bernholz, Vanacore and O’Connor requested additional budget cuts be made by reducing the unencumbered fund balance. Although the reduction in the budget was a very small step it was a step in the right direction. We may be near the cost per student for special education at other schools, but in a tax payers view we still have the highest cost per student in Ulster County. It’s been that way for a long time and this year if the budget passes the cost per student will go higher.
According to the school’s Web Page health care costs for the 2006/2007 school year are rising 10%, Hospital and Medical Insurance for school year 2006/2007 is $5,941,669.00. Something is wrong in our society. With 46 million people without health insurance in this country it’s more then likely that in this district and others there are the elderly and the working poor with no health insurance because they can’t afford it, but must pay their school taxes that helps to pay for health Insurance for those that work at the school. Is that right or wrong? School districts must work with our legislators to find a better way to fund our schools.
If you’re for or against the budget or a part of the budget it’s very important that you take the time to vote. Remember the school with family, relatives and friends is a very large voting block.
William Warnecke
Glenford, NY

Dear Editor,
For years, we have heard opponents of the Belleayre Resort cry: “It’s too big. It’s too big.”
We’re sitting at a conference table in an otherwise empty room, waiting to discuss downsizing the project.
Why is no one else here? Are they afraid of a compromise which might… gasp… move a smaller project forward?
We’re starting to think that what they really meant all along was "Kill the Resort. Kill the Resort.”
Dean Gitter and The Partners
of Crossroads Ventures

Dear Editor,
This letter is submitted on behalf of the Catskill Preservation Coalition regarding the proposed Belleayre Resort at Catskill Park in order to set the record straight regarding the developer's belated suggestion that he is amenable to reducing the size of the project. The Coalition, which includes 11 local, regional and national organizations, publicly supported the reduced-scale alternative announced by Congressman Maurice Hinchey in October, 2005. The wisdom of the Hinchey proposal is apparent from the overall environmental and economic benefits that may be achieved by preserving the land on the east side of the Belleayre Mountain Ski Center while allowing construction of an environmentally benign resort on the west side of the BMSC. The clear benefits of the Hinchey proposal are plain for all, except the developer, to see. In addition, notwithstanding his public statements, the developer has not produced any alternative plans to date.
The Coalition has stated publicly that it would discuss a reduced-scale alternative with the developer and continues to be willing to do so. The Coalition has not received a direct response to its offer. Rather, the developer, in an apparent unwillingness to meet with the full Coalition, has indicated only that he would meet with one of its members, Tom Alworth of the Catskill Center for Conservation and Development. This is not Mr. Gitter's choice. Imagine Mr. Gitter's reaction if the Coalition were to exclude him from discussions. The parties in the DEC proceeding are each represented by counsel, and that is the proper means for any discussions to occur.
All of the Coalition members have participated in the environmental review conducted by the Department of Environmental Conservation since the initial outline (scope) of the draft environmental impact statement was first disclosed in 2000. Each member of the Coalition brings to its participation in the DEC proceedings a profound concern for the environmental issues and the communities in which their members live, work and recreate. There can be no discussion of an alternative without the participation of the full Coalition through its legal representatives.
In the environmental review proceedings before DEC, the Coalition identified a multitude of significant adverse impacts which would result from the proposed Resort. The Administrative Law Judge agreed and required further evaluation of 12 issues including impacts to the local water supply, storm water run off and erosion control, the ecology of local streams and rivers, the Forest Preserve, the rural character of the region, and the downstate water supply and reduced scale alternatives. The Resort, if approved, would adversely affect the lives of the residents of communities from Kingston to Middletown along Route 28. It would have long term repercussions for visitors to the Catskill Park and for the future preservation of one of the State's pristine environments. It would also potentially contribute to an EPA determination that New York City must filter its water supply. This would impose an unnecessary cost on our neighbors in New York City and the upstate communities which rely on the New York City water supply and would eliminate beneficial New York City-funded local programs.
One of the many benefits of the Hinchey proposal may not be understood by the developer or some of his supporters in the local press. The Hinchey proposal would reduce or eliminate many of the significant environmental impacts of the Resort on the east side of the BMSC as disclosed in the DEC hearing process. The Issues Rulings themselves suggest that future hearings should be bifurcated to address the impacts from the east and west side separately. Elimination of the impacts from the east side of the BMSC would likely reduce the time needed to obtain approvals for an environmentally acceptable reduced-scale project on the west side while allowing economic development to occur within a reasonable time.
Recently, the Albany Times Union wrote, in its editorial entitled Beauty and Belleayre: "So the opportunity for good faith negotiations is there. All sides should seize it." The Coalition reiterates its willingness to discuss an environmentally responsible reduced-size Resort with the Hinchey proposal establishing the framework.
Marc S. Gerstman, Attorney
Catskill Preservation Coalition
Albany, NY

Dear Editor,
Please take note of the following quotes,
Dean Gitter, the nattily dressed New York Developer…had had enough. He walked out on about 200 residents..[at a public hearing]
“It’s an idealistic study,” [the Councilman] said “It’s a best case scenario and none of it can be completely documented. I think in reality you would have less of an economic impact than the study indicates.’
“We’re trying to begin that dialogue now,” he [Gitter] said ”and I acknowledge it is late in the day.”
Gitter yesterday issued another prepared statement attacking [politicians], who he said, “have fallen into the short-term trap of playing to a minority of ill informed local opposition…”
And my personal favorite..
“Yet he still has his actor’s ability to deliver the sham line, to take on the character that’s needed for the occasion..”
Not from local or even recent publications, all of the above quotes were written between 1988 and 1991, when Dean Gitter was touting his “China, USA”, a 1310-acre Asian Theme Park that promised to “advance U.S. links with China and other Pacific Rim Countries”. He was attempting to sell his project in Middle River, Maryland after being turned down in Newburgh, NY, where they decided to go with an Industrial Park adjacent to Stewart airport rather than sell Gitter 1200 acres for $1200.00. Yes, a dollar an acre was his offer.
About 7 yrs ago, after purchasing the Crystal Spring, one of the registered water sources for the hamlet of Pine Hill, Dean stood before about 225 residents and said he was not interested in the rest of the Pine Hill Water Co. A few months later he hijacked the sale of the Company to the town, divided up the assets and tried to sell the town the broken pipes. After years of tense negotiations, the town was able to purchase a barely adequate system to serve the hamlet, however by State standards, without Crystal Spring, which Dean siphoned off during his ownership, it is an illegal system.
Now, after all these years, Dean would like to sit down and chat about alternatives to his Mega-resort? Why didn’t he include them in the Environmental Impact Statement like the SEQRA law requires? Following the law in the first place would have been a good start. Is he looking for a plea bargain before the decision comes down on Adjudication?
If Dean is sitting at a table all alone, it is not because the opposition to his project is afraid to seize the moment, now that he appears to want to play nice. It’s more of a case of “Been there, done that”.
The record, spanning several decades, clearly demonstrates a lack of conviction to play fairly, honestly or with integrity.
The Catskill Preservation Coalition’s Lawyers are correct. If Dean wants to talk his lawyers should call.
Mary Herrmann
Pine Hill NY

Dear Editor,
This past week, thousands of volunteers have gathered at 62 sites along the Hudson River to participate in Scenic Hudson’s 9th Annual Great River Sweep, the all-volunteer cleanup of Hudson shorelines, tributaries and public places beginning on Earth Day.
The Great River Sweep is an annual rite of spring – and a great spring cleaning. People across the tri-state region volunteer because they want to take personal responsibility for preserving and enhancing the scenic beauty of the Hudson.
Since 1998, Scenic Hudson has united more than 30,000 people from Manhattan to the Adirondacks to remove 300 tons of trash. Thanks to our dedicated volunteer coordinators and participants, the Great River Sweep is Hudson Valley’s largest volunteer event.
In the spirit of empowering grassroots change, Scenic Hudson is still recruiting and supporting community leaders and citizens to organize and participate in the remaining cleanups. Families, friends, clubs, faith-based groups, schools and government groups are needed to participate this year.
During each of the nine days, volunteers assemble at parks, playgrounds, schoolyards, shorelines, boat launches, road embankments and vacant lots, beaches, historic sites and nature preserves.
Working with site coordinators, they are sweeping roads, picking up litter, leaves, branches and driftwood, removing graffiti, fixing boardwalks, raking drainage ditches and planting seedlings. The most common items collected are be bottles, cans, food and candy wrappers, foam, cigarette butts and tires.
Forty-five sites are still in need of volunteers to help preserve this national treasure. With our new website (http://www.greatriversweep.org/) we have made it easy to identify and sign up for sites in your area. I encourage all people who live along the Hudson River to help protect and restore this vital resource for residents and visitor.
Ned Sullivan, President
Scenic Hudson

Dear Editor,
The Help America Vote Act or HAVA is the most comprehensive federal legislation designed to upgrade the voting machine and polling places to enable every American citizen to exercise their right to vote irregardless of disability as provided under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1977. This means all new federally funded ($275 million granted to New York State) voting machines and polling place must be fully accessible to all people with disabilities. This translates simply when purchasing new voting machines there must be at each site a fully accessible (the machine itself and the polling places).
Individuals who are members of the community with disability are requesting that all citizens take the time to write their legislators in support of what the New York State Independent Living Council and other state organizations representing people with disabilities to write to your assemblyperson and state Senator asking that they make their directives clearer the New York State and County Board of Elections that they authorize such purchases to come in compliance with the federal law.
Since the New York State Legislator failed to make clear details in their HAVA law last session the U.S. Attorney General is taking New York State to court to make sure that accessible voting machines and polling places is clearly authorized and directed. It is time for the good citizens to let the State government know they need to be clear in sending their legislation to the state and county agencies with some kind of responsible and timely manner.
Thomas R. Siblo-Landsman
System Advocate, RCAL
Kingston, NY

Dear Editor,
It is tragic how much attention the "discovery" of the "Gospel of Judas" just before Easter has received from the media. Yes, it seems to be an authentic historical document. Yet its writers have only one aim - to recast many characters presented negatively in the Bible, starting with Cain, in a heroic light. To do so they had to create an alternative rendering of the story of Jesus.
The writers of this text, and those who promote it today, offer nothing that can lift humankind's burden of sin and suffering. For them salvation is achieved through knowledge. On the contrary, all four Gospels offer, through repentance, the gift of forgiveness and new life. This is the "Good News."
We all have a choice. Either we believe the Gospel of John, which describes how Satan entered the heart of Judas, and the prophet Zechariah, who hundreds of years before Jesus lived accurately foretold his betrayal, right down to the minutest detail. Or we believe National Geographic, which makes Judas out to be Jesus' closest disciple. Either we believe in the Son of God who became flesh, lived among us, was crucified, and rose from the dead so that we all may be saved. Or we believe we can save ourselves, and continue to suffer the consequences.
Johann Christoph Arnold
Pastor, Bruderhof Communities
Rifton, NY

Dear Editor,
Attending Eeo Stubblefield's creation "Oh Say Can You See" last Friday at the Varga Gallery, I found myself engaging that strange and elusive inner holograph that might permit me to believe that I was in Iraq witnessing life there. As is usually the point with reenactments I wanted to believe that the scene before me was genuine and not merely the safe end result of someone's artistic imagination. Actually, I wanted to do more than believe the scene was genuine, I wanted to share in the pain and deprivation of the Iraqi people with all its implications. If only for a few moments, I wanted to be without a home and clean water and to have lost my loved ones to the systematic insanity that passes for compassionate American intervention. As I looked on, I wanted this scene to be real in the same way that the wine, chips, and cookies laid out that evening for our consumption, were real.
Instead, I snacked and made small talk, ultimately separate from the compassion necessary to experience the pain and suffering of our fellow human beings in Iraq. In spite of the transparent message of this event -- this war in Iraq is wrong, dead wrong -- I could not help but weigh its strong visual impact against an eerie sense of myself, and those around me, as just more callous bystanders in a world of high tragedy. Perhaps, as inheritors of prosperity, we have become a bizarre hybrid that cannot -- no, will not -- touch the tragedy of others unless it's broken down into the highly-digestible, bite-sized pieces of a social event, in a gallery, where we are rendered incapable of experiencing its impact. Art openings are little more than hip networking events and, unfortunately, are not well suited to inspiring the kind of activism implicit in the political statements made by the artists they represent. In the end how does the setting for Eeo's Friday evening event differ from kicking back at home, turning on the boob tube and watching, at a safe distance, as the suffering goes by?
To speak of this show in terms of its "artistic" value would be ludicrous, like trying to reason with someone who's holding a gun to your head or like trying to grasp life's inhumanity while sipping wine. Yet, it's only an artist who could create such a work and I applaud Eeo for the strength of conviction that it took to bring this event into being. Perhaps, given the party atmosphere, the thoughts expressed here are all any artist can really hope for in terms of a response. It's so sad. What are we to do, sucking, as we are, on the breast of prosperity? I don't have any answers.
Wendy Klein
Mt. Tremper, NY

Dear Editor,
The Help America Vote Act or HAVA is the most comprehensive federal legislation designed to upgrade the voting machine and polling places to enable every American citizen to exercise their right to vote irregardless of disability as provided under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1977. This means all new federally funded ($275 million granted to New York State) voting machines and polling place must be fully accessible to all people with disabilities. This translates simply when purchasing new voting machines there must be at each site a fully accessible (the machine itself and the polling places).
Individuals who are members of the community with disability are requesting that all citizens take the time to write their legislators in support of what the New York State Independent Living Council and other state organizations representing people with disabilities to write to your assemblyperson and state Senator asking that they make their directives clearer the New York State and County Board of Elections that they authorize such purchases to come in compliance with the federal law.
Since the New York State Legislator failed to make clear details in their HAVA law last session the U.S. Attorney General is taking New York State to court to make sure that accessible voting machines and polling places is clearly authorized and directed. It is time for the good citizens to let the State government know they need to be clear in sending their legislation to the state and county agencies with some kind of responsible and timely manner.
Thomas R. Siblo-Landsman
System Advocate, RCAL
Kingston, NY

Dear Editor,
Many thanks and appreciations to Levon Helm, his band and staff for their kind generosity in performing at the Onteora High School benefit on May 6th.
If you haven't seen Levon perform recently, I highly recommend it. It was such a pleasure to hear him and the band perform so well. His voice sounded terrific and the members of the band were seasoned professionals, all headliners on their own. They definitely had the house rocking.
Thanks again Levon for making it such a joy to have you in our community.
Jim Sofranko
West Shokan, NY

Dear Editor,
This is to pay tribute to the Bruce Baum Martini. Bruce Baum is, of course, with wife Martine, the owner of La Dutchess Anne in Mount Tremper. Except for sojourns in Africa he has been the main mixologist for close to thirty years. The business and place has been leased. So is the Bruce Baum Martini no more? Tremper Mountain is still there but is this spectacular drink of immense pleasure and sociability only to exist in the memory? That is where it resides for the present.
There was a time that I quested after the perfect martini as though it were a grail. I realize in writing this that I gave up that search and maybe it is because I found it at Bruce's bar.
Maybe something magical will happen and the Mount Tremper Martini Club will evolve and we will meet and enjoy Bruce's libations once in awhile. A great deal more should have been written about what Bruce and Martine have given us over the years in delicious food and conviviality.
Robert Jacobson
Mount Tremper, NY