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Eve Walter’s appointment process in detail
I recently appointed epidemiologist Eve Walter as the Ulster County Director of Public Health, subject to confirmation by the county legislature. I would like to describe the appointment process in detail.
The Ulster County Department of Health provides a wide array of services to the public, ranging from summer camp health inspections and septic system permits, to communicable disease control, to preventative health care, to investigating causes of death and providing death certificates. All of these services involve coordination between government staff, health providers, other local institutions and the public.
The department has a hard-working staff of about 70. The leader of this team needs expertise and deep experience in public health, excellent management and administration skills and the ability to communicate complex health issues to the public. The landscape of public health changes rapidly, so the department head needs to be both responsive and proactive in addressing the needs of concerned parents, grieving families and the public at large. It is a challenging job.
County health department heads are appointed for six-year terms. At the conclusion of her second term of office, I informed the serving health commissioner, Dr. Carol Smith, that I would be requesting applications for the position. I invited Dr. Smith to re-apply, but I made it clear that it was my responsibility to ensure that we had the best possible person in this critically important role, especially given the term length. Dr. Smith chose instead to retire.
We posted the job opening widely. Over the course of five months, we received about 40 applications. Five of the applicants were licensed physicians, but none of them had the depth of experience in public health and administration needed to effectively lead the county health department. New York law does not require a county health director to be a licensed physician, but the law does require a certain set of qualifications, as well as vetting and approval by the New York State Commissioner of Health.
To ensure that the process would identify the best possible candidate, I established a multi-step screening process consisting of four different interview panels, made up of experts both inside and outside of government, including members of the county board of health and heads of other county departments that work closely with the department of health. After the initial screening process and an extensive and thorough first round of interviews with 12 candidates, three candidates went on to meet with three different interview panels, who ranked the candidates. Once reference checks were completed, the top two candidates went before a fourth panel of experts, who again ranked the candidates. In total, over 20 hours of interviews were conducted.
Eve Walter emerged from this process as by far the highest-ranked and best-qualified candidate. Dr. Walter has a Ph.D. in epidemiology — the study of disease and how it spreads among populations — and 25 years of public health experience. The New York State Health Commissioner has vetted and approved her qualifications. Her resume is far too long to list here, but there is simply no question that Dr. Walter was the best, most qualified candidate, and that she will make an excellent director of public health.
Dr. Walter previously served as an Ulster County legislator for three years; she left that position 18 months ago. Because of this previous experience, the legislative confirmation of her appointment has become sadly politicized. To directly address the false theories that have circulated: I did not have any candidate predetermined when Dr. Smith retired, and I did not advantage Dr. Walter’s application in any way. The hiring process that I established was as extensive and rigorous as it could possibly be.
My goal was, is, and always will be, ensuring that we have the very best people in positions of responsibility to serve the people of Ulster County. It would be a terrible disservice to our residents if the legislature succumbs to its current myopic political squabble and denies this critically important department the high-quality leadership that it needs.
Jen Metzger
Ulster County Executive
Forget the polls. On November 5, vote the Blue Wave!
Do you respond to online polls? I don’t. Do you respond to mailed-in polls? I don’t. When I have, I’ve received endless emails (bot mails) and snail mails asking for money.
Do you respond to phone polls? I don’t. I don’t answer the phone when I don’t know who’s calling.
Nate Cohn, the New York Times polling guru, critiques online polls in the September 27 article, “The Problem With a Crowd of New Online Polls”: https://tinyurl.com/2najsw2m. The problems he lays out include:
• The earliest, most successful online polling worked with a different internet, when most people “accessed the internet on a desktop computer.” An ad for a poll reached “a huge — and plausibly representative — swath of the population.” Today’s internet is segmented. People access it via apps like TikTok and Snapchat, none of which provide a good population cross-section.
• Bogus respondents, who reply because they’re offered financial incentives, busily game the system for money, making a few bucks by responding to as many polls as possible. Play-for-pay undermines the validity of their responses.
• “Online polls don’t have the benefit of random sampling. . . . There is no comprehensive list of email addresses.” Translation: whether someone responds to a poll depends on deeply nonrandom selection and the behavioral tendencies of respondents.
• There are no standards for polling. Cohn cites a pollster who claimed to conduct a Michigan poll for $475. Such a trivial financial outlay means that polling can be bought and deployed not to report public opinion but to tilt it.
Do you remember the red wave that was predicted two years ago that never materialized? I predict a another Blue Wave, because the majority of the American people will reject Trump/Maga, which flies in the face of decency. Americans crave decency. They crave optimism. They want to protect women’s right to control their bodies. They want to protect Medicare and Social Security. They reject division. They embrace unity.
Vote for Pat Ryan, Josh Riley, Sarahana Shrestha and Michelle Hinchey! Vote Harris-Walz! Vote Democratic down the line! When we fight, we win!
William Weinstein
New Paltz
Tom misreads immigration
Even though Tom Cherwin’s letter two weeks ago says he doesn’t know what solution there can be to the intentional (my word, not Tom’s) welcoming of ALL illegal “immigrants” — no matter who they are, where they come from, what their backgrounds and criminal histories are and what their intentions truly are — I, nevertheless, welcome any immigrant who enters our country legally and fully vetted.
Tom assumes way too much when he states that “the overwhelming number of ‘dark-skinned” foreigners are fleeing horrors in their homelands and seeking safe havens.” This is NOT the basis upon which they are fleeing here, as the majority are single men and others who do not qualify for asylum because they can’t substantiate their alleged “horrors” required by asylum guidelines. And, we don’t see very many complete families who are much more likely to meet legitimate asylum requirements.
I, and most Americans, can walk and chew gum at the same time when it comes to having compassion for immigrants AND expecting already existing immigration laws to be followed. I’m sure Tom and I would agree on the fact that some of our family and friends from past generations very likely are immigrants from all over the world — legal immigrants who came here the right way and with pride in order to better their lives while seamlessly assimilating into the fabric of our society. But, look at today’s “immigrants.” Too many of them exhibit arrogance and entitlement as they automatically expect all the freebies and benefits Biden and Harris have gladly provided — some benefits not even available to the neediest of our own legal U.S. citizens, veterans and homeless! And we won’t even get into the heinous crimes perpetrated by some of the most dangerous, including many brutal international gang members. Contrary to the propaganda we hear on CNN and MSNBC that these instances are far and few between, statistics recently released by ICE and our Homeland Security Committee, there are about 650,000 known illegal criminals roaming our streets, and this doesn’t even address how many more are in the category of gotaways, known to be around 1,700,000.
And Tom laments that I blame the border crisis and all our financial woes on Biden and Harris. I’m pretty sure that Trump has not been in or anywhere near the White House for the past four years. So, I guess that actually just leaves Biden and Harris responsible for everything, Tom.
And, blaming Trump for stopping a weak bipartisan border bill is irrelevant and absurd because, if Biden and Harris gave one damn about the border chaos and dangers presented to ALL Americans, they would have stopped it the same way they started it — with a quick executive order!! No false need for Congress’s “help or blessing.”
John N. Butz
Modena
Volunteer to save America
The 2024 election is almost upon us — Tuesday, November 5, with early voting an option — and the polls continue to show neck-and-neck races, up and down the state and throughout the country.
Though the presidential race is uppermost in most people’s minds, there are plenty of crucially important down-ballot races as well; indeed, it’s been said that the path to winning Congress runs through New York State, and that the Democrats lost control of the House in 2022 because of losses in key races in our state.
We can take matters into our own hands, and we must — this election is too vital to sit out. And if you’ve got the hands, we’ve got the volunteer activities to fill them! You can write and send out postcards (both to locals and those in swing states), make phone calls (often reminding people to vote and making sure they have a plan), knock on doors (and meet neighbors you’d never otherwise have had the chance to) or just be a friendly presence at your local Democratic headquarters.
And you can focus either on the national election or on local races — we have plenty of local candidates worthy of your efforts: for instance, Congressman Pat Ryan, NYS senator Michelle Hinchey, NYS assemblymember Sarahana Shrestha and Family Court judge Keri Savona.
Here’s how to get involved in Saugerties and Woodstock; elsewhere, get in touch with your local Democratic committee. In Saugerties, you can email saugertiesdemocraticcommittee@gmail.com or the Saugerties Democrats’ chair at nejlasdc@gmail.com; or you can drop in (and maybe even stay a while!) at the Saugerties Democrats’ office, 262 Main Street (right next to the mouthwatering Hudson Valley Dessert Company).
In Woodstock, email Info@woodstockdems.org. The Woodstock Democrats’ office will open Wednesday, Oct. 2, at 33 Rock City Road, across from The Colony.
Please consider volunteering. You’ll not only enjoy it — you’ll be playing an important part in what is probably the biggest election of our lifetime.
Tom Cherwin
Saugerties
Public radio
Once upon a time, SUNY New Paltz wanted a radio station. At the time, somebody decided that weekend nights should be enough, and WMHT (classical music) should give up its local stick at 7 p.m. Years of truly lame broadcasts have led to real improvement from the college studio, but I still want my classical radio station back 24/7/365.
New tech could give SUNY a full time stick (signal) of their own. Or now that Dr. Alan Chartock has faded away, mercifully IMO, get a stick from his kingdom, WAMC.
Paul Raymond
New Paltz
The Ulster County Legislature: A rubber stamp in disarray
The Ulster County Legislature has become a mockery, a body that’s always avoided real power but could at least have shown some responsibility. In the latest session, $8 million in taxpayer funds were approved in just ten minutes — no discussion, no breakdowns, no accountability. Thirty-eight resolutions, directly impacting residents, rubber-stamped with little more than a nod, as if the people’s business could be dealt with over coffee.
Worse, the entire meeting wrapped up in under an hour, was mostly spent on fanfare and self-congratulations. Meanwhile, crucial decisions affecting every taxpayer were glossed over like an afterthought. Is this how government should work? The chairman should think about it and do his job.
On top of that, we’ve now learned that the county executive was allowed to appoint her friend to a top position by altering our very constitution. Are they not even trying to hide the inefficiency and corruption anymore? Checks and balances exist for a reason, and these back-door deals show a blatant disregard for transparency and good governance.
The rare moments of debate were embarrassing — like watching fourth-graders argue math. I invite you to watch, please (https://livestream.com/accounts/1512750/events/1824203).
Our leaders should be sharp, thoughtful and capable of critical thinking, but that’s nowhere to be found in Ulster County government. They all, aside from the guy in the middle (who coincidentally was absent this session), speak to hear themselves or have it so their names are reflected in the minutes as if they’ve done anything of substance for their constituents.
We deserve better. It’s time for sharp, capable individuals with real-world experience to run for office — people who solve problems instead of creating them. Ulster County needs leaders who work as hard as its residents, not rubber-stampers rushing through the people’s business in just EIGHT minutes!
April O’Neal
Glasco
Let’s prevent these potential disasters
On Henry W. DuBois Drive, one out of five cars makes a full stop at the stop sign and fewer bikes stop at the stop sign.
Let’s set aside the bustling hum of progress and take a long, hard look at the plans unfolding before us — the new major bypass leading traffic off Main Street in New Paltz. This is not just another development project, it’s a change that will directly impact each one of us. On the surface, it appears like another step toward development, another ribbon cut for efficiency. But let’s dig a little deeper. If you’ve recently been stuck on Henry W. DuBois Drive, inching forward with the growing impatience that only tight turns and narrow lanes can induce, you might have had time to think: Who thought this through? And more importantly, how far ahead were they thinking?
At 76, having spent a lifetime walking these streets, I can’t help but question the logic behind funneling even more traffic through an already strained system. Main Street is the heart of New Paltz, a pulse that’s already beating too fast, with the old Wallkill bridge straining under the pressure of every passing vehicle. The moment I saw two trailer trucks hauling beams that stretched 60-feet long, snaking their way through town with a convoy in tow, it struck me: we were threading a needle that wasn’t built for this kind of pressure.
The I-87 exit, spitting out a flood of vehicles, will funnel directly into Henry W. DuBois Drive, a road thinned out for a bike path, leaving barely any shoulder to pull over on if needed. And the side streets? They’re now a series of even tighter, sharp turns — accidents waiting to happen. This is not just a road development, it’s a potential disaster in the making. Is this progress or is it just carelessly inviting chaos into the streets we’ve called home for decades?
I’ve watched those trees, living sentinels that gift us the air we breathe, fall one by one, making way for a road and quickly becoming a hazard in their own right. If we don’t take them down and encroach on people’s land to widen the road and move all the telephone poles, we need to remember that at five miles an hour, even a glancing blow from a car to a tree or pole can cause significant damage to the vehicle and the driver.
And then there’s the bike path. I’m all for biking, but let’s not pretend that most bikers call New Paltz home. The walkers, the locals, will now find themselves dodging cyclists zooming past at alarming speeds, a new danger on a road that used to be shared by foot traffic. There are no sidewalks for pedestrians. Thus, a bike hitting you while walking will be a problem.
Before this project began, people could walk on both sides of Henry W. DuBois, feeling almost safe enough to stroll alongside the trees. Now? There’s no safe side, no guarantee that a stroll won’t end in a close call with a car, a bike, or worse. Is this what we call development? A road that leads straight into trouble, with no thought to the community that will have to live with its consequences?
What I’m asking for, no — what I’m demanding — is foresight. We need to look down this road, not just a year or two, but ten, 20 years from now. What happens when Main Street is choked with more cars than it can handle when the Wallkill bridge finally gives under strain? What happens when the road becomes a gauntlet of near misses, with walkers and bikers alike paying the price for a plan that never took them into account? We need to act now, with a clear vision of the future, to prevent these potential disasters.
This isn’t just about traffic or infrastructure. It’s about who we are as a community. Have we become so fixated on moving forward that we’ve forgotten the cost of our current course?
Larry Winters
New Paltz
Good faith required
Our Supreme Court’s recent decision, giving US presidents immunity from prosecution for actions that can be considered official acts and part of the core duties of the office, was in response to Trump being charged in relation to the January 6 insurrection. It was apparently beneath the court’s far-seeing wisdom that Trump’s actions leading to and on January 6, to encourage his followers to ignore the law and precedent to keep him in power, cannot be considered core functions of the office. If presidents are expected to send their most ardent followers to the Capitol to protest and ideally block the certification of election results, it would imply that all our presidents, throughout history, were delinquent in failing to allow hordes of supporters of the losing side to smash their way into the Capitol, beating down any police or other security personnel that stood in their way.
But perhaps the most glaring flaw in the justices’ decision was assuming that all presidents act in good faith to put the good of the country and her people first. How could they possibly make that assumption, which their decision to grant presidents limitless powers requires, with the example of Donald Trump front and center? When has Trump ever not put himself, his status, wealth, intelligence, golf game first? So the justices reached a decision that requires the good-faith participation of presidents, motivated by and in clear view of a man who is the embodiment of self-interest. What were the six right-wing justices thinking? The court’s decision in the People vs. Donald Trump is truly in the same steaming manure pile as the Dred Scott, Citizens United, Heller and Dobbs decisions.
Matt Frisch
Arkville
A new purpose after retirement
In 2023 the U.S. Surgeon General issued a report that found that older adults in our country are in the throes of an epidemic of isolation that imperils their physical, cognitive and emotional health. This report echoes what many members of NY StateWide Senior Action Council have reported to us as a major concern of aging.
In response to this, the Ulster County Chapter of StateWide hosted a free forum, open to the public called Community Connections at the Rosendale Recreation Center in Rosendale.
This event included lively presentations by older adults who shared their personal stories of how finding a new purpose after retirement, deciding to participate in physical activity and including new friends in their lives served to enrich their lives, combat isolation and enhance their wellbeing.
StateWide would like to thank Doreen Whitaker of the Rosendale Center for allowing us to use the center, free of charge. We thank Shawn Doyle, CEO of MHA Ulster, for loaning us their sound system and the Catskill Ukulele Group who provided the entertainment. We also thank the guest speakers, the StateWide volunteers and the audience of over 80 people who helped to make this event a success.
Martha Steuding, President
StateWide Ulster County Chapter
Kingston Community Preservation Fund
On this November’s ballot in Kingston, voters will have the opportunity to create a Community Preservation Fund. The Campaign for the Kingston Community Preservation Fund urges Kingston voters to vote YES on this ballot measure. The fund will be used to preserve clean water, historic Kingston resources, recreational and natural land, as well as urban agriculture.
The Fund will do this by adding a real estate transfer tax on high-end real estate transactions. Most Kingston residents will never see this tax. The tax would be 1.25% on only that portion of a real estate sale above the Ulster County median sale price.
New York State law restricts how the Fund may be used, and it may only be used for preservation of open space, lands of exceptional scenic value, marshes and wetland, undeveloped shorelines, public access to preserved lands, hiking trails, and historic places and properties. Land may only be acquired from willing sellers and cannot be otherwise taken. The fund will be overseen by a citizen advisory board.
The New York State Legislature has allowed municipalities in the Hudson Valley to create these Community Preservation Funds. In our area the towns of New Paltz, Marbletown, Gardiner, and Red Hook, all have Community Preservation Funds.
The ballot measure will be on the back of the ballot, so remember to turn your ballot over. Kingston voters may learn more about the Kingston ballot measure at preservekingston.vote.
Michael Drillinger, Board Chair
Kingston Land Trust
Vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz
Half the country seems poised to vote for Donald Trump. The other half can’t imagine why.
Lately, some in the Trump group have switched to the bewildered group, but they’re not bewildered about how they will vote. Yes, increasing numbers of Republicans — three former chairs of the Maine Republican Party, Nicky Haley’s team members from Michigan, Iowa and Vermont and over 400 economists and legislators — see the danger that a second Trump presidency threatens and remind fellow Republicans that to vote for Harris does not make you a Democrat. It makes you a patriot.
Please join them. Vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.
Doris Chorny
Wallkill
Three blind mice
In response to a post referring to me that read, “I see that you disagree with McKenna’s actions and decisions….”
Abigail Wilber wrote “maybe worth asking him why he disagrees like this … what is the root of all this trash talking (though I doubt he will be honest because it’s embarrassing). I recently found out why Howard has such a hard on for Bill and it’s quite sad.”
McKenna’s brother Sean said, showing his ignorance, “maybe ask a dirty retired cop from NYC who is pissed because he wanted a position created for him in Woodstock as police commissioner”
Gordon Wemp (current ZBA chair) said “Bill and Wilber didn’t reappoint him to the ZBA after claiming that his board would vote the way that he told them to. He’s never gotten over it”
The reason I point out McKenna’s missteps is that he is the last of the elected officials that removed me from the ZBA without cause and is still in office. What was the ramification of my removal? Go to Bring Back Woodstock (bringbackwdstk.blogspot.com).
Howard Harris
Woodstock
Joe Letendre for Hurley Town Board
I’m running for the Hurley Town Board and wanted to introduce myself to my fellow citizens. I’ve been a member of the West Hurley Library board since 2018 and just started my third term. As a member of that board, as well as during my career as a hospice nurse, I’ve learned that listening and thinking carefully are important attributes when you are interacting with the public.
Prior to my nursing career, I worked in retail and held an associate’s degree in business management with a minor in accounting — this will help me to contribute towards getting the town on the correct financial path.
As a retired nurse, I know how important emergency services are to save lives. I support the initiative to create an ambulance district for Hurley.
My love of the environment and my concerns about the future of our planet lead me to believe we need to do all we can to protect the environment for future generations by promoting wise policy for our town. An example of this is the composting program which could go a long way to preventing the emission of methane — a potent greenhouse gas.
I hope I can count on the voters of Hurley to give me the chance to keep the best things about Hurley while making needed changes to make our town even better.
Thank you so much!
Joe Letendre
West Hurley
Restoring a brave and wonderful world
Confident once again that she would face no “friendly fire,” Kamala Harris gave her third short interview last night and, like CNN’s Dana Bash and Oprah Winfrey, MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle, posed questions that only an interviewer seeking to promote her subject would ask: Ruhle’s questions were mostly “softballs” and Stephanie rarely asked follow-up questions to inquiries that were slightly challenging. Nor did Ms. Ruhle ask hard questions about the border or VP Harris’ changed views on fracking or building a border wall. Indeed, New York Post columnist, Isaac Schorr, wrote: When she last ran for the White House, Harris expressed support for doing away with private health insurance, ICE, the defund-the-police movement and the Green New Deal. Now she says that while she supports none of those initiatives, her “values have not changed.” It seems that Bernie Sanders was right when he said that the still progressive Harris is simply saying what is necessary to get elected. And, of course, her supporters understand this to be true and don’t mind at all. With this in view, the following parody of “What a Wonderful World” presents the hopes, thoughts and (dare I say) prayers of Kamala Harris and her supporters for the coming election. Readers should imagine VP candidate, Tim Waltz, singing the song in his best Louis Armstrong voice while wearing one of his many “Kamala’s not going back and I’m with her!” tee shirts.
(Stanza)
I see a wave that’s coming: bright and blue
The Senate’s ours, the Congress too
And I think to myself what a wonderful world
(Stanza)
I see Chuck Schumer passing bills galore
‘Cos the Senate rules will be changed for sure
Now, we really will have quite a wonderful world
(Bridge)
Some people of the rainbow so happy and sincere
join with RINOs and Dems, as they sing and cheer:
We once called Liz Cheney “a rightwing freak”
now we think her views are chic
(Stanza)
I see Trump’s clothes colored like his hair
He’s strapped in an electric chair
and I think to myself what a wonderful world
(Stanza)
I hear cheers for Kamala on “our” news shows
though America seems weak-to her foes
Since bad old Trump’s gone, now, it’s a wonderful world
(Bridge)
Just as the rainbow was a sign that “judgement” rains would cease;
too much cash and too few goods make inflation increase
A VP chosen ‘cos she’s a black female:
Is a candidate only misogynist racists won’t hail
(Closing stanza)
I hear a baby laugh and think of Roe vs. Wade
The decision to overturn it should not have been made:
Abortion on demand, made a wonderful world (oh yeah)
And POTUS Harris will restore this “wonderful world”
George Civile
Gardiner
The future regarding our present benefit state #6
From 2016 when Trump was elected to the oval office, the American people witnessed firsthand the damage this man could do in this position as POTUS. I mentioned in the letter dated September 12, that he never thought he was going to win, never really took it seriously and the result was a very ignorant man in a position of representing people with no political background at all. Even his family never thought he could win this office. But it was his manner, his bellicose ranting and raving, upsetting or trying to upset protocols, regulations, that previous administrations, Republican and Democrat had passed for the benefits of the country, which attracted a large crowd of supporters, hence the MAGA crowd. Needless to say, he had nothing but problems in not listening to staff and personnel in positions for years who knew what they were talking about. There were competent staff resigning, competent staff who quit.
There are two books that I read that gave me and which can give the average reader just what Donald Trump is all about. One is Bob Woodward’s book Fear: Trump In The White House. This book chronicles very nicely his ‘modus operandi’, his method of operation: fear, intimidation, threats, bluster, anything to get his own way.
Another book is by his niece, Mary L. Trump, entitled, Too Much and Never Enough: How My family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man. This book describes how Trump’s family turned him into a sociopath. Money and power, the end all of the game. These two books, give the reader a glimpse into the psychological makeup of Donald Trump. For a family member to come out and state something personal like that belies the imagination. (Mary Trump, holds a PhD in advanced psychological studies and has taught graduate courses in psychopathology and developmental psychology. I would venture to say she has a good grasp on what and who her uncle Donald is all about.)
Four years in office shows the public, the actual Trump in operation. His firing, getting people to do his bidding, not going by the rules, a criticizing/cancelling the rules and regulations of previous administrations. And criticizing the constitution: his statement: “the press is the enemy of the people.” For a POTUS to state something like that is beyond this writer’s imagination. The press is the one thing that is worth fighting for and the first thing that a would-be dictator wants to get rid of, is a free press and have one that is government controlled, in other words, controlled by Donald Trump, if re-elected. This man is the only man of all the presidents to achieve this high office of POTUS with no experience in his resume. That’s right, no experience. No legislative, judicial or political experience and no military experience. And after reading Woodward’s book and Mary Trump’s book, his behavior reflects what I gathered from the two books. And confirms what I have witnessed from him during the last few years, not knowing how to function with people. He has to control. It’s his way and only his way. That does not bode well or make for a good administrator. No POTUS truly understands the enormity and complexity of the federal government. There has to be well educated and most important, well experienced, personnel to understand the complexities/ workings of the government and to explain these to the POTUS who, had no legislative, judicial and political experience! This was the main reason, there was so much turnover, discontent in the federal government in Trump’s four years as POTUS. He did not know. And therein lies the danger for all of us if re-elected. More to come.
Robert LaPolt
New Paltz
The weight of shadows
And yet … In shadows deep where whispers crawl, a figure looms, with a defiant call, there are mocking tones that pierce the night, a dance of dark against the light … These tendrils of contempt run rife — For truth is cast as one more knife. He’s clumsy in his deeds of shame, in lying lost — a futile game. A tumbling king on a broken throne … Yet crowned by those who call him home. A marriage frayed by countless lies; He welcomes hate with open eyes. His business ventures are mere charades — In fortune’s rise, humanity fades.
But fearful hearts find comfort still, in his cloak that tempers will; “God works in mysterious ways,” they chant — Blind followers lost in hollow slant.
As shadows whisper tales long dead; What weight can carry such despair? What voice prevails when none declares? Through tempests’ howl and storms that break, an ember glows despite the ache. For even in failure’s cruel domain, resilience hums through severity of pain. Here lies the strength we often spurned: To claw back hope from ashes burned; Like a phoenix’s flight through skies untried — Hopefully, we’ll rise anew from what’s denied.
No rational brain should heed this song — This mass delusion feels so wrong. Thus, I await the closing scene: The day he falls from wicked sheen; Behind cold bars where justice wakes — Until then hope’s fragile heart breaks with many aches. And yet … beneath this twisted frame, Identity breaks in silent sighs; We search for meaning masked in shame — What ghostly figure wears our guise?
This cloudburst swirls round fragile hearts, with shattered mirrors reflecting woe; In courage found where justice departs — Again, again and again — against the tide we must find strength and aim to row.
“It’s his fault:”
Yes, I do hate him. I hate him for two reasons.
First, he’s despicable.
Secondly, he has turned me into a hater.
I used to be an optimist. Before HIM.
Neil Jarmel
West Hurley
Stupid is as stupid says
I am enthusiastically praising the distinct brilliance of whomever figured out how to put explosives in the walkie-talkies and pagers that the barbaric, heartless terror group called Hezbollah exclusively used to rid the planet very precisely of these vermin. Watching security camera footage of these murderous maniacs standing next to three or four civilians and the terrorist got killed and the citizens got away unharmed. Brilliant! And to the dim-wits like Arabella Cotton (her first name begins with Arab) LOL — there has never been a more surgical way to dispose of evil terrorists than what we are discussing. And for the other anti-semites in Ulster County — the definition of a terrorist is someone who specifically targets civilians. There were only Hezbollah terrorists that were killed and no civilians.
That leads to another point: the popular claims that 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s effort to rid the Middle East of the other horrifying terror group called Hamas is a number made up by Hamas for the sake of propaganda to steer dim-wits into turning against Israel, if they weren’t already anti Israel. Hamas controls all of the so-called government ministries with a deadly iron fist. They force the Ministries to say and do whatever suits Hamas. And after the Ministries issue their BS statistics, the propaganda gets picked up by Aljezeera, a sympathetic Arab news platform. Do the readers of this paper know that there have been no Western News outlets that have reporters in Gaza? They get their news from Aljezeera. The only independent journalist who has been on the front lines in Gaza is Douglas Murray, an international award-winning journalist who reports that the news we are getting from Gaza is total malarkey. Get past your emotionality and do some deep diving to find the truth of what’s really going on.
Donzello Berelli
New Paltz
Citizens’ town hall on water contamination
The big question is, is Woodstock water safe to drink? Woodstockers United for Change is sponsoring a “citizens’ town hall,” where a panel of independent experts will address this and related issues regarding the level of PFOS in Woodstock’s drinking water. After a presentation, the public is invited to address their questions, unfiltered, to the panel members. No relevant concern regarding the possible impact or source of the contamination will be minimized or off the table. Among the questions we expect to address include the following:
“What exactly is PFOS and why is it any worse than other common contaminants?”
“Why do the government agencies have different maximum concentrations of PFOS in water, and whom should we listen to?”
“How do we get the town government to be more responsive and proactive?”
“What does it take to identify the source of contamination, and who should be leading this effort?”
A “citizens’ town hall” implies that we as citizens of Woodstock, whatever our status, all have a voice in finding solutions to a problem that impacts us all. It should be noted that the moderator, along with another member of our group, were the two citizens who brought this problem to public light when the town failed to do so. They also twice caught reporting errors that might have adversely influenced the town’s response.
As a citizens’ watchdog group formed to investigate and report on issues impacting our townspeople, Woodstockers United for Change recognizes our responsibility to address the positive things happening in our hometown as well as the problems. Therefore, prior to the formal event, there will be a brief, special presentation to someone who shows that one individual can indeed make a difference.
The date is Wednesday, October 9th, the time 6:30 p.m., and the place the Woodstock Community Center. This issue is a serious one, ripe for misinformation and underestimation. It needs to be explored independently, thoroughly, factually and openly. We hope to see you there.
Alan Weber
on behalf of Woodstockers United for Change
Certified shoplifter
I am an ethical shoplifter — I’ll steal a pair of pants from Target, and replace it with an identical pair of pants.
Sparrow
Phoenicia
Life or death?
On September 20, Freddie Owens was killed via execution in South Carolina. On September 24, Marcellus Williams (quite possibly innocent) and Travis Mullis were killed via execution in Missouri and Texas, respectively. On September 26, Alan Miller (via nitrogen Asphyxia-gas) and Emmanuel Littlejohn were killed via execution in Alabama and Oklahoma, respectively. Garcia White is scheduled to be killed (or has been killed as of this writing) in Texas on Tuesday, October 1. There are more executions to follow in the U.S. While no heinous crime is to be condoned, research has shown that capital punishment is not a deterrent in preventing further killings. In most of the cases mentioned and in those executions still scheduled, life in prison without parole is most often sought. There are cases where the prisoner is found to be innocent and not executed.
What can be said or done? Type into your computer any or all of the following: Death Penalty Action — Catholic Mobilizing Network — Innocent Project. These contacts supply email addresses. phone numbers, dates/times/locations of in-person and virtual vigils related to upcoming executions. You may know of other organizations, as well. Each person can uphold humanity’s worth via taking action on this issue — and/or protecting our drinking water and the air we breathe, working to stop the endless negative mindset of warring parties, welcoming our immigrant brothers/sisters, supporting common-sense gun legislation without encroaching on the Second Amendment, and so much more. Along the way, continue to recognize and cherish the vast majority who help one another along life’s journey. Have hope and have peace.
Terence Lover
Woodstock
The pretext of self-defense
It goes without saying that Israel has a right to self -defense. But is what Israel has been doing these past 12 months, self-defense? The leveling of the majority of Palestinian buildings and infrastructure, including almost all of their hospitals and starving the population of food, water and medicine is not self-defense. The flattening of Gaza with innocent civilians being crushed to death, the targeting of emergency rescue people and clearly identifiable press personnel is not self-defense. The torture of Palestinian prisoners, which includes horrific sexual abuse, by Israel prison guards is not self-defense (cnn.com). One can use self-defense to try and justify anything, but it should be obvious 12 months later that what is going on in Gaza and the West Bank is anything but self-defense but an all-out war of aggressive terrorism absolutely disproportionate to the violent events perpetrated by Hamas on October 7, 2023.
Israel and its $3.5 billion hi-tech well-armed border wall, had every means to practice self-defense on October 7th, including the knowledge and actual document of the exact Hamas invasion plan covertly obtained a year in advance. Yet, Israel did nothing to stop Hamas from invading Israel for 13 hours before taking action (nyt.com), which allowed the kidnapping of 250 Israeli hostages. Do the Palestinian people have a right to self-defense, to break out of a debilitating embargo or try to free thousands of their countrymen from harsh captivity in Israel prisons, many of whom were never charged with a crime? International law says the Palestinians do have a right to self-defense and the right to resist any occupying country that would prevent them from exercising their right to travel or receive goods and services. Israel has been doing just that since the 1990’s, which intensified in 2005 when Hamas was elected to run Gaza. International law says self-defense has its limitations, and that for sure is when what was originally bona-fide self-defense becomes through word and deed and attempt to wipe out a significant part of a people.
Israel’s persistent brutal actions have caused every humanitarian agency in the world to say they have never seen the level of death and destruction as they have seen in Gaza and are all calling it a genocide, not self-defense. Neither is distributing pagers with the capacity to explode and indiscriminately kill or dismember thousands of people instantaneously, self-defense, and to say so by Israel and Kamala Harris is more of the same gaslighting that the world has had to endure for the past 12 months. These dark times will never change if we keep electing war mongers who use self-defense as a pretext to commit genocide.
Steve Romine
Woodstock
Donald Trump is not the man for the job
Many people who know Donald Trump personally judge him unfit to be president. His policies are mainly negative. He takes away freedoms rather than expanding them. He wants to further restrict abortions, eliminate voting, dump Obamacare, end Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, exile immigrants, give Ukraine to the Russians and has many other bad ideas. His character is impetuous, self-serving, and grandiose. He sees no need to be truthful.
Many of us cannot fathom why people would vote for him. Perhaps they have failed to see him correctly or choose to blind themselves to his failings. He is not a regular guy, but a waning old man, born rich and well taught on how to feed off those less fortunate. Along with getting as rich as he can, he scorns our charity toward others. He has seemed bigger than life and a source of entertainment to his fans. Our nation faces serious problems and we need the best leadership to handle them. I believe Donald Trump is not the man for the job.
Hal Chorny
Gardiner
Early voting in NY State
Early Voting in NY State runs from Saturday, October 26 through Sunday, November 3, with election day on Tuesday, November 5. Ulster County ‘s early voting sites are in Shokan, Saugerties, City of Kingston, New Paltz, Wawarsing and Marlborough.
Check the Ulster County Board of Elections website at https://elections.ulstercountyny.gov/early-voting/ for details on locations and hours. If you have an absentee (mail-in) ballot, you can choose to drop it off at the early voting sites.
If you still are not registered to vote, there are many options to getting on the voter rolls. Visit: https://elections.ulstercountyny.gov/voter-registration/
for complete information.
This year, along with the candidates for public office, there are three important propositions to approve, so remember to turn over the ballot when you vote.
Tobe and Meg Carey
Glenford
Consolidation agreement steering committee
We have taken important next steps to begin working on identifying and evaluating the impacts of consolidating the town and village under NYS General Municipal Law Article 17-A to form a new town.
The town council and village board are looking for one to three volunteers to serve on our inter-municipal steering committee with Supervisor Gatto, Mayor Rogers, Trustee Weisburd and Deputy Supervisor Brown. The committee will work directly with our hired consultant at the LaBerge Group, to provide oversight and ongoing guidance. This committee will meet once per month for up to eight months with meetings lasting 1.5 to 2 hours. Members should plan on allocating up to two hours to prepare for each meeting.
LaBerge will also be working directly with department heads and staff to gather info for subject-matter-specific workgroups to dive deeper into operations, fiscal impacts and administrative responsibilities.
For New Paltz to move from two boards to one board and qualify for the annual $1 million Citizens Empowerment Act Tax Credit (CETC), our community would need both municipal boards and New Paltz voters to approve a consolidation agreement. The referendum is expected to take place during November 2025’s general election.
Our community is presented with a unique and significant opportunity because so few functions have to change for our local government to consolidate and become more efficient. For example, there should be no material changes to these already shared major services: Assessor, fire department, police department, justice court and municipal water and sewer districts. (Properties with private septics and wells would continue to be autonomous and only ratepayers would contribute and receive municipal water and sewer.)
If you are interested in being considered for the steering committee or have any questions, please email supervisor@townofnewpaltz.org or mayor@villageofnewpaltz.org.
Mayor Tim Rogers
New Paltz
Woodstock Library board candidate
I am excited to run as a write-in candidate for the Woodstock Library board. I live in magical Willow with my husband and newborn son. After moving here full time in 2016, I spent much of that first year behind the register at Woodstock Meats. That’s where I learned about our community and neighbors.
To the board, I would bring nearly 20 years of financial services industry experience. I’m the chief marketing officer at local asset manager Miller/Howard Investments and a member of the firm’s executive committee. I also have five years of experience serving on a closed end fund board as an officer and trustee.
I look forward to supporting the library’s relocation to Dixon Avenue. I believe the new space fulfills two key Woodstock values and goals — inclusivity and affordability. Shared, free spaces are difficult to access during Woodstock winters, and the Dixon building will fill that gap with work spaces, meeting rooms and programming for all ages. The larger building also opens up new opportunities for modern resources, additional educational programming, and events — supporting volunteer groups, small businesses and lifelong learners.
On October 10, please vote yes to approve the library budget and elect the four incumbent trustees. Please also write in my name, Catherine Johnston, so I can join the other trustees and support the Woodstock Library’s long history of serving our community.
Thank you for your support.
Catherine Johnston
Willow
Reality vs. fiction, ‘Woodstock’s drinking water’
Hey, why use reality when you have a dangerous agenda that continues to pull the wool over the eyes of a whole town? On June 23, 2023 the Woodstock town supervisor pulled like a rabbit out of a hat a letter from Kelly Turturro of the NY Department of Environmental Conservation.
One day earlier, the supervisor had an online meeting with Miss Turturro along with a representative from Michelle Hinchey’s office. While we have no way of knowing exactly what was said at that meeting, the resulting two-page fig leaf of a letter empowered the supervisor to simply ignore two already adjudicated court convictions obtained by the Town of Woodstock along with him ignoring Woodstock’s own town law.
On receipt of the letter, the supervisor endorsed his unilateral decision earlier in the process to not consult a single member of his town board in co-signing a plan (Plan E) along with town engineer, Dennis Larios. The carrying out of Plan E on the property above our aquifer would further put Woodstock’s drinking water in serious jeopardy of contamination by PFAS and other toxic chemicals.
In the September 25 issue of HV1, Supervisor McKenna suggested that the present property owner of the contaminated waste in Shady use that same DEC letter to fight any clean-up effort of the 200 truckloads of waste that still sits atop of the aquifer that supplies all of Woodstock’s drinking water.
Ten months after dumping began at the Shady property on October 20, 2020 a Woodstock town board meeting was held. At that meeting, every town board member present, including Laura Ricci along with professional hydrologist Jim McGiver, were all in agreement concerning the contaminated waste. Everyone complied with Mr. McGiver’s beliefs. Those beliefs were affirmed since by four separate independent hydrologists with over 100 years of experience between them.
Quotes from Mr. McGivor at the October 20, 2020 town board meeting:
1) “This material (contaminated waste) should not have ever been placed there.”
2) “It violated State 6NYCCR part 360.13.”
3)”And the only solution is that that material should be removed from the site.”.
It is now almost four years since that town board meeting and the Woodstock supervisor is a co-defendant with illegal dumpers. In simple terms, the town’s efforts to defend itself are the equivalent of helping to defend the illegal dumpers. The town’s legal expenses are being paid for with our taxpayer dollars . All this even after convictions for illegal dumping were adjudicated against the present owners of the dumped waste and the dumper. To this day, the supervisor has failed to implement the available legal mechanisms to enforce Woodstock’s own town laws along with the already-obtained convictions to remove the contaminated waste that’s at present leaching into our drinking water.
Chris Finlay
Woodstock
You Do Not Have To Be Good
–Mary Oliver
This is not a cautionary tale.
This is not a compliment or
warning. This is just to say
you do not always need to be
good. Be bad. Leave
the seat up. Do not wash your
hands, feet or teeth. Shove
the TV; shake off the news.
You do not have to be good
all the time. Laugh at Death.
Stay in bed all day snacking
on Zoom. Eat the last cookie.
You do not have to return calls.
Skip school, the family reunion.
Send a stranger in your place.
Do not finish everything on your
plate. Leave the couscous and
the baba ghanoush. You do not
have to be good. (Or do you?)
Patrick Hammer, Jr.
Saugerties
A true community event
On Sunday, September 15 the Saugerties Chamber of Commerce hosted its 15th annual Street Art Auction at Saugerties Performing Arts Factory (SPAF). This year’s theme “Groovin’ Around Saugerties” featured 37 artist-decorated “hippie” busses. This theme was chosen as part of the “Woodstock ’94” celebration of the 30th anniversary of the second Woodstock festival held right here in Saugerties. Thanks to the planning of Chamber board member Richard Walker we honored the anniversary with a month-long celebration featuring art and photo exhibits, attendee interviews, films and music, music, music! The celebration started on August 3rd with a food truck and music event and culminated on August 24th and 25th with Hope Rocks Festival. The street art event started with a preview of all the busses held at Stone Pony. We thank John Livermore and staff for the fabulous food and beautiful venue. The busses were then displayed on the streets of the town and village of Saugerties from Memorial Day weekend until the week after Labor Day. We thank the Saugerties department of public works for installing and removing the busses and then delivering them to SPAF (Saugerties Performing Arts Factory).
This event is a true community event. We thank village mayor Bill Murphy and staff, town supervisor Fred Costello and staff, the Saugerties police department, the artists, the sponsors, John Iannelli for running the online auction, Lisa Hanson for assisting John, Amy and Jackie from Sawyer Savings Bank for taking care of registrations and banking, Larry Siracusano who donated a bus for the Chamber to use for a raffle, Phil Palladino for “tickling the ivories” and Ray Tucker and Bob Siracusano “autioneers extraordinaire,” Joshua and Erica Price and the staff of SPAF — it is a pleasure to have an event there. They take care of every detail and it is always perfect.
This year’s event raised $22,170.00 A portion of the proceeds goes to the artists, a scholarship to a graduating Saugerties High School student, the Chamber, which then uses the money to help fund various community experiences and the Hudson Valley National Center for Veteran Reintegration. Money was also raised to help support The Saugerties Historical Society and the Dutch Barn. Marjorie Block, of the Historical Society, has allowed the Chamber to use the barn for many years. The barn is also Santa’s home during Holiday in the Village.
We hope to see you all at next year’s event. Theme TBD.
Mark Smith, chair
Saugerties Chamber of Commerce
Peggy Schwartz, vice chair
Saugerties Chamber of Commerce
