Letters 5/8/2008

Dear Editor,
It is that time of year when you have a very important decision to make. Who is best qualified to lead your school district and be the steward of your tax dollar?
Three years ago we came to you with a combined 23 years of district involvement, 69 years of business background and 20 to 45 years of district residency and stated that an Onteora Board of Education Trustee should not be afraid to ask and answer tough questions, have common sense, be hands on, communicate with the community, strive to build and create trust, make and utilize policy to guide and determine decisions, and be willing to research all the facts in order to make knowledgeable decisions facing the future of Onteora; even if unpopular. We can no longer afford the luxury of being complacent and reactive. These economic times require experience and proactive thinking.
The past three years have been filled with many changes. Raising student achievement and maximizing fiscal efficiency has been our number one priority.
Our first responsibility three years ago was to learn all about the budget because it directly relates to the resources we can give our students and how your tax dollar is spent. Our most valuable resources are our students and staff. In doing so we learned that most school districts take their current budget and estimate yearly increases and increase the new budget by that amount. Actual expenses were often not reviewed and extra revenue was not projected. We learned that 75% of your tax dollar is going towards salaries and benefits and 18% of that 75% is special education costs.
By analyzing your budget the board was able to overcome these constraints and keep your tax levy increase under 3.89% consistently for the last three years. We are presently working on bringing you a 0% tax levy for the 2008-2009 school year. We have done this by managing the yearly fund balance efficiently. At the same time we have setup capital reserves and utilized the budgetary process to prioritize much needed repairs in our aging facilities, increased budget line items for student technology, textbooks and staff development. Reviewing actual expenses, establishing our student’s needs and prioritizing our building repairs NOW determine the budget. Our three years experience of budget building is a valuable asset for future budgets to come, especially in a time of much needed change.
Circumstances are changing for Onteora. The Onteora School District is facing many issues, declining enrollment, aging facilities, lack of technology, highest cost per student in Ulster County, three union contract negotiations, and the impact of retiree benefit liability, all within the second largest geographic district in New York State.
Declining enrollment and inefficient use of our buildings and staff will not allow us to manage the cost per student efficiently in the future and keep our tax levy low if change does not occur.
The reality is that by the year 2014 our projected enrollment will be approximately 1400 students district wide. Our grade configuration will look like this, 480 students in k-4, 446 students in 5-8 and 494 students in 9-12. Our incoming kindergarten class is now at approx. 100 students district wide when in the past 10 years they were approx. 180 students. This new grade configuration establishes healthy population at each level to justify the expenditures for new and exciting programs and extracurricular activities for our students to maximize their educational experience.
In 2005, an educational initiative was introduced as the Onteora Middle School Steering Committee recommended a 5-8 educational grade configuration to maximize the learning potential of students, align the students developmentally, socially and emotionally, create a separate middle school with an increased number of grades, while aligning curriculum in a way that made the most sense for students/teachers on a k-12 basis and the New York State standards. This concept would create opportunity for enhanced elective programs in all grade levels throughout the district, such as foreign language for 5th graders and maintain quality extracurricular activities like music and sports. Declining enrollment was not a focal point but three years later utilizing our demographers projections, declining enrollment also aligns with this model and the fiscal realities we are now facing. The declining student population is also evident in our town recreation sports programs. Our town sports programs are merging to support healthy team population, competition and to keep the programs alive. The same philosophy is true for our school district.
During this four-year process the Board of Education has reached out through newsletters, community forums, board presentations, outside consultants’ reports, and the staff and administrators to inform parents of this educational model and the great educational opportunities for our students.
This board of education is now faced with decisions such as what buildings to use, how to update our aging facilities and where we put our students. The reality is we inherited old buildings that we are repairing on emergency basis. This reactive approach of repairing our buildings one emergency at a time does not qualify for state aid costing the taxpayer the full amount of the repair. The newspapers keep printing 70M-80M for a bond. However, with strategic 3-5 year planning we have the opportunity to revitalize the district’s buildings and grounds, create healthy student populations, which allows us to use our resources and staff to full potential.
The plan we want to bring to you is long term planning that will best utilize our buildings and staff and maximize the 31-41% state aid reimbursement. In addition, a 2.3 million dollar yearly cost savings from consolidation would cover the cost of a 44.9 million dollar bond for facilities renovations and technology upgrades. The bond project costs managed properly would have a minimal tax impact, be presented in late fall/winter of 2008 in detail, and requires your approval. (We do not support a 70 – 80 MILLION-DOLLAR tax impact.
The state of the economy is weighing heavy on our district and there is no end in sight for rising taxes, gas and oil prices. Making our district more efficient is not a luxury but a necessity.
The reality is our district is changing and while change can create uncertainty it can create opportunity to bring Onteora into the 21 century by giving our students the skills they need to compete in this global economy.
The present board of education knows the past, is living in the present and wants to help you get through the change to the future. Give us the opportunity to complete the work of the last three years. We are excited about the opportunity to continue our work for all students with quality educational programming offering more choices, and revitalizing our old buildings at the end of their useful life with a minimum tax impact to taxpayers through responsible short and long term fiscal planning. We are not afraid of tough questions or decisions and can navigate with you through this transitional process. We are asking for your patience, trust and vote on May 20, 2008.
Thank you,
Mary Jane Bernholz
Cindy O’Connor
Rita Vanacore
Olive, NY

Dear Editor,
"Most folks can withstand adversity. If you want to know the true character of a person, give them power." - Abraham Lincoln
The power to affect the future of thousands of children, the quality of life of tens of thousands of taxpayers, and the expenditure of many millions of dollars has revealed Onteora School Board incumbents Burnholz, O’Connor and Vanacore as less than candid.
The incumbents tried to pass off their Budget Advisory Committee as “concerned, unbiased citizens.” In truth, the committee consists almost entirely of their fellow Olive-residing friends. One of these friends just got hired by the Board Of Education in a well-paying job. That is corrupt.
Not surprisingly, when the incumbents and their cronies talk about cutting costs, it is to teachers' salaries, arts programs, and entire school buildings, not to well paid administrative positions. That is shady.
The incumbents claim “99 % of teachers” are behind their consolidation plan. That is untrue.
By the time you read this, Phoenicia Elementary will have been “officially” chosen as the first to be axed. If the incumbents win, Woodstock will follow. Bennett - the school that is in the incumbents' neighborhood - is in the clear. This is suspicious.
Onteora families had been led to believe that a free-standing 5-through-8 Middle School in the current Bennett Elementary building was a real possibility. Just last week, it was revealed that the only way to get state aid (read “no local tax dollars”) was to cram grades 5-through-12 into the existing Middle School/High School building and crowd buses with 10-year-olds and 18-year-olds. So the Board decided to do that. And they had the audacity to try to make it seem like they “only just figured that out.” We were misled.
Why should any of this be a surprise? The steam by which the incumbents were elected came not from a desire to improve Onteora’s reputation, but from a deep-seated resentment over what they believed was unfair taxation.
In contrast to the incumbents, Flayhan, Legnini, McGillicuddy and Osmond - the Fab Four - all have children in the Onteora School System. The incumbents cannot make that claim. The Fab Four have deep faith that Onteora can and will be a beacon to families looking for quality education for their kids, and they will make sound, responsible decisions that will satisfy taxpayers district-wide. Not least of all, they will be truthful, transparent and respectful to everyone. And they won’t close your neighborhood school.
Vote Flayhan, Legnini, McGillicuddy and Osmond on May 20th.
Robert Burke Warren
Phoenicia, NY

Dear Editor,
This letter is to provide some of the good news included in the proposed 2008-09 budget for Onteora Central School District. We have just concluded addressing each Town Board with a brief overview of the overall budget, revenue factors, additional issues, and tax levy.
I am pleased to tell you that the recommended budget of $48,215,077 represents, at 3.08%, the lowest budget-to-budget increase in the county. This level of fiscal responsibility also manages to maintain programs, existing staff, address facility needs and safety issues. It also aligns with the Board’s goals to promote student achievement, support professional development and curriculum planning, encourage the use of technology to enhance instruction, and continue to improve facilities with a “green” emphasis.
Here are a few brief highlights of programs and services that will occur next year with budget support:
Training and implementation for a new student information system;
Facility improvement including locker replacement, asbestos abatement, and water and oil separation for drainage at the bus garage;
Continuation of curriculum initiatives such as the Teachers College reading and writing training, the District Math Initiative, contracted services with artists in residence, and field trips;
Improvement of secondary school culture with the addition of clubs and electives;
Additional classroom technology, such as Smart Boards, for student use.
All this will be accomplished with no increase in the tax levy. The Board will continue its commitment to fiscal responsibility through applying the fund balance toward the levy.
The passing of this budget does not relate to the future vote for a bond to modernize buildings in the district. There is no school closing in 2008-09 anticipated in this budget. .
Additional issues: This year brings three additional issues for voters to decide. Only one issue will require taxpayer contributions.
1. Spending Capital Reserve Funds: The Board requires permission to spend the monies already reserved in the Capital Reserve. These funds would be used to repair sections of the MS/HS roof that are out of warranty, and help to upgrade the technology infrastructure in the MS/HS. No additional funds required.
2. Repair Reserve: Funds saved for the Olive and Hurley tax certiorari would be transferred to a Repair reserve to continue the repairs identified by the Facility Committee. No additional funds required. This reserve would not be approved in a contingent budget.
3. Bus Purchase- The proposal is to purchase two buses on our refreshment schedule. One of our buses must be retired this year; another will be removed from regular runs. This purchase would be bonded over five years and would be eligible for state aid.
4. Purchase of Vehicles: In the replacement schedule, we are proposing the purchase of two buses. One bus will be retired this year, as it is beyond its usable life. A second bus will be removed from regular runs and used as a replacement vehicle for service and repairs.
We appreciate the thoughtful review of these issues by all community members, and urge you to exercise your Democratic right to vote May 20th.
Leslie G. Ford, Superintendent
Onteora School District

Dear Editor,
Hello, my name is Ann McGillicuddy. My husband and I live in the town of Shandaken with our 3 children, our dog and our chickens! We moved from Kingston 6 years ago, to phoenicia to raise our kids. One of the main draws to this area was the community elementary school. I have heard this same fact over and over from parents in Shandaken, Olive and Woodstock since we bought our home here. Schools bring families to communities. We have many friends in the 6 towns that make up our school district, and I know that ALL of our community elementary schools are important and vital to each community ~ for the children, the parents, the residents without children, retired folks and the businesses.
As well as the educational advantages and benefits that our community schools give to our children; they provide a vital socio-economic stability to each of our towns. If a school closes, the health of the town will be directly impacted; this will set the tone for the future growth of our schools and our towns; they are intertwined. Property values will decline, families with children will not move here, and ALL of our futures will compromised.
I am running in a united block, with 3 other parents from different towns for a broader representation on the school board. Our slate is a grassroots effort to give a voice to the residents across this 300 sm district who do NOT believe that Consolidation is a solution . 300 SM of Transportation costs will rise; full classrooms will directly impact education; parental involvement will surely decline due to these rising fuel costs/driving time and so will students‘ after school activity participation. ALL the students’ Quality of education will be affected by these factors. I have heard widespread dissent of the closure of another school and housing 5-8 grades in the CURRENT ms building.
How many times in your life has an elder, teacher, community member, another parent made a positive impact on you ? Our towns and hamlets are inhabited by intelligent, creative hardworking people. We CAN all work together to build up our schools and communities, and our entire onteora community as a whole. (ex: we could bring children together with their elders: programs to incorporate the elder citizens in our communities; reading, education of the areas rich history). Our children are the future workers, parents, educators, and leaders of our own communities and our country. Just as we are, they are a reflection of our greater society. We must all support each other in a positive, nurturing community and work to keep our schools and our communities, open and thriving. In this way all of us will benefit. If given the opportunity to serve, I know my running mates and I will work hard to find alternative solutions.
Exercise your right ; get out & vote on May 20.
Ann McGillicuddy
Phoenicia, NY

Dear Editor,
I am working hard to support a family of four in a modest house in West Shokan. I've lived in Olive for 9 years, and in this school district for almost 3 decades. The reputation of our schools is not good right now. It has not been for awhile. We are losing hundreds of kids to private and home school programs. Administrative and teacher moral is low. Many folks in the community are looking at the schools as a problematic thorn in their life. It should be different. It could be different. I want to change it. I am not going to type out paragraphs of facts and figures on this page. I'm sure there will be enough of that in this paper already. But I will speak in detail on the phone, via email or over a cup of coffee with anyone who wants to get in touch with me.
I live in Olive, and I love it here. Mary Jane, Cindy & Rita rose to the occasion to defeat the Large Parcel and they did that for everyone in Olive. The town is grateful for their commitment. I have the utmost respect for all three of them. They have been smart, diligent, and dedicated trustees, who contributed hours upon hours of their time to a demanding job which does not pay a salary. But the Large Parcel Issue is now a non-issue. Gone just like the supervisors in the other towns who initially pressed the issue. Time to move on. There is no more reason of any sort for people from ANY of the four town to perceive this as a Woodstock/Shandaken/ West Hurley vs Olive election. This is not what this election is about. That is not what we are about as as candidates. The four of us are running against the incumbents strictly because we philosophically disagree with the direction they are taking the school district. I met with Olive Matters to explain this all to their members, and though we disagree, we expressed our mutual respect for each other and wished each other good luck.
Vote for all four of us - Ralph Legnini / Laurie Osmond / Ann McGillicuddy / Donna Flayhan - as a block of candidates, and we will constitute the majority vote on the new Onteora School Board of Trustees. There is more than only ONE solution to the complex problems in our school district!
Let's not be four little divided towns. This is the United States Of America. One state without the other 49 does not make for a vibrant country. One of our towns without the other three does not make for an awesome school district. Mediocrity is not a goal to aspire to, or to settle for. We need great schools to inspire our kids, and we as adults need to set an example to all of those young minds - OUR children that we will send out into the world, after raising them in OUR towns - that grownups can resolve issues, rise above it all, and work together to accomplish great things that are not attainable by individual contingents! Taxpayers need to get their money's worth and ALL taxpayers - with or without children - should have a school they can feel proud of. A school that shines in the community. A school that displays the greatness of all the folks that have lived here their whole lives. A school that attracts new families and new business - into the community and the local economy. For ALL of us - because EVERYONE matters.
Ralph Legnini
West Shokan, NY

Dear Editor,
The three incumbents running for re-election to the Onteora School Board have presented themselves as the Taxpayer’s Candidates and the friends of Olive citizens because they all reside in Olive and are backed by Olive Matters.
Let’s look at the actual record just over the past year and see if their actions speak louder than their words.
In the area of increases in Administrative positions and salaries, the School Board voted to renew Superintendent Dr. Leslie Ford’s contract for another three years (she makes $155,000 per year plus benefits and perks), to create a new Vice Superintendent position with a $40,000 dollar a year raise, and /they voted to give that person tenure just last month.
They also created a new Director of Transportation position (fired the head bus driver-- so got rid of the local man who new the roads, kept our routes logical, our kids safe, and made a working person’s salary). The new Director of Transportation makes $70,000 per year plus benefits
and perks and has put our children in harm’s way.
What has the new Director of Transportation done? Well he said he could
save us all money by no longer stopping to pick up teens in Olive to take them to Onteora High School—just a quick dash across Route 28. The bus still passes these students, but it can’t stop to pick them up. That’s not saving money, that’s putting children in unsafe situations. He created separate buses for special education children (why no one knows, nor have the incumbents asked), so that MORE buses are on the road with fewer students. And he told the bus drivers to “drive safe” as he sent them on the roads in late February-several buses slid off of the roads.
Actions do speak louder than words, the incumbents act like they have
all of Olive in their back pockets because they call themselves the taxpayer’s candidates while they make transportation less safe and increase administrative costs, positions, and salaries. They must think we are all stupid, but we are not, we just aren’t expecting to be lied to.
Take action on May 20^th , Vote for Flayhan (Woodstock), Legnini (Olive), McGillicuddy (Shandaken), and Osmond (Woodstock). The three incumbents say they are for Olive because they are from Olive, but they are for Administrative Costs rising and transportation costs and dangers increasing.
Donna Flayhan
Shady, NY

Dear Editor,
Four candidates, running as a bloc for the Onteora School Board, are calling for a morally and fiscally irresponsible moratorium on the 5-8 MS configuration and bond proposals, and demanding all three elementary schools remain open.
If elected and a moratorium on the consolidation and the bond happens and all schools remain open, state aid will be DECREASED because the State Education Department will not fund unused or half used classrooms, which we now have. Has this bloc of four calculated how much state aid will be lost for art and music programs with their moratorium? How is this supporting quality education, and how is it morally and fiscally responsible?
Any significant increase in taxes to make up for decreased state aid would cause the defeat of the school budget and put a contingency budget in place, which would take away the ability to buy sports equipment, fix the roofs, buy desks, chairs, TV’s, pave the parking lot, . . .. High school students are sitting on the floor and windowsills of the overcrowded cafeteria eating lunch while brown water drips from the ceiling into a huge garbage pail of sludgy water. Letting this go on is morally and fiscally wrong and definitely not in the best interest of the students.
To repair the schools will cost $40 million. If we don’t bond, where will the money come from? The bond is like a home equity loan. You pay on what you use, not the total amount bonded. Closing a school would net a $2 million savings which would be applied to repaying the bond, and so could the $84,000 it costs to heat and light one elementary school. We can rid ourselves of this extravagance by consolidation. There is about 31 to 41% state aid available for the consolidation project. But that is a limited window of opportunity and would be lost by implementing a moratorium.
Of the $25,000 it costs to educate a student at Onteora (the highest in several counties), $19,000 goes directly for salaries and benefits. How does this bloc foresee curtailing the escalating salary and benefit packages, and how will they fill half empty school buses, lower fuel and repair costs without consolidating the schools? How can they complain of a ten minute extra ride from Phoenicia to Bennett, when students from Samsonville are on the bus for an hour and fifteen minutes one-way?
And are we to ignore the advice of paid researchers, architects, and volunteer committees, and lose the money and man hours spent over the last four years to favor a few parents with a personal agenda who don’t want their 5-6th grader mingling with older students? What about the parents who don’t want hormone driven 5-6th graders in with their kindergarten children?
Perhaps this bloc of four are in financially secure positions that no matter how high the taxes go they can afford to pay them. Many in this school district cannot. It is not fiscally or morally responsible to ask that someone sell their home and move away, so that a school can remain open.
I appeal to families and seniors who are having difficulty paying their bills, buying groceries and medicines, paying for gasoline, paying their taxes, to re-elect Rita Vanacore, Mary Jane Bernholtz, and Cindy O’Connor. They have been working very hard and have proven they are fiscally responsible by coming up with a 0% increased tax levy this year to help you stay in your home. They have a plan to maximize state aid to the OSD and provide quality education for the students of the entire district. They are the Taxpayers Candidates.
Judith Boggess
Shokan, NY

Dear Editor,
I am glad that Mr. Smart had the chance to interview Judith Boggess of "Olive matters". If anyone ever had any doubt as to what this group's goals are, those doubts were made clear with appalling clarity. I find it astonishing that Mrs. Boggess spoke with derision about such worthy goals as "quality of education". Clearly, she’s not thinking about our kids...
What can be more important than the quality of education that our children receive? Mrs. Boggess points out that her group did not care which school closed as long as one did.
While it may not matter to “Olive Matters” which school closes, it matters to Phoenicia, Woodstock & West Hurley. Perhaps Mrs. Boggess and her group will get behind a plan to close Bennett, since it "doesn't matter" to them. Somehow, I don't think Mrs. Boggess will do that. Another school closing is not the only issue, since it was made clear at the last OSD Board meeting that the "vision" seems to be no community schools at all...with all the kids on one central campus.
The stated reason for wanting or needing to close yet another community school is supposedly economics. Yet, how much did our taxes go down after the closure of West Hurley? Astonishingly, the numbers seem to indicate that the taxes did not go down at all! Is the closure of other community schools designed to cut costs over the long run, or is this a move to help fund a move towards a centralized campus? Will the end result be such a centralized campus and no savings to the tax payers at all? So far, that's how it looks.
Will we need to lose other programs, like Indie, to fund such a migration out of the communities? And don't let anyone fool you into thinking that Indie is just moving from it's building to within the HS with no other changes. As present, the plan seems to turn a multi-year alternative education program into a Senior year elective. When put that way, it is easy to see how we save 150,000 dollars. We save that money by reducing the educational options for our kids.
We all know it is important to be cost conscious and fiscally responsible. But simply shifting expenses from one configuration to another while not saving taxpayers anything is nothing more than an elaborate shell game.
So it seems as if it doesn't matter which school closes next... because they'll be closing the next one before too long. Closing the community schools will have a VERY large impact on the community.
Mrs. Boggess makes clear that her group and the candidates which they support are "more interested in pure economics". The education of our children is not JUST about a sterile bottom line. It is ALSO about creating a creative, nurturing environment where children are encouraged to learn and to interact with their teachers and friends. It is about being part of a community where learning is encouraged. We got a glimpse of the vision of the future the other night, with one central campus being the goal. Is that the future we want for our schools? Do we want longer bus rides and fewer educational options for our kids?
Mrs. Boggess seems to think that “Olive Matters” most. Well, Shandaken, Woodstock & West Hurley matter too. But more importantly, our kids matter. So, if kids matter to you, then vote for Donna Flayhan, Ralph Legnini, Ann McGillicuddy & Laurie Osmond on May 20th.
Tom Hickey
Oliverea, NY

Dear Editor,
It’s my impression that many voters in the area are confusing two distinct issues with regard to the upcoming school board election.
The Bond to consolidate the elementary schools and create a 5-8 middle school doesn't come up for a vote until January '09. Thus, it’s separate from the immediate question of which people are best qualified to lead the school district.
Those who oppose consolidation could work AFTER the school board election to gain support to vote the bond down in the new year. Should the bond be defeated, the board and administration would then have received a clear mandate to re-think the consolidation. Such a “no” vote in January would effectively create the moratorium some candidates are seeking now.
At this time, there is no need to exchange the current school board for people who are not well versed in the many issues facing the district. My suggestions: 1) vote “yes” on the budget, which reflects an 0% increased tax levy, the lowest ever presented to the voters, and 2) vote to re-elect those who’ve worked hard to make this happen. Vote to retain Rita Vanacore, Mary Jane Bernholz, and Cindy O'Conner on the board. And if a moratorium on consolidation is so strongly desired, vote to defeat the bond in January.
Danielle Woerner
Shokan, NY

Dear Editor,
An e-mail letter from Judith Boggess, dated May 1, which claims to speak for Olive Matters and appears intended for publication, is doing the rounds. It is designed to “divide and conquer” - so let me note first, before I respond, that the slate of candidates that opposes the current Incumbents includes a proud Olive resident, Ralph Legnini. Everyone I know has friends in every town through the District. All our middle school and high school children go to school in the town of Olive, and no doubt local businesses (and town taxpayers) benefit from this. We who support Ralph, Donna, Ann and Laurie will not be provoked into attacking the good people of Olive.
The letter uses the same backward logic as has been practiced and perfected by the incumbents over the last three years. So let’s be clear. State Aid will not be “decreased” if there is a moratorium on the Grades 5-8 Middle School. The State Aid only exists if a Grades 5-8 Middle School is created; that State Aid is then maximized if said school goes on the current MS/HS footprint. Why? To quote KSQ Architects, because it “creates larger student population that exceeds minimum threshold.” In other words, it causes “overcrowding.” So we are going to close a school to build a school to overcrowd our children – just because we get State Aid?
Ms. Boggess suggests that if taxes are increased, a future budget will be voted down. Firstly, nobody I know wants to see taxes go up, just as nobody wants to see them wasted on unwieldy and unpopular projects. Secondly, most people understand the damage caused to our children by voting down a budget. To acknowledge that damage, and then to advocate for it, says much about someone’s philosophy. I’d like to believe that most people in Onteora don’t behave that way.
The projected financial balance between the closure of one school and the building of another is, at best, wishful thinking. Fuel costs are rising, costs of materials keep rising. Who can seriously guarantee that the new building would come in on budget? Think of the Ulster County Jail. And consider that this proposal will involve firing teachers and other staff who live, work and pay taxes in our community - while the new building costs will present the prospect of large profits to contractors who may or may not be part of the District tax base. And that’s not to mention the irreparable damage done to the community (including all-important property values) that loses a school.
Donna Flayhan, Laurie Osmond, Ann McGillicuddy and Ralph Legnini are all hard-working members of the community. They have made themselves readily available for discussion and conversation, to the point of publicly printing their e-mail addresses. I have found them happy to talk about their work, their families, their children and their involvement in the community as a whole, with anyone interested in a civil discussion about the future of our schools. I encourage people to vote for them on May 20,and to visit www.saveouronteoraschools.com to learn more about the issues.
Tony Fletcher
Mt Tremper, NY

Dear Editor,
I have been reading and listening to the various 'players' in the coming school board election trying, through all of the verbiage, to see the real important issues. On April 16, I had the opportunity to sit with Ralph Legnini, Cindy O'Connor, Mary Jane Bernholz and Rita Vanacore [with several others present] and listen to a friendly, but spirited conversation. This experience, along with what has appeared in various local newspapers has given me some insights and I am beginning to see what might be the most basic issue involved in the election in the next few weeks. What seems clear to me is that there is a rather fundamental distinction between the two 'slates' of candidates and it can be simplified into "Emotion vs. Reason." Like any such phrase, this is a bit of oversimplification. However, it is a very strong component in this contest.
First let me say that, as a psychotherapist for 35 years, I am all in favor of emotion and reason. I have spent years helping people be much more comfortable with their emotions and much more 'conversant' with their true reasoning functions. Both are vital human functions. In principle, they should work well together and support each other to make us much more human and humane. This is especially true when it comes to dealing with our children and their true needs. Many problems come quickly to the fore when we try to set them against each other rather than see them as complimentary. Equally problematic is the idea of choosing one to the exclusion of the other. This will never work! No human can do that successfully for very long. Especially with our emotions, they often 'go underground' and influence our reason without our knowledge.
OK, OK, what has this to do with the election? My take on the focus of Mr. Legnini, a very intelligent and articulate advocate for his position, is that he and the others on his slate are letting their emotional attachment to the Phoenicia school [which is totally understandable] and emotional fear of the bonding issue to 'scuttle' their reason and have not really done their homework as to the subtleties involved in this very complex situation. It was clear to me that Mr. Legnini was very short on a lot of the factors involved in the school boards plans and the research behind these proposals.
On the other hand, Mss. O'Connor, Bernholz and Vanacore are leaning a bit too much on their reasoning faculties [which are very good so it is understandable] without addressing adequately the deeply held emotions at play. They need to show a bit more passion in public for the vision that they have drawn up [with great care and sensitivity to the effects on the children affected] after the massive numbers of hours and years and miles of travel that went into their research.
I have no doubt that Mr. Legnini and the others on his 'slate' have the ability to do the research and the thinking, but they haven't yet done that and are letting their passion dismiss the deep work that the school board has done. And I have seen the passion and deep caring that the 'other slate' has brought to their work. I am impressed with courage they have shown in putting out such a controversial set of proposals. Proposals that their research has led them to believe that the district has little other choice but to bight the bullet and face the fact that there just are not, and will not be in the foreseeable future, enough children to support Three elementary schools in the Onteora district. The longer we wait, the more the pain in facing the changes needed.
As with any change, we are creatures of habit and find it jolting. It is natural to try to resist from an emotional place even if our reason [assuming we use it to become fully informed] tells us differently. The Onteora school system faces just such a situation now. There is an immense amount of 'deferred maintenance' on the building which are threatening the structures and will get more and more expensive the longer major work is delayed. The school age population is on a long term decline and there is a strong need to 'downsize' or we will see our school taxes continue to soar at the same time as the number of children in the system declines. This is an unsustainable situation for very much longer! An elementary school will have to close! There is no way around it if we are fiscally responsible.
As to the 5-8 middle school plan. I must take my own advice here and say that I am not well informed on that issue, but the little I do know points to the rightness of this decision. It is recommended by the State Department of Education and is widely used in other school districts.
Last point [for now]. Many of you will recognize that I am an Olive resident and have been active and partisan in the Large Parcel debate. That issue is no longer on the table as Mr. Legnini and friends have stated that they are against activating the LP as are almost all of the other candidates. I am not plunking down on the side of the incumbent candidates just because they are from Olive [in fact Mr. Legnini is an Olive resident as well], but because I believe that their plan is the most financially viable one and faces the reality that dramatic changes are absolutely necessary for the stability of our school taxes. Closing an elementary school and doing the fundamental maintenance on the buildings are absolutely necessary for that stability.
Jac Conaway
Olivebridge, NY

Dear Editor,
The Community-Based School Group (CBSG) was formed to promote action and planning to prevent the closing of another school in the Onteora Central School District, and to study all reasonable alternatives and solutions, including the possibility of district reorganization (cbschoolgroup.blogspot.com). The premise for CBSG's initiative is that all communities within the Onteora Central School District value their local schools, and share a common desire to keep them open.
Because the Onteora Central School District board has signaled intention to close one more elementary school and to seek expensive bonding authority to reduce the school facilities in the Onteora Central School District and to implement an extremely unpopular and questionable 5-8 middle school plan, we believe urgent action is necessary to allow study of reasonable alternatives to keep our schools open.
We believe the drastic action of closing a school to be treatment of a symptom rather than prescription of a cure (Onteora Central School District cites declining enrollment projections and increase in expense projections), and that community-based education is being dismantled through the Onteora Central School District board's plan and proposed actions.
Local schools are the very cornerstone of local economies. The strong link and direct benefits to a community from it's local school is significant and uncontroverted. Closing another school will have predictable and severe educational and economic consequences for all of us.
Fresh perspectives and solutions are needed now to keep our community-based schools open, operating and thriving. We urge you to support our efforts by joining in a request that your town boards and supervisors communicate with appropriate state and local officials with a request for study of all alternatives, including district reorganization, and in requesting that the Onteora Central School District board place a moratorium on any further 5-8 middle school planning or bonding initiatives until the study is completed.
The future ability to provide quality education, increased strength of community and growth in our local economies and school populations throughout the Onteora Central School District all depend upon the continued existence of thriving local schools. Please do all you can to help us save our schools!
Finally, four (4) school board seats are open for election on May 20, 2008, and we urge all to vote, and to help get out the vote, on May 20, 2008!
Trip Ingalsbe/CBSG
West Hurley, NY

Dear Editor,
Friday night, many in our community came out to enjoy fellowship and square dancing and lots of cool Western gear at the annual Phoenicia School Western Day gathering. I cried when I got home to read in the paper and hear from a Meet the Candidates forum that Phoenicia School has been named by members of the incumbent school board as being on the chopping block. The education our son has received there for the past 5 years has been superb, and judging by the very high national test scores that he and other Phoenicia students have received (making it among the top ranking elementary schools performance-wise in NY), he is not alone. The small class sizes has been deemed a "problem" by some current school board members; instead of enhancing the education experience, that says to me that in their opinion quality education is not as important as getting the most bang for the buck. Our family and many others moved to Phoenicia specifically so that our children could go to Phoenicia School. I daresay that this trend will not continue if our beloved school is shuttered.There is no replacement for our community school--and it would be a severe economic and cultural loss to our town should Phoenicia School close.
I urge all Shandaken residents to PLEASE get out and vote on May 20 for Flayhan, Legnini, McGillicuddy, & Osmond--the candidates who vow to keep Phoenicia School (as well as the other 2 elementary schools) open. They want to prevent the loss of our children's quality education, jobs performed by devoted teachers and support staff, and community gatherings such as the annual Flag Day ceremony & the aforementioned Western Day, among other events that bring together people of all ages in our town.
Holly George-Warren
Phoenicia, NY

Dear Editor, Hi, my name is Suzy Boulay and I am the daughter of Donna Flayhan. I am 9 years old. There are three issues that worry me if the plans of this School Board go through. The 1st issue I would like to address is the 5-8 Middle school decision. But first I would just like to say that it will not be grades 5-8 but grades 5-12 and one bus. That’s scary. If I was getting on that bus I would be terrified and there would be so many things that I did not need to know. And if I was forced to do that I would have to move to a private school, but we can’t really afford that. Many of my best friends would be lost and many good community members would leave. My 2nd issue is that an elementary school will be closed. If they close 1 school to make it a 5-8. Our school district will have a huge gap to cover it they may try to reopen West Hurley and when they don’t have enough money there will only be two over crowded elementary school and one 5-12. My 3rd issue is that when we have our 2 elementary schools they will both be over crowded. When I was in kindergarten at Woodstock it was the year West Hurley was closed. So we had 25 students and everyone was squished together. I asked my friends Faith and Greta about how it was Faith remembered that we couldn’t even fit on the carpet. Greta remembered getting left behind. My sister’s Kindergarten class had 21 students at Phoenicia this year, with no aid because they were cut from the budget, the teacher was going on maternity leave and 1 boy only spoke Spanish and 1 boy only spoke Chinese. I talked to one of the kid’s moms she said that her daughter was just left behind. The legal limit to be over crowded is 23, but overcrowded means when kids are left behind really. But if you elect Donna Flayhan, Ralph Legnini, Ann McGillicuddy and Laurie Osmond none of that will happened. But if you vote for the incumbents all of that will.Vote May 20th Save our schools! Suzy Boulay Shady, NY

Dear Editor.
The up-coming Onteora school budget vote is just around the corner. Voting will take place on May 20, 2008. This year’s budget reflects the hard work that the present board members started to work on back in 2005. Anyone that’s worked on a budget understands that it takes long range planning to reduce spending without affecting, in this case, the ability of our students to learn. That’s exactly what this board of education has done for the past three years. Board President Mary Jane Bernholz, Vice President Cindy O’Connor and Rita Vanacore were elected in the 2005 election. Onteora’s tax levy increase this year is a remarkable 1.09 percent. I’ve never seen any school district’s tax levy increase that low. The board continues their effort to bring the tax levy increase down to a zero percent tax levy increase. That’s right, a zero percent tax levy increase.
This year there are eight candidates running for four seats on the board. Board President, Mary Jane Bernholz, Vice President Cindy O’Connor and Rita Vanacore are the incumbents and are running as a block.
Ann McGillycuddy, Laurie Osmond, Ralph Legnini, Donna Flayhan are the other candidates that are also running as a block. Adam Pollack is the other candidate. The candidates running as a block believe that community elementary schools with smaller classrooms are important and they do not support closing one elementary school nor do they support the new middle school configuration. Evidently they are not concerned about people in this district that’s struggling to pay their taxes, the $42,000.00 cost per student in a few years, the $2, 300.000.00 savings to the district if the board decides to close a school and how the gas prices and everything we buy is effecting every day life of people living in this district. They must not be concerned about receiving 31-41 % in state aid reimbursement if the board decides to put the Middle School in the existing space with a separation from the high school. It doesn’t sound like this group of people running for a seat on the Board of Education has thought things out very clearly. You don’t have to be a Rhodes Scholar to know what they will do if elected.
To throw out the three incumbents would be a travesty. It took the present board members three years to get to where we are today. Any new members would have to start all over again and that would affect the district for years.
William Warnecke
Glenford, NY

Dear Editor,
As a parent and community member, as well as a rational and open-minded 40-year old woman with a long professional history in both journalism and PR, I am shocked, sickened and downright disgusted after the April 23 Board of Education meeting, at which time, through an insulting and backhanded presentation, we learned that the only real choice for our children is a combined grades 5-12 MS/HS to be located in the current HS.
This comes after many, many people – myself included – spent days each week and month in collaborative meetings, on committees, at informal gatherings, trying to work with the current Board and Administration on a vision that would work best for our school district. What a laugh!
Since this process began, there have always been friends and colleagues that have said, “This administration and this Board planned to shutter ‘this’ or ‘that’ elementary school all along, etc....” To this, I had replied, “Not necessarily, there is a chance that any number of scenarios could play out.” As a proud Phoenicia parent who relocated here from Manhattan so that my child could attend our excellent public school, I felt that since I was being engaged to participate in meaningful discussion, my opinion would count.
I feel slapped in the face. Let me reiterate: I am one of those parents who did not object to the grades 5-8 middle school as long as it was housed separately from the high school. I understand politics; I understand budgeting. I was open to this discussion.
For those who missed the debacle that was the April 23 meeting, let me sum up by saying that architects KSQ, hired to mastermind this caper, suddenly stated – out of the blue – that unless we place the MS and HS in the same building, we will not receive the full extent of the state aid allotted us. This essentially makes the notion of turning Bennett into a freestanding MS dead in the water – and this was a notion that made a grades 5-8 middle school palatable for me and other families.
NOT ONCE was the issue of state aid addressed with the public at earlier meetings or community forums over the past year while this discussion was really heating up. Some Board members themselves seemed quite surprised at this piece of information. WHY??? Isn’t this what our elected officials are supposed to query of the architects that are seemingly planning our children’s future? And if not entirely the fault of the current Board, then SURELY it fell to KSQ to tell all parties, early in the process, that unless we combine schools, we will not qualify for the maximum amount of aid?
Whether the current Board (or at least, the majority of its members) and the Administration did so with malice or not, this ridiculous oversight that now dictates our children’s fate has me FURIOUS and I am channeling this energy into the best solution in front of me.
So, community members, I urge you to support the Save Our Schools slate of Flayhan, Legnini, McGillicuddy and Osmond. Through them, a new Board may be able to undo some of the damage inflicted on Onteora School District before it is too late.
Abbe Aronson
Mount Tremper, NY

Dear Editor,
The Indian summer of the greatest financial credit expansion ever is now well behind us. The ensuing credit contraction and currency devaluation has been startling and painful to working families and fixed income seniors. The devaluation of the dollar in real purchasing power is 40-50% if you eat, drive, heat a home, have children in college, pay taxes, etc. Fixed income seniors and working class families are increasingly considering moving away from high tax NY. The problem with that is twofold. Firstly, the squeezing out of families due to high taxes is repugnant and regressive in the extreme. Secondly, every time a skilled working family leaves, the remaining community suffers a diminution of skills, resources and reciprocity which all work together to help support many without cash changing hands. Who will man the fire trucks and ambulances when the working class is forced out? Get rich or get out is not a viable path to a harmonious well functioning community, in my view.
I'm for all 3 parties platforms in the school board contest.
I'm very much an advocate for community schools. Who isn't? NYSED is not. The state is on a consolidation binge because we are suddenly cold, broke and hungry. They will no longer reimburse our facilities projects due to our precipitous enrollment decline. In their view we have way too much school per pupil and they are cutting us off from 30% reimbursements until we submit to their vision by closing a school. The yearly savings that an elementary school closure provides is supposed to cover the cost of the long neglected building repairs and conversion to a 5 to 8 middle school configuration, if I am not mistaken.
Part of the platform from Woodstock seeks a redistricting into 2 smaller districts. Having been a decentralist since a starry eyed teen, I heartily endorse 2 smaller decentralized districts. The conditions that existed when OCSD was formed have changed markedly. New energy and fiscal paradigms are taking hold and will likely dictate new paths going forward. Smaller governing units are usually easier and less costly to operate per capita, contrary to what the county or state might tell you. Just go up further into the Catskills and you have smaller far less costly school districts. The long simmering cultural divide and the Large Parcel harmony meltdown are further considerations and may be used as compelling reasons to seek state approval to allow the formation of 2 districts from 1. It will however, take a hurculean effort by a very motivated community group with infinite stamina to hurdle the barriers likely to be mounted by the state. I'll help that effort anytime.
I like the present administrations fiscal restraint, budget trimming and short, medium and long term approaches to keeping the yearly tax increases low. The incumbent board members have been proactive about analyzing our short, medium and long term exposures and they are working within NYSED guidelines to remedy them where necessary and this process will need to be ongoing for the foreseeable future during this period of great change . They work full time at the school board to devise ways to avoid forcing seniors and families of modest means out of the community. Much work has been done to arrive at the 5-8 middle school configuration, with pros and cons for and against. Ultimately the people will decide on election day.
While the NYC reservoir property in Olive is still designated as a Large Parcel, it seems logical that NY ORPS would accept the NYC reservoir assessment agreement and hence no longer designate the reservoir as a Large Parcel. NYORPS would look like bumbling idiots if they were to designate this year. This was noted by myself and others in the Olive Press last fall.
The slate of 4 challengers seem to be very talented, caring, passionate and accomplished people as are the 3 incumbents. The incumbents have the advantage of experience and being able to work at it full time. Demographics will also play a role in the upcoming election as there are now more childless homeowners than not. Many of these families are hard pressed and have no choice but to try to keep their tax increases as low as possible. My guess is that the electorate will re-elect the incumbents and vote no on the bonds. Then the pruning process will distill down the essentials. The taxpayers will certainly vote aye to fix the roof and provide other essential utilities such as a computer network, electrical wiring and plumbing renovations. If the closure savings equal the bond payments then the tax levy should stay level, right? Maybe in Pleasantville.
As to whether our children’s education will be harmed by all of this? There is evidence on both sides. Does money equal education? Given that the period of greatest expansion in the US was presided over by those who came up in modest one room schools I would question that. We are fortunate enough to have highly dedicated and competent teachers at OCSD, who are available to students who wish to avail themselves of their teacher's knowledge and experience. Generally, the students who are motivated and work hard do well and thus it will ever be. We are in a period of great change that may be painful to many. The problems of OCSD are not wholly unique to our school district. The global credit collapse will affect all but those at the very top, I believe. Perhaps when the dust settles some measure of harmony will slowly reassert itself as I believe that we do have more in common than not throughout the district. Oh, bye the by, a growing number of wall street and corporate big guys are advising taking up gardening and farming. The number of such articles in the financial media has steadily grown as the food crisis has unfolded. Food for thought or action?
Charles Blumstein
Olivebridge, NY

Dear Editor,
The Onteora School Board recently threw their support into expanding the High School with proposals for new construction, so they can have a grades five through eight middle school. They plan to close an elementary school, to build a new school. Does this make sense?
Rita Vanacore says it was all in the name of quality of education while giving an example that with a new middle school a foreign language can be taught at a fifth grade level. What is stopping the district now? They'd rather cut the Indie Program or Music programs while spending way more to replace school lockers(which they have to change to allow for moving more kids into the one campus). Why is the education of our children being held hostage by their plans to centralize? New Paltz Central School district begins teaching their kids foreign languages in first grade! Their schools are not on one campus, but spread throughout New Paltz. They also have a lower per pupil cost than Onteora and a higher graduation rate. After they conducted and LISTENED to public debate, the New Paltz district also scrapped their proposals to build a new Middle School that would be on the same property as the high school and chose instead to renovate their standing middle school - a building constructed in 1930! They are doing just fine with a six through eight middle school and instead of investing in new construction they are investing in education!
We don't need newly constructed buildings, when we can scale down and work with what we already have. New construction costs are currently peaking, and construction costs regularly balloon way above projected costs. Do you seriously believe that plan will save taxpayers money? The current board worked hard on the Large Parcel issue, but now they're going too far with their personal visions for the district, while NOT LISTENING to people all over the district who are objecting to their direction for the school district's future.
The OCS board incumbents are telling taxpayers they are their candidates. Well, when property values go down in different ends of the district because they have closed schools and stopped attracting people to live in the area because reports of the quality of education are no longer exciting transplants or natives to stay and raise their families here, then it's going to negatively affect the pockets of everyone, homeowners and businesses whose property and business values lose value, people who lose jobs as different communities' businesses suffer the lack of vibrancy local schools bring to year round life here ....while they cut programs that keep the children enthusiastic about going to school and learning. Just yesterday yet another parent in the district told me she's thinking about home schooling because she's so discouraged by the direction the current board has been taking the schools.....I am hearing this discouragement with the current board's actions and plans all over the district. So please, go out on May 20 to vote to save our schools, save the type of "quality" of education that you would expect of this region, and save property values and the region's fiscal viability, by voting for people who can see the big picture and listen to the constituents of the whole area, people who are from and represent ALL the areas- Olive, Shokan and Woodstock.
VOTE FOR : FLAYHAN, LEGNINI, MCGILLICUDDY and OSMOND for the Onteora Central School District Board.
Posie Strenz
Mt. Tremper, NY

Dear Editor,
On May 20th when you vote in the OCS school board election, remember that who you vote for may determine whether you're able to keep your home or be forced to move from the area. The candidates have formed blocs on two sides of the issues. The incumbents, Mary Jane Bernholz, Cindy O'Connor and Rita Vanacore, are fiscally responsible.In fact, during the last three years they've held the budget to some of the lowest increases in the county. Their opponents are rookies who are basing their fiscally irresponsible decisions on misguided emotions. They adamantly oppose the closing of elementary schools despite the rapid decline in enrollment. They are willing to tax you and me to staff, heat, repair and maintain buildings which are no longer needed to educate our children. Furthermore,if they are elected their faulty reasoning will lead to diminished state aid which is determined in part by the amount of square feet of space per student. New York is not going to reward poor fiscal responsibility by funding buildings which aren't needed. Does it make sense to heat, repair, maintain, and staff three elementary schools when two will serve the needs of the district? To lose state aid by keeping that unnecessary school open flys in the face of fiscal responsibility..
In addition these newcomers state that they want a moratorium on the bond. They make the bond appear to be something which is bad for the district. Please consider the purpose for the bond and also the fact tha the bond will not be voted on until next January. Also consider the fact that the current board members have created a means by which the bond will be repaid with minimal impact to our taxes.
First, the bond is necessary to finance needed repairs and upgrades.Our facilities require serious attention. The recent Onteora newsletter has a pictorial section showing failing steam lines, aging boilers, and a leaking roof. Patch job repairs are not the solution.
Second, due to the declining enrollment, the restructuring suggested by the board to make better use of our facility and to create a middle school population base suitable to maintain the numbers for chorus, band, etc., requires building modifications. The bond will fund the work needed to provide the best possible building floor plan and classroom environment.
Third, the current school board has a plan for repaying the bond. Approximately 41 percent will be covered by government grants. The money saved over the next years by implementing the suggested plan of the Budget Advisory Committee will leverage the cost of the remaining portion. This viable solution took over a year of intense research, review, discussion, and design. The board has had the input of architects, consultants, the advisory committee, and the public. I believe that it is in the best interest of the students and taxpayers to implement the master plan without further delay.
Considering the economic state of our country and the cost of living crisis which many face, we cannot afford to be frivolous with expenditures at Onteora. We certainly cannot afford to keep a school open when we have space in another nearby facility to accommodate the students from both. Many taxpayers have their backs against the wall, and it is a struggle for them. The reality is that some are going to be forced from their homes if Onteora doesn't take drastic measures. It is a far greater travesty for families to lose their homes then it is for a school to close and its students to travel a few miles to a well maintined and upgraded school. Through this consolidation, students will
make new friends and they will also enjoy better distribution of our resources in a modernized school.
Mary Jane Bernholz, Cindy O'Connor and Rita Vanacore have the needed experience and knowledge of our challenges to guide Onteora through these perilous times. I have attended many board meetings over the last ten years and I know that we cannot find more dedicated or qualified people. For the past three years these women have spent countless hours on behalf of the students and taxpayers. We must reelect these vigilant guardians who worked so hard to devise a plan which will restore our schools’ physical integrity and consolidate our resources in a fiscally responsible manner. To even consider replacing them with untested rookies who may not even have the time or energy to devote to the daunting task of overseeing our children and tax dollars is unwise. To even consider replacing them with untested rookies who will place a moratorium on the very measures which will save our school district and very possibly many taxpayers' homes is unthinkable.
Join me in voting for Mary Jane Bernholz, Cindy O'Connor, and Rita Vanacore on May 20th. Remember, the home you save may be your own!!!
John R. Tisch
West Shokan, NY

Dear Editor,
Olive matters....and no one else!
That is clearly the message from this ad hoc group of self centered Olive citizens. No one has made the case better then they as to why the current board of ed MUST be removed, except for Herb Rosenfeld in his eloquent article in last weeks paper. This group wants to saddle everyone in the district with a bankrupting tax bill for the most ludicrous plan in the history of education in this district. It basically goes like this:
Pass a huge bond of between 70 – 90 Million dollars so that we can over crowd 2 elementary schools due to the closing of one community school, spend even more money on gas busing kids 1/2 way across Ulster county, make sure that Olive keeps it’s roughly 30% discount on education expenses so that the rest of the district can pay for their absurd plan, and along the way make sure that anyone in the employ of the district who disagrees with them is silenced or loses their job.
This is called taxation by retardation. Surely anyone with any sense at all realizes that spending even more money busing children even farther then they already have to go due to closing an elementary school right down the street makes no financial sense at all. That stuffing 30+ kids into classes makes no educational sense at all! That strapping every tax payer with a tax bill that rivals or may even exceed the County jail debacle makes no sense at all. In fact nothing that Olive Matters espouses makes any sense at all, except that they agree that it might not be a bad idea to split the second largest geographical school district in the state of NY in to two separate districts.
However, before we can have an intelligent conversation about the merits of splitting the district into to two distinct community school districts we must safe guard the short term by kicking out this out of control, debt crazy, class over crowding, self serving board of ed and replace it with thoughtful, COMMUNITY minded, educationally focused, willing to listen slate of candidates Ralph Legnini, Ann McGillycuddy, Donna Flayhan, Laurie Osmond or Adam Pollack. The real important message here is “ANYONE BUT WHO OLIVE MATTERS WANTS!”
Our future as viable communities is at stake, the future of quality education for our children is at stake, the future of being able to stay in our community due to an OUTRAGOUS tax bill is at stake. If there was ever a reason to get off your butt and vote for a board of education you have it now. IF THIS BOARD OF ED IS RELECTED it will spell disaster for our kids, our communities and our future.
Mark Goldfarb
Woodstock, NY

Dear Editor,
Yes, I am still alive and well. I remain interested in that which occurs within a radius of 12,500 miles from whatever location. In reading the Olive Press of April 24, 2008 my interest in the OCSD Board member election set for May 20, 2008 has been elevated to a new level; higher.
The four "new" candidates; one from Shandaken, two from Woodstock and one from Olive [five with kindergartner Adam Pollack from Woodstock] are the modern version of the "Trojan Horse" and not to be trusted. As I have recommended a few times in the Press that "all" members of the OCSD Board should be from Olive as the other towns are mere "guests". Go back in time to Aesop's Fables and rediscover how the camel took possession of the tent with the camel driver outside in the sand storm. We know from history and the human experiment that kindness is not a virtue.
My compliments [on behalf of Olive] to Judith Boggess for manning the ramparts so ably and her intuitive intelligence to see through the facade of these four "warriors" and their apprentice. They state, "we will not vote for Large Parcel" [if it rears its ugly head]. Yeh, right.
Wilber and Cross [a pair a full house can't beat] can certainly take credit for the revolution, the ill will and the outcome of their political ambitions. Any time these two got on the phone together they were up to no good.
Glenn T. Anderson
Olivebridge, NY

Dear Editor,
A few weeks ago I took my daughter to registration for kindergarten for the coming school year. The registration took place at the non-functioning West Hurley school, which I thought was a strange choice of venue. Although the teachers who were there to help with registration were certainly pleasant, it was an odd and alienating experience to be in a school that had no sign of children, activity, or any real life at all. I had to keep explaining to my daughter that she would not be going to that particular school in the fall but that we simply had to spend the morning there getting her registered. I had some specific questions I wanted to ask teachers about Bennett and Phoenicia schools, as I'm currently trying to decide where to send my daughter. No one was able to help me, as they were pulled from various schools and seemed unsure themselves of what exactly would be going on in the district. One person implied that having registration at the defunct West Hurley school was just another sign of the confusion surrounding the school board's plans for the district. I hope that there is some progressive change as a result of the upcoming school board election and that people will consider voting for Donna Flayhan, Ralph Legnini, Laurie Osmond, and Ann McGillicuddy to help save our Onteora schools.
Janet Steen
West Shokan, NY

Dear Editor,
I am a life-long resident of the Onteora School District. I am a taxpayer and parent of two grown children that attended Onteora and am happy with the education they received.
I don’t get to board meetings much but over the last couple of years I have tried to keep informed of the boards decisions. I can only image that the majority of people the school board is hearing from are parents with children in school. Due to the 5-8 educational decisions I will take it one step further and assume the majority of those you hear from have young children.
I am here to say there is a silent voice you have not heard from. It is the taxpayer and retiree that do not have children in the district. Before I continue I want to say that I am all for the education of our children. Just like those before me that contributed to our children’s education it is our turn to contribute to theirs.
People like me will vote for a board and bond that maximizes the education benefit for our students while balancing the fiscal realities. We need a board of education more so now than ever before that is going to address our rising cost per student (almost $25,000.00 a year), declining enrollment, our old buildings and lack of technology in a fiscally responsible way. This means utilizing our staff and buildings in the most efficient way.
When my children attended Onteora we had nearly 2500 students, we are now down to approximately 1800 students with projections showing a decline to 1300 students in six years. We need a board that is willing to make some tough decisions. We need a board that is looking at the big picture, the whole district. You need to stay objective. Please keep focused and do not listen to fear of change. Fear can cripple this district and we can’t afford to stay the same.
Our present tax base cannot continue to support the rising cost per student, the highest in the county, with a medium income way below that of the average salary at Onteora. Many of our taxpayers are small business owners and the self-employed struggling to pay their own health benefits. The average health insurance plan for a family is $1,200.00 per month.
I are all for a great education for our children and as a taxpayer I are willing to spend money on a bond for modernization but you need to show tax payers a plan that is fiscally responsible at the same time. Tax payers you NEED to show up at the polls and vote for school board candidates that have an educational vision and a fiscal plan. Talk to Cindy O’Connor, Mary Jane Bernholz and Rita Vanacore, we did, they can explain the plan and vision needed to carry this district forward.
Susan Brueckner
West Hurley, NY

Dear Editor,
These are terrible economic times. Everyone is hurting – merchants, service industry, construction, hospitality- and the trickle down in our school district feels catastrophic. People cannot make ends meet let alone keep up with the taxes on their properties. But it would be a fatal economic blunder to close down the Phoenicia Elementary school. The closure of the school on the surface looks like it would save money but in reality would destroy the fragile economic balance in our district by decimating the town of Phoenicia and further devaluing homes in the Shandaken area. The parents who drop their kids off at the Phoenicia School and then stop in town for a coffee, a quart of milk, some banking, or pick up a paper would no longer be driving through the town and would have no reason to do these things. When these same parents and teachers finish their day, they would not be ordering a pizza for dinner, buying some last minute groceries or a present for an upcoming birthday. These parents and teachers, some three hundred strong, would no longer be traveling to town AT ALL if the Phoenicia School is closed. They will, however, be driving down 28 and stopping at Boiceville (in the town of OLIVE) or in Shokan (also OLIVE). So the only town to benefit from the school closure will be OLIVE. Phoenicia merchants, wake up! Plead with your customers to keep Phoenicia School open and vote for the Save our School ballot of Flayhan, Legnini, McGullicudy, and Osmond.
Jen Dragon
Chichester NY

Dear Editor,
I am writing to clarify a statement in last week's article concerning the Onteora school Budget meeting with the town. I would like you all to know that I followed meeting suggestions that the audience write questions on a card for the Town Board to ask of Dr. Ford, the Budget Committee members and the School Board. All in the audience wrote questions. What didn't happen was that the questions were answered. Dr. Ford's style is to refer any questions she finds she doesn't want to answer to a "budget report" on the website. Well, just as referring to Board minutes for answers, when one does, one finds the answers aren't there. In order to get answers to what is going on in the budget process, in the building process, in the educational process at the Onteora school administration one often has to demand answers.
The reason I felt the background of the Budget Committee important is because we have had several decisions made that were puzzling to me. One is a group of students went to the Board asking for an Environmental Club. The request was turned down with Dr. Ford alluding to the teaching sponsor in a vague but negative way. For the students to be concerned about the environment and wanting to form a club to do something about it seems not only reasonable but laudable, yet Dr. Ford turned it down.
We have been investigating eco-friendly building possibilities for any new or renovation project for the school and have been consistently told: A. They won't work in our environment; and B. They are too expensive.
I called Bard College, which has built three residences with geothermal heating units that leave zero impact environmental footprints and are already saving energy costs for the College. They also received $230,000 from NYSERDA for the good efforts. They believe eco friendly building is not only possible but cost effective and have proven eco-friendly building saves money and energy. Yet Dr. Ford, the Budget Committee, and the Board of Education are reluctant to plan for eco-friendly innovations.
My questions was, why?
Why were statisitics about energy, oil and gas use in the 80 square mile Onteora School District (second largest in the state) not a significant consideration of the Budget Committee? Why were the comparisons not made to other schools? Why were the teachers being blamed for all of the budget woes when the teachers do a better job with our students than all of the schools in the county and most of the schools in the state by graduating 98 percent of the attending class students? Why had choices been made to repair and build in the old oil eating way when the Hudson River area is becoming the leading professionals in building and renovating cost efficiently with eco-friendly expertise. (Bard's construction was designed and built by an Ulster county Architectural firm)?
I did not know how the members of the Budget Committee made their money. I was surprised to find that two of them are working in the oil industry and one told me that he "insured construction firms." I asked a question to get the answers in a polite and patient way. Only when the answers were not forthcoming did I ask them again on my own. Now we know.
I want to make a couple other clarifying points.
1. Perhaps one could say that a school system is a business, but if so, one has to say that the product it produces is quality educated students. Nowhere in the Budget report is the quality reflected. The professional teaching staff makes the difference.
2. Yes a professional teacher starts at $50,000. The average professional doctor makes $150,000. They are needed. They are professional. They serve diligently all of those with the average incomes in Ulster County and their children. A good Budget Committee would have recognized that instead of scapegoating the teachers and students. Perhaps looking at the economic realities of the costs of running the school without ecofriendly energy efficient planning is really the problem that needs to be solved. Removing the obstructions to that planning is one of the steps the voters of the district need to make.
3. One of the Budget Committee member made the reprehensible statement that 18 percent of the budget is dedicated to "special needs" students without also emphasizing the income that comes into the district to help serve those needs. While singling out the "special needs" student but not any other sub-group of students provided for by the school, the implication is biased and repugnant. It is a case of blaming the least defensible.

I won't demand you print this letter because I trust you will. I hope that trust will build in the future in these "planning" sessions. One can hope.
Donna White-Davis
Woodstock, NY

Dear Editor,
It has come to my attention that on Thursday, April 24th Onteora High School was to be sponsoring "GAY DAY." Now let me make one thing clear. I am neither a religious fanatic or anti gay. I have gay family members and friends and am a practicing Catholic although very liberally. My personal belief is that you are who you are and I have no problem accepting you for who you are. My problem with this begins when others are force fed the idea that they have to tolerate and accept the gay lifestyle or any lifestyle for that matter. I understand that this is a public school and everyone has their rights, but what about those who don't want to be a part of this idea because they find it morally wrong? Why is allowing a group of people, in a public building, to celebrate their personal choice of belief and lifestyle any different then allowing those who believe in prayer the right to practice their belief in the same public building? Some would say that being gay is not a choice and I would tend to agree, but forcing the lifestyle or what it is perceived to be, is a choice that can have serious consequences. I understand the program is to include fellow students(if they so choose) taking up a vow of silence in support of the oppression their gay friends suffer everyday. I can't help but think that some of the gay students will use this as a way to celebrate and flaunt their gayness; which they should be allowed to do. But let's face it, this could become a real problem for these students.
I understand the concept of teaching tolerance, but I truly believe that the gay lifestyle is one of those hot button topics that can sometimes cause more harm then good. In my personal experiences, I have found that I respect and treasure the friendship and love of my gay friends and relatives because they live their lives with respect. They don't see the need to flaunt their lifestyle. I know they are gay. They know that I and everyone around them know and we all live a life that is respectful of each other. Is this burying our heads in the sand? No. I think it can be considered common sense and tolerance. Has the school thought about the potential for law suites in the event a gay student was to be beaten to a pulp because he/she suddenly celebrated their gayness in front of those who are not so understanding? If you read the papers or watch the news it is the GAY DAY type of "events" that usually end up in tragedy. How about school employees who might not agree? Can they take the day off without losing pay? If not, why not? If someone can file a law suite because the Pledge of Allegiance being recited and they don't believe in it's meaning, for example, it's only a matter of time before this issue catches someone's attention. This is a dangerous can of worms being opened. How far away are we from ABORTION DAY or DRUG ADDICTION DAY? And when do the pedophiles get their day to celebrate their choice of lifestyle? Not that I'm equating the two lifestyles. I'm simply trying to make a point. . Most of the ancient calenders, prophets and writings all point to the date of 12/21/12 as the end of days; more so than any other date associated with the end. We are not far away from that date. Again I say that I am in no way a fanatic about any of this, but we just cannot keep going on this way. All of this has to end somewhere, someday.
Why has there never been a PRAYER DAY? I think many more parents and students alike would be more comfortable with that concept then the idea of having a lifestyle they may not be comfortable with shoved in their faces. At least with prayer you can leave the room if you object. What happens if you express your disagreement with the gay lifestyle? You're branded a gay basher or intolerant.
Isn't there something else the school could be teaching our children? How about this for a radical idea? CITIZENSHIP DAY; a day when all the students learn their rights and responsibilities as an American citizen; to the country and to one another. They certainly don't teach it in the classroom. My daughter graduated from Onteora last year and it is sad how little she learned about the history of this country and her responsibility to it.
Our children do need to be taught tolerance. But what they need to be taught more of then anything else is common sense. We need to start taking the time to educate our kids on the use of common sense rather then waste time and effort on things like Gay Day or any other special interest days! If we don't, I don't think it would make much sense to put up the Christmas decorations in 2012. We probably won't need them.
John Mocarski
Olivebridge, NY

Dear Editor,
I am the Executive Director of Indie, which has been working in close association with Onteora school district for the past eight years. In the light of the upcoming school board elections, in which passions are running high, I would like to offer some calm reflections on the situation, and suggest how we can all focus on avoiding conflict and reaching a solution which is best for all of our children, whether in kindergarten, elementary school or higher.
As a program, we are often invited to speak at educational conferences. Last Friday, I was fortunate enough to be presenting at a conference on trends in education. The keynote speaker was Dr. Leon Botstein of Bard College. In the Q&A section, in response to a general question about grade structures, Dr. Botstein – who visibly had no knowledge that this was a sensitive local issue - revealed that current thinking finds the very idea of middle school redundant. He called it a ‘no-man’s land’. Significantly, from the four hundred or so local teachers present, a cheer of approval rose and long round of applause was given. I would estimate that well over half of the teachers were in strong agreement with this statement. Locally, we are being assured that ‘99% of teachers are behind a 5-8 Middle School configuration’. Those teachers were strangely absent from this conference.
From my own experience in education, including a recent invitation to speak at Columbia University Teachers’ College, several things are absolutely clear: first, from a purely educational standpoint, small classes are better; second, inter-disciplinary teaching is a very efficient way of maximizing learning potential (e.g. teaching Social Studies via new media, as we do at Indie). In Quebec, some Anglophone schools do not formally teach French, for example, but they teach History through French. Third, the system of grades itself is not an efficient use of teachers, space or resources nor is it most effective in increasing learning. Mixed grade classes have many advantages.
Finally, and this is one of the main strengths and convictions of the Indie program, students must feel that they have a stake in their school. The closer to community a student feels, the better he or she will succeed. The trend to larger, anonymous, more ‘cost-effective’, consolidated schools is a thing of the past.
At Indie, we try to create a community atmosphere and reverse fragmentation by using all these elements (small classes, high staff to student ratio, inter-discliplinary methods, video, a mentor-like approach) with students who come from as far west as Pine Hill, north into Lexington, south into Marbletown and east into Hurley, beyond the reservoir. If consolidation – a dubious word – continues, and a 5-8 Middle School is located on the Boiceville campus, it is inevitable that first one elementary school (probably Phoenicia) then the other (Woodstock) would be forced to close. For those communities, and the children who live there, this would be emotionally and educationally damaging. For the communities, it would be disastrous. Following such a course of action would pave the way for a carving up of the district (perhaps in 5 years’ time) where the western end – which includes Olive – would become a ‘poor rural’ district. The tax bases of Shandaken and Olive could not possibly support a forward moving school. The ideology of consolidation is, perhaps understandably in the current economic climate, a defensive outlook. Education, surely, above anything else, is the one area where we must look to the future with a positive vision.
Far-reaching decisions often begin with almost imperceptible movements. It is important for all local residents to examine the policies being put forward by the various candidates and blocks of candidates in this election and decide according to their consciences where they want the district to be in ten, fifteen years’ time. On the one hand a commitment to centralization of all children from the ages of five through eighteen in a ‘Boiceville Campus’ , with the larger class sizes, vastly increased transport costs and uncertain economies of scale associated with such a move; on the other, a commitment to manageable class sizes, minimum busing, community based lower grades and cutting edge advantages in upper grades.
Not least, this latter viewpoint privileges the essential value of local communities. The Town of Shandaken, in particular, would have its heart torn out, with no local focus for its future citizens, if the Phoenicia Elementary school were to close.
The hemorrhaging of kindergarten pupils to local private schools - which is the real cause of reduced enrolment, as the birth rate is actually rising - would only accelerate.
I would certainly support a halt to any precipitate decision in the near future. We have two splendid education resources in the area: Bard College and SUNY New Paltz. We should be recruiting their knowledge and expertise to examine the possible solutions to the admitted problems of a huge school district, so that we can find innovative answers which really take into account all local communities.
A school closure is not something to be tinkered with. Once it’s gone, it’s gone.
All realtors know that the first question new home buyers ask is, ‘Which school district are we in?’ Onteora is perfectly placed to grow over the coming decades. It must have, as an absolute priority to attract people here (as opposed to Catskill or Hudson) an exciting, effective, acclaimed school system.
I hope that everyone in the district can take a longer view and see that our unique configuration cannot have a simple solution, and that the basic choices are not financial, but ethical: what kind of school system do we want for our children? What kind of a life do we want for our communities? The challenge is to then work out how to make that choice a reality in a responsible manner.
Russell Richardson
Woodstock, NY

Dear Editor,
Governor Rendell’s (Don’t Call Me ‘Fast Eddie’) act to lower the NYC reservoirs is demoralizing. His temporary plan ends April 30. And his provision for an eight billion gallon reservoir release is equivalent to what we would accumulate in the watershed during an insignificant 1-inch rainfall event. It is hardly capable of flood mitigation.
Yet, the Pennsylvania Governor, as Delaware River Basin Commission chairman, received good press in spite of this hollow, anemic gesture.
For flood victims, Rendell's request is disingenuous. Call us cynics, but it smells of a cheap political ploy prior to the PA Primary where Rendell had much to win. For pro-Clinton (read pro-NYC and pro-full reservoirs) Rendell, a Hillary presidency means the realization of a coveted high-profile appointment.
Rendell and the officials from the other three Delaware River basin states -- New Jersey, Delaware and New York, which decide the framework for Delaware
River water-flow management -- pulled a “Fast Eddie.” They approved a plan designed to accomplish very little.
For those of us waiting for a long-lasting flood prevention solution, Rendell’s smoke and mirrors act is a slap in the face. Pennsylvania voters should remember Rendell’s wiliness during the next election. The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. Ask yourself, if by electing Rendell’s slate in November, whether you might not get a "Fast Eddie" too.
Jon & Amy Carver
Belvidere & Lambertville, NJ

Dear Editor,
The attack on Belleayre Ski Center by Greene County, Hunter and Windham Ski Centers, is unbelievable! Now to add insult to injury, Ski Plattekill, paradoxically, has joined the fray, on the side of the Greene County attackers. For anyone to claim that their business has suffered as a result of competition from a small State owned entity is absurd! Take a look at the operations at either Windham or Hunter and compare them to Belleayre. They are both larger with newer facilities. Windham Mt. is owned by a cabal of multi-millionaires, one of which is a partner of The Tampa Bay Rays which has a state owned and built $450 million stadium. They have built a huge development consisting of condos and million dollar slope side residences. One of these home sites is rumored to have sold for over $10,000,000. Hunter (“the snow making capital of the world”) also has a large hotel and many units “high-end” housing. Both of their associated towns have many profitable businesses, particularly Windham, with continued development because of the influx of year round tourists.
Compare them with Belleayre and its surrounding towns. There has been little to no development on the route 28 corridor. Our area has changed little over the 20 plus years I’ve owned a home here, except for the loss of vital business and continual decay. The amenities for tourists have actually diminished. This situation is nothing short of ECONOMIC APARTHEID!
The ski centers of the Catskills are viable industries that can help our economically struggling communities. The centers in our region should be working together to attract visitors, not taking cheap potshots at each other and spending untold amounts of money on litigation. They should be leaders in the community not rabble rousers. And they should never forget that skiers like to experience different mountains and terrains and rarely ski at only one area. They should realize who all their customers are and that you shouldn’t have to be rich to enjoy the sport of skiing.
Plattekill was the beneficiary of the lift removed from Belleayre several years ago. This year Belleayre ran a promotion; “Ski at Belleayre on Saturday…… show your lift ticket at Plattekill on Sunday and ski for $25" in an attempt to send business their way. In addition, Belleayre could promote tubing and mountain biking on the their mountain, but doesn’t. Belleayre’s Lodging Bureau advertises businesses near Platekill and encourages people to ski there. Plattekill is always represented at Belleayre’s October Craft fest. I find their attack on Belleayre confusing at best.
The attack from Greene County is a thinly veiled attempt to protect real estate sales at their mountains against a struggling Route 28 corridor and promote higher lift ticket prices for everybody. They perceive that a few adversaries here, many of whom do not live here full time, will enable them to take advantage of our divided community to shoot ourselves in the foot. Or actually maybe there is a connection here?
The argument that Belleayre is state funded and is unfair competition is ridiculous. As taxpayers we agree to put our tax dollars into State Parks and Recreational areas so that we and our children can enjoy camping, skiing, fishing, boating and so much more at a reasonable cost. Does this mean that all private camp sites and marinas should jump on the band wagon because they view the recreational areas, owned by the people, as unfair competition?
Why is it that Gore Mountain Ski Center, a state run facility, doesn’t face the opposition that Belleayre does? Their community welcomes the positive growth of their facility knowing that it will offer economic and tax relief. They continue to expand by working with their community and with private developers. The administration of Belleayre Mountain realizes that if there are more activities available in this region, more people will come here and enjoy their visit. Belleayre has tried continuously to work with Windham and Hunter. Belleayre has proven time and time again that they have a vested interest in our community and take their responsibility seriously. They try very hard to realize and respect everyone’s interest.
I have had season passes to several of these ski areas and attended many of their events. I have patronized the restaurants and shops in Greene County for years. This will end as of now! I urge everyone who appreciates and loves what Belleayre Mountain has to offer, and does for our community, to boycott all Greene County ski centers/events and businesses until the biased lawsuits are dropped and they are willing to come to the table to work for solutions to help the Catskill Region survive as a place where citizens can visit and make a decent living.
The suggestion that Belleayre Mountain is negatively affecting these financial giants is laughable not to mention pathetic.
Mark Lukin
Margaretville, NY

Dear Editor,
This past Fall, my neighbors and I asked the Town of Olive Planning Board not to grant the Oakes brothers' proposal to replace the PetFare complex with yet more storage sheds. We brought a petition signed by 50 or so people who agreed that this rural, residential, scenic setting would be ruined by placing eight 100x30 storage sheds on the property. We brought pictures of the seven sheds and garage on the property behind PetFare, owned by the Oakes, to show that the sheds were very unattractively arranged, with gravel covering every possible inch of land and a mini-junkyard behind the garage. We showed them a picture of the stretch of land which was currently PetFare. The sun was shining and trees were brilliant. We asked what would happen to these trees when eight new sheds were put in. We stated the existing sheds behind PetFare would be visible after all the trees were taken down because they were located up the hill. We voiced concerns about drainage once there were not trees and the land was covered with sheds and gravel. We lamented that the "Scenic Shokan' which we moved here for years ago would be forever changed. We were told by a Town Council member that if the Planning Board did not okay the proposal, the Oakes had grounds for a lawsuit. The proposal was passed.
On Earth Day, I awoke to heavy equipment across the street. The trees were coming down. The land was being dug up. Then, several days later, during what I thought was a burning ban, fires were lit to burn the leftovers. The storage sheds are coming!
When my neighbors discuss "the sheds," we ask how they can possible fit 8 sheds 100 x 30 into that piece of land, with setbacks of 50 feet in the front, 50 feet in the back and 20 on each side. How will this fit? We hope that they are really going to be doing all they said they would to alleviate drainage issues. We wonder how they are going to "preserve the treeline" as the agreement states, when they have cut down almost all the trees. The eastern border near Ridge Road seems treeless and the western end has only a thin line of trees. Will more be planted along the back so that eventually it will be less visible? Will trees be planted along Route 28 along the western border? The plan says it shall be so. Even so, the sheds will be visible.
Many neighbors wish that Olive had some kind of plan as a town to say that if a business comes in, it must do all it can to blend into the rural environment of the Olive area. Some of the more recent ones certainly did so voluntarily. They used wooden buildings with a rustic feel. If only there was a way for this storage shed business to blend a bit better. Wouldn't that make it more inviting and less objectionable to the neighbors? Wouldn't it be more pleasant for people riding by up our supposedly scenic highway? Our mountain views are so much a part of who we are. Just look at our town website!
How ironic, that we as a town are getting money to make the highway in our area more beautiful and yet we don't have a plan in place to help our town itself stay beautiful. A friend told me that in some towns you don't have to get petitions and argue in front of Board meetings, because they have plans in place to preclude bad decisions. Mr. Leifeld and Olive Town Board -- can we please put something in place to let Olive remain a place of rural, scenic beauty? I don't think we should be as restrictive as some of the towns around us. I have always liked our individuality. What bothers me is that according to the Planning Board and certain Town Board members, there is nothing to restrict what comes in and how it is implemented. Isn't it time to think about a graceful growth and how that might take place? I love it here. I am so sad to see a piece of this town, a piece of the scenic highway, a piece of my home and my life -- changed forevermore.
Allison Irwin
Shokan, NY

Dear Editor,
In many circles, talk revolves around what people can do to stimulate the local economy. Usually people think of large-scale manufacturing and other large corporate businesses as the economic drivers needed to jumpstart and drive the economy. Although these large industries are no doubt important, particularly on a national and global scale, I believe that the average person has more direct influence over the start-up and success of small-scale, family-owned and operated businesses. In the rural Catskill Region, we have an abundance of business opportunities based on the area’s rich cultural heritage and in the agriculture and forestry industries. I would argue that these local industries are the most logical and most sustainable means of creating and keeping local jobs as well as in conserving the area’s beautiful and bountiful natural resources.
On behalf of the Watershed Agricultural Council, I invite you to attend the 2008 Economic Summit at SUNY-Cobleskill on May 9th. Federal legislators, regional business owners and local residents – people like you and I -- will meet to discuss the economic future of our region. The seminar, entitled “Greener Pastures for Upstate New York,” is a public forum designed to generate the dialogue needed to bring prosperity back to our townships and hamlets. Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand and Congressman Michael McNulty will chair the event and provide “food for thought” as we collectively discover ways of bringing business back home.
New York State was once an epicenter of farming and forestry and I believe we could, and should return the local economy to that status. Small scale farming, such as we have in upstate New York, can address many people’s concerns and demand for safe, healthy, fresh (and delicious) food that is less dependent on long-distance travel, the cost of which is becoming prohibitively expensive and increasingly wasteful. The utilization of local forest resources, managed in a sustainable manner, naturally supports the demand for alternative energy, building materials and added-value wood products. We need look no further than our own backyards to find the solution to our economic problems. Collectively, agriculture and forestry are a big part of the answer. Your participation in Cobleskill on May 9th can contribute to this outcome. I hope to see you there.
For more information, visit http://www.publicforuminstitute.org/activities/2008/ny.
Tom O’Brien, Executive Director
Watershed Agricultural Council

Dear Editor,
On April 9, 2008 The Onteora High School Life Skills class and members of Onteora DECA prepared for and hosted a Senior Citizen’s Prom at Al’s Restaurant in Phoenicia. Over 70 guests enjoyed the free music, food, and party atmosphere made possible by grant funding provided through the Lower Esopus River Watch’s Learn and Serve America program, NYS Education Department and the Corporation for National & Communitiy Service. I would like to thank the following local organizations and businesses for their donations: the Phoenicia