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DETOUR

It is the people with calliopean voices who want to determine the direction Woodstock should be going that does not allow for growth, just more confusion.

Howard Harris

Bearsville

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EXCRUCIATING LETTERS

If you think I enjoy writing letters to this paper every other week, think again. I don’t. The whole process is excruciating, as my critics will laughingly confess. The point is, I have billions of ‘letters’ in my head, sometimes swarming like joyous honey-bees, other times a self-generating plague of killer-bees. I detest the Internet, really, and the surplus of information we call ‘news’ or even ‘science.’ I hate Facebook but have an antidote: John Burroughs (‘I walk amidst the eternal ways, and what is mine shall know my face’). Someday, however, I might give in and...join Facebook? Fat chance, and I’m pretty skinny. Something about the world disgusts me, has always disgusted me. I am never content. I just found out, however, that Melville didn’t like Emerson, didn’t like his transcendental philosophy.

That cheered me up a bit.

Ron Rybacki

Woodstock

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THANK YOU, MERCI, GRAZIE, GRACIAS

To the 265 Democrats in Woodstock who signed my designating petition, a heartfelt thank you. It was the first step on the road to my goal of serving us on the Town Board. In the following weeks, I will continue to meet as many Democrats as I can. I will continue to learn and will keep on writing, so that you will know what I have found out and where I stand. A great many of you have confirmed my belief that too often, the Town Board has adopted “feel good” positions that have led to expensive lawsuits. When I am on the Town Board, I will not take any position solely because it feels good, but will, instead, make sure the positions I take will serve the best interests of every constituent.

David Gross

Woodstock

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JOJO FOR SUPERVISOR

I was thrilled to see that Jojo has decided to run for town supervisor. I’ve known Jojo his whole life and he has all the necessary qualities for the job: honesty, loyalty, ability to work with a team, and a great sense of smell. So throw him a bone and write in Jojo for Supervisor!

Matthew Immergut

Woodstock

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THE BIG NEWS

A special thanks is offered to Tuesday volunteers Roseann Castaldo, Mike Lourenso, and Deirdre Dullahan. Wednesday volunteers include Randy Green Mundie, Susan Blacker, Linda Kravitt, Maritza Flores, Judy Fox, Elizabeth Broad, Deirdre Dullahan, Lori McDowell, Dianne Dunn, Mike Lourenso, Karen White, Gene Huckle, Ann King, and others. Perri Andman, Leona Juris, Susan Blacker, Avis Toorman, Gene Huckle, Mike Lourenso, Barry Greco, and others were volunteers for Thursday morning.

The Good Neighbor Food Pantry, like most everywhere else, suffered from the heat this week. Thanks to the generosity of a few people, we were able to survive. Mainly, we survived the heat because Mike Lourenso brought a room air conditioner over to the pantry at 10 p.m. on Wednesday night and installed it. If not for the late night installation, all of our produce would have rotted quickly from the heat. Now, because of the room air conditioner, we hope to be able to keep our produce cool enough to survive the stress of too much heat for the remainder of the year.

The gifts of several corporate sponsors also offered solace. The refrigerator, donated by Barry Motzkin, the freezer donated by Ralph Goneau, and the electricity donated by the Woodstock B&B on the Green worked together to store pasta sauce, eggs, and frozen waffles.

The Good Neighbor Food Pantry has been at the Woodstock Reformed Church for many years. The pantry, like other pantries throughout the nation has grown “like a weed” in the last few years.

Pantries are cheaper than other meal programs because they don’t require a lot of staff or big kitchens. There is less waste and fresher food. Our pantry is a “client choice” pantry offering a 3-day supply of food for each household weekly. The goal is to provide a range of healthy groceries, let people choose what they want, and allow them to cook their own meals.

Corporate sponsors who donated food this week included Sunflower Natural Foods Market, Hurley Ridge Market, Bread Alone, and the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York. Peace and food for all.

Thurman Greco

Woodstock

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MISTAKEN ARGUMENTS

In a week where many letters to Woodstock Times reflected the fear that basic programs protecting food for poor children to medical services to the elderly were endangered, Pastor Johann Christoph Arnold takes pen in hand to protest the fact that our communities have chosen to recognize the love that some people have for other people. Amazing.

Interestingly, Pastor Arnold makes a telling mistake in his missive. He writes “As the Hassidic saying goes: ‘If you save a child you have saved the whole world.” He probably learned this in the past from a trusted teacher but as it turns out he’s wrong. The ‘saying’ is from the Talmud, a book of Jewish wisdom (Hassidic people are but a sect of Judaism which did not exist when the Talmud was created). The quote is actually: “…And whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world.” The mistake is important here because it shows the Pastor’s reliance on the word of others that is obviously wrong. It puts his entire argument to question because his argument concerning what he calls “God’s laws” rests on what he has been taught by others and intends to teach others. What if his source for “God’s laws” is as misinformed as his quotation concerning Jewish wisdom?

The Pastor places himself with the same people who quoted Scripture to sanctify keeping black and white from marrying, quoted scripture to deny contraceptives to people, quoted scripture to justify killing people who said that the Earth revolved around the Sun. Pastor, your “freedom of religion” does not permit you to deny others basic freedoms. Not in America.

Pastor, imagine, if you will, a world where relationships between consenting adults are not parsed by government. Imagine that.

Bruce Parker

Woodstock

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SPACE REGRETS

In Bob Berman’s Night Sky column July 14, 2011 titled “Skyrocketing Costs” he says, “more manned space missions shouldn’t be high on our national agenda — or budget.” He said “Let’s hand the baton to someone else for a few decades, without regrets.”

Without regrets? I regret we did not return to the moon for over 40 years. I regret that we didn’t start a moon base, when we had the chance. I regret we wasted a tremendous investment in not establishing some permanent outpost. I regret that the moon landing was turned into a publicity stunt rather than the start of manned exploration of the solar system. And I regret that we as a nation missed this opportunity and now others will lead where we fear to tread.

Michael Norcia

Phoenicia

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A WOODSTOCK MARRIAGE LICENSE

We are proud to live in Woodstock and feel the positive energy the town gave to issue marriage licenses to same sex couples on the first day possible, Sunday, July 24...Yes, Sunday.

Thank you to Jackie Early and her staff in the Town Clerk’s office for opening today and making it a wonderful festive occasion for Number 1, Ralph and Dick, and we were Number 2...Balloons, bubbly juice, cookies, and cheers...

Thanks to our Town Board, Jeff Moran and hopefully, our next supervisor Terrie Rosenblum who were there to share our joys. We never thought in our lifetimes that we would be signing this document and planning a wedding. Life is good...

I believe Woodstock was one of very few Town Clerks offices to open in the entire state of New York...Wow! We are so grateful and proud to live in Woodstock.

Sherry Allgaier and Linda Joseph

Woodstock

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FINANCIAL HOLES AND WAR

The financial hole in the Town Budget is no laughing matter. It amounts at present to $174,000. We have around $850,000 in various reserve funds, and when the Town Departments come in with their budgets for next year, we will know how, and in what amounts, those reserve funds can and should be used. Those moneys cannot be used for anything other than the budget lines they’re in. I don’t know at this point how much we can cut into the $174 K, but I will do everything possible.

Another way of helping with our Town’s financial situation is to join with the Solon, Maine, School Board, the Deer Isle, Maine, Town Board, the Portland, Maine, City Council, the Amherst, Massachusetts, City Council, the Northampton, Massachusetts, City Council, the Hartford, Connecticut, City Council, the Eugene, Oregon, City Council, the Los Angeles, California, City Council, and the U.S. Council of Mayors. All these representatives of so many millions of American citizens have passed resolutions demanding that our National government end the illegal wars we are engaged in and bring the war dollars home, for peaceful needs. I don’t think it’s necessary to point out all our unmet requirements for health, education, tax and infrastructural help. This is a local issue, this is in our best interests, this is something that is Patriotic, moral, and helps our personal and municipal pocketbooks. I will introduce a Resolution to the Woodstock Town Board, based on the language used in these other municipalities, to do the same thing. I expect that Woodstock’s citizens and its Town Board members will support this,

Jay Wenk

Woodstock

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SHOW UP FOR THE VOLS

The entertainment is set for the Town Picnic. It will be a wonderful show for our community. The Lindsey Webster Band will perform for an hour, great vocals and music. If you haven’t seen them yet, you’re missing a rising talent. The Paul Luke Band is back! And, will close out the show with its distinctive and famous “Catskill Mt Rock,” the JV Squad with its dance and rock harmonies will fill up the tents for an hour with their great sound and help us celebrate what is good about our town. Jeff Harrigfeld from the Woodstock Music Shop will be doing the sound. He’s great at it. There also will be more: Bruce Ackerman, Gordon Wemp, Bill Pfleging and Dave Hanzel will be performing. The musicians have been wonderful over the years. Performing great shows, all the musicians are donating their performances for the 7th Annual Volunteers’ Day, Town Picnic. We thank them all.

Another special quality about or community is the outstanding local restaurants. They all will be donating platters of appetizers and hors d’oeuvres again. Please let them know that we appreciate their delicious contributions: The Bear Café, Joshua’s Café, Red Onion, New World Home Cookin’, Lori’s Creative Café, Jabelli’s Bakery, Violette, Sunfrost, Bread Alone, Maria’s Bazaar, Garden Café on the Green, Oriole 9, Cub Market, Woodstock Meats, Yum Yum, Bistro-To-Go, Hurley Ridge Market, Jolly’s “Jolly Good Grub,” Little Bear, Country Kitchen, C’est Cheese, Landau Grill, Mountain Gate, Cucina, Wok n’ Roll, Sunflower, Country Kitchen, Gypsy Wolf, Pub at the Club, Catskill Mt Pizza Company. This town is very fortunate to have many good people who are so generous and kind. It’s worth celebrating.

No great effort can be undertaken without help. On August 20 an army of helpers are needed to set up and create the Town Picnic. Many wonderful people have helped before and we need them again, along with anyone who would like to help out this year. Come enjoy the day and take part in this heartening local experience. Please contact: info@volunteersday.org to sign up for doing something. “Many hands make light work.”

Here are more businesses and community groups that were left off the previous list: the Maverick Family Health, Mountain View Studio, Levon Helm Studio, Arthur DiNapoli, PhD, PC, Youth & Family Council, Topka, Eric Glass, Woodstock Lock & Key, Woodstock Inn on the Stream, Chief Enterprises, Logstock, KNM Management, Noami Graphics Springboard, Stock Excavating, Bearsville Graphics Studio Gallery.

In addition, there will be fun stuff for the kids and their parents, rides, jugglers, clowns. Show up for the volunteers. They always show up for us.

Sam Magarelli, Board of Directors, WHAiV

Woodstock

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CREDIBILITY AND TRANSPARENCY

A vote for JoJo for Supervisor is a vote for much improved credibility and transparency within Woodstock’s local government. Dogs simply tell the truth.

A new study from Budapest, Hungary has found that dogs are able to tell the size of another dog just by listening to its growl. Dogs, to protect their food and territory, use a specific growl. Most striking, the research shows that dogs do not lie about their size even though they can disguise their growl pretending to be bigger. Dogs are credible and transparent even when it may be to their own disadvantage. It’s their nature.

In harsh contrast, the other two candidates running against JoJo in the Democratic Primary lack such noble qualities as “credibility” and “transparency.” On the contrary, they both have a record of deceit and back room activities, keeping the public in the dark. Just a few clear examples includes: the cell tower project where Wilber falsely claimed there was “no competition” and did not consider any business alternative other than JNS; RUPCO, where Rosenblum refuses to take on any responsibility for the lack of fundamental data, like the potential for inadequate water supply; the Comeau Stewardship Plan, where after 18 months, working without any community participation, Rosenblum submitted a disgraceful 500 word unacceptable plan, costing the town thousands in additional legal fees and a threat of legal action. Most disturbing is that, on their watch, they still allow police and court business to be conducted from a run down dump with no clear resolution. There is no town government accountability for poor management, other than your vote.

Unlike JoJo, his opponent’s growls are always suspected of being misleading and untrustworthy. JoJo is running for Supervisor on the evidence and is seeking your vote based on the record.

Jay Cohen

Woodstock

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NO DEBATES IN AUGUST

It appears that one of the candidates competing in the September 13 Woodstock Democratic primary will be unavailable to debate throughout the entire month of August, and therefore not until September 6, one week before the primary, will there be a forum sponsored by the Woodstock Democratic Committee for Democrats to hear an exchange of views among those seeking office in local elections. The courtesy of the Committee is to be commended.

The keen interest in this coming election, however, makes some Woodstockers impatient for the opportunity to address their concerns to candidates, and to get responses. Beginning August 14 at 7 p.m., and continuing for each Sunday after, I will use our local access channel 23 for the purpose of providing such opportunity. Perhaps other candidates participating in the Democratic primary unburdened by other obligations will join me.

Town finances tops the list of the concerns of voters I have spoken with. Although Woodstockers are deeply concerned with the environment, fostering the arts, preventing over-development and addressing the needs of our youth, most realize that only a solid, transparent financial basis will give the public confidence in its leaders and enable them to make important decisions on behalf of these or other important interests.

Supervisors can’t mint money, nor make bread from stones, but they can, and should, begin a dialogue with the taxpayer to establish and maintain a credible relationship between taxes received and services delivered by the Town. For this reason it is unfortunate September 6 will be the earliest that Democratic candidates for local office will have the opportunity to debate their respective positions. I hope my Sunday evening forum on channel 23 will at least partly meet the public’s desire for information about the candidates participating in the September 13 Democratic primary.

Jeremy Wilber

Democratic candidate for town supervisor

Woodstock

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VOICE FEST

I’m a local teenager attending Onteora High School. Last year I became involved with The Phoenicia International Festival of the Voice as an intern and helped run events, organize, and promote everything that was being offered. Working with Maria Todaro, Louis Otey, Kerry Henderson and the rest of the dedicated festival staff was a unique and incredible experience. Watching the process of the growth of the festival into glorious performances was thrilling. This year, my mother, Marijo Mallon and I are working with the festival again and are eagerly anticipating another magnificent Voice Festival. For those who are unfamiliar with Phoenicia, it is a beautiful small town in the Catskills, surrounded by mountains. Proving to be a scenically delightful, easy 20 minute drive west of Woodstock, it is a location not to miss next week on August 4-August 7.

As the second annual Phoenicia International Festival of the Voice, this extravaganza centers around the healing power of the voice in many diverse shapes and forms including opera, gospel, world music, etc. and all of these through incredibly talented performers and musicians. Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni will be performed by an international cast in the Phoenicia park along with events for children and Arabian music as well. Each event differs, however all are entirely financially affordable, ranging in prices from $5 to $25. For more information go to www.phoeniciavoicefest.com or call 845-586-3588. Bring your friends and family, picnic, and take part in this joyous experience!

Seraphina Mallon-Breiman

Mount Tremper

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PAY ATTENTION — GO WATCH THE MEETINGS

If it weren’t so important, I’d just laugh at the letters every week supporting Terrie Rosenblum as Woodstock town supervisor. The writers mostly begin by saying things like “She kept order during meetings of the WDC! She’s always so pleasant! She is so nice!” Then things get sketchy, as they unwittingly reveal how very little they truly know of the candidate who so clearly put them up to this “endorsement” and how they haven’t even given a minute’s thought to what qualifies her, really, to oversee the operations of a town adrift in the midst of a fiscal crisis, rampant unemployment, deteriorating infrastructure, a faltering real estate market, runaway tax increases, contentious social issues of multiple varieties, overpriced Coney Island walkways, etc..

Speaking as someone born and raised here, who attended nursery school at the Church on Mill Hill Rd, Woodstock Elementary, then on to Onteora, a grown man who was a kid when they opened the Woodstock Youth Center, and who has lived, loved, worked, died, and been reborn a few times in this town, I honestly and sincerely suggest to all the people like myself to go and actually attend a Town Board meeting — or simply watch some on Ustream — and you will see the shameless behavior and regressive antics of the deputy supervisor, and then understand quickly just how ludicrous their endorsements sound.

Then ask yourself, do you want her as chief fiscal officer of our multi-million annual budgets after she sat silently through 95 percent of the budget process last fall? Which, as we now know, involved mind boggling “mistakes” with disastrous consequences. Have you walked the hugely expensive walkway through the Comeau woods with timber imported from Coney Island, for no apparent reason other than her own sense of childhood nostalgia? Does Woodstock lack wood so badly that we need to import it at inflated prices?

She grossly exaggerated and baselessly hyped what she dubbed a takeover of our streets by “violent gangs of youth” from dusk ‘till dawn in a bid to impose a curfew! In Woodstock! Apparently she had not considered, or didn’t care about, the negative messages this misinformation would send to our kids, let alone the tourist trade upon which much of the town survives. And worst of all, she now promotes as a campaign goal tapping into the enormous and skillful volunteer corps for which the town is well known — this after spending a year and half turning her back on those same community members offering their help with a stewardship plan for the Comeau property! It took her how long? She only then wrote a 450-something word document best described as skeletal as the stewardship plan? And we really think she can run the whole town? Into what?

To those people writing these letters of support I ask this: do you really have the best interests of Woodstock at heart when you write such utter nonsense? Does it really give you no concern at all to place into the town’s highest office a person who has demonstrated quite recently absolutely no skills for the job, and no interest in learning such skills, or even enlisting the help freely offered from expert volunteers in our community? Please go watch Terrie Rosenblum in action and see what the reality is — use the computers at the public library if you wish, and then write back with some opinions that do not defy the plain evidence so blatantly.

Tim Blossom

Glenford

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JOJO FOR SUPERVISOR

I support JoJo for Woodstock’s Supervisor. Please write him in at the Democratic Primary in September. He’s wise and a cut above his opponents.

JoJo is, by his nature, a friend of the Comeau and the environment. He never bites the hand that feeds him and hence will not raise taxes. He is very discerning and can tell when something doesn’t “pass the smell test.” JoJo understands the value of compromise and teamwork. He won’t waste taxpayer money by chasing his own tail.

A good listener, JoJo would naturally seek out the greater good for the benefit of the pack and keep Town Board meetings short, civilized and playful.

Go JoJo!

Dan Schneider

Woodstock

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NOW OR NEVER

We’re in the home stretch. Either we step up to the plate and act now, or we will no longer live in the country that we knew and were so proud of. It is obvious to me that the top 2 percent of the people in this country now own it and that we do not live in a democracy, but rather a plutocracy, (or if you want, you can call it a duhmockery).

In 1965, all people paid 55.3 percent in taxes, and in l982 we paid 47.7 percent and I thought that that was fair. After all, the lower class made less and paid less, and those that made more should pay more. The Bush Tax Cuts brought us all down to 32.4 percent. But that’s not all….

The median net worth of members of congress is $912,000 (just short of a million) and their chance of becoming a millionaire is 50 percent, whereas a family that earns $120,000 a year has a 1 in 22 percent chance of becoming a millionaire; not bad but that’s about to go way down after this week, if they don’t raise the debt ceiling. The average income for 90 percent of the American families, consisting of human beings in this country is $31,244. That’s including the middle class and the poor.

Today, if you’re not born into money, you don’t have a chance, as my generation once had. How is it possible that the American people don’t see this? Well, here’s my answer. They don’t have the time for knowledge, they are too busy working 16 hours a day in order to feed their families. As I found out by living here in the country, the poor are not stupid, they are simply mis-informed by the Murdochs of the world that are feeding the American people lies instead of news.

Tax loopholes reduce the taxes that millionaires and billionaires pay into the system. Asking the Senate and the Congress to vote for the rich to pay into our society is almost impossible, since they get paid by the rich, who fund their campaigns, to get elected and then get paid by us to represent us.

Why don’t they ask some of us to find solutions? Like for instance, regarding the corporate jet loophole, why not let the corporations that use their jets to bring business and jobs back to our country keep their loopholes, and then charge the corporations that use their jets to bring our manufacturing jobs to other countries?

Now, here’s what the President asked us to do in his speech, which was largely ignored by the media. He asked us to call our representatives and tell them that we don’t want to have the rich pay nothing in. That part of his speech is not included in most of the news. The media is also bought and paid for. That’s why we’ve seen the disappearance of Keith Olbermann and Cenk Uygur from television. If we don’t act now, it’s over. So I implore anyone reading this to call their Republican representatives, even if you didn’t vote for them, since once they are in , they are supposed to represent all of us, and tell them that you want the super rich to pay something in to the system that made them super rich.

Jill Paperno

Glenford

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COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING

I am running for a position on the Town Board because I believe I can make a positive contribution to the Town’s future. I am a native of Woodstock, an environmentalist, land surveyor, wetland delineator, Planning Board Member and the Woodstock Wetlands and Water Course Inspector. I hope to promote the adoption of a Comprehensive Plan for Woodstock that preserves and protects our natural environment and the health, safety and welfare of all that live here. Remember to vote at the Democratic Primary September 13.

Peter Cross

Candidate for town board

Woodstock

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SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER

During Hitler’s rise to power, a small group of German Jews, the White Rose, published and distributed pamphlets. Their goal was to create resistance to Hitler amongst German citizens. They insisted that the German people wake up and take a stand against injustice. Their motto was We Shall Not Be Silent.

Fast forward to the present day.

A number of us just returned from participating, either as passengers or as members of the land support team, in Freedom Flotilla II — Stay Human. We are the group that organized the U.S. Boat to Gaza, The Audacity of Hope. Our goals were to educate and motivate — to shed light upon the realities on the ground for the people of Gaza. There is something dreadfully wrong when 1.5 million people are held captive in a small piece of land, when 45 percent of those people are unemployed, when 80 percent of them are aid dependent, and when children suffer from malnutrition. There is something wrong when people cannot enter or leave this area at will to attend school, to sell products, to receive health care, and to visit family and friends. This is the reality on the ground in Gaza due to Israel’s illegal blockade and to Operation Cast Lead, 2008-2009, in which the IDF killed over 1400 Palestinians and destroyed the infrastructure of the Gazan society including hospitals, water treatment plants, schools, and over ten thousand homes. Israel, the largest recipient of U.S. aid, did this with our tax dollars and our support.

Having grown up in a Zionist home, I was taught about the horrors of the oppression of the Jewish people. I firmly believed in “Never Again.” Yes, this meant Never Again to the Jews; however, to me, it meant Never Again to anyone. Thus began my days as an activist.

The U.S. Boat was part of an international flotilla to help break the illegal blockade of Gaza. Its cargo, thousands of letters, To Gaza with Love, offered support to the people of Gaza — to let them know that they are not alone. Our goal, to educate people about the situation in Gaza, was accomplished through tremendous media coverage. Our work now continues through giving report backs, writing articles, speaking at conferences, hosting living-room discussions, protesting, marching...The bottom line remains the same as it was during World War II, We Shall Not Be Silent!

Helaine Meisler

Shady

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THE TERRORISTS DOWN THE ROAD

I was hardly finished celebrating our having finally sent “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” to the graveyard of repugnant legislation. I guess I got a bit tipsy, so the passage of the Marriage Equality Act caught me somewhat by surprise. No matter — I’ve never needed much reason to throw a party, and just seeing our elected officials actually do the right thing, twice, in such a short time was more than reason enough for me.

But of course it didn’t take long before disappointment set in like gray clouds gathered over a parade. First, 4 members of our Town Board refused to sign on to a simple resolution offered by Councilman Wenk applauding our state legislators and our governor for making this law a reality. While it would seem politically harmless (the vast majority of New Yorkers having supported marriage equality years ago, after all), Board members Moran, Rosenblum, Magarelli and McKenna apparently felt that another public “smack down” of Mr. Wenk was more important than the negative message they’d be sending to our large gay community, and especially to our gay youth.

If that weren’t bad enough, we were then promptly treated to not one but two specious and hurtful letters from Pastor Johann Arnold, who uses his position as a “religious leader” to foment even greater harm and violence by falsely attributing to Christ himself words intended certainly to keep the bullies and bigots armed well into the future.

And so we have a peculiar and sad situation. We send our soldiers around the world to fight and die, now without fear of simply being themselves — the selfless, brave, patriotic, and gay Americans so many of them are. They’re told they are fighting terrorism — enemies taught by religious extremists using lies and made-up dogma to maintain theological and social control over entire populations that it is okay to hate and kill Americans, and even commit suicide in the name of their god.

But when our soldiers come back, won’t they be confused to find the likes of Pastor Arnold, religious extremists who teach, using lies and made-up dogma, that it’s okay to hate and kill fellow Americans, and cause countless suicides, in the name of another god?

Joe Nicholson

Woodstock

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A MUSICAL TOUR

My friend Charlie comes up from New Jersey to visit me every summer, and we take a music tour of Ulster County. Last Friday we saw Paul McMahon play at the Rosendale Café. His tickling puns, leaps of faith, double entendres, visionary cries, self-deprecating asides, avowals of love — plus fine fingerpicking — spun the late-night crowd.

The next night, at Maverick, Bar Scott sang “There’s A Place for Us” — it was a Leonard Bernstein tribute — with majestic stillness.

Then Charlie and I ate at Wok & Roll as Blue Food played at The Harmony Café: congratulatory dance happiness, with the soloists investigating curious corners of the grand Mansion of Funk!

Thank you, Woodstock song-creators!

Sparrow

Phoenicia

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TWO LARGE MISTAKES

I agree with Terry Breitenstein’s comments regarding the RUPCO project: “I believe that the town of Woodstock is about to embark on its single largest mistake.”

I believe electing Terrie Rosenblum to be the supervisor of the town of Woodstock would be the second largest mistake.

Jane Kelly

Lake Hill

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TIME FOR CHANGE

With the looming budgetary crisis, Washington keeps talking about making cuts in money spent on human services, education, environmental protection, national parks, building infrastructure, all of which would seriously impact the quality of lives of most Americans.

Little mention is made of the massive military budget which is bankrupting our country. The billions of dollars poured daily into the endless war of world domination is making us very unpopular worldwide and is increasing terrorism. By maintaining bases in almost every country in the world as well as supplying massive amounts of military aid we are wasting the treasure which once was able to maintain a beautiful and compassionate country. It’s time for a major change in foreign policy.

Toni Weidenbacher

Woodstock