Follow Up on the News
During the last town election, in 2001, the Shandaken
Women’s Network held a Meet The Candidates debate that had representatives
from the local press asking questions of candidates for town supervisor
and town council positions. But the event turned sour when the local
Republican candidates refused to appear.
A September 12 letter to town candidates
from the Shandaken Women’s Network announced debates on both October
5 and 19, plus a return of the Press Panel, which would have been
comprised of Brian Hollander, editor of the Woodstock Times, Jay Braman
Jr., reporter for the Kingston Freeman and Catskill Mountain News,
Blake Killen, editor and publisher of the Ulster County Townsman,
and Paul Smart, editor of the Phoenicia Times and Olive Press. All
candidates agreed to attend the two events.
But Goertzel said on Tuesday that this
year’s event will be run as the League of Women’s Voters handle all
such events, with an eye to formal debate and questions from the public.
She said that the press would be invited to attend, but would ask
questions along with the rest of the public.
As for the cancellation of the October
5th event, which was to feature a debate between incumbent
supervisor Pete Di Modica and Republican challenger Bob Cross, Goertzel
said the League chose to hold a single event so as to facilitate its
ability to send a moderator during what she said was an extra busy
debate season this year.
“We tend to do these things the same
every time, Goetzel said. “My main job is to get a moderator. We’re
speaking with two possibilities at the moment but will not announce
until just before the event.”
Some controversy arose when Shandaken
Women’s Network President Kimberly Ramalho says she approached Town
Clerk Laurilyn Frasier about booking the town hall for the two events
and was initially refused. Ramalho says Frasier told her another event
had been planned at another, private site, by the town’s Republican
committee.
Asked about the charges this week,
Frasier said she had no idea about what was being discussed.
“I don’t even know what you’re talking
about,” she said from town offices. “I understand she (Ramalho) is
telling lies all around town about the League of Women Voters being
involved in this when it’s only her women’s network.”
“We were contacted over a week ago
about this,” Goertzel said this week. “It’s all proceeding as it should
be.”
Less
controversial than the mountain biking restrictions but potentially
significant for the long term is the proposed increase by some 53,000
state-owned acres which under the draft plan, would be newly administered
as Wilderness. The newly designated areas would increase the park’s
total Wilderness acreage to 143,000 acres, or 51 percent of the State’s
landholdings within it. Most of the balance of public landholdings
would consist of the slightly-less-restrictively managed “Wild Forest”
lands, 130,000 acres as proposed. As both categories are constitutionally
assured of “forever wild” status, the principal difference is functionally
in the types of recreational uses permitted. Although the Catskill
Park includes portions of 4 counties in its 1,100 square miles, almost
54% of the State’s total landholdings in the Park are here in Ulster
County.
At
present, no restrictions apply to the use of mountain bikes in either
Wilderness or Wild Forest lands. In addition to prohibiting mountain
bikes in Wilderness areas, the new regs would restrict their use in
Wild Forest lands to designated trails generally used for snowmobiling,
horseback riding, and other non-pedestrian use, with the possibility
of some new trails being built in the future, a slow process by way
of DEC’s “unit management” procedures.
DEC’s planned restrictions against
mountain bikes in wilderness areas are not
unusual. Bicycles have
long been prohibited on the state’s Wilderness lands in the Adirondacks,
as well as on all federally managed wilderness lands nationwide. In
fact, our local Wilderness areas appear to be the only ones in the
United States where mountain biking is actually permitted at present,
and this unusual access to the forest preserve has helped to create
a large and growing group of recreational trail bikers.
According to Billy Dentner, who owns
Overlook Mountain Bikes in Woodstock, the new regs however “clearly
skew the usage of the park toward hikers.” Dentner stressed the importance
of established routes such as the Platte Clove and Mink Hollow Trails
to the biking community, saying that all the trails should be open
to bike usage unless specific reasons could be provided to justify
their closure.
Not all the comments heard at Saturday’s
public hearing were negative. A number
of individuals and representatives local hiking groups spoke in favor
of the proposed changes at Saturday’s public hearing, including Jeff
Hoberath of the Catskill 3,500 Club. “The high peaks need serious
protection” he said “if they’re to retain their wilderness character”,
adding that praise for the plan that he’s been hearing is “well deserved”.
Also speaking in support of DEC’s proposed
revisions were Andrew Mason of the Delaware Co. Audobon Society, and
Bob Saturn and Susan Puritz of the Saugerties-based Rip Van Winkle
Hiker’s club, both of whom voiced support for the idea of separate
trails for hiking and biking. A
majority of speakers however, stressed the idea that shared or dual-use
of the trails was working fine, with no reports of conflict or safety
problems, and no evidence of negative ecological impacts from the
bikes. .
Other comments, as from Jeff Sinquily
of Windham, stressed the growing importance of mountain biking to
the Greene County economy, and Ron Rausch of that County’s Soil and
Water Dept also expressed concern about “grave economic considerations”
associated with DEC’s proposed revisions. Similar concerns were shared
by David Slutsky of Hunter who expressed broad opposition to overregulation,
suggesting that “we can regulate the forest preserve out of existence”.
As to why the agency is seeking to
expand landholdings administered as Wilderness at this time, DEC spokesperson
Maureen Wren explained that wilderness lands are managed to provide
a unique kind of experience for the visitor, where one “experiences
the natural environment without mechanical devices and their impacts
changing that experience”. According to Wren, “ It is very rare that
New York State is presented with an opportunity to preserve the large
amount of land needed to meet the wilderness classification…this designation
will help provide future generations with the potential to immerse
themselves in a completely natural environment”.
She also noted that the current proposal
essentially “balances the amount of land classified as wilderness
with the amount classified as wild forest and intensive use”.
Saturday’s public hearing was the last of 4 held throughout the park over a 12-day period. DEC staff are now reviewing and evaluating all public comments received, and will be accepting written comments through November 14. Comments should be addressed to: Peter J. Frank, Bureau Chief, Forest Preserve Management, NYS DEC, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-4254, or by email to: pjfrank@gw.dec.state.ny.us. Copies of the plan are available at www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dlf/publands/cats/cpslmp.html, or at the agency’s regional headquarters in New Paltz and Stamford.
Less controversial than the mountain
biking restrictions but potentially significant for the long term
is the proposed increase by some 53,000 state-owned acres which under
the draft plan, would be newly administered as Wilderness. The newly
designated areas would increase the park’s total Wilderness acreage
to 143,000 acres, or 51 percent of the State’s landholdings within
it. Most of the balance of public landholdings would consist of the
slightly-less-restrictively managed “Wild Forest” lands, 130,000 acres
as proposed. As both categories are constitutionally assured of “forever
wild” status, the principal difference is functionally in the types
of recreational uses permitted. Although the Catskill Park includes
portions of 4 counties in its 1,100 square miles, almost 54% of the
State’s total landholdings in the Park are here in Ulster County.
At
present, no restrictions apply to the use of mountain bikes in either
Wilderness or Wild Forest lands. In addition to prohibiting mountain
bikes in Wilderness areas, the new regs would restrict their use in
Wild Forest lands to designated trails generally used for snowmobiling,
horseback riding, and other non-pedestrian use, with the possibility
of some new trails being built in the future, a slow process by way
of DEC’s “unit management” procedures.
DEC’s planned restrictions against
mountain bikes in wilderness areas are not
unusual. Bicycles have
long been prohibited on the state’s Wilderness lands in the Adirondacks,
as well as on all federally managed wilderness lands nationwide. In
fact, our local Wilderness areas appear to be the only ones in the
United States where mountain biking is actually permitted at present,
and this unusual access to the forest preserve has helped to create
a large and growing group of recreational trail bikers.
According to Billy Dentner, who owns
Overlook Mountain Bikes in Woodstock, the new regs however “clearly
skew the usage of the park toward hikers.” Dentner stressed the importance
of established routes such as the Platte Clove and Mink Hollow Trails
to the biking community, saying that all the trails should be open
to bike usage unless specific reasons could be provided to justify
their closure.
Not all the comments heard at Saturday’s
public hearing were negative. A number
of individuals and representatives local hiking groups spoke in favor
of the proposed changes at Saturday’s public hearing, including Jeff
Hoberath of the Catskill 3,500 Club. “The high peaks need serious
protection” he said “if they’re to retain their wilderness character”,
adding that praise for the plan that he’s been hearing is “well deserved”.
Also speaking in support of DEC’s proposed
revisions were Andrew Mason of the Delaware Co. Audobon Society, and
Bob Saturn and Susan Puritz of the Saugerties-based Rip Van Winkle
Hiker’s club, both of whom voiced support for the idea of separate
trails for hiking and biking. A
majority of speakers however, stressed the idea that shared or dual-use
of the trails was working fine, with no reports of conflict or safety
problems, and no evidence of negative ecological impacts from the
bikes. .
Other comments, as from Jeff Sinquily
of Windham, stressed the growing importance of mountain biking to
the Greene County economy, and Ron Rausch of that County’s Soil and
Water Dept also expressed concern about “grave economic considerations”
associated with DEC’s proposed revisions. Similar concerns were shared
by David Slutsky of Hunter who expressed broad opposition to overregulation,
suggesting that “we can regulate the forest preserve out of existence”.
As to why the agency is seeking to
expand landholdings administered as Wilderness at this time, DEC spokesperson
Maureen Wren explained that wilderness lands are managed to provide
a unique kind of experience for the visitor, where one “experiences
the natural environment without mechanical devices and their impacts
changing that experience”. According to Wren, “ It is very rare that
New York State is presented with an opportunity to preserve the large
amount of land needed to meet the wilderness classification…this designation
will help provide future generations with the potential to immerse
themselves in a completely natural environment”.
She also noted that the current proposal
essentially “balances the amount of land classified as wilderness
with the amount classified as wild forest and intensive use”.
Saturday’s public hearing was the last of 4 held throughout the park over a 12-day period. DEC staff are now reviewing and evaluating all public comments received, and will be accepting written comments through November 14. Comments should be addressed to: Peter J. Frank, Bureau Chief, Forest Preserve Management, NYS DEC, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-4254, or by email to: pjfrank@gw.dec.state.ny.us. Copies of the plan are available at www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dlf/publands/cats/cpslmp.html, or at the agency’s regional headquarters in New Paltz and Stamford.
Mrs. Clerk
When she issues marriage certificates, she gets a vicarious hit from the glowing newlyweds. “And then we have some couples who come in and you’re like why are they getting married?”
Frasier,
who’s originally from Highmount, has lived in Phoenicia for 21 years.
She’s taken an active role in the community as Girl Scout Leader
(trained in aquatic life and troop camp licensed) and has chaired
the American Cancer Society Daffodil Festival for 15 years. She’s
been recognized for her organizational work for the Ride/ Walk /
Run fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. Having an
affinity for modern technology -- or at least acknowledging the
need -- she’s written and recieved thousands of dollars in
government grant money to upgrade the town office record systems.
She’s an avid bicycle rider and has been a long-time advocate
for creating bikepathways in the area -- somewhat of an uphill battle.
She’s raised four kids with her husband Charles and they’re about to celebrate 31 years of being together. The neatly landscaped recreational Glenbrook Park was a joint labor of love for Laurilyn and Charles; she raised $24,000 in grant money and he did the literal groundbreaking in laying out the park.
”We’ve done a lot together,” she says.
Back in the late seventies, when the twins were in the crawling stage, Laurilyn J. West Frasier was working until midnight at the Stucki Embroidery factory in Boiceville. Her husband Charles took on twin duty between his two jobs and caught his sleep where he could. Frasier came home one night to find her hubbie conked out in a chair with one twin slumbering in the crook of his arm. The other twin, Ginger, was wide awake, happy as a clam, covered head to toe in black ink, sitting in a sea of wadded up, spat- out pieces of the newspaper she’d gotten into. Laurilyn and Ginger took a bath together and later on Laurilyn let Charles have it. They survived that and have spent 31 years together.
She says
the key to a strong marriage is “you both have to give between 75
and 100 percent. You have to both be willing to give in. A lot of
people don't want to do that.” Just enjoying each other’s
company helps; they commemorate their annivarsaires with road trips
and sometimes more ambitious vacations, like
a trip to Alaska and one planned for Scotland next year.
Frasier’s parents will be having their 57th anniversary and she’s aware that marriage longevity is no longer the norm.
She’s seen a lot of changes in the world and specifically in this area. ”I used to know everybody on the street. There’s been a big change, particularly since 911, a lot more people have been moving up from the city. Some have mixed well and some have separated the town.”
in with my views -- maybe just offer my ideas on how to make a better life.”
Now
that her kids are grown, with one grandchild and another on the
way (and that twin girl Ginger now serving as her mom’s deputy town
clerk),
Frasier is improving her own life by taking college courses in the
paralegal
field through SUNY Learning Network on the inter-active web.
good homes during a grand “Puppy Day” giveaway. When we left that day after our interview, a beeshing-eyed German Shepherd mix sat in a pen, just hoping for a home. Hint hint. If youþd like to see about adopting him, you know who to talk to.
Just leave your burlap shorts at home.