I want to share with you how the responsiveness of local government under a leader like County Executive Hein can make a difference to the success of local businesses. Mohonk Mountain House was recently told by Ulster County Public Works that within two weeks road construction was going to close the main access route to our business during our busiest season. We called County Executive Hein’s office and he asked his staff to modify the construction schedule to allow us some additional time to plan ahead and avoid what would have been a business calamity. Kudos to making Ulster County business-friendly, which is essential to the health of our local economy.
Jacquelyn Appeldorn
General Manager
Mohonk Mountain House
New Paltz
Run, don’t walk
Run, don’t walk to the Woodstock Fringe in the historic Byrdcliffe Theater if you want to laugh your head off. Mikhail Horowitz’s performances have amazed me for the past two decades. But this time with “Good Buy, Columbus” he’s raised the bar even higher. Rarely have I seen anything so funny, witty and intellectually stimulating. His sidekick Giles Malkine is hilarious as host of the poet society in the first act.
The only time I’ve every laughed so hard was last season when Bob Berky performed Out Of The Box at the Fringe. You’d better believe I’ve got tickets to see his imaginative one-man show again this season. In fact, I’m bringing a young friend so she can enjoy this wordless, hour-long laugh-a-thon.
Thanks, Woodstock Fringe, for brightening my summer.
And while we’re thanking folks, let’s give a big hand to Sam Magarelli and his team plus all the musicians for the amazing Volunteers Picnic on Saturday.
Paula Silbey
Lake Hill
Handwritten and hand-delivered To D.C. As I write to our New York Senator’s Schumer and Gillibrand, I actually hope that they will personally read them, yet more questions keep on popping up.
In representing the Greenpeace members of the Mid Hudson Valley, I write to our senators to and let them know that we will strongly support them in fighting for environmental justice and a clean energy future for New York State and the entire U.S. Is this real for them, too?
Having lived in Ulster County for over 20 years, I have seen some tremendous “grassroots” victories for the environment: Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, no new cement plants on the Hudson and the clean- up of the GE PCBs to name a few. Do they fully comprehend the power of the grassroots movements?
The chronic health related issues and permanent damage to the environment must be acknowledged, stopped and retired. Do our senators know there is a growing awareness of the dangers and recklessness related to “dirty” fossil fuel extraction and continued use of them?
It is becoming more evident to the constituents that high-powered corporate lobbyists are manipulating our policy making system and are pushing harder for expanding the “dirty” fossil fuels industry even as all the clean energy solutions are now available and ready for the workforce. To whom do they listen?
Cleaning up Congress is our first goal. Can we count on our senators to spearhead the restoration of integrity and honor in the House?
Stephen Johnson
Woodstock
Magically gone
So now, according to our ever-trusty and always-dependable “government,” the remaining oil from the BP blowout is just about gone; sunk to the bottom, evaporated, carried away by wildlife, been scooped up, cleaned up, and almost disappeared from the gulf. The key words are “almost disappeared”… a condition defined by those making an observation, and of course the BP gang. Maybe our marvelous Supreme Court will rule, to please BP of course, that oil in the gulf is gone and it’s OK for BP to start drilling again. We the Dummies, excuse me, people, will be happy.
Phil Sullivan
Woodstock
Sign boating petition
AshokanBoaters.org is a community group supporting the DEP’s efforts to bring recreational boating to the Ashokan Reservoir. We salute the DEP for its successful pilot program at the Cannonsville Reservoir and look forward to a program suitable to our beautiful Ashokan.
As responsible boaters, we will work with the DEP and local environmental groups to ensure a program that is respectful of other recreational activities, environmentally safe, and supports or even enhances the DEP’s efforts to sustain water quality.
Over 750 people have signed a petition split fairly evenly between paper and online. The idea is simply to publicize the solid support the DEP would have when they bring their recreational boating program, which includes kayaks, canoes, rowing boats, and small sailboats to the Ashokan. AshokanBoaters.org recommends anyone interested go to the AB.org website where the petition can be signed, paper copies and poster printed, and lots more information is available. The petition drive will wrap up in September and we expect to have over 1,000 signatures by then.
Curry Rinzler, Project Manager
Woodstock
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