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Please vote yes for our future
This letter is in support of the New Paltz Central School District’s capital project vote.
Proposition #1 is critical. According to the district’s newsletter, “It includes improvements for safety and energy efficiency and updates that are essential/appropriate for daily school operations.” This is simply a pay now or pay more later issue.
Proposition #2 “is related to athletic facilities, an auditorium audio/visual system and air conditioning for large group spaces.”
Proposition #3 “involves the building of an aquatic center located on the high school campus.” Our athletes have for too long had to be transported to outside facilities to practice and compete. And our district has had to pay for these rented facilities and transportation!
We urge voters to open up and read, look at the pictures in the January 2025 school district newsletter. Here you will find the facts of funding and evidence of our infrastructure that is in need of repairs and updating.
The three propositions will allow for growth. A no vote provides for atrophy.
It’s either growth or apathy. The choice is ours. Please vote yes for our future.
Roy Speedling
Barbara Speedling
New Paltz
Grove Street New Paltz
Sundays on Grove Street during my childhood were a time when life followed a rhythm shaped by connection, reflection and quiet simplicity. Stores were closed by government mandate, forcing a pause in the relentless pursuit of buying and selling. Time then felt expansive, framed by moments that brought people closer to themselves and each other.
My mother would sit with her parents while my siblings and I walked to the Methodist Church. Afterward, my grandfather often had the old hand-cranked ice cream maker ready. We’d take turns turning the crank, laughing at its stubborn resistance, and then savor the sweetness we had worked for. My father stayed home, and though I once wondered about his solitude, I now see it as his moment to reflect — a gift in itself.
That enforced societal pause gave Sundays a sacred rhythm, not necessarily religious but deeply human. It was a day for connection, not consumption, and its stillness allowed us to just be. I remember walking past the church into the woods, throwing rocks into the stream. Each splash felt like a question answered by the constant flow of water. It taught me that the world didn’t need to rush; it simply was.
Today, that rhythm is gone. Buying has become a relentless, 24/7 cycle, and reaching for our wallets has replaced reaching for each other. The quiet spaces where we once reflected and connected have been filled with the hum of commerce. We measure time now by transactions, not by moments of shared stillness.
The loss of that rhythm leaves scars we rarely notice. The enforced stillness of those Sundays gave us a chance to connect — with family, ourselves and the natural world. In its absence, we risk forgetting to pause and simply exist without filling the moment with noise and consumption.
I think of my childhood Sundays not as a longing for the past but as a reminder of what we’ve lost. Perhaps we can reclaim some of that rhythm by creating spaces for connection and reflection. Let’s remember that time isn’t just something to spend, but something to share. The sweetest moments, like hand-cranked ice cream, come from the effort of being together.
Larry Winters
New Paltz
Divisive bad cheer
I don’t know what town board meetings Linda Fisher has been attending, or if her letter of December 25 attacking board member Ratcliff was solely derived in some twisted fashion from Nick Henderson’s article on Woodstock “bad cheer.” But I’ve attended or viewed a number of town board meetings, and her castigation of Ratcliff, essentially singling him out as the source of our problems and lack of solutions is pretty outrageous. Apparently, the campaign season has already begun in the same manner as the last. And it’s hard to take Ms. Fisher’s call for harmony seriously when it itself includes such divisive bad cheer.
From what I’ve witnessed, board member Ratcliff has tried to put forward proposals to address the problems facing his constituents, only to be continuously shot down by the indivisible three to two majority bloc, and regularly silenced by the town supervisor. Recently, as covered in Henderson’s article, board member Ratcliff, for the second time, put forth a professionally crafted and well-cited resolution to finally clean up the Shady dump. A disagreement ensued amongst board members Ratcliff and Courtis and Supervisor McKenna. Nowhere in the article was Ratcliff assigned any more criticism for the tenor of the disagreement than Courtis or McKenna, nor should he have been. Later on, several speakers during the “public be heard” session complained about the continued inaction by the supervisor regarding a hearing to fire Officer Sinagra over the corroborated allegations of abusive misogynistic and racist statements. Board member Courtis responded by claiming that the board is united on the supervisor’s handling of the matter, and when Ratcliff simply tried to dispute the claim, he, unlike Courtis, was silenced by the supervisor.
Despite the Pollyannaic picture board member Courtis painted as the only board member and potential candidate for supervisor included in the “Hopes and aspirations” column in the same edition, there are serious problems in our town that need to be addressed and have been kicked down the road for far too long. Yes, all of the alibis, misinformation, intransparency, non-democracy and neglect do cause frustration and friction. People want the Shady dump finally cleaned up, the PFOS in the water really source traced, misogyny and racism anywhere in Woodstock immediately addressed, mounting lawsuits that will eventually have to be paid for settled, etc.
If the only way the public is allowed to be heard is through two- or three-minute statements during “public be heard” that are easily ignored, while statements made by board members that are clearly false are meant to go unchecked, “audience participation” is to be expected. It’s the price of democracy.
Alan M. Weber
Woodstock
Christmas acrostic for Will Nixon
Christmas three times a year?
Ho Ho Hos would disappear!
Raucous parties would simmer.
I for one would be relieved
Seeing my check book rest.
To once a year celebrating so,
Magical, like one baby’s birth,
And singing good will, good cheer
Same as every sacred year.
Patrick Hammer, Jr.
Saugerties
How I will vote on the NPCSD capital project
I plan to vote NO on the New Paltz Central School District (NPCSD) bond propositions #2 and #3. Here’s why.
NPCSD Superintendent Stephan Grotto gave an excellent presentation at the Elting Library. He informed our group that, “Regardless of the outcome of the capital project propositions, this is going to be a difficult (budget) year.”
The district website indicates that …“Over the last two school years the district has been in the situation where revenue has not covered expenses. As a result, we have had to use a significant amount of fund balance each year to balance the budget. We have made substantial staffing cuts [more than 25] as well as a general tightening of our belts in all other areas.”
Proposition #2 asks for $12 million ($16 million including interest), 72% of which is for athletic facilities and equipment. In addition to the imposing price tag, there is significant controversy surrounding the proposal to replace the natural grass surface of the football field with “turf.” Synthetic turf is a manufactured, nonliving, artificial grass that looks similar to real grass. Turf grass is made of polyethylene, polypropylene and a backing material such as latex or polyurethane. It must be replaced periodically, at great expense and is most commonly discarded in landfills.
Proposition #3 asks for $19 million (more than $25 million with interest) to construct an aquatics center. Annual operating costs are estimated to be from $150,000 to $200,000 per year. Utility costs alone will be $5,000+per month. Then there is the swim instructor ($100,000 – $120,000 per year) and lifeguard (at least $50,000), etc.
As for Proposition #1, the price tag is $17 million ($23 million with interest). As a longtime homeowner, I understand that regular maintenance is required. Prop #1 is focused on repairs, renovations and upgrades that need to be done. Mr. Grotto notes that, “Doing them as part of a capital project rather than as part of our yearly operating budget makes sense because the school gets a significant amount of state aid on capital projects that it does not get on repairs done through the general budget.” I will vote YES on this one.
Regarding state aid … NY State reimburses school districts at different rates for different projects. Prop #1 by itself is 97% aidable, which will reduce the cost by nearly $14 million to just over $9 million. State aid on Prop #2 is 65%. State aid for the aquatic center is a mere 9.5%.
Alan Stout
New Paltz
Discuss the basics of birth control and personal responsibility
A man with nine children complained to the media that the county is causing his homelessness after he was notified that a local hotel used by the county and where he and his family currently reside can no longer accommodate them. He said he was earlier evicted from an apartment because of his family’s size. He didn’t bother to mention that most landlords must follow building codes which regulate the number of people who can occupy an apartment.
Having nine children and being unable to care for them is a form of abuse — in my own not so humble opinion. Yet, this individual wants to play the victim and blame Ulster County’s social services for his own inability to provide adequate housing for a family he chose to procreate. It was noted in the news article that the family has been receiving homeless services for at least one year. During that time child number nine was born!
Meanwhile, legislator Joseph Maloney was quoted that he has known this man since childhood, blah, blah, blah, and he stood on his portable soap box and also complained about the county’s lack of homeless services and that the ones provided are undesirable. Those issues have a long history and are unrelated to the problem created by this particular man who is to blame for his own plight.
Maloney would best spend his time and do his good friend a huge favor by discussing the basics of birth control and personal responsibility.
Jo Galante Cicale
Saugerties
Don’t believe everything you hear
When I was a girl, my father gave me some sage advice: “Believe half of what you see and none of what you hear.” Experience has taught me that people say a great many things about others, about themselves and their personal opinions that they cling to as “fact.” People judge others harshly. Often, those judgments are inaccurate assessments of what we think is true. Spreading lies to further one’s own personal agenda are the actions of profoundly insecure, emotionally immature people who allow their inner five year old to run their life. Sadly, this happens everywhere — nationally, in the state, the county, in towns, villages, cities and neighborhoods. It is a destructive trend that we CAN stop in its tracks.
• Be an active, critical-thinking listener.
• Don’t believe what you hear. Ask questions to learn more.
• Don’t spread the information — whether it is true or not. Talking about other people is toxic and creates negativity in your life.
• Don’t automatically believe the worst of others. Choose to believe that everyone is doing the best they can. What you think happened is likely not the whole story and the person you think poorly of deserves the grace and mercy you would want provided for you.
• Embrace “The Golden Rule”: Treat others as you want to be treated. Don’t treat others as you would not want to be treated.
Unfortunately, we live in a culture driven by ego, greed and lack of empathy — qualities often exhibited by those in positions of power. They maintain their power by dividing us and calling into question the character and integrity of their rivals and enemies. We’re entering dangerous times nationally. It doesn’t have to be this way here. Every moment is an opportunity to do better and be better.
Melinda McKnight
West Hurley
Rock the vote
A lot of Americans are hoping Trump will stop elections, because they don’t like voting anyway.
Sparrow
Phoenicia
Good morning, people … do not thread lightly
Good morning, dear souls, awaken your hearts,
In the stillness, where every breath starts.
Do not tread lightly on dreams that you cherish,
For the eye of the needle can sew or can perish.
Each step that you take, a whisper, a sigh,
The weight of your journey lifts you to fly.
Hold tight to your visions, let courage ignite,
In the fabric of life, weave your truth into light.
The needle’s embrace is both fragile and strong,
It stitches together the fractured and wrong.
In moments of doubt, when shadows may fall,
Remember, dear ones, you are part of it all.
With love as your thread and intention your guide,
You’ll unravel the fears that the world has supplied.
So, step boldly into the tapestry grand,
In the eye of the needle, make a steadfast stand.
Folks, I would like to wish all my comrades in arms, only good times with total merriment and plenty of genuine laughter — it brings about a joyful spirit into our hearts. This unshakable rapid-fire drumming from our collective heartbeat, will set a tempo, allowing all who are present to feel the positive vibes as we weave a dance of camaraderie into tomorrow … Happy new year!
Neil Jarmel
West Hurley
The blessing of NOW!
We had such a draining fall season, with hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, fires and an exhausting political campaign. But all that intensity is now in our past. We all made it through. Some of us were fortunately unscathed. Others did not do as well. My heart goes out to anybody who struggled mightily, and to those who are still trying to find some balance and calm in their lives.
But now our focus is on the holiday season and the concept of “Peace on Earth. Good will to all.” Easier said than done, of course. But it’s still a good idea to let go of the past as best as you can, and focus more on this moment and all that is still a blessing in our lives.
In France there is the idea of, “Presence a Soire” to develop our ability to be present in this moment. It’s a practice worth nurturing. Remember though, it’s a practice. It takes time. Ram Dass wrote, “Be Here Now” and Eckhart Tolle is famous for his book, The Power of Now. You get the message? It’s all happening in this moment; moment by sacred moment.
A dear friend of mine, Doris Anderson, wrote something that fits right here. So here are her beautiful words.
“I was just thinking, today is the only day of my life. All the past is over and done, except for what we hold onto in our mind. Most of this being the story we have created of circumstances. The future is not real, only what we imagine. So today we have choices to make about how we want the only day of our lives to be. Today let us do our best to let go of all the pain from our past and stop the constant planning and thinking about what we want for the future. Let’s embrace what we have right here today. Let us allow spirit to guide us into the fullness of each moment as each moment changes and morphs from one thing to the next. And let’s have faith that spirit is creating something good and beautiful in our lives. Can we trust even when things seem uncertain? For some, this may be easy. For others of us it may be more difficult. I send love and compassion to all who may be dealing with difficult things and gratitude for all of you and the role you play in this great time of awakening.”
Sending blessings, love and light to all for a joyful and meaningful holiday time. And may we all stay open to the possibility of a surprisingly good New Year of 2025!
Marty Klein
Kingston
Confusion or conspiracy
I wonder how much it cost Woodstock’s taxpayers in lawyer fees for Gordon Wemp’s Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) to reach, by default, the conclusion that the town building inspector had properly applied the zoning law to Eastwoods Drive, in response to the Woodstock Land Conservancy’s request to the ZBA “for an interpretation as to whether or not the Zoning Enforcement Officer’s determination that the use for Eastwoods Drive by Zena Development LLC requiring them to adhere to specific sections of Woodstock’s zoning law is correct.”
Howard Harris
Woodstock
Winston Farm: Don’t believe the hype
While searching for a quiet place to live in the vicinity of the Catskill mountains, we found Saugerties. It has an artistic vibe and a small-town charm. Saugerties has character, with local businesses that offer unique quality and solid value. There is a thriving art and environmental community here; one that respects nature and honors the long tradition of visionary coexistence with the natural surroundings of the region.
The proposed commercial development of Winston Farm is the antithesis of living in harmony with nature. Clear cutting acres of trees and laying tracts of impervious material does not sound at all climate friendly. The harm to water systems both above and below ground, the noise, exhaust and gridlock of a thousand more vehicles, as well as the irreversible impact upon the native flora and fauna that call the 840 acres home are under threat by many forms of heavy pollution, displacement and permanent destruction. One wonders to what end? For the sake of growth? A speculated boon to the area’s economy? Supposed benefits from property tax revenue? The developers’ concept of “a mixed-use live, work, play development” sounds like they want to sell us a delusional sugar-coated monstrosity. It’s clearly detached from today’s climate-conscious concerns. And by the way, the city of Kingston is just a few miles down the road. Do the developers care if Saugerties takes on the tackiness of the 9W in Kingston?
It is quite easy to see that Saugerties already has just what it needs. And if one looks around one will notice that there have been numerous large-scale commercial projects that have gone bust over the years and now stand empty. To build a sprawling suburb is incredibly short-sighted and out of touch. This is a precious region that deserves much better.
Janell O’Rourke
Vincent Evans
Saugerties
It’s clear that Woodstock needs change
We’ve been hearing some claims of late that the PFOS contamination of Woodstock’s water is no longer a concern. While we wish that were true, PFOS isn’t considered a “forever chemical” for no reason. Assuming that there wasn’t another reporting error, the most recent test results of municipal wells showed a number of “non-detects” and one reading of 2.21 ppt (ng/L), which was a decrease for that well. However, it’s important to note several caveats. First, a “non-detect” could mean a contaminant is present but the level might fall below the “reporting limit” of the test (the point where the lab is confident in its accuracy), therefore it’s not numerically indicated. The reporting limits of recent tests were between 1.85 ppt and 2.03 ppt, so those “non-detects” could, in reality, be fairly substantial, especially considering the U.S. E.P.A.’s declaration that no amount of PFOS is safe to drink.
Also, there can be seasonal fluctuations involved, with the accumulation of rain and snow affecting the reading of the moment. Unfortunately, though the supervisor has said previously that the town would be testing quarterly according to the guidance he says he’s received, there was an almost five month gap between rounds of testing, meaning that the ability to factor in those seasonal changes in interpreting the readings may have been severely hampered. But most important is the difference between what the town is doing and real source tracing. Testing only the wells at best confirms the level of PFOS at that location, not where it came from. Being a “forever chemical,” it will remain for many years after the source has been removed. But we don’t even know where the source is. Imagine if it’s some distance away and, so, how diluted the reading would be. And that brings us to the Shady dump.
Logic should tell us that a prime location for source tracing should be where we know toxic particulates have been sitting over our aquifer for five years. We also know that concerning levels of PFOS were found at the Karolys Saugerties site, where, as established in Shandaken court, the Church Road material originated. Wouldn’t we want to find out if contaminants from the Shady dump, perhaps including PFOS, have leached into the aquifer, as the town was warned would happen years ago by several respected hydrogeologists? Why has Supervisor McKenna, utilizing his indivisible 3-2 town board majority, stalled on doing real source tracing, just as he’s continued to stall on doing a real clean-up of the Shady dump, rather than the bogus one whose permit was ruled illegal? Why at the town hall on the water contamination conducted by board member Courtis was any discussion of Shady dump off the table? In communications with the attorney general, McKenna and Courtis are on record that the Shady dump site is a potential hazard to Woodstock’s water, which was doubled-down on by Courtis in her own further communication with the attorney general. Yet they voted to defeat, and subsequently to table, two consecutive resolutions by board member Ratcliff to finally clean it up. The supervisor claims he’s now awaiting a response from the attorney general, this time regarding the lawsuit against 29 trucking companies, having failed to join the lawsuit against Karolys. But a response with no promises was already received, and, regardless, according to the state, Woodstock has the authority to enforce its own laws, holding the property owners liable.
So why does the board majority continue to kick all of Woodstock’s problems down the road instead of dealing with them responsibly? Why does the supervisor continue to assert his “expertise” rather than hiring independent professionals, whether it’s analyzing the PFOS problem or investigating the sexual and racial harassment in the police department? It’s clear that Woodstock needs change.
Vince Mow
For Woodstockers United for Change
MAGAs: The dogs that caught the car
The inauguration is about two weeks off. When President Musk lays his hand on a Trump bible to take the oath, we will enter a new era, one marked from the start by the previously unthinkable. At least one Putin puppet, a white supremacist Fox talking head, an anti-science anti-vaxxer and other completely unqualified cronies or fawners are positioned to place their hands on the levers of government.
Like many other Democrats, I’ve asked myself too often why the Republicans won. And I’m not certain they did, since it defies the odds that so many downballot Democratic candidates won in the toss-up red states that officially also sent their electoral votes to a Republican standard-bearer who was, for many, a hold-your-nose choice at best. We’ll leave this to the historians. If there’s truth to my statement, it will eventually out.
I’m sick of the handwringing about Democratic messaging and Biden’s terrible gaffe of not forswearing a second term. I believe the real reason Trump won is because he and his circle are the greatest exponents of the Big Lie since the Hitler-Goebbels days. He has never retracted any of the tens of thousands lies he’s made since coming down his gilded escalator. Trump’s former press secretary Stephanie Grisham has disclosed Trump’s instructions to her, “As long as you keep repeating something, it doesn’t matter what you say.” That’s the sanitized version of the dictum “Lie. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.”
His most recent lie was in the face of the unspeakable tragedy in New Orleans, where he immediately blamed the murders on an immigrant. The alleged killer, Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar, was born in the U.S.A. He served for seven years in the U.S Army, including a deployment to Afghanistan. Given the many sacrifices veterans have made for their country, it is appropriate that they receive superb medical care after their service. Does it surprise you that Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, Trump’s appointees the oddly named DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency), have written in the Wall Street Journal that they wish to “target ‘unauthorized’ federal spending, a category that includes the VA’s medical services [source: www.military.com]”?
We’re in for a rough ride. Let’s stay sharp, focused and ready to speak up as needed. Many MAGA voters — those that were swept away by blind fervor, the need to stay in the tribe, and the human tendency to hate, which is the yang to the yin of love — are the dogs who caught the car. They will soon wake up to the reality of the chase. The rest of us will also pay the price.
William Weinstein
New Paltz
Donald J’s redux
The following is a commentary on the 2024 election which resulted — against all odds — in Donald J Trump once again becoming POTUS. (Works best to the tune of “Desolation Row” by Bob Dylan)
They’re selling postcards of glass ceilings
without glass upon the ground
Oprah Winfrey has gone to the beauty parlor
The View’s dear ladies are feeling down…
There goes Joe and Mika:
they’re heading south for to have their say
They’re making peace with our newest POTUS
and it’s a move that made his day
And the skies are filled with forlorn screams
from people who want to show:
That their broken hearts are full of pain since
Trump’ll be running the show
(Stanza)
Putin disguised as Machiavelli
says “the cold war didn’t go so well”
And Dante’s telling Beatrice: “Kamala’s feeling
like she’s been cast into political hell “
Then in stumbles POTUS Biden
he wears a smile that seems out of place
He’s telling Jill “I could have beaten Donald
but Pelosi made me quit the race”
And the Dems and never Trumpers are so perplexed
Cos, they did everything that they did know;
to help Kamala Harris make history and stop
Trump from running the show
(Stanza)
Somewhere…the darkest evening
it is turning into light
Somewhere a barren desert — has become a gardener’s delight
Somewhere there are people singing
and somewhere children laugh and play
But somewhere is somewhere else it seems
When the world has gone so far astray
And your life may be filled with a purpose
as pure as the driven snow
But that purpose, now, seems out of reach
Since Donald J will be running the show
(Stanza)
“Napoleon in rags” can be so amusing
as he works lost and found near the city zoo
He tells all the zoo keepers and their tailors
“Do unto others as you’d have them do to you”
King David he’s wearing a blindfold
His harp is old but his song is brand new
“I should have avoided Bathsheba” he’s singing
“like a hypochondriac avoids contagious flu”
And while Noah’s eyes are looking up
at Yahweh’s…great rainbow
Someone says it’s raining so hard ‘cos
Trump will be running the show
(Stanza)
Yes I received your letter yesterday:
You wrote “I’m so broken, crushed and down”
You were certain that glass would be shattered
But now you’re certain you’ll be leaving town
All those pundits that you mentioned
they all sounded the same wrong note:
They thought Beyoncé, yes, and Taylor would help Kamala win the vote:
Right now, though I feel your pain:
don’t send me no more letters…no
Not unless the letters say you’ve found some peace
Even though Trump will be running the show
George Civile
Gardiner
Wreaths Across America/New Paltz thank you
On behalf of the Wreaths Across America organization, the New Paltz Rural Cemetery, the Brannen van den Berg VFW Post 8645, the VFW Auxiliary to Post 8645 and our family of volunteers and supporters, we want to thank you for your support of our mission to remember the fallen, honor those that serve and their families and teach the next generation the value of freedom.
On December 14, 2024, National Wreaths Across America Day, over 1075 wreaths were placed to honor and remember all veterans laid to rest at the New Paltz Rural Cemetery on Plains Road in New Paltz.
With each of the sponsored veterans wreaths placed an American hero’s name was spoken out loud so they would not be forgotten.
We extend our deepest gratitude for your unwavering support of our mission by sponsoring wreaths and volunteering to honor our veterans.
This year with your support, along with the support of the following businesses, we were once again able to remember every veteran laid to rest in the New Paltz Rural Cemetery.
Business sponsors: Rycor HVAC, Copeland-Hammerl Funeral Home, Kingston Lodge #10F & A M, Mootz Construction, New Paltz VFW Post 8645 and Auxiliary, St. Joseph’s Church, Dietz Tree Service, Tops Market, Ulster Savings Bank, The Devine Agency, Dedrick’s Pharmacy, Law Offices of Robert Rich, Jim DeMaio State Farm Insurance, New Paltz Fire Department., Gardiner Fire Department, Wallkill View Farm Market, Apple Green Golf Course, Stewart’s Shops, Williams Lumber, Lane Press of Albany, Handmade & More and William Redding DDS.
Thank you to the ceremony participants: Ron Simonson, New Paltz Rural Cemetery president for his heartfelt welcome; Ulster County Veterans Services Agency director Mark Cozzupoli for emceeing the ceremony as well as our speaker; Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger; Father Salvatore Cordaro, St. Joseph’s Church, for offering a prayer; and to Andrew Mironchik, commander of the Brannen van den Berg VFW Post 8645; the New Paltz Fire Department, the Ulster County Combined Law Enforcement Honor Guard; the NYC DEC Police Honor Guard; New Paltz Police Department and the SUNY New Paltz Police Department.
The following young scouts honored the seven branches of the armed forces and POW/MIA by placing the ceremonial wreaths on the Veterans Memorial: Heart of the Hudson Girl Scout Troops, #60135, 60142 & 60093, Victoria Bunora, Ivy Bunora, Savannah Brooks, Anna Malito and Erin O’Donnell.
Rip Van Winkle Council of Scouting Troop #172, Veronica O’Sullivan, Conrad Longazel, Ethan Greger, Logan Saylor, Nathan Pilek, John Reynolds and Sam Scarpati. Andrew Mironchik placed a wreath honoring Gold Star and Blue Star families.
As an added treat, Chris Nadareski, liaison for Rip Van Winkle Scouts and DEP representative, released two rehabilitated red tail hawks in honor of our veterans.
Thank you to Chris Marx and the New Paltz Highway Department for all your help with clean up each year. Thank you to HV1 for your continued support of our mission.
And last, but not least, we want to acknowledge and give many thanks to John Liquori, superintendent of the New Paltz Rural Cemetery along with employees Clifford Campbell and Glenn DeHardt. They go above and beyond in taking care of all the details leading up to, during and after wreath day!
Our mission continues as we look to 2025. The Wreaths Across America (WAA) matching campaign is happening now through January 17, 2025. WAA headquarters will match all wreaths sponsored through a registered WAA sponsorship group for placement on next year’s National Wreaths Across America Day — Saturday, December 13, 2025!
Our direct link is www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/NY0270.
Ron Mironchik
Kathy Mironchik
Cindy Dates
Tara Dates
Wreaths Across America Location Coordinators
The Gaza/Israel ‘War’??
On October 7, 2023, 1200 Israeli men women and children were killed by Hamas. During and since that date, 800 Israeli soldiers have been killed and at least 40,000 Palestinian civilians, amongst which 70 percent were women and children.
Every day I hear the latest news about what’s become known as ‘The Gazza/Israel War’. But when you do the math regarding the ratio of military deaths to civilian deaths to date in Gaza, one must ask oneself: Is it really a war or is it just another episode of colonization in our history where two more powerful nations (Israel and the USA) decide to expel and murder indigenous people to make way for the settlement of racially acceptable people?
Having grown up in war-torn Ireland in the 1960’s and 70’s, I am familiar with war and in particular the evils of colonization. Amongst the worst atrocities I witnessed was a day on January 30, 1972 that became known as Bloody Sunday. On that day, 13 unarmed civilians were shot and killed in Derry by British soldiers during a peaceful protest. Twenty-six people were shot in total, none of which were armed. Most of them were shot whilst fleeing the soldiers and several whilst helping the wounded.
This war in Ireland between the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and the British Empire became known as ‘The Troubles’ resulting in approximately 3,600 deaths in total. From this total, 1840 were civilians, 1400 were British Army and 319 were from the mainly British police force called The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC).
War is always a terrible thing and one killing a disaster. But what I experienced in Ireland could in fact be called, and has gone down in history, as a real war where the ratio of death between soldier and civilian was approximately 1:1 or one civilian killed for every member of the British military killed whereas in World War II, 67 percent of the dead were military. During the war in Ireland, the I.R.A like Hamas were designated a terrorist organization as I’m sure the founding fathers of this country were designated by the British colonists before they were finally defeated at Yorktown in 1781. The founding fathers were instantly promoted to hero status where they have remained ever since. Today that same IRA organization that fought the British just received 39 percent of the vote in Ireland making them the second most popular political force in the country. If history has taught us anything, it’s that yesterday’s terrorist can soon become today’s freedom fighter.
• Civilians: 1,840 civilians were killed, and more than half of the total deaths were civilians.
• British military: Around 1,400 British military personnel died, with half killed by paramilitaries.
• RUC officers: 319 RUC officers were killed by terrorist violence.
Bloody Sunday, or the Bogside Massacre, was a massacre on January 30, 1972 when British soldiers shot 26 unarmed civilians during a protest march in the Bogside area of Derry, [n 1] northern Ireland. Thirteen men were killed outright and the death of another man four months later was attributed to gunshot injuries from the incident. Many of the victims were shot while fleeing from the soldiers, and some were shot while trying to help the wounded.
Chris Finlay
Woodstock
Winston Farm developer’s unauthorized use of logo
The Town of Saugerties Conservation Advisory Commission/Climate Smart Task Force (CAC/CSTF) commissioned a logo to celebrate that group’s successful efforts in attaining Climate Smart Communities Bronze level status for the Town of Saugerties.
After seeing it used in a PowerPoint presentation August 14, 2024 promoting the Winston Farm project by Saugerties Farm LLC (the project’s sponsor/applicant) to the town board, they had been asked not to use the logo in connection with their promotion. The logo was again used in a December 2024 promotional mailing to Saugerties residents without consultation or permission, ignoring the initial request.
It is hoped that the Winston Farm project will ultimately follow the highest standards of environmental stewardship, as represented by CAC/CSTF Climate Smart Community efforts, in pursuing their requested zoning changes. At this point, however, the State Environmental Quality Review process (SEQR), which is necessary to that end, has not been completed and so adherence to those standards has not been established.
Though it should not be necessary, we again ask Saugerties Farm LLC to respect our autonomy and rights of use by removing the logo from any and all digital, print and promotional materials, as that use may be interpreted as support/approval of a proposal which has not even been completed or finalized in the SEQR process.
Marcus Arthur, Chair
Saugerties CAC for CAC/CSTF
Microcosms, macrocosms and PFAS
Two weeks ago I watched, on Woodstockers United for Change’s Facebook page, the 12/17/24 Woodstock Town Board meeting. Later that week, a Substack newsletter and a New York Times article reinforced my belief that the acrimonious divisions which characterize local meetings are a microcosm of dramas being played out on a national level. And that like those dramas, they can be deadly serious.
In her 12/27/24 newsletter “Letters from an American,” history professor Heather Cox Richardson wrote: “Civil war has broken out within the MAGA Republicans. On the one side are the traditional MAGAs, who tend to be white, anti-immigrant and less educated …. On the other side are the new MAGAs who appear to have taken control of the incoming Trump administration. Led by Elon Musk, who bankrolled Trump’s campaign, the new MAGA wing is made up of billionaires, especially tech entrepreneurs.” A microcosmic GOP civil war has broken out within a macrocosmic U.S. civil war. Fasten your seatbelts — it’s going to be a bumpy ride!
That same day, the NYT story (“The E.P.A. Promotes Toxic Fertilizer. 3M Told It of Risks Years Ago.”) presented a macrocosm of Woodstock’s water fight. The story revealed that the Environmental Protection Agency “continues to promote sewage sludge as fertilizer and doesn’t require testing for PFAS [‘forever chemicals’], despite the fact that whistle-blowers, academics, state officials and the agency’s internal studies over the years have also raised contamination concern.” Some “protection”!
The article went on to say: “This year the E.P.A. mandated that water utilities reduce levels of PFAs in drinking water to near zero and said there is no safe level of exposure.”
So the E.P.A. may finally be stepping up — 20-plus years late. But, after declaring “there is no safe level of exposure,” is “near zero” good enough, and will it enforce even that possibly inadequate “mandate?” And where was it for all those years? Where have New York state and our Woodstock board been these past few years? Are their hands tied, are they just sitting on them, or is it something else? Who can you trust?
Especially after reading the NYT article, I’ll put my trust in those who’ll speak out for tighter regulations and stricter enforcement of them. And right now, Woodstockers United for Change — a microcosm of many larger environmental safety groups — seems to be the only voice in the room.
Tom Cherwin
Saugerties
Neil’s billionaires
In his letter of December 25, Neil Jarmel talks about the influence of billionaires in politics, but only on the Republican side. I guess Neil already knows the future, thanks to his almighty and flawless crystal ball. Yet, somehow, Neil sees the future but conveniently ignores the past.
Neil obviously forgets that millionaires and billionaires bought and influenced the ruin we all witnessed for the past four years, in their support of the Democratic party. George Soros is just one quick example. He, and others, influenced, bought and controlled Biden/Harris for their four years and look how well that turned out: unprecedented ravaging crime, inflation, defunding the police and an intentional border fiasco that led to heinous crimes and fentanyl/sex trafficking by illegals at record levels.
Neil, rather than speculate on an unknown future and manufactured “dire events” that may never happen, why don’t you just focus on the ugly realities of your Biden/Harris idols and, instead, be thankful that their cancerous behaviors may very well be coming to an end.
It’s sad to see how the imbalanced and dangerous mindsets of Trump haters can potentially carry people into a severely biased la-la land, and how they don’t want any Republicans, especially Trump, to try to improve failing systems and how to do what’s best for our country. All that occupies their minds are heavy hopes that Trump experiences and becomes responsible for many colossal failures.
Tom Cherwin is another “optimist,” already hanging a Trump administration that isn’t even in place, yet. Tom has our proud national anthem and patriotic songs being defiled by the next administration. Why such thinking, one might ask? Simply because the incoming administration is Republican/conservative and because it includes the name “Trump.”
Tom speaks about environmental woes as if the U.S. is the main culprit responsible for the negative global effect we hear about. No mention, of course, about the far greater polluters — China, India and Russia. With absolutely nothing on the horizon to effectively and efficiently replace fossil fuel yet, it appears that fossil fuel is still the answer — the only answer.
John N. Butz
Modena
Oath keeper?
For the second time in eight years, this president elect will mouth the words of the Presidential Oath of Office with no intention of delivering on that promise. We’ve seen this disastrous show before thanks to a large number of misinformed citizens who have dismissed the fact that Donald Trump, to the best of his ability, broke his vow to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. With a distain for The Separation of Powers, a fundamental principle of The Constitution, his only interest in establishing justice, insuring domestic tranquility, promoting the general welfare, providing a common defense or securing the blessing of liberty is if it benefits him.
Because Donald Trump is a self-serving, narcissist lacking the intellect to govern effectively or the desire to “form a more perfect union,” I can’t accept the fact that his concept of the Oath of Office is, “I serve at the pleasure of me.”
Paul K. Maloney
West Shokan
Vote NO on January 16 for all three of the propositions in New Paltz
I am urging taxpayers in the New Paltz Central School District to vote NO on all three of the propositions, next week, on January 16.
The roll-out of these proposed major expenses has been confused and subject to math errors. Additionally, the district has linked the three propositions so that each one does not stand on its own.
My hope is that after voters reject all three spending options, the board and administration will start the process over again. Please present taxpayers with a new plan that is both affordable and is truly focused on what the district actually needs.
Glenn Gidaly
Gardiner
Gardiner Democratic Committee — embrace democracy
Sometime in the near future the Gardiner Democratic Committee (GDC) will have to make a decision on who they bring forward as the candidate to represent them in the next election for town supervisor. Hopefully, they will provide a positive example of democracy (with a small d) in action by allowing an open, transparent and democratic process by which that candidate is selected. In the last election for town supervisor, they decided to support a Republican incumbent, Marybeth Majestic, for this office. Since then she has proven to be the wrong choice — an unethical, self-serving and environmentally unsound individual. Of course, most of us Democrats in town knew exactly what we were getting from her all along, but the GDC inexplicably made the unsound/unwise decision to make her their candidate.
The process by which Majestic was “chosen” for this slot reminded me of the quintessential stereotype of how candidates were selected many years ago. A few insiders huddled in a smoke-filled room (although these days perhaps they were vaping!) making the decision without real input from registered Democrats who live in town. These days we hear a lot about democracy in crisis. People losing faith in the democratic process and being turned off by the whole sorry spectacle. Well, if faith is to be restored, there is no better place to start than at the local level.
About a decade ago in Gardiner, the then town supervisor Carl Zatz was being challenged for the Democratic ticket in the next election. There was a call out to all registered Democrats in town to publicly meet and vote on the candidate they wanted. There was a vigorous and public discussion held at the Catholic church assembly hall before an open vote was conducted. This is the way the process should work. I call on the GDC to organize just such an event. Give a call out to all registered Democrats in Gardiner to meet and hear from all interested individuals who want to run for this office. Then hold an actual democratic vote so the people of this town can truly be heard.
Gardiner Democratic Committee — do the right thing. Create an open primary for town supervisor and embrace democracy. Yeah democracy!
John Bohan
Gardiner
Israel Palestine genocide
Imagine the agony of freezing to death or the horror of starving to death slowly while being crushed beneath tons of rubble from bombed-out buildings. Imagine seeing your child incinerated before your very eyes. Imagine relentless drones, jets and quad-copters circling above your head 24 hours a day. Imagine fighter jets, tanks, missiles and bulldozers bombing, burying and blasting you, and your family and your neighbors ceaselessly. Imagine no hospitals, no food, no water, no heat, no electricity. Imagine no place to hide. No need to imagine. This describes Gaza as Israel exterminates and cleanses Palestinians from their homeland (see electronicintifada.net for documentation).
I have a hard time wishing you a “Happy New Year” while genocide is being perpetrated by the Zionist entity called Israel with the full support and encouragement of our government. Over $17 billion of your tax dollars have gone to Israel in the last year alone (apnews.com). Sadly, our elected officials are bought off or intimidated by the powerful Israeli lobby (AIPAC) to place Israel’s interests above the interests of the American people. If any of this bothers you, maybe it’s time to call the White House: 202-456-1111 or Pat Ryan:202-225-5614 and say, “No U.S. weapons or money to fund Israeli genocide.”
Although my heart is broken, I still pray that 2025 will bring an end to the genocide in Gaza and that this year will bring peace and justice to Palestine, as well as, to all oppressed beings around the world. With love in my heart, and tears in my eyes, I wish you “Happy New Year.”
Eli Kassirer
New Paltz
Here is to hope … for 2025!
Please see how hope lies therein …
… for the Future?
We women and men
must seek to shape together
with no blame
but with understanding~
how a new path
needs to acknowledge our ancestral roots
how the embedded patriarchal priorities and policies
keep disconnecting us
from our own human nature
still so knowingly destroying our life source– Mother Earth
It is really so simple!
though humbling to admit
without judgement
how our basic, embedded, binary, biology
of male bigger, taller, stronger
has been to protect and provide
for we smaller, softer, rounder embodied females
and so expand our species –
considering this is what we are
Primal, mammalian Homo-non-sapiens!
It has been to the men
to be bravely and brilliantly out there in the world
establishing boundaries and borders
claiming turf and tribe
and keeping on top
while we women stayed home
bleeding, conceiving, gestating, birthing, breastfeeding, caring,
cleaning and gleaning, fulfilling a family’s needs
Naturally it has been for the men in charge
who for our survival
sought to establish rules and regulations
and religions and language and laws and currency
fueled by their external physical needs to assert power and control
unconsciously, repeatedly, stimulated to insert
their automatic-phallic-pilot
and its necessary drive
to seed life
and a future we are forsaking today
Thus systemic patriarchy
now dominating the globe
whose roots we are all programmed by
that we must begin to clearly see
that keeps repeating our endless exploitative patterns
what our ‘progress’ is inflicting upon our children?
how can we?
how can we women keep fueling our blinkered development
this consumer society
constructed by colonized materials exploited
from under our feet
Let’s not forget
originally, evolutionarily, the facts we are stardust
our communal cosmogenesis
or whomever your creator god might be
for all of our intellect and brilliance
we’re not doing too well
forsaking the life-giving essential elements
within and around us
And so simple are the reasons why?
no metrics applied to LOVE, or its lack in our world!
the immeasurable qualities
of ethics and equality
of empathy, kindness and understanding
and those things that matter most
no place on the bottom line
they don’t add up in Washington and Wall Street
It is for us all to fully recognize
how the embodied power and control
of female over male
has been our formation
how those more feminine feeling functions
within all of us
have been self-protectively devalued by men
for millennia robbing them
of their hearts and souls
We are all shaded by those vulnerabilities
too humbling for us all
to truly recognize and understand
which is for us all to do
to acknowledge our necessary differences
and why it is
men’s position for power and control
programmed to be over women
is so embedded and outdated now.
today so many men & boys suffering from their lost identity,
it is time for us all to realize
and to forgive ourselves and each other
for not seeing
what our conditioning is costing us
it is so vital to accept
what our tech and AI and head-trips are costing us
by abandoning our hearts
and for us all to work on these challenges together
to bring into our collective consciousness
how we might truly evolve
for that better world we seek
Jude Asphar
Woodstock
I will be voting NO on the three propositions of the capital project on January16
A few years ago, then 15-year-old school girl Greta Thunberg, cut class on a Friday and sat outside the Swedish Parliament with a sign that said, “School Strike for the Climate.” She went on from there to the cover of Time Magazine as its “Person of the Year,” and scolded, not only the leaders of the United Nations but, in a way, admonished all of us to get serious about the threat of climate change.
“The world has a fever,” she said. “The weather seems to be on steroids.” Greta made other comments at other times: “This is the biggest story in the world. The science is as solid as it gets. We have to understand what the older generation has dealt us, what a mess they have created that we have to clean up and live with. The most effective way to get out of this mess is to educate ourselves.”
For some of us, a major problem with the New Paltz Central School District’s capital project is that it does not address the level of seriousness that the climate change crisis and Greta demand. Unfortunately, other than energy-efficient lighting, the bond issue does not make any provision for renewable energy installations such as solar panels and air source heat pumps. These are tried and true practical green house gas-saving technologies that are not only affordable but arguably cheaper in the long run than fossil fuel alternatives.
I will be voting NO on the three propositions of the capital project on January 16, to urge the school board to go back to the drawing board and prioritize implementing renewable energy investments so that my NO vote in January becomes a YES vote in May or June.
After you vote on January 16, remember to speak with the students doing the exit polls and give them feedback about your vote.
Let’s do our small part to help reduce the world’s “fever” that Greta describes.
James O’Dowd
New Paltz
This post was originally published on here
