Dear Editor,

I wrote a resolution which Councilman Paul Van Blarcum graciously brought forward. This resolution was simple and to the point. It stated 'THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the Shandaken Town Board OPPOSES all eminent domain actions by the Town of Shandaken that are takings not for public use but for the enrichment of private business or the taxing ability of the Town of Shandaken.'
Here's what happened at the August Town Board meeting: First, a developer spoke in favor of the resolution, then the dance began. He accused the former
supervisor of receiving a personal email from some years ago plotting eminent domain, which he flourished as if it were
exhibit A. Next, the present supervisor told a sad story of how his family was a victim of an eminent domain taking. Finally, part of the town board requested Councilman Van Blarcumnot to bring it forward so that they could change minor wording and have the town lawyer look at it. This only served to stall passage of this resolution.
I was stunned. My home and land are priceless to me, as I can imagine yours are to you. My concern is that my town government is not doing what is best for all of us. We, as townspeople, are left with no protection from eminent domain by the Town of Shandaken in taking our homes and businesses. I am a Candidate for Town Board, and not only did I write this resolution, I would have passed it in a heartbeat. I am continuing to work on this
and I would hope the Shandaken Town Board will give my resolution it's full support at the next opportunity.
Please remember in November.
Thank you,
Peter DiSclafani
Mount Tremper, NY

Dear Editor,
Immediately following Kelo v. New London, Sandra Day O'Connor announced her retirement plans to leave the U.S. Supreme Court. In that 5 to 4 decision a women was forced to sell her home to Pfizer Pharmaceutical based on New London's formulated development plan. She was born in the house and lived there her whole life. Her home was well maintained and she paid her taxes. Who were these conservative judges who heartlessly took this ladies home? Well the answer is, it was the liberal judges who did it! If either one of President Clinton's appointees (Ginsberg and Breyer) would have voted against the drug giant the vote would have been reversed.
O'Connor in her dissenting opinion stated, "...that the sovereign may take private property currently put to ordinary private use, and give it over for new, ordinary private use, so long as the new use is predicted to generate some secondary benefit for the public-such as increased tax revenue, more jobs, maybe even aesthetic pleasure. But nearly any lawful use of real property can be said to generate some incidental benefit to the public Thus if predicted (or even guaranteed) positive side- effects are enough to render transfer from one private party to another constitutional, the words 'for public use' do not realistically exclude any taking, and thus do not exert any constraint on the eminent domain power."
Clarence Thomas, another conservative with whom I have not usually agreed, hit the nail on the head with his dissenting opinion. Not only does he point out that the court's majority decision is unconstitutional according to the Fifth Amendment but also and I'll quote him "If such 'economic development' takings are for the public use, any taking is." The public use clause that was argued for was that Pfizer was going to put in a sidewalk to the complex. This development plan (comprehensive plan) was slanted towards economic development and the end result was eminent domain as the new Law of the Land!
There is another spectrum end to a comprehensive plan and that is extreme environmental provisions that do not just diminish the development of mega complexes but also that of reasonable development (remember the harassment towards the Phoenicia Plaza).
In 2002 Kathy Nolan under the auspices of Peter DiModica attempted to press the comprehensive plan committee to include into the comp plan a provision to include the creation of a Conservation Advisory Council. This council would have the authority to and I quote, "upon the written recommendation of the council the local legislative body may acquire by purchase in fee or any lesser interest, through negotiation or by condemnation such real or personal property as may be needed to fulfill the purpose of this act." Peter DiModica attempted to press the town board to accept this provision without any public debate. This is nothing less than eminent domain legitimized by exactly the opposite extreme as that of New London's plan.
It makes complete sense that the Shandaken Comprehensive Plan exhibit a balanced and fair plan.
The plan committee under the auspices of Bob Cross held generally open to the public workshops and had at least four public comment meetings. Recent letters to editors complain that the voices of the people were not heard and that nobody interrupted Bob Cross when he spoke at Bellayre. That meeting was to permit public comment. The town board meeting on July 11 was not a public comment meeting and the catcalls, interruptions, and public outbursts were not only distasteful but also illegal. Bob Cross did not threaten to have anyone arrested but I did hear him ask one person to go outside and cool off for five minutes. The general actions that I heard proposed around me were that he needed to take an approach that the late Neil Grant would have certainly imposed on any such disrespect.
The only thing extreme about the final draft of the 2005 Comprehensive Plan for the Town of Shandaken is its' balance and fairness. Thanks go out to Chuck Perez, Robert Stanley, John Horn, and Harry Jameson for their endurance and unbelievable patience.
Eric Hansen
Phoenicia, NY

Dear Editor,
So, let’s say you are the supervisor of the Town of Shandaken and you find in your files a message – or several messages – addressed to a previous supervisor at his home email address. What do you do with such messages?
This is actually a version of a standard question used to test the level of moral development in young children. Children who have reached the most basic level of moral reasoning know that the correct answer is that you give or send such a letter to the person who is intended to receive it. Even relatively young children know that keeping it for your own personal use is wrong.
Apparently our current town supervisor, Bob Cross, has given at least one such letter not to its owner, Peter Di Modica, the previous supervisor, but instead to Mr. Dean Gitter or to someone who would deliver it to Mr. Gitter. Why would he do that?
Mr. Gitter, it appears, is upset that the Pine Hill Water Coalition thought that Supervisor Di Modica should have threatened to use the Town’s power of eminent domain to force Mr. Gitter to sell their water supply back to them at a fair price. At the time, all Pine Hill had to do was prove that the water they lost to Mr. Gitter had previously been used as part of their public system, but they didn’t want to risk losing millions of dollars in grants to fix the system by taking the case to court.
Well, Peter Di Modica never followed the strategy recommended by the Water Coalition. He chose to negotiate – successfully, as it turned out – rather than use eminent domain. He has a proven track record on this issue.
On the other hand, Dean Gitter has not been exactly shy about using public funds to support his private projects. So, what should we make of Pete Disclafani’s resolution whereby the Town Board voluntarily restrains itself from using the power of eminent domain on the behalf of a private developer? Eminently sensible, indeed!
Sincerely,
Kathy Nolan
Mount Tremper, NY

Dear Editor,
I would like to respond to Marge Lloyd's attack on both the SHARP Committee and Jane Todd at last week's Town Board Meeting. As anyone who is a landlord in this State knows, it is very difficult and fairly expensive to operate housing of any kind. Last year, the State of New York cut funding to all Rural Housing Preservation Companies by 50%. As it was, SHARP was run on a shoestring budget, and with the matching funds being severely curtailed it became apparent that SHARP would have to divest itself of one of its assets.
The Friendship Manor building has been sustained by two existing SHARP Housing Properties for the last several years. When deciding which property would be sold, it was taken into consideration that Friendship Manor had become a strain on SHARP's Housing Development Fund, and therefore was the logical choice to sell.
In addition to the hope that the sale would help to keep SHARP operating strongly, it was also hoped that $150,000.00 of the profit from the sale would go towards the construction of phase II of Tongore Pines Senior Housing.
Though SHARP is known locally as a source of low income housing for residents, it is only a small part of what SHARP does. Under the leadership of Executive Director Jane Todd, SHARP administers several loan funds, which have assisted many businesses and individuals in the community. Sharp has been instrumental in making homeownership possible for dozens of families who may have otherwise never tried to become first time homebuyers if it were not for the financial and educational assistance of our program. We have rehabilitated more than 22 homes in the last four years, and have counseled hundreds of individuals regarding credit, reverse mortgage, foreclosure, and lending practices.
Getting back to the issue of housing, I take great offense at Ms. Lloyd's accusation that SHARP is "putting out families." The simple act of selling a property to ensure that our organization will be around to help the community in the long run is in no way endangering the shelter of any families. It is preposterous to assume that once the Friendship Manor building is sold, it will cease to be a rental unit. While we can not guarantee that any buyer would not decide to change the building into a single family dwelling, it is more likely that any interested buyer who is looking at commercial listings, is doing so because they have an interest in income generating properties. If a buyer were looking to buy only single family use structures, common sense would tell you that they would look at those listed as such.
As much as I hate to touch on this ridiculous subject, I would also like to squash the rumors that Mr. Gitter has purchased the Friendship Manor property. My own personal opinion is that this gossip was started just to have some sort of negative effect on the up. coming elections this year. As of this writing, the property is still for sale, and Mr. Gitter has not been to see the property nor have I heard that he has shown any interest in it at all. There, now you can put that rumor to bed.
While it has been a noble goal of the SHARP Committee to maintain affordable rentals in this area, it has also become apparent that we must keep in mind our larger goal of assisting the community in its full spectrum of needs. I should applaud Ms. Lloyd's concerns for the families who need low income housing, and would offer that she might take the initiative to do something about it. We are only a small organization in this everexpanding community, and alone, we cannot solve this problem.
If individuals like Ms. Lloyd would come forward with solutions to the growing housing need, instead of condemning our efforts to sustain our goals, I am sure we as a community would benefit from it. It doesn't take much to condemn the actions of some, but it takes great ambition and intellect to actually try to solve a problem instead of adding to them.
Buffy Kibe, Assistant Director
SHARP Committee, Inc.

Dear Editor,
Our Board of Elections, the Commissioners and office staff, have been giving citizens inaccurate information. They have told several callers concerned about our voting rights that, 1) the whole state must choose the same type of Voting Machine, and 2) that the choice of which machine will replace our faithful lever machines has already been made. In fact, the Hava Bill passed in Albany a month ago (S5877, A9869) distinctly gives the choice of machine to them, to each county's Board of Elections.
My worst fear is that our local Commissioners are just being honest, if a bit indiscreet. My fear is that Ulster County taxpayers will be stuck with the check for a choice that has, in some Albany deal, already been made. You see the Hava Bill also mandates that the Voting Machine Corporations present their machines to the State Board of Elections which then must accept - certify - the choices to be passed on to the county decision makers. True, this has not happened yet, but....
We who have been following the manufacturers' workshops for months know that even those companies that make the cheaper, more accurate, less hackable Optical Scanners have only been pitching their expensive, unreliable, and easily hackable DRE Touchscreeen Machines.
It certainly makes sense from their perspective, as the DRE cost over twice as much and have to be replaced and serviced three times as often. First Miami and now California have rejected millions of dollars worth of DRE machines because of these inadequacies which tripled election costs per polling place and produced an unverifiable, unreadable "paper trail."
One thing for certain. Our Ulster County Legislature and those campaigning for that office should immediately look into this potential boondoggle of all boondoggles. The buck will stop with them and us, not Mr. Castiglione and Mr. Turco. Call and tell them so.
Joan Walker
Woodstock, NY

Dear Editor,
It’s time for us to get out.
This week in my computer mail inbox there were several public announcements from the United States Department of Defense that a total of thirty young men died in Iraq. Their ages ranged from nineteen to forty one. There was no mention of how many were wounded. We hear very little about how many of our young men and women get wounded or how many innocent Iraqi women, men and children have been killed and wounded. Remember shock and awe that kicked off our invasion of Iraq? Almost every day there comes news of young men and women dying in Iraq. After all that’s taken place in Iraq have we got rid of the terrorist? Will we ever get rid of them? As reported there have been over eighteen hundred military men and women killed and over twelve thousand wounded since we invaded Iraq. Many of those that have been wounded will never be the same again. Every evening on a popular TV News program they have a segment they call Fallen Hero’s. As I look at those pictures of those that have died I wonder why, is it worth it and for what. Sunday morning it was reported on TV that there is a woman camped out somewhere in Texas that wants to ask President Bush why her son died and what the noble cause was that he died for is. How many more brave young men and women have to die before we pull out of Iraq?
William Warnecke
Glenford, NY

Dear Editor,
“In this just kingdom, this enlightened age, one does not settle things by violence.” Moliere, 1669
Just after rehearsing these lines for an upcoming production of Tartuffe, I read that the most recent deaths of US Marines in Iraq has brought the total of US dead over 1,800. In order to put that number into context I discovered that the 2000 census data reported the population of the Village of Stamford, New York at 1,265. Doing the math, this means that US casualties in Iraq (where the mission has supposedly been accomplished) have exceeded the population of an entire New York village by more than 42%!
Why then do I sense such apathy, such lack of concern, from my neighbors, family and friends? Have we not a just kingdom? Are we not enlightened? Have we not learned anything since 1669? Why isn’t every American is shouting out in rage against this immoral atrocity, especially our elected representatives. Why must we accept that in war (legal or not) “IT TAKES A VILLAGE!” How many sacrifices must we endure, how many brothers and sisters must fall, before each of us demands an end to this unjust and immoral occupation of a foreign land?
I for one have had enough; I can no longer hold my private rage in silence. I call upon the current administration in Washington, the orchestrators of this crusade for “democracy”, to finally admit their
grave mistakes and apologize to the world for their misguided intentions or face the consequences of removal from power through impeachment! I urge all citizens to join me in this call. Please write or call your representatives and tell them that regime change in the White House is our only chance for global redemption.
We cannot let extreme arrogance send us back to the age of conquest where bloodshed was our only tool for freedom. It will surely be our undoing as terrorists are currently being bred in even greater numbers to counter our ill-conceived attacks. Remember Madrid and London are still mourning, how long do you actually think it will be before mass murderers return to our shores in retaliation? Think hard!
David Turan
Stamford, NY

Dear Editor,
High school teens and their parents: this information is what our government does not want you to know.
In the post 9-11 response, the Bush administration quickly passed a law requiring high schools to turn over all personal information (such as phone and email, grades, extra-curricular activities and sports) about students to the military recruiters, or risk cutting the school's federal aid.
Yet what isn't widely known is that parents do have the right to request their son or daughter's information not be released. And there is a form the schools should send home early in September each year, giving the parents and students the right to "opt-out" of sending such personal information to the military. Did you know that?
These days, every military recruit enlists by signing a "delayed entry contract", reporting for duty a few days to a year in the future. Because manpower shortages are rife, recruiters find there's less "sales resistance" if young people think their reporting date is off somewhere in the future. I think it's easier to agree to something a couple months off in the future; we don't have to think about it now.
It's against official policy for any recruit to be forced onto active duty against their will, but it's often a different story at the recruiting booth where the recruiter's job success depends on fulfilling recruiting quotas and a great deal of pressure is put on young people to "ship" them out. It's common for recruiters to tell enlistees there's no way for them to be released from the DEP contracts, but that is NOT true.
Technically, the "delayed entry program" makes an enrollee part of the Individual Ready Reserves, with no rank, pay or unit assignment. That means in the all-volunteer military, a DEP enrollee is not an active duty GI, not subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice, and not obliged to obey military orders--until the recruit actually reports on their DEP report date for active duty and takes the service oath of allegiance.
Further details are available from Enlist for Peace, a local citizen/parent group (enlistforpeace@aol.com, 679-6970), and Community Concerned About the Military in Our Schools (CCAMOS) (Nick 688-2061). And a counseling group for youth, Alternatives to the Military, meets weekly Thursday nights at 8 N. Manheim Blvd. in New Paltz.
Jane VanDeBogart
Woodstock, NY

Dear Editor,
The Iraq Constitution is to be voted on and ratified as of October, 2005. This grand document is being sponsored, promoted, encouraged and probably written by United States officials; more likely by administration speech writers in Washington, DC. It will be a guide to better living, blessed by the U.S. and will be diametrically and dramatically 180 degrees out of phase with the United States Constitution. We will be endorsing not only religious interference with government authority but the overseeing and enforcement of laws and statutes by the radical clergy. We will countenance women [in most or all provinces] being deprived of the right to vote, the right to work outside of the home, the right to respond to a husband's [perceived] superiority complex, the right to object to a husband's philandering, the right to dress as they wish and the deprivation of all; to select the man she wants to marry, love and share life with. Then we must consider that the Iraqis who have been appointed by our politicians and will more than likely be elected, were in exile for most of Saddam's tenure. They returned as millionaires and now do the bidding of GW and Rumsfeld.
What makes this [Bush] administration think we can impose our system which began as a great experiment and rebellion, on a nation that has thousands of years experience as desert fighters both within their borders and from the outside. Their limited religious sects, the Sunnis and the Shiites celebrate the Moslem tradition along with the Kurds and they can't agree on anything as we do in the U.S. while practicing every Faith on earth. As I inquired in a letter to the Press a few years ago prior to invasion; why are we going there? Now I ask; what are we doing there? Have we halted the agression on the United States by the Iraquis? Have we quelled the terrorists and their ambition to attack not only our troops in Iraq, but to destroy ifrastructure in other countries allied with us?
George W. Bush got it right when he [we] determined that we were assaulted by terrorists financed, inspired and directed by Osama Bin Laden who was supported and encouraged by the Taliban in Afghanistan. (It turns out that Mohammed Atta was identified by US Military Intelligence well before the twin tower attack). Our Armed Forces went to Afghanistan, wiped out the Taliban, installed another government and gained some human rights for all Afghanis. But Osama retreated to a luxurious cave and hasn't been seen nor heard since. Then GW decided that Saddam had to go also. He, along with Rumsfeld launched the march on Baghdad for whatever reason. I think of oil [the Bush family is becoming multi-billionaires] or it was that Saddam thumbed his nose at "the old man". Pick one but forget WMD and terrorists. They showed up some time later from all over the Middle East. Everyone should know that Saddam was not about to host any terrorist interloper or intruder with the end result that Saddam is no longer in charge. Nigeria saw that possibility when Osama was invited to leave that country. So much for terrorism by Iraq. Oh, don't be mistaken; Saddam is not one of my historical heros but he sure maintained order; his order which those folks appreciated and understood. They did have water and electricity; however rationed. At present they have little or none of either.
Now we get to the more important part; the loss of our young men and women. We are no match for guerillas and/or desert fighters. Why did our political leaders and military not recognize the advantage of using Saddam's standing Army following their submission? [Following WWII the allies reinstalled German, Italian, and Japanese police forces to maintain order and protect life and property]. That force of trained indigenous Iraqi troops; knowledgeable in the customs, language and tactics would have changed employers as soon as the order [in the form of a request] was issued. It's a matter of who signs the check. Some "weeding out" would have been appropriate and necessary but the advantages would have been tremendous. Iraqi soldiers would and could relate to the Iraqi people no matter what they had done for the tyrant.
Don't let the talk show talking heads who aren't leading the charge except over the air waves get you off track. These are "armchair Generals" who have never even engaged in a snowball fight. One of our favorites declares that, " if you support our troops, you support the war". He took too many pain pills in his journey through the illegal drug maze. I am not a fan of Cindy Sheehan, the Gold Star Mother who certainly has the right to object to this fiasco, but she was quiet when her son enlisted and I am convinced she has not returned the proceeds from her son's Service Life Insurance policy [$100,000.00] in protest.
The polls indicating a change in support for this debacle remain consistant as regards the veterans who have tasted battle and seen the horrors of war. We [and I include myself] do not lump all wars in the same catagory. WWII was the last "good" war. We responded to a direct attack, we could identify the enemy, we broke things and killed people and those of us still standing [or in a wheelchair] went proudly home and feeling good but with a sadness for the loss of our friends, our comrades in arms. Our efforts in Europe were noble and I need not elaborate on that act of liberation. Germany was fire bombed and Japan got what they deserved; a couple Atom Bombs which ended the war .......and we won!
Glenn T. Anderson
Olivebridge, NY

Dear Editor,
Who said politics couldn't be fun? The Shandaken Democratic Bar B Que was a huge success with overwhelming support from Shandakenites of all political affiliations. Many thanks to all the volunteers, musicians, and everyone who came.
The fun continues with the Shandaken Democratic Committee's Second Sensational Silent Auction at The Arts Upstairs on Main Street in Phoenicia. It's a great opportunity to meet the candidates and bid on amazing items from around the world. Save Saturday September 10th from 7 to 9 PM for a memorable evening at The Arts Upstairs on Main Street in Phoenicia.
If you'd like to get back to the business of your town government representing you go to http://www.shandakendemocrat.org/.
See you in September!
Dave Pillard
Shandaken Democratic Committee

Dear Editor,
I want to thank the registered Democrats of the Town of Shandaken for their support in nominating me as a candidate for Town Justice in the fall election.
Town Justice is not a partisan position. A judge must be fair and impartial to all and treat every person who walks through the door of the Town Court with dignity and courtesy. It's an honor to be nominated for this position, and if elected, I will do my best to be a judge that our Town can be proud of.
Yours truly,
Patricia L. Ellison
Phoenicia, NY

Dear Editor,
I am writing this in response to a letter that I received in my mailbox from my neighbors at South Street and Jay Street. Due to the flood in April I lost my house and most of my contents. Not only did I loose my home I also lost my business which obviously includes my income. I had to remove the content from my home in order to tear up the walls and flooring in order to comply with my insurance. Since the furniture in was not salvageable we put it outside until our insurance settled and we had the money to have everything removed. At this time our insurance company has yet to settle nor has it been determined as to whether we can fix this house or replace it. There fore we have not been given the funds to have anything removed. About one month after the flood we were aware of the garbage outside my house so we paid for a roll off, planning to be able to put all of the furniture in it, that did not work out though, not all of it fit. We decided to wait for a second roll off until we finished tearing up the walls and floors of which we were hoping that the insurance would have settled by then. Weare astonished that the insurance has not yet settled. The process of repairing our house has taken much longer than we expected. Until we are told what needs to happen to our home we are unable to use the insurance money.
Now, I feel that I need to respond to the letter from my neighbors which states: "Please Remove Your Trash from the front of you property - it is an unsightly eyesore and degrades our community and has invited RATS - 2-3 hauls to the dump it all that is needed. Please, please please. Thank you, Your Neighbors"
I am aware as to how my house appears, for when I go to my home it hurts to be there. All my families dreams are with that house and we lost almost everything. Though the state of my property may degrade our community it is due to the flood not me being a slob. Before the flood I always kept my property clean. In regards to your RAT problem you can not blame me, because the health department investigated your complaint and has found that my property is not the cause of your rat problems. As to your comment about the removal of my trash it would take more truck loads than you figure, which brings us back to cost. It is not free for me to bring many truck loads to the dump, here you are talking about the cost of gas to transport the trash, then there are costs for every item that we bring to the dump. Which brings us back to the insurance company. It is funny how the letter is signed with no names, does the people who wrote this letter not want anyone to no that they are coldhearted when a neighbor of theirs is having an extremely hard time - how neighborly they are. I have been fighting with the insurance company and FEMA for four months now so that I can get my house fixed as soon as possible. All I want is to go back home. This situation has been extremely difficult for me and my family, it is nice to know that my neighbors care.
Since all you had had to do is clean your properties and basements and you had the money to do the work your self rather than relying on insurance money you obviously have no idea what my family have been going through. So before you attack and harass me put your self in my shoes. Only then when you have walked in my place should you have a right to condemn me and what we are doing.
Sincerely,
Jessica Ryder
Phoenicia, NY

Dear Editor,
I find it absurd that legislator Robert Aiello of Saugerties feels that he has no conflict in his position as the chairman of the Ulster County personnel and social services committee even though his daughter works for personnel and his wife works for social services.
I recently found that under Aiello's chairmanship, the position of recruitment specialist was created. The position was awarded by the director of personnel to Aiello's daughter. This is the same director that must report to legislator Aiello as chairman of the committee that oversees personnel. First, I am at a loss as to why Ulster County needs a recruitment specialist when many people would give their right arm for a county job with county benefits. Secondly, why don't the surrounding counties have such a position? No conflict here, it is just Aiello's answer to job development for Ulster County.
The director of personnel must report and is answerable to legislator Aiello as the chairman of the respective committee and his daughter works for the director, but he sees no conflict. The commissioner of social services must also report to and is answerable to Aiello as the chairman of the respective committee and his wife works for the commissioner but he sees no conflict. It must be nice to have a dad or spouse as the boss over your boss. You certainly need not worry about taking a long lunch!
Legislator Aiello claimed that the county ethics committee cleared him of any conflict in regard to the above. When I read that, I immediately thought, "What boneheads are on this committee?" I called to find out and lo and behold, legislator Aiello is chairman of the ethics committee. You just can't make this stuff up!
I am at a loss as to why Rich Gerentine, the chairman of the legislature, would appoint legislator Aiello to chair the above-mentioned committees in the first place when such blatant conflicts exist. I further have to wonder why only legislator Donaldson has called attention to this. Are the rest of them afraid legislator Aiello will threaten harm to them as he did to Donaldson? If he threatens legislators in front of the press, what would he resort to if no one else is around?
I certainly hope the voters of Saugerties stand up against this kind of abuse of power come this November.
Vin Perry
Lake Katrine, NY

Dear Editor,
This is to give recognition to the fine and important service performed b y the Ulster Care-A-Van, sponsored by the county Office for the Aging. The first time I went last fall I learned I had abnormally high blood pressure. After my third visit this spring, and still with hypertension and overweight, the nurse/technician, Marge, communicated her concern and advised I see a doctor. Using a book I benefited from before, Fasting, the Ultimate Diet, by Allan Cott, M.D., I began a fast. I changed my eating habits and four months later, the 25 pounds have stayed off and the BP is down to normal.
I've never met anyone locally in the medical profession that knows anything about fasting or supports it. I'm sure they're out there , but I thank Marge, who helped change my life and did not know I fasted until I returned to brag about the results.
The van is just a piece of equipment. It is dedicated and caring people like Marge that make it effective and thanks to Mescal for reminding us of the Van's schedule. Since, at age 72, I have expanded my exercise regimen with a bicycle.
Robert Jacobson
Mount Tremper, NY

Dear Editor,
Is anyone else aggravated about the dead vegetation on the roadsides? Maybe you haven’t noticed because you live here and travel the roads constantly. Take a look; you’ll see exactly what all of the weekenders and tourists see when they come to the Catskills.
Nothing says “welcome to the Catskill Park” like dead, brown, and unkempt roadside vegetation does it? What kind of impression must the tourists get - a sense of a park-like atmosphere?
Sadly enough, the local NYS Department of Transportation regions are doing the best they can with the minimal resources they are allocated each year. They have not been given enough funding to hire enough people, to do the necessary work, or to do it right - at least in my opinion.
I doubt if President Bush’s $286 billion highway bill will bear much fruit locally. It certainly wouldn’t if Governor Pataki was going to be in office, but thankfully that will all change next year. Maybe there is hope.
Some of that money will be spent locally. $2 million will go towards improving uptown streets and pedestrian waterfront walkways in Kingston, and another $1 million to downtown projects in Saugerties. These are great projects and it’s nice to see the region getting some transportation attention at the federal level.
I hope that whomever is elected governor next year will fight for enough funding so that the local DOT regions can not only keep our roads safe, but also scenic. Especially in the Catskill Park and NYC Watershed.
I find it appalling that the highway crews are forced to use herbicides (instead of mowing) around guardrails in order to keep costs down. I suppose it does cost a little more to mow (time, gasoline, and having to go back again) than is does to spray.
What I don’t understand is that highway crews are already out mowing anyway. Where there are no guardrails, it’s mowed, not sprayed. Therefore you’ll see a nice green, mowed section, then an unkempt, brown one, and then another green, mowed section.
I can understand the State wanting to do what is most cost-effective – in most instances. I cannot, however, in the Catskill Park and NYC Watershed. For the most part, the tourists that come to the Catskills all go to many different places and all see many different things – except one. The one thing they all do have in common is that they all travel on the same State road(s) to get here.
I also find it disconcerting in terms of water quality. Due to our narrow valleys, all of our roads are in close proximity to streams. Many of us fish, swim, and tube in these streams, not to mention the 9 million people that drink unfiltered water from them.
I suppose that after all it is not only an aesthetic issue, but a human health and economic issue as well. I hope that our next governor will find a few extra dollars for the Catskill Park, or what our current governor has referred to as “a setting of such unsurpassed beauty”.
Aaron Bennett
Oliverea, NY

Dear Editor,
I've been running a shop on Main Street for almost two years now and I must say that this is a great little town to do business in. Everyone is very friendly and there is just enough tourist traffic to keep business going without overwhelming the town and destroying it's unique character. There is really only one problem with the town, it is way too hot! There are not enough trees to shade the sun and so all the storefronts are baked all day, this is why all the paint peels off the buildings in town. When it is hot during the summer no one wants to come to visit the town in the afternoon because--it is too hot!
There is an easy solution to this problem: plant trees along Main Street. This would make the town more comfortable to shoppers and residents alike and would also beautify the town. Here we are a great little town in the middle of the shady Catskills on the edge of a mountain stream and our town is too hot without enough trees!
Here is a great idea: Plow a strip down the middle of Main Street and install a nice raised bed, fill it up with topsoil and plant a nice shade tree every twenty feet or so. We add some flowers and benches for people to sit on and that's it, the town is transformed for a rather small investment. People will be able to sit on the benches in the shade and enjoy the mountain breeze--instead of running for the shelter of their air conditioned cars to escape the boiling potato baked sidewalks of Phoenicia.
Tim Slowinski
Limner Art Gallery
Phoenicia, NY