See my latest sculpture, “No Fracking, at the Kingston Biennial sculpture exhibition 2011. It is located in the Rondout marina, to the right as you reach the bottom of Broadway. The name and the visual message are one. It is a corroded steel monument to the desperate decline of the fossil fuel era.
Why “No Fracking”?
My intention is to encourage resistance against high-volume horizontal hydraulic fracturing for natural gas, commonly called fracking. Each time a well is fracked, it can destroy five or ten millions of gallons of fresh water, making it no longer fit for human consumption. It can also make people’s homes explode -- and it’s coming to New York.
The sculpture is made of welded steel, old tools, barrel hoops, and discarded scrap metal scavenged and recycled into art.
The 2011 Kingston Biennial is called “Insight/Onsite” and has works of many artists. It opens on July 16. The newly landscaped Rondout marina is an exceptional setting with many art galleries, shops, and unique restaurants to enjoy. You may attend the opening at ASK on Saturday July 16, then come and visit my studio on Sunday, part of the 2011 Shandaken Art Studio Tour, Or view the Biennial at any time through November 1.
Visit my website for more information: www.EsopusCreek.com
Dave Channon
Kingston
UCAT ridership
The issue at hand is very simple and observable.
To even the most untrained observer it becomes abundantly clear that the UCAT bus system has virtually no ridership. The question is why hasn’t UCAT management seen this and at the very least reduced service or eliminated routes? It appears their role is to just run a bus system whether or not it has ridership or revenue. This is just another example of government waste. Let’s look at the New Paltz Loop bus, for example. After observing this bus system and the link to Metro-North for two years I can easily say that most often (95% of the time) I observe buses with only two or fewer people (most often no one) on them.
UCAT and the the town of New Paltz appear to be asleep at the wheel. [Reporter] Hugh [Reynolds] has received no response from UCAT and over the past two years I have brought this to the attention of Tobi Hokanson, who has a fiduciary responsibility for the loop bus, and have seen no active response to correct this.
Perhaps some investigative reporting is in order to at least get someone’s attention and alert the taxpayers to this gross mismanagement.
I would appreciate your assistance in shinning a light on this.
Charles Rose
New Paltz
The Pike Plan money
I write in reference to the July 8th letter to the editor by Rita Vancore, which made certain assertions concerning the funding for the Uptown streetscape project known as the Pike Plan. Although I am sympathetic to the frustration for any inconvenience caused by the construction underway, I cannot allow the misstatement of fact relevant to the state funding secured by Rupco [Rural Ulster Preservation Company] to go uncorrected. Ms. Vanacore is simply wrong when she states that the funding could have been used for demolition purposes.
According to the 2010 New York Main Street Guide published by the Office of Community Renewal, Main Street funds may be used for; 1) Building renovation; 2) Restoration of a “Downtown Anchor” or; 3) Streetscape enhancement activities such as: planting trees; installing of street furniture and trash receptacles; providing appropriate signs in accordance with a local signage plan; and performing other appurtenant activities to enhance the NYMS target area like distinctive street lighting; and 4) Administrative funds. The restoration of the Pike Plan canopies is a streetscape enhancement project funded in part by $200,000 of Main Street grant monies secured by Rupco. According to the program guide, NYMS funds cannot be used for demolition of an entire structure. Only necessary interior demolition may be permitted.
Guy Thomas Kempe
Director of Community Development
Rural Ulster Preservation Company
Kingston
Tunnel vision
Due to the current financial situation by the slowdown in the economy, Congress has decided to implement a scheme to put workers of 50 years of age and above on early retirement, thus creating jobs and reducing unemployment.
This scheme will be known as RAPE (Retire Aged People Early). Persons selected to be RAPED can apply to Congress to be considered for the SHAFT program, (Special Help After Forced Termination). Persons who have been RAPED and SHAFTED will be reviewed under the CREW program (System Covering Retired-Early Workers). A person may be RAPED once, SHAFTED twice and SCREWED as many times as Congress deems appropriate.
Persons who have been RAPED could get AIDS (Additional Income for Dependents and Spouse) or HERPES (Half Earnings for Retired Personnel Early Severance). Obviously, persons who have AIDS or HERPES will not be SHAFTED or SCREWED any further by Congress.
Persons who are not RAPED and are staying on will receive as much SHIT (Special High Intensity Training) as possible. Congress has always prided themselves on the amount of SHIT they give our citizens.
Should you feel that you do not receive enough SHIT, please bring this to the attention of your congressman, who has been trained to give you all the SHIT you can handle.
Allan Wikman
For the Committee for Economic Value
of Individual Lives (E.V.I.L.)
Kingston
P.S. Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas and oil, as well as current market conditions, the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off.
Post a Comment