Brian Hollander, editor of the Woodstock Times, wrote, “And about that two percent tax cap? While it will surely have an effect on school and county budgets, it will have no effect whatsoever on town budgets. Why?”
“Well, to override and spend what you want you need a 60 percent supermajority voting in favor”…“But on a five person town board, you need three votes to reach 60 percent and that’s what you need to pass any budget anyway. Without that, no budget passes, even if it’s under the two percent tax increase limit. So on that [town] level, nothing has changed.”
Several members of the town board have said the same. In fact, they claim there is no need since the tax cap can be easily overridden with three votes. While other towns struggle to comply with the two percent tax cap, the Woodstock Town Board is ignoring it. It’s apparent the current town board does not understand the budgeting process nor the detrimental impact of high property taxes.
It won’t be easy to comply with the two percent cap. There are too many town expenses that were paid using unexpended reserves, and the changes necessary to immediately comply would be drastic and disruptive. But the first step in reaching the two percent goal is to elect people that believe the tax cap is important and will seriously plan for its eventual implementation.
I am a candidate in the September 13 Democratic Primary for the Woodstock Town Board. Voters will have an opportunity to choose candidates that support the 2 percent property tax cap, and if I’m elected to the town board, I will do my best to bring property tax increases down and comply with the two percent tax cap.
Ken Panza, Candidate for Town Board
Woodstock
THE SHIRT OFF MY BACK
About a month ago someone asked, if I got elected, what was I going to do for the kids. This question has been rolling around my head ever since and finally it came to me. Nothing! I will however do something with them, or more to the point, help them do something for themselves. Everyone seems to love my campaign shirts, [Not The Loosest Cannon In Town] many have offered to pay for them. So why not? Win or lose, I would like to donate the shirt, that is, the idea of the shirt, to the youth programs of Woodstock. I would also help them raise some startup capitol to launch a business, run by the kids, selling the shirts around town and on the net. We could have a contest to come up with more design ideas, and all the profits would go to the kids programs. Looking down the road, and I am an optimist, not only would they acquire some business acumen, but they could become self sustaining, and in a perfect world, they would learn to be socially responsible, and help fund the food pantry with some of the profits. Well, a perfect world is a ways away, but we will never reach it if we don’t take the first step. Trust your children and maybe they can save us.
Lorin Rose, Independent Candidate For Supervisor
Bearsville
HEADS IN THE SAND
How creepy and self-serving some the folks of Woodstock are — sort of like many of their predecessors — who are willing to March for Peace but fight a small housing development because the can’t bear to share the space.
Now they may even have to consider “public transportation” something one woman on line at the library said wasn’t needed because “everyone had a car.” What altered form of reality do these people live in — so isolated and protected from what the rest of the world endures because they choose to stick their heads in the sand?
Helen Zerlin
Kingston
RIGHT IS LEFT
I appreciate Paul Smart’s attention to my blog and to the brewing controversy concerning the Town of Olive plan in his recent article (“Tea Pot Tempest,” August 4). The meeting on August 8 was well attended, but, contrary to Mr. Smart’s concerns, it was peaceful. Those who are concerned about the Town of Olive vision plan are not Tea Party members or right wingers — if anything they are left wingers. Recall that the terms right and left refer to the seating plan of the French Estates General, where liberals, believers in freedom of speech, occupied the left and monarchists who favored strong central authority, and political correctness, sat on the right. As I recently blogged, Ulster County’s leftists are misnamed. They are rightest. We who opposed speech suppression, such as recently occurred to me at the LEED event in the Town of Ulster, and enviro-fascism emanating from Washington are on the left
As Town of Olive residents digest the Town of Olive plan, its incompetent conceptualization and execution become evident. Any plan needs to link budgets and costs to its vision. Costs and benefits are always trade-offs and any competently designed plan will clarify them. This plan does not discuss costs, taxes, or budgets, or compare the Town of Olive’s current cost structure to other towns’. The proposal that Olive ought to build sidewalks is an example of irresponsible vision that does not consider costs, budgets, and taxes. Currently, the Town of Olive has among the highest paid Town Supervisors in Ulster County and among the highest cost structures and per capita staffing levels in Ulster County. The plan does not address over-spending, political cronyism and government bloat that harms retired and working residents. The $47,000 paid to the consulting firm that drafted the plan is part of an ongoing problem of runaway government spending that causes exodus from New York State and from the Town of Olive.
At the meeting Supervisor Leifeld stated that the plan need not be taken seriously because its purpose is to pursue grants. I can think of several instances, such as Polytechnic University, where grants and gifts have led to financial collapse. Moreover, representation to a grant giver of a false plan could amount to fraud and conceivably to a cession of local control, potentially becoming a threat to local democracy. One thing Olive does not need is Woodstock’s right wing approach to zoning, which reflects the needs of the local aristocracy and squashes local residents under weekenders’ fashionable Gucci heels. Mr. Leifeld’s supporters ought to sit on the right hand side of the next planning meeting. The debate may become more intense because the issues are becoming clearer to us left wingers.
Mitchell Langbert
Olive
RAIN, RAIN GO
It is amazing how many people in this Town are like the weather in that they pay no attention to criticism.
Howard Harris
Bearsville
YOUNG PEOPLE CAN AFFORD WOODSTOCK COMMONS
Iris York and Robin Segal did nothing for my children or future Grandchildren!
If not for affordable housing projects like Woodstock Commons, they wouldn’t be able to afford to live here. As a matter of fact, fewer and fewer young people can afford to live in Woodstock. Which means of course, there wouldn’t be many people left to walk up Playhouse Lane and enjoy the cool shade of the pines…but then again, I suspect that is what Iris York and Robin Segal would have preferred.
Carol Galione-Buskey
Woodstock
DO YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE
By all rights, this letter should be a long, long list of all the people who worked at the pantry this week. Every month dozens of people work for the pantry. Some volunteer in the pantry itself. Others drive to Latham and bring back food. Another group works at the Sunflower Natural Foods Market every month. Then there’re the Board Members who meet at least once a month and make decisions about the pantry. There are even more people who anonymously donate food, money, and energy promoting the success of the Good Neighbor Food Pantry.
No one who works for the pantry should be taken for granted. Nor can their value be counted in the number of hours donated or miles driven. Each and every person performs duties that are absolutely necessary to keep the pantry going. And, keeping the pantry going is very important. Approximately 1000 people visit the pantry monthly. Many of the people who visit the pantry are working, as many as two or three jobs. Some of the people who shop at the pantry are ill...very ill. Some others are old. But, whatever their situation, the people shopping at the Good Neighbor Food Pantry are a good cross section of our community.
Volunteers are a smiling face, a pleasant voice, a connection to our community, and a counselor (occasionally) for a person facing life changing events. Miracles sometimes occur in that little room. But, don’t take my word for it.
There is one book out there about pantries. If you are skeptical, or supportive, or if you just want to know more about what goes on behind that pantry door, get a copy of Take This Bread by Sara Miles. You can get it used through Amazon. You can also check it out of the Saugerties and West Hurley Libraries. I know they have copies because I gave each library a copy of Ms. Miles’ book when I spoke about Hunger at the two locations.
Take This Bread is probably listed in the memoir section but it’s really a text about pantries. It’s a very easy read and really tells the story realistically. There are some web sites about pantries also. My first recommendation is for one entitled www.thefoodpantry.org.
People occasionally ask me why I work at the pantry. The answer to that question is very simple: At the end of every Thursday, I know that 250 people will have food on the table for the next three days.
Thurman Greco
Woodstock
FREE THE WOODSTOCK 5990
For as long as I can remember, there has been a small group of people who have held the town hostage by their orchestrated attacks on the town government. You all know them. They show up at meeting after meeting, their faces red, charging the podium, waving their arms, pumping their fists and yelling, in an attempt, sometimes successful, to bully the people who are really serving the town, to do their bidding. I haven’t actually counted them, but let’s just call them the Woodstock 10 so we can get a sense of how small this group of bullies really is.
When not bullying, they are writing letters, appearing on local access, spinning one lie after another. You’ve heard the lies: Jeremy is going to build a hotel on the Comeau. Jeff is going to build a hotel on the Comeau. Terrie is going to build a hotel on the Comeau. Jeremy has a secret plan to build a 199 foot tall cell tower. The town could have forced the cell companies to provide service to the Western part of town.
Have you ever seen one of those bullies actually doing something? One of them actually did some work for the Soccer League before his abrasive personality led to him being removed as a coach. Others have been on volunteer boards, where they quit as soon as they could not get their way. I have never seen them volunteer for the Thanksgiving dinner at the Community Center; I have never seen them serving food to their neighbors at the Christmas dinner; I have never seen them at the baseball field coaching kids, or even cheering them on.
It is not OK to be held hostage by these bullies. It’s not OK for them to incessantly lie about the people who are trying to serve the town. It is bad for the body politic. It’s demeaning to civic discourse. It also costs us lots of money. When the Quarry NIMBYs hectored the Town Board and the Planning Board into capitulating to them by making a needless change to the design of the cell tower, it cost the taxpayers about $150,000 in lost revenue. That’s money out of your pocket and mine.
When I am on the Town Board, I won’t yield to the bullies. I have stood up to them before and I will stand up to them again. I will encourage my fellow board members to do the same. Free the Woodstock 5990!
David Gross
Woodstock
RESPECT SAN REMO AGREEMENT
With the Palestinians poised to appeal to the United Nations for a unilateral creation of a Palestinian State, Israel is being pressured to concede to unreasonable Palestinian demands. After World War I, the Allied Powers designated final borders for the conquered countries with the San Remo Agreement. I respectfully ask President Obama to veto the PA bid and to stand by that Agreement which was originally ratified by 51 countries and gives Israel complete rights to annex all of Palestine and to veto the PA bid for statehood. In fact, the original borders included Jordan and the Sinai Peninsula.
Chaim Weizman, a Jewish leader who became the first President of the State of Israel described the San Remo agreement: “That recognition of our rights in Palestine is embodied in the treaty with Turkey; and has become part of international law. This is the most momentous political event in the whole history of our movement, and it is perhaps, no exaggeration to say in the whole history of our people since the Exile. The decision of the Supreme Council of the Principal Allied Powers crowns the British declaration by enacting it as part of the law of nations of the world.”
Further land concessions would be a great disservice to the millions of lives lost in securing and retaining the ancient Homeland of the Jewish people.
Natan Ben Yehuda
Woodstock
NO RIGHT TO DESTROY HABITAT
It is sadly evident that many humans have insufficient empathy for other living beings. Otherwise, how can they stand idly by, or even encourage the destruction of the lives and homes of numerous innocent wild animals. And piously state that it is for the sake of under-privileged humans. Why should humans have the right to steal other animals’ homes from them?
Some of the people who have fought against the RUPCO “development” (invidious euphemism for destroying nature) have been maligned as selfish NIMBY-ites, or people who have a lot and don’t care about those who don’t. I was glad to see a couple of writers in last week’s Woodstock Times debunk that myth, and point out that there are righteous reasons for opposing the project.
However, the ruination of a habitat is going on all the same. I wonder if the proponents know or care that ground-dwelling animals may be crushed in their burrows if they or their young cannot flee the bulldozers fast enough? That squirrels and birds who live in the chopped-down trees may not be able to find a new home in the dwindling natural lands before winter? (And please don’t tell me that animals are smart and can figure out a way to survive. Put yourself in their place, if you have enough imagination, and think how you would cope if your home were demolished, your family taken from you.)
Some have said it is inevitable that this land would be built on in any case — such is the nature of the profit motive; and that building homes for “poor” people is nobler than building expensive houses. Perhaps, but that does not address the fact that affordable housing could have been built in a less sensitive animal habitat. Nor does anyone seem to have the gumption to suggest that maybe people should not have the right to build in what is already a homeland. Yes, humans have to live somewhere, too, but must we destroy and build in such a reckless, selfish way? Must we have enormous lawns for each house and more living space than we really need?
Building on Bradley Meadows was only “inevitable” if people allowed it to be so. Taking wild animals’ homes from them in this manner is morally equivalent to me sending a wrecking ball to knock down your house because I want to put up one for myself in the same spot.
It is shameful that there was not more opprobrium against the owners of the land about killing off this tiny bit of habitat left in the Hamlet. As for RUPCO, they certainly put the lie to their name: “rural preservation,” my eye!
We think we’re so smart, we homo sapiens. Then how is it that we are making the planet more unlivable day by day, poisoning air and water, and killing off every species, including our own? Mind you, I don’t weep as much for humans as for the rest of creation.
Eileen Fay
Saugerties
TOWN HALL DECISION WAS APPARENT
I get impatient with people who complain about one thing or another without making an effort to inform themselves, especially when information is readily available. This is especially so when someone is campaigning for the Town Board. David Gross’ letter is a case in point. He complains that he has no idea as to why the decision was made to rehabilitate the Town Hall. That’s a difficult complaint for anyone to make stick; there has been a lot of coverage in the paper and many letters from interested citizens on that subject. There were many Town Board meetings about the various plans that I and others had put forward over the course of several years. I can understand some people being dissatisfied with the ultimate decision; I had other preferences that I tried to put in place. However, David Gross did not attend one single meeting when this was discussed. He did not question, speak to the Board, or even write to us. He made no effort to inform himself about his ignorance of this matter. I can only think of two occasions when he was there, and they were in relation to Woodstock Environmental Commission matters.
The points he tries to make in his rant are either impractical or wrong. For instance, his idea for selling the Town Hall in this down market would come nowhere near paying for the cost of a new building, yet he would have an environmentally ‘effective’ building. Does he have any sense of what the costs would be for that? Does he have a plan to produce revenue for the Town that no one else knows about? Has he taken the time to find out that the fabricators of the handsome, reasonably priced, but not greatly environmentally effective new Town of Kingston offices down the Sawkill Road have been put out of business by the State?
Indeed, he ends his attempt to gain votes from folks who may not have been paying attention, as he hasn’t, by stating that “discussions are part of the homework that every one of us is obliged to do.” A good thought, and how much more meaningful it would have been if David had really meant it. He wrote about his ‘priorities,’ but getting involved on a firsthand basis was not one of them for him. It’s so easy to try to deceive the public for political gain.
Jay Wenk
Woodstock
WITHOUT A GOVERNMENT
Fresh from his prayer rally asking God’s help to solve the country’s problems, Rick Perry has thrown his hat into the Republican three-ring circus of anti-government rhetoric. Perry’s pledge if he was president is “to make Washington as inconsequential in our lives as it can be.” Wow! Just think about what that would mean and what you could do for yourself in the absence of the federal government.
1. You could insure quality control of the drugs you take by making them in your basement just like meth makers do.
2. You could have all able-bodied tea partiers maintain the highways and get the networks to create a reality show where contestants show their true grit by hanging beneath bridges to check for structural problems.
3. You could practice the head-between-the-knees-kiss-your-behind-bye-bye technique in case your plane accidentally collides with another.
4. You could move away from rivers, oceans, gulfs which might flood or build your house on stilts.
5. You could invite a terrorist for tea and congratulate him for being off the freedom-infringing watchlist.
6. You could run to the southern border states and buy lots of guns and ammo and play war for real if we are attacked.
7. You could buy lots of candles which are helpful if the power grid goes down. And romantic too.
8. You could go to your pool supply store and buy water test kits or buy lots of bottled water with the money saved by not paying taxes.
9. You could put away a few extra shekels each paycheck for retirement and hope you don’t live too long.
10. You could save another few extra shekels to purchase health insurance when you are older or get a Kevorkian machine for when the money runs out.
11. You could build up your immune system so e-coli, parasites, salmonella don’t make you sick.
12. You could have the coal companies invest in a lot of cages and canaries.
13. You could ask a cadre of Homer Simpson wannabes to oversee our nuclear power plants.
14. You could buy an extra mattress to stash your money under when the pesky government no longer insures your bank account. 15. You could save a few more coins from your massive paycheck to buy more gas for your car when those infringing pollution and mileage standards are done away with.
16. You can wear a mask while driving in thick smoky air of freedom. 17. You could support giving Wall St. back all the freedom it had when the economy collapsed.
18. You could save some more of your dollars to pay for all the cost of you kids’ education if they are not either geniuses or athletes.
19. You could put away a little extra in case of a hurricane, earthquake or tornado and make sure your bootstraps are strong and intact.
19. Most of all, according to Rick Perry and friends, you can pray to a God who says “government, shmovernment, who needs you when you have me on your side?” The fact that it hasn’t worked in Perry’s Texas where the prayers for rain have gone unanswered doesn’t really matter. Faith is like that. That’s why its called blind, and sometimes deaf and dumb. Just saying.
M’Lou Sorrin
Hurley
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Since lies, in essence, are at the heart of all true evil — anyone can participate.
And we do.
Poor Diogenes.
Ron Rybacki
Woodstock
JOJO’S REFUSES ALL DONATIONS
JoJo’s campaign is doing well with growing momentum. His first plank, previously announced, is to honor Governor Cuomo’s historic property tax–cap legislation of two percent. Although, JoJo will seek to decrease taxes for Woodstock homeowners, he commits to a maximum increase of two percent. We are in an economic crisis and we must put money back into people’s pockets. New York’s property taxes are among the highest taxes in the nation. The tax cap is a critical step towards economic recovery.
JoJo extends his gratitude to all those supporting his campaign. Although many of you have offered donations, JoJo must decline. All contributions to JoJo’s campaign will be refused or returned. There will be no T-shirts, no election pins, no fundraisers and no expensive newspaper advertisements. We are not selling a commodity backed by money, smiles and false promises; we are choosing a leader that demonstrates integrity, honesty, common sense and a vision for Woodstock that everyone can embrace.
On the other hand, JoJo’s opponents will bombard you with campaign offerings and costly misleading advertisements to sway your vote. Beware of those who ask you for money to support their campaigns. Simply refuse to surrender your money and your vote to a marketing ploy that attempts to sell a candidate no differently than one sells a Tempur-Pedic mattress.
JoJo believes that if we are going to save this town it begins here and now with his campaign values. JoJo has eliminated all campaign-operating costs and refuses revenues. Financially JoJo will manage town business with the same fundamental philosophy. Hence, his second plank is to significantly reduce town costs and consequently lower taxes supporting these costs. Clean and simple!
Jay Cohen
Woodstock
I’M FOR JOJO
The present candidates for Supervisor have been barking up the wrong tree for a long time. I’m supporting JoJo in the upcoming election for town supervisor. You don’t hear him howling political rhetoric and false promises. JoJo is just straight out the best qualified candidate to run this town. He is calm, cool, with self-control and sniffs out problems before they get out of hand. He is a long time resident in Woodstock and knows the territory. If elected, we won’t have any dirty messes to clean up afterward. I am writing in JoJo’s name on the ballot and hope all voters will do the same, because he is the best of all possible candidates.
Chris Collins
Bearsville
RUPCO CONSTRUCTION NOISE
At various times throughout the last seven years, we spoke out against the inhumane construction schedule that the Planning Board and RUPCO deliberately inflicted upon us. They actually expected us to endure the constant noise Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for 18 months. How generous of them to give us peace on only one day a week, Sunday.
Most of the people on the Elwyn and Playhouse sides are home all day and are now cruelly subjected to the relentless construction noise.
I’d like to ask the Planning Board and RUPCO to spend Monday through Saturday for 12 hours a day and see how they like it.
Iris York
Woodstock
WHO IS PETER CROSS
I was born in Woodstock and my mother, Sylvia Grad, was born to a Woodstock family. My father was a craftsman at Byrdcliff and my mother started the Catskill Book & Record Shop. She later was the personal secretary for J. Constant van Rijn, the founder of Rotron. She bought a small house on Glasco Trnpk. from Peter Whitehead and he hired me to work on his Byrdcliff farm, with Burt Van Kleeck. Later I worked for Edgar Rosenblum at the original Woodstock Playhouse. My mother was an environmentalist and we hiked all the trails and mountains in and around Woodstock on a regular basis. When she opened her B & B on Yerry Hill Rd. she guided her guests on our scenic trails.
When I returned to Woodstock from being overseas in the army, I owned and operated an energy efficient home manufacturing company called Barn Homes. I have always lived in my family home on Yerry Hill Road.
I studied marine biology at Stony Brook and USF and spent several years as a biologist working for the Dept. of Natural Resources. Later I worked on reef ecology and as a jungle tour guide for the government of Belize. I also owned and operated an aquaponic facility producing fish and lettuce. I am a surveyor and a licensed wetlands inspector and have served as a volunteer on the Planning Board for six years. I am a single parent of two wonderful teenaged children. My son will be a sophomore at Onteora Central School this year and my daughter Angela Cross graduated from OSC this year, earning a scholarship to Colby College in Maine to study environmental policy. I have witnessed the majority of my home town peers get taxed out of living in Woodstock. As a responsible parent, having to live within my limited means, as a member of the Town Board I would assume that same level of responsibility in order to allow year round residents to be able to afford to remain in Woodstock. Please mark your calendars and attend the Meet Your Candidates Night on September 6 at the Community Center and then go vote at the Democratic Primary on September 13. Thank you!
Peter Cross, Candidate for Town Board
Woodstock
JOJO JUST WANTS TO RUN FREE
JoJo is a bona fide animal — human — nature lover. He is nature. He thrives by taking frequent walks at the Comeau and enjoys it for its natural beauty. He loves how the strong gushing roving streams lead him to refreshing cool plunks. His selflessness melts into the water’s foam, becoming one with all beings on the planet, with trees and snails and all leaves of grass.
His doggy mind resorts back to the nice shop keepers who leave him offerings of bowls of water. For when he is thirsty, he can drink, fondly recalling the rugged barefoot man walking on the concrete, reminding him of his paws padding in the moist dirt of the wetlands.
Lately, however, JoJo has been oddly affected and shaken by the onslaught of Fukushima. Since radioactive levels in Woodstock town have been measuring two, his fervent appreciation for this holy land has grown even more immediate. Once he saw how all the wildlife was bulldozed down, the movie Avatar popped into his head and foresaw the big picture and understood what was really going on. All over again, the virtue enrichments of the trees and their ecosystems were reinstating their sole purpose on earth, to sustain all. What would be so wrong about setting up teepees for the people of the land who need affordable housing, to learn about what it means to sleep under the stars, and learning about what the land was meant to be used for, instead of cages, tall and cold? Instead of mindlessly destroying everything in its path in the name of an antiquated misdirected economic system, swallowing up the little bit of wilderness we still have left standing in our quaint little community, he thought, with so many dog lovers out there, why haven’t these options for holistic living been explored, so we can still run and be free?
He sadly recalls the slaying of his great wolf ancestor when they took the wolves off the endangered species list. Was it also illegal for them to sleep outside on private property?
How could my best friend let this keep happening? And how could they forget the zero carbon neutral promise that was promised when my old buddy D. Lewis ran fur super?
Margaret Herald (Journey Blue Heaven)
Woodstock
DON’T THINK ONCE
Most of our representatives have agreed that we all must accept reality. We’ll rescue the banksters who wrecked the world economy, but we’ll have to punish the victims of the wreckage and reduce their social safety net in order to pay for the damage.
Health care reform will pay doctors thousands of dollars per hour, will pay pharmaceuticals thousands of percent markup, make it illegal to buy lower priced meds elsewhere, pay the unnecessary profits of private insurers, and if you can’t afford this system you’re a loser.
Corporations and ultra wealthy people get big tax breaks because they act as huge economic engines that drive the economy. When these engines stall for years at a time it serves to make workers more efficient and trim the fat out of government.
Millions of foreclosures, 75 million working poor, 20 million unemployed, 50 million uninsured aren’t paying much in taxes. The rest of us can no longer afford to carry them.
Looting is a crime if you’re a ghetto youth, but it’s a forte if you’re a banker. Tiger’s in a slump. Jeter has 3,000 hits. Brad and Jen may get back together someday. England’s all ablaze, no one knows why. Everything’s normal, now go back to sleep.
Liam Watt
Saugerties
YALE EPSTEIN AT LOTUS
One of the things I value most about Woodstock is the generous exchange of ideas and ways of working that artists freely share through artists’ talks, readings, workshops — and even while just meeting for coffee in town. My own photography and writing have benefited greatly from this aspect of the Woodstock community, and it’s something I appreciate very much.
Last weekend when I attended the opening for Yale Epstein’s solo photography show, Intelligent Design, I was fortunate to get to spent a few minutes talking to Yale about this body of work and the way he’s currently embracing photography. The pictures are beautifully shot and printed, and in them, I could see traces of all the years of painting that came before these images.
Yale will speak at Lotus Fine Art and Design in Woodstock on Saturday, August, 20 at 4 p.m. This is a great opportunity to hear an artist talk about finding new ways of working and continuing to look closely at the world around him.
Sharon Rousseau
Woodstock
WSA SAYS THANKS
On behalf of the Board of Directors of The Woodstock School of Art, Inc., I extend my heartfelt thanks for an overwhelming show of support from the Woodstock community at large for the Building Fund Auction which was held Sunday, August 14.
To our many donors, co-signers, and bidders and the terrific Tom Fletcher and amazing Amy Freeman from the Fletcher Gallery, the sure-I’ll come-into-work-on-a-Sunday-staff at the WSA, Eric Angeloch, Pam Murnan, Mandara Calderon, Mimi Aburano, led by the best thing since
sliced bread, Nancy Campbell, volunteer coordinating maven Carol Davis, the genius and unflappable bookkeeper Kim Lockrow, first lady and maker of wonderful sustenance, Sarah Stitham, and the ever faithful, stalwart yet merry band of WSA volunteers, which includes:
Ian Healy, Merrily Warren, Joan Elliot , Paula Nelson, Janet Siskind, Wilma Miller, Sandra Scheuer, Pamela Wardewell, Pip Merrick, Elizabeth Broad, Mary Yelenick, Dion Ogust, John Kleinhans, Jenne Currie, Mara Angeloch, Mary Ann Malkine, Mike Campbell, Heather the internet wizard, Ron Balsamo and Dennis Gato, I once again offer my sincere gratitude for your cheery dispositions, your constant devotion to the school, and for being a magnificent part of the spirit of the Woodstock colony.
This is truly the best part of my job, and one of the top ten reasons to work in an artists’ colony. Generations of great artists have been supported and collected by their neighbors and friends since the inception of this artists’ colony, and there is an abundance of amazing work in Woodstock waiting for the right new collector or friend. Please keep the excitement in the air and this marvelous tradition alive by sending the same show of support to The 9th Annual Woodstock Fine Art Auction at the Woodstock Artists Association & Museum (WAAM), Sunday, September 4, at 1 pm. I’ll be looking for you there!
Kate McGloughlin
President, Woodstock School of Art
DUHMOCKERY
The Republicans, ruled by the Tea Party have brought on the next recession, and no-one knows how bad it will be. Of course, Obama will take the blame, which is partly true, in that he didn’t fight them hard enough. Now we could end up with Mitt Romney, who will do anything the corporations tell him to do, including calling corporations people which he did this week.
Then there’s our next emerging nightmare Rick Perry, who is more steeped in corporate dollars than I can write about today. He could run on ending the separation of Church and State, or God only knows what Michelle Bachman will come up with.
I’m no fan of the S&P that allowed the mortgage scam to go on way too long. However, I’m glad that someone did something that could move our government towards addressing our unfair distribution of wealth. It’s astounding to me that public servants can run on the platform that the masses have to pay more taxes and the super rich do not. How in Heaven’s name do they convince people to vote against themselves?
I’ve been saying that our country is in deep trouble for some time now, at the same time wishing that I’d be wrong. But hang onto the railing folks, because this roller coaster has no seat belts. Digging deep to find something positive to say, I found one thing:
As the market falls, the President and those in his party that have some knowledge of government, may be moved to govern. I know this will sound old fashioned, but our “representatives” are supposed to represent U.S., not their wallets. I’m not asking for their souls to awaken, because that seems impossible…unless…nah, the Karmapa isn’t going to speak in the House. So back to the positive spin:
The coming financial hardship may help to save the environment, in that we will have less purchasing and discarding of useless items. Of course, Tiffany’s will continue to flourish, but maybe we’ll have less “bling” and tattoos, because they don’t come for free. They’ll still charge us for water, and many will spend what’s left of their 401K’s on anti-depressants…but wait, that’s not really a positive spin is it?
So, here’s my thought: Why don’t they ask some of “us” to find solutions? Like: regarding the corporate jet loophole, why not let the corporations that use their jets to bring jobs back to our country keep their loopholes, and then charge the corporations that use their jets to bring jobs to other countries? We can go on from there.
If we can’t pull that one off, I believe that the day will come when we, the people will get up and stand together against the corporations that are poisoning us, and the Banksters that have stolen our money. I only hope that it will be sooner rather than later. Remember, Democracy is not a spectator sport, but Duhmockery is.
Jill Paperno
Glenford
SAFER INTERSECTION
It is safer now that the ornamental grasses have been removed from the garden on Rte. 212 and 375. Thank you ladies for your understanding of the issue.
Pat Hastie
West Hurley
COME DOWN AND VOTE FOR TERRIE
Come down off the mountain and get involved. We are having a most important primary election on September 13 and I hope you will support Terrie Rosenblum for Supervisor of Woodstock. You, my fellow registered Democrats, must do some work and educate yourselves about Terrie Rosenblum. It is a difficult job but Terrie is both willing and able to take it on. Come down off the mountain and out of the woods and vote for Terrie.
Ralph Goneau
Woodstock
ON BEHALF OF ARTIE
It was my privilege to receive the key to Woodstock on behalf of Artie last Saturday — even though his first remark about the key to the city five years earlier was, “Key to Woodstock...but nobody locks their doors!” He would have been thrilled and upon receipt would have made us laugh with a clever quip.
Artie always took great pleasure in playing benefits that would help others and I know that he would have been thrilled to receive any form of ‘thank you’ for it — although he derived most gratitude from being able to help those less fortunate. He played so many that he used to tease, “if it weren’t for the benefits, there would be no gigs at all.”
I truly thank all concerned with bestowing this award and know that I treasure the thought and the gesture and the memories.
Beverly Traum
Woodstock
TAKE DOWN YOUR OLD SIGNS
As a resident of Woodstock I find it very upsetting as I am riding around our lovely community to see Tag and Yard sale signs left posted long after the sales dates. Residents should take pride in our community and be diligent about removing the signs when the sales are over!
Let’s keep Woodstock beautiful...
Barbara Sloman
Woodstock
WHY CELEBRATE
Have you seen the Emergency Rescue Squad or the fire companies in action? Have you needed them? Have you been on the Village Green and enjoyed the gardens? Isn’t it heartening that we have Family of Woodstock, Daily Bread Soup Kitchen, Hospice, Woodstock Area Meals on Wheels, and the Food Pantry? Have you seen a performance at PAW, or Shakespeare in the park? Have you been to Christmas Eve on the Green? Have you admired the view at the Zena Cornfield? Woodstock Artists Association & Museum, Little League, Soccer League, Angel Food East, Habitat for Humanity, Woodstock Loan Closet and there are many more. Look at the list of community organizations on the website, www.volunteersday.org. As a community, we are very fortunate. Come to Andy Lee Field this Saturday, August 20, 1 p.m.-5 p.m. and enjoy the Music Festival and Town Picnic held in honor of our volunteers. “Show up and support the volunteers. They always show up for us.”
Sam Magarelli
Woodstock
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