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2001
August 28 – September 17
Remote
Recording (Pg. 3)
Looking for the Muse in all the Rural Places ..
By Barbara Gref
The Towne Crier
Blame it on a compass, a map and a pea-green Fiat.
One summer day 20 years ago, Dana Duke wanted out of the city. Out of the
craziness, out of the chaos for just a while.
He just wanted to get as far as he could in the 2 1/2 hours he could stand
to sit in the driver’s seat of his cramped car.
He took a drafting compass, stuck one end in Manhattan and with the pencil
on the other, drew a circle that defined the limits of both man and
automobile.
The circle passed through Roscoe.
Having once heard of the place, David Duke and his wife, Caroline, set out
for what turned out to be the Roscoe Diner and the purchase of 62 acres on
Dutch Hill.
“Some place to go to clear my mind,” is how Duke saw it.
Two decades later, Duke and his family live on a slightly different Roscoe
mountaintop with a forest of guitars, a Hammond B3 organ, a grand piano and
a set of drums. Among other things.
Though Duke’s Big Twig recording studio was named by a kid running through
the kitchen one afternoon five years ago, it is big (perhaps the biggest and
best-equipped studio within 50 miles) and there are plenty of twigs around.
Duke – among the better-known names in corporate, high-end photography –
never planned to do this. It just happened.
About 14 miles away on Cochecton’s hilly decline toward the lazy Delaware,
Jim Verdi’s reasons for building the Catskills’ newest recording studio is
one full revolution away from Duke’s.
Verdi’s Rivertown Recording (division of VJV Music) is just down his wooded
driveway in a lodge-like building he constructed for the purpose of making
music and recording it – on up to 24 tracks, digital or analog. It opened in
mid-June to make it the second multi-track recording studio in the rural
west-end of the county.
But Jim’s story is definitely different. He grew up in Monticello, then went
away for 25 years. His grandmother had a farm not far from where Rivertown
Recording now is and he feels connected to this geographic spot.
Verdi, a drummer when he’s not renovating New York City hotels, met his wife
and music-writing partner, Caroline Westfall, on stage at the Woodstock site
bash of 1994.
He designed and built the studio to his own specs: “a musician-friendly
studio.” Which fits in with his other spec: “You have to be comfortable to
create.”
Different though they and their studios may be, what they have in common
binds them in a small, but promising industry in a place LIBERTY – In the
tradition of a good old-fashioned New Orleans funeral, Walter Keller will
lay to rest his craft shop business with live music, entertainment and
general good times on Labor Day. The shop, The Great Liberty Craft and
Trading Company, has been one of Liberty’s long-standing Main Street
businesses. It has remained in the same location, 31 South Main Street, for
the past 25 years.
A line-up, including Jazz guitarist Steve Carlin, bassist Tony DeCicco and
guest performer Matthew Frumess, will close the place in a free community
event that starts at 1 p.m. and goes on until about 6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 3.
The shop, a long, narrow gallery of handmade crafts from pottery to jewelry,
has long been a dispensary of Keller’s sometimes light, sometimes acerbic
observations on life. Keller, in addition to running the store, hosted a
public radio talk show, “The People Talk Back” for many years on WJFF 90.5
FM. He is also poet laureate of the Village of Liberty, a role he’ll
maintain.
“There’s definitely an element of melancholy,” said Keller, 64, last week in
his liquidating shop. But he’s also looking forward to reading, writing,
relaxation and traveling.
“I want to be able to go berry picking and stay out there for more than an
hour ... I loved doing this, [but] it’s time to do only the stuff I want to
do.“
For information, call 845-292-3460.that’s already known for its connection
to the Woodstock Festival and which, with a performing arts center and the
New York Philharmonic on the way for 2004, is poised to earn a name as a
mini-mecca, at least for music.
Yet, that’s not why either said they did it.
It’s more about better music in better surroundings.
Their clientelle appreciate it.
“I didn’t have to get in a cab,” said Liz Gorrill as she sat down to Big
Twig’s grand piano. She is still mourning the demise of the BMG studios in
New York.
“No elevators,“ said guitarist Pete Risano.
And their settings would be hard to beat.
Rivertown Recording is roughly 5 miles from the site of the original
Woodstock Festival site in a river valley that’s still got more trees than
people. Big Twig, more remote, is set on a mountaintop over that same river
valley. The studio’s open two-story north face looks onto a pond, a field
and then the woods.
But these are also locations in need of some defense. That often comes in
the form of: “It’s only two hours from New York” (and that’s pretty fast
driving). Or, in a softer sell, it’s the idea that musicians might spend the
night, or two ... or more. That’s a high-powered lure, in some cases, for
the denizens of an often-crazed business. VJV’s song writers circles have
already stirred that kind of interest. The first one, held last month, drew
premium talent and an audience of 100. Not bad for a Monday night in
Fosterdale.
The lure comes, too, if the form of lower-than-city studio rates. Duke’s
rate is so low, $50 an hour, he pretty much knows he’ll never make back the
investment he made.
But, he repeats, that’s not why he did it.
“It’s more for the love of it and I like being around other creative
people,” he says, “I like being a catalyst for other people to realize some
dreams ... hopefully.”
Hope also binds the studios – not exactly hope for commercial success
(though neither would turn it down) but more a hope for the creative spark
that makes music happen.
With the start of Rivertown Recording, Verdi’s hoping to leave behind the
job of reviving hotels like Manhattan’s Grand Hyatt and east-side Marriott.
Ultimately, VJV Music is about simply seeking to get back to his roots and
to his passion.
“Now it’s time to do what I love, “ he says, “this felt like home again.”
Unstoppable Mascot Rides the Ride – HIV and All (Pg. 4)
By Barbara Gref
The Towne Crier
HARRIS – So here’s Mike Rajner, on the phone from his home in Fort
Lauderdale early one recent morning talking up the Catskills AIDS Ride.
Nope, he’s never ridden the hills of the Catskills. No, he hasn’t trained
every day due to the Florida heat and, yes, it was a rough night last night
what with the fever that left him drained and his sheets soaked with sweat.
Not until a full ten minutes pass – after Rajner extols the importance of
AIDS Rides and all they do for those with the disease – does Rajner even say
a word about himself.
Yet, here’s Mike Rajner: 31 and living with the AIDS virus since 1995 and
still he’s planning to ride 100 miles over Sullivan County hill and dale
come Sept. 16.
He does it for personal reasons and he does it on the chance that someone
along the route might need a jolt of purpose. And he does it because of
this:
“Just because you have the disease, that doesn’t stop you ... so many people
just give up,” he said. So he is “just kind of a reminder during the ride:
If he can take this ride, I can.”
That can be mighty strong inspiration. Glenn Wisch, coordinator for the
Catskills AIDS Ride, met Rajner several rides ago. The two are now friends.
Wisch asked Rajner to accompany this upcoming ride; United Airlines is
flying him in free of charge.
Rajner, who once worked in Manhattan’s fast-paced insurance industry, does
not work any longer. He’s got all he can do to manage the disease, keep up
with the medication and sometimes he’s got all he can do to get out of bed
in the morning. “I didn’t think it was going to be this hard,” he says, an
aside to the pep talk he’s been giving all along.
But still, for him, the ride is about not giving in and not giving up.
He rode his first ride in 1996. It was the year after he lost 12 friends to
AIDS.
Rajner will be in sparse company come the day of the Catskills AIDS Ride
which will benefit Community General Hospital’s AIDS program.
There might be one or two other AIDS or HIV-positive riders in the Sept. 16
event. And even if they do ride, many keep their disease to themselves
because there’s still a lot of people who ostracize AIDS patients.
But that kind of thing doesn’t bother Rajner. Never has, even though he was
nearly beat up during an AIDS Ride on Long Island (his mascot’s costume –
high heels and all – made it clear he was gay and unashamed).
He’s got his own reasons for riding the Ride. Rajner gratefully acknowledges
there’s been great strides in AIDS care and that “it’s not the death
sentence it used to be.”
Still, he’s got his own finish line to think about.
The Ride, he said, means “being able to help do some good while I still
can.”
From the desk of the Town of Rockland Supervisor
Gifts, Grants Float Bill for Community Pool (Pg. 8)
By Pat Pomeroy
Aug. 23, 2001 – With Labor Day around the corner and my crazy summer
schedule behind me, I am enjoying a relatively quiet week. The weekend,
however, will be a totally different situation. The Catskill Fly Fishing
Center is celebrating it anniversary and having a fair, the Rotary is having
its annual raffle party, and the Livingston Manor Lions Club (I am its
newest member) is having its annual Chicken Bar-B-Que.
The Parks & Recreation Committee has been meeting every week and working in
between just to get all the work done for the grant application, which must
be mailed on Aug. 31. Letters of support (financial and otherwise) are being
solicited, petitions are being circulated. The Kaplan Foundation has given
us a gift of $300,000, specifically to be used for a pool in Livingston
Manor. George Kaplan has offered an additional matching fund grant up to
$10,000. That means that if you give us $5.00, so will George Kaplan. The
grant from the New York State Parks and Recreation Office is a matching
funds grant, so if we raise $350,000, the state will match it. The hard
working members of the Parks and Recreation Committee are Dr. Don Simkin,
Chairman, Bob Freedman, Vice-Chairman, Donna Vallone, Edna Simpson, Lilly
Constant, Patti Casey and Peter Johnston.
I mentioned last month that we had several vacancies on the Zoning Board of
Appeals, and one on the Planning Board, and I was very happy to receive a
few phone calls and visits from people interested in serving on these
boards. I am pleased to tell you that the Town Board and I appointed Jim
Severing to the Planning Board. We also appointed Rob Eggleton, James Buck
and Shelia Shultz to the ZBA. Shelia will be the interim chairman until Dec.
31. With the recent resignation of Francis Tempel for health reasons, we
still have one vacancy to fill, but I expect we will have a replacement by
our next meeting on Sept. 6. We will also have to fill several spots on the
Board of Assessment review prior to the end of September, one due to the
untimely death of a wonderful woman, Dorothy Haynes. I’ll miss her a great
deal.
At our last meeting the members of the Town Board and I took the necessary
steps to have a town-wide municipal clean-up this fall. We are taking
advantage of the programs sponsored by the Sullivan County Legislature and
the County DPW for free dumping fees for municipalities. The Town has been
allocated 136 tons for free. There are strict rules imposed by the county.
We will publish an ad in early September; there will be posters and handouts
that explain the rules. I can tell you this much, the dates are Sept. 17
thru Oct. 13th. There will be containers at the Town Highway Barn; you can
dump your junk Monday thru Friday between 6 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., and on
Saturdays between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. Proof of residence will be required. We
determined a need for this because of the amount of rubbish still remaining
from the flood. I am pleased that we are participating in this county-wide
event. Remember, you must use the containers at the highway barn. Free
dumping is not available at the transfer station.
The users of Roscoe Water are having a problem with a high content of iron
and manganese, which creates brown spots, rust and a gritty residue. Our
staff has conferred with various engineers, the NYS Department of Health and
other communities that have experienced similar high mineral readings and we
are on a course to correct the problem.
Apparently, for those of you who remember chemistry class, using chlorine
additives makes this problem worse. We are flushing the system more
frequently since we have found that it helps. Please call us if you have a
problem. One woman apologized for complaining about the water…. if you don't
let us know there is a problem…. how will we know?
We will be presenting a new law at our next meeting, which is being adopted
countywide. This law will require every house to display the new E911 number
in a size large enough to be seen by emergency vehicles. We are discussing
it on Sept. 6 and will have a public hearing soon after.
The Livingston Manor Downtown revitalization plan was featured in a planning
newsletter and features a "River walk". The plan being done in conjunction
with the Sullivan County Planning Department and the Main Street
Redevelopment Center is beautiful. George Fulton is to be congratulated on a
fantastic vision.
Last but certainly not least, is a report on a meeting held recently in
Monticello in our honor regarding the Flood of December 2000. The meeting
was coordinated and attended by Congressman Maurice Hinchey and included
representatives from FEMA, SEMO, DEC, DOT, Army Corps of Engineers, Cornell
Cooperative, SC DPW, Assemblyman Gunther and Senator Bonacic and others. It
was an incredible meeting from the standpoint that all these agencies could
meet to discuss cooperation and various ways to help our township and its
residents who suffered because of the flood. One thing however is certain;
we will NOT receive any funds from FEMA. The amount of damage did not
qualify for aid. I appreciate all the effort on the part of many residents
to get FEMA to change their minds, but it is not going to happen. There are
however, many programs and grants available for us, there are ways that we
can lessen the financial impact of flood damage. We need to be proactive
about flooding, and begin to prepare to lessen the impact of future floods,
not worry about the help we are not going to receive for past floods. I
received so much information that is an injustice to introduce the topic in
my newsletter. I am putting it together into a more formal document and I am
hopeful that The Towne Crier will publish it in the next edition. I would
also like to thank Congressman Hinchey's Sullivan County liaison Julie Allen
for all she did to put this meeting together.
Have a great Labor Day weekend.
Commentary
A Casino Caveat (Pg. 10)
This comes under the heading of “Be careful what you wish for ....”
The other day something happened that, apparently, a lot of people had been
wishing for.
Four American Indian chiefs signed a paper that said his tribe (and the mega
American corporation that’s backing them) would give Sullivan County a
truckload of money if a casino were to be built here.
The PR people from Park Place (the company that’ll get a trainload of money
from a casino deal) positioned this signing as a “rally” and a
“celebration.”
Well, it’s a free country and folks can celebrate what they want.
But Park Place and the Mohawks have a long, long ways to go before we’ll
call a casino cause for celebration.
Certainly $15 million a year sounds like a lot of money. The analysts say
it’s one of the best deals around.
But it’s impact money.
There’d be no money unless there was already solid knowledge of the human
and social costs that casinos exact from their host communities. Think about
it. It’s like signing up for the disease while trying to buy the cure. And
we all know there’ll be casino fallout that money cannot undo. Let’s just
say addiction (all kinds) for starters and leave it at that.
Once upon a time – ok, say about four years ago – Sullivan County was still
crippled. A sturdy crutch like a casino seemed like a good idea.
It seems odd to say it, but in that short time, things have changed.
Sullivan County feels healthier, looks stronger.
Industries like Kohl’s are setting a new tone in the eastern end of the
county. That tone is underscored by a new corporate park at Rock Hill. The
Performing Arts Center is creating its own energy. And, now, we’ve just come
off a summer where Sullivan Renaissance proved the sum of the parts is
greater than the whole.
Casino crutch. Who needs it?
It’s starting to feel like we can walk on our own.
A New Day to Be Brave
Anyone who’s ever done volunteer work can testify to the amount of hard work
that goes into every single community event.
A few can also testify to the heartache that sometimes goes with the job.
The first “Day To Be Gay” celebration at the Delaware Valley Community
Center in Callicoon produced a new batch of community heroes along these
lines.
The six women who run the Youth Center-Community Center board aren’t ones to
pat themselves on the back. So allow us.
To some people, the Day to be Gay posed a threat of some sort – maybe this
was a threat to the way they view the world, the “way things ought to be.”
Maybe it was a threat to the way things used to be: The threat of change. We
don’t know.
But because of this, the Community Center board was pressured to reconsider.
Hey: Maybe they shouldn’t host the Gay Day. Maybe they’d lose precious
funding if they did. Maybe they’d face ridicule in their own community if
they did.
The board listened to their community – as it should. But they stood by
their decision. This wasn’t easy. The pressure was there – real
soul-wrenching pressure that only close communities can produce. The
center’s president, Tess McBeath, can tell you about the sleep she lost.
Ultimately, these women were able to stand their ground firmly. They did it
by reaching into their heart and applying their minds to ask a single
question: What is the definition of community?
They chose to define it broadly. They chose a definition that leaves no one
out. They chose right; they showed the way.
Editor’s note: The publishers of The Towne Crier are long-time volunteers at
WJFF 90.5 FM. Art Director David Dann is currently president of the
station’s Board of Trustees.
Banking on a Business Reality: A Student’s Summer in the
Finance Academy (Pg. 13)
By Barbara Gref
The Towne Crier
MONTICELLO – Maybe it’s not the most raucous summer ever in the young life
of Jose Suarez.
But for a kid with two jobs, it could have been worse.
“I still have fun ... I just have limited fun,” said Jose, 16, and about to
enter his last year of high school. And, he adds, “I’ve never gone to bed so
early in my life.”
Before putting in his shift bussing tables at Mr. Willy’s, Jose worked the
summer at the Bank of New York.
But this wasn’t any summer job. Jose was on assignment from Monticello High
School’s Finance Academy.
Linked with a corporate-backed National Academy of Finance, the Monticello
High School version is luring kids out of the mushy middle of school life –
they’re usually not the Ivy-League-bound and not the kids on the verge of F,
but those who might otherwise disappear if not for a focus and a push in the
right direction.
Business teachers Wendy Levinson and Sue Bahrenburg sprouted the Finance
Academy as an offshoot of the main business track two years ago. Now 12 to
18 kids take another layer of classes to get deeper training in an area
that’s become a near passion in modern America: money and what we do with
it.
Kids with good enough grades and good attendance can be placed in
wage-paying summer jobs that take the training even further. This summer 14
Finance Academy kids had jobs at 11 institutions from Schmidt’s Wholesale to
the Villa Roma.
In the accounting office at Community General Hospital, 17-year-old Richard
Taylor erased long-standing myths in the mind of his mentor, Dan Huebner.
“I’m 40 and I don’t have any teenage sons,” says Huebner. So he was thinking
the worst – sloppy habits, no-show attendance, bad attitudes. He may have
learned as much as his intern, though: “ .. that young people can be
responsible, can have great attendance, be polite.”
Huebner got a chance to impart his own lessons, too: “How they have to start
at the bottom and work their way up.”
That particular lesson is a no-brainer for Jose. His dad died when he was
six, leaving just himself, his brother and his mom, Carmen. She became her
son’s inspiration. Having once had a lower-level bookkeeping job, she’s now
a top accountant.
“I watched her go from bottom to top.” He figures he can, too.
Jose so impressed the brass and the bank, things might be tougher on future
employees. Tellers of the past who were twice Jose’s age were less accurate
and less responsible with time and attendance, managers there said.
The job worked for Jose, too. Who knew, he said, there was so much more to
banking than deposits and withdrawals. Teller training boot-camp in
Middletown dealt the first blow: long hours, hard work, a weary commute at
the end of the day.
“I really got a hold of life then,” says Jose. “Seriously, it was just like
getting a real job.”
Even so, banking probably isn’t in his future. He’s not sure exactly what is
– maybe a business of his own, maybe a job as a head hunter.
But he does know what he doesn’t want: He refuses to be in the shadow of his
big brother, Inoki – Valedictorian of his class and now a financial manager
in New York.
For now, that makes early-to-bed worth it and so do the words of his mom:
“She made me go through all this ... She says to me, ‘You’re going to see
later in life.’”
Remembering ’76, From the Class Mom (Pg. 14)
By Lucy Karadontes
That an
unforgettable reunion weekend the Jeffersonville-Youngsville class of 1976
had Aug. 3 through 5.
But where did the years go?
Our son, Andy, grew up with this class, so helping to get the class together
for this reunion was fun.
It started back in February. I was given the class list (teachers and
students). But even in the five years since they had their 20th reunion, so
much had changed.
It was fun talking to parents who still live here and who helped us, and
talking to the students. Most of these kids who are women and men now come
through our house and broke bread with us. Some were in my Brownie troop in
the ’60s. Some played basketball and football with Andy. This class helped
produce a championship basketball team four years running. They were also
great in football, baseball and track – all-around athletes.
The committee – Liz and Ralph Huggler, Andy and Lucy Karadontes, Herb and
Kathy Sawall, Karen and Fred Werlau, Mike and Cathy Quinlass – worked hard.
We found all the classmates, even Edward Day, who’d been missing all these
25 years. He lives in Florida now and was one of the first to arrive for the
reunion.
The class also lost one classmate, Donna Hecker.
The class of ‘76 had a bicentennial float at the Jeffersonville parade of
flowers Saturday. Many more classmates came later to the Jamboree and met
there.
Liz Huggler welcomed the class to a dinner-dance at the Rockland House. Tim
McCoach spoke a little of each classmate and gave a benediction.
We met for breakfast at The Kitchen Sunday morning. The weekend’s laughter
turned to tears at the thought of saying goodbye. We grew up with these
classmates. Each one has a special place in my heart.
God bless you all,
Your “Class Mom”
Last Hurrah for a Crafts Trader (Pg. 14)
LIBERTY – In the
tradition of a good old-fashioned New Orleans funeral, Walter Keller will
lay to rest his craft shop business with live music, entertainment and
general good times on Labor Day. The shop, The Great Liberty Craft and
Trading Company, has been one of Liberty’s long-standing Main Street
businesses. It has remained in the same location, 31 South Main Street, for
the past 25 years.
A line-up, including Jazz guitarist Steve Carlin, bassist Tony DeCicco and
guest performer Matthew Frumess, will close the place in a free community
event that starts at 1 p.m. and goes on until about 6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 3.
The shop, a long, narrow gallery of handmade crafts from pottery to jewelry,
has long been a dispensary of Keller’s sometimes light, sometimes acerbic
observations on life. Keller, in addition to running the store, hosted a
public radio talk show, “The People Talk Back” for many years on WJFF 90.5
FM. He is also poet laureate of the Village of Liberty, a role he’ll
maintain.
“There’s definitely an element of melancholy,” said Keller, 64, last week in
his liquidating shop. But he’s also looking forward to reading, writing,
relaxation and traveling.
“I want to be able to go berry picking and stay out there for more than an
hour ... I loved doing this, [but] it’s time to do only the stuff I want to
do.“
For information, call 845-292-3460.
Hard life, simple pleasures
How Victoria the Ewe Earned Her Name (Pg. 15)
By Sonja Hedlund
"Wanna get the sheep?” I ask Mike, my border collie. He’s up in an instant,
body compacted, every muscle alert. We leave the barn, taking the dirt road
to the back pasture. A cool morning on my farm in Callicoon Center. Quiet,
too. But terribly dry. Best to check the stream bordering the sheep pasture
to be sure that the ewes have enough water to drink. Thirty of them are
there with two rams, doing what rams are supposed to do. I expect 30 births
in January, 50-60 lambs born then in time for sale at Easter.
Mike loves this work. At 12, he’s a bit slow on long runs around the sheep.
He’s become timid, too, the result of several run-ins with feisty ewes and
their lambs. But we enjoy each other’s company and the time together working
sheep.
We spot the flock under trees. “Go out!” I command and he is off, running
(with some more urging on my part) to circle the flock, or ‘gather them’ as
we shepherds say.
In a matter of minutes the bunch is up and running and beside me. Everyone
looks good. The stream level is a bit low but o.k. for today.
Mike looks back and my eyes follow his. One ewe didn't come with the flock.
A bad sign.
Mike and I walk slowly back to the ewe. She’s walking away from us, turning
from side to side with every few steps. Mike stops … and so do I.
There they are! Twin lambs, good size, standing by their mother’s tail.
Mike and I sit down together, watching the new family, smiling to each
other, happy with the healthy births, so unexpected. This ewe had twins in
January. Another pregnancy so soon moves her from being a number (each ewe
has a numbered ear tag) to getting a name. We name her Victoria. I pick up
the lambs and Victoria follows eagerly. They’ll stay by the barn for a few
days – mostly so we can all enjoy seeing this lovely new family.
On such a fine moving, I relish being a shepherd, having a fine working dog,
and living on a beautiful farm in Sullivan County.
Sonja A. Hedlund is a shepherd at Apple Pond Farm, a farm operated on
draft-horse power in Callicoon Center.
Casting about
Bait1 (bat)
n., What Fish Will Bite On (Pg. 21)
By Nate Berg
Crepuscular means
active at dusk and dawn.
See, I guess we all learned a few things two weeks ago. Hopefully some
fishing knowledge was also passed on, as well as a vocabulary lesson. I
admit it, I too had to find a dictionary to find out what it meant. Thanks
to all the e-mail responses; it’s a good feeling knowing I have an audience
even if it was a simple, “What is the definition of crepuscular?” Well, all
kidding aside, let’s get to the fishing tips.
Two years ago a member of my bass club received a small box of the most
uninspiring plastic baits most of us had ever seen. They were 4 inches long,
heavily salted with a blunt end and a tapered end – not only did they look
awful, they were very expensive.
We all had a good laugh at the angler who spent the money for them comparing
them to flying lures and banjo minnows. Well, as the old expression goes, he
who laughs last, laughs best. The Gary Yamamoto Senko is one of the most
productive bait for the second season in a row. Almost every member of our
club would not go out without at least one senko pole rigged.
So what makes the senko work? In my opinion it’s the salt; not only does it
give the fish something to hang on to after it’s picked up the senko, it
also lets the bait fall at a nice rate without adding extra weight. This
allows you to fish it wacky style. The basic way to fish wacky style is
start with your most sensitive fishing rod and tie a circle hook to the end
of your line. Owner, Eagle Claw and Gamakatsu make super sharp circle hooks
perfect for this application. Use a size 1/0 or 2/0 hook. This is the right
size and will not affect the action of the bait.
Now, take your senko and fold it in half, take the hook and push it through
the center of the bend. Looks stupid, right? Throw the senko wherever you
would fish a rubber worm and let it sink on a slack line. Watch your line
carefully because most fish strike on the fall. Sometimes the line will just
twitch, sometimes you’ll feel a bump or a tap, but usually the fish will
pick up the bait and run with it. If any of these three things happens, reel
in your slack and give a short overhand hook set. Do not slam your rod
upwards like a maniac – these hooks are small and a violent hookset will
only pull the bait away from the fish.
Once the senko hits bottom you have a few choices. Reel in and try again.
Some anglers fish it like a typical worm, raising the rod tip to a 45 degree
angle and letting it sink again, or dragging it across the bottom like a
Carolina rig. Some anglers have had luck deadsticking the senko, just
letting it sit for a minute or more. No matter what, the senko will catch
fish like nothing you have ever seen.
There are two downsides to the senkos. They are a handpoured soft bait that
means they will very often tear or be shaken off the hook. Secondly, they
are expensive, as far as rubber worms go. Usually they are about $5.50 to
$6.50 for ten. Senkos are available at the Eldred Preserve, Dick’s Sporting
Goods in Middletown, the Thruway Market in Walden and The Bordon Road Bait
Shop in Wallkill.
Upcoming events: Outcast Bassmasters 6th Annual Cash for Bass held on Sept.
9 from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on White Lake. This is a team tournament open to any
team with a boat with a livewell. Ten fish limit. $100 entry per team.
Optional lunker fee of ten dollars. Maximum starting field of 30 teams and
starting order is determined by first payment. For more information, you can
call Nate at 845-888-0769. With a full field of 30 teams, first place pays
$1,100, second pays $600, third pays $360, fourth pays $240 and fifth gets
you back your entry fee. Hope to see you all at the weigh-in.
Good luck and tight lines.
Nate Berg is a resident of Summitville. He is 25, has lived in Sullivan
County all his life and is a member of the Outcast Bassmasters of Sullivan
County. Outdoors ideas? E-mail Nate at paradiseblue@yahoo.com
2001
September 18 – October 1
Commentary
Now There Is No Going Back (Pg. 2)
We are – all of us – drained.
We have witnessed the worst of human acts. We have felt the sharpest edge of
sorrow. We have seethed with anger, writhed in pain.
We have wept.
Now, we are urged to go back to work, back to our normal lives.
And we must.
But we must never go all the way back. That has always been our mistake. We
tend to forget.
When we tasted terrorism in smaller doses – the 1993 World Trade Center
bombings, the thwarted Millennium bombings and even the terrorists within:
Oklahoma City – we showed our outrage, pushed for justice. Some talked about
war.
Then, like we always do, we go back. We become distracted, even tired of the
dismal thoughts that life in terrorist times can mean.
But now terrorism is no longer a hint or a theory.
It is not something conveniently set on the other side of the planet. We are
sick to know it is among us.
But the nation is huge and the demands of daily life are great.
Soon, perhaps too soon, lower Manhattan will cease its constant presence in
our waking nightmare. You can already feel it slip away. It will recede back
to its old place, 89 miles away ... 890 miles away ... half a world away.
And we will be tempted to go back to the way were were on Sept. 10 – so very
carefree in comparison.
Yet even if we could go back, we must not.
That’s not to say we should stay afraid or keep grieving (though some of us
will). That’s not to say we should go to war. This is about vigilance.
When the nation was formed we were told by Thomas Jefferson that only by
vigilance would we maintain democracy. He meant that those who did not honor
the concept would try to steal it away. He probably had monarchists in mind.
It’s unlikely he was thinking of terrorists.
Our President has told us we can all go back to work and to life now. We
have our jobs to do, he said, and he has his – which is to eradicate
terrorism. He is mistaken. Wiping out terrorism is the job of us all. We are
not so terrorized that we’ll surrender the rights or responsibilities of
free society to hijackers or to our own elected officials, no matter the
rank. Whether it is by peaceful means or, more sadly, by some kind of war,
we must have a say in the decisions that make our difficult path.
The civic mandate now is to understand – truly understand – the roots of
terrorism and to pressure our government into reasoned action against it.
It’s our job to prevent our government from slipping back to its old ways.
Those were ways that let taxes, the election season or the latest intern
scandal distract it from a relentless effort against terrorism on our or any
others’ soil.
We have been poor surgeons – cutting out only the cancer that lay on the
surface. We left the malignant cells behind and it has grown back in a most
lethal form.
No, we cannot go back to the way things were. Let’s go forward. We have work
to do.
Commentary
A Rough Road Behind, A Long Road Ahead (Pg. 2)
By Nate Berg
I love the outdoors as much as anyone. I have always been able to go to a
peaceful place and relax myself and forget whatever in the real world was
bothering me. Sometimes in our lives, events are just too tragic for us to
shrug off and forget. To tell you the truth, as I sit here and write this
article my emotions run the gamut between anger, compassion, fear, sadness,
helplessness, and the feeling of luck.
As like many other people, I have loved ones in the city of New York. I
began my day on Sept. 11 just like many other days. I got my newspapers and
turned on the radio. My mother called me on the phone to tell me the World
Trade Center was on fire a block from where my aunt worked. As my mother and
I watched the events unfold in front of our eyes, I was amazed by what I was
seeing. The feeling that millions of people have loved ones who work and
live near the downtown Manhattan area made it unreal to watch but too hard
to turn away. It took until almost 2 p.m. to find out if my aunt was alive.
My family was one of the luckier ones. As I sit writing this on Thursday,
many families do not have a final word.
We are still all very lucky. We are lucky enough to live in a paradise like
the United States, which at its worst time seems to pull together tighter
than ever. We are lucky enough to be Americans. Before being white or black,
male or female, city or country, WE ARE ALL AMERICANS. The people in the
towers, the workers at the Pentagon, the passengers of the planes, the
thousands of police, fire and emergency workers who risked and sometimes
lost their lives are all Americans. The blood that so many people waited on
line for hours to give was American blood. The thousands of people helping
other people in a time of need are the way I would like to describe my
America. The families in mourning are our families too.
In the upcoming weeks there will be history made that future generations
will study. There will be a tremendous loss and a long road ahead but, I am
sure they will read about how a country stuck together and survived. Most
likely, in two weeks I will go back to writing about the outdoors. This
week, however, I will admit I just do not have the heart.
Nate Berg is a resident of Summitville. He is 25 and has lived in Sullivan
County all his life. His outdoors column “Casting about” regularly appears
in The Towne Crier.
A Community Called New York (Pg. 3)
By Van K. Morrow
I was in Manhattan during the attack on the World Trade Center early Tuesday
morning, safe in my apartment on the Upper East Side. At about 8:45, I
started to load papers and disks into my knapsack so that I could get on the
subway and go to the office downtown.
Needless to say, I did not go to the office. Instead I stared at the
television in disbelief.
Many fast thoughts go through our heads in times of disaster and change. One
instant thought was a fast escape from New York City. We could have walked
over the Queensborough Bridge with the cat and a weekend bag to get in the
car to Shandelee (traffic on the bridges in and out of Manhattan was
prohibited). But the sense of wanting to help out somehow was strong.
There were scenes on TV of ambulances bringing the injured to hospital
emergency rooms, and an appeal for blood was announced. Without thinking, I
walked over to the New York Blood Center on 67th Street to donate blood, and
the line was literally around the block. There must have been over a
thousand people there. I joined the line, and waited for almost an hour as
the line inched forward. When I was about 100 people from the door, the word
came down the line that they had as much blood as they could process for
that day.
When I returned to donate blood on Wednesday morning, the lines were even
longer. We were given appointment cards ... I’m glad I made at least some
effort to help, and I intend to return to the blood center with my
appointment card.
Love it or hate it, it’s impossible not to have a feeling about New York
City. We live with the noise, lack of space, and crowds of pushy people who
are all in a rush. At the same time, it is rich in culture, education and
business like nowhere else in the world. The tragedy of Tuesday and all the
aftermath will somehow follow us forever, but I saw first-hand how thousands
of people mobilized in no time at all to help people whom they have never
met, and came together as a community of New Yorkers. People on the blood
lines and who were signing up to volunteer were very willing to help without
a second thought. It’s a mixed dynamic, the willingness to help brought on
by senseless killing – people feeling good and sad at the same time.
Suddenly, all our differences in the crowded city were insignificant and
unimportant.
Many years ago, I worked for Chemical Bank on the 102nd floor of the World
Trade Center, and we used to enjoy waving to helicopters circling the towers
many floors below.
I didn’t have any relatives working in the Trade Center, so I felt somewhat
removed from the actual tragedy. But on Tuesday night, I received an
unfortunate e-mail asking for whereabouts of an acquaintance who worked on
the 87th floor.
Although we are not the closest of buddies, Jon and I would see each other
at various camping trips and parties, and would have a beer and catch up
with each other.
As of this press date, nobody has heard from Jon. On Wednesday, his sister
in New Jersey was worried sick. By now, she must be grieving. I fear that
similar e-mails will follow in the next few weeks. Feeling as I did when I
lost a bandmate, Bill Mack, to PanAm Flight 103 Lockerbie, there’s an
emptiness when those we know perish in these unfortunate events, and it
leaves a hole in your heart and many unanswered questions.
Van Morrow, who lives part-time in Shandelee and the other part in NYC, is a
managing editor of The Towne Crier. His
column on telecommuting will return in the Oct. 2 edition. Contact him at
articles@stonearchmedia.com.
Journal Entry 9-11-01 (Pg. 3)
By Samantha
Ridge
Samantha Ridge, a friend, lives in the West Village, a short distance north
of the World Trade Center. She is a working actor, always good for a new
joke, and her laughter seems to spread to those around her. When I last
spoke to Samantha, her voice was shaking because she had recently seen the
second plane crash into the south tower. Along with some photos taken by her
neighbor Rick Wenger, Samantha sent me the following entry in her journal. –
Van K. Morrow
Tuesday, September 11, 2001 – Today the unthinkable has happened. And then I
wonder – or has it? Part of me wonders why they waited so long.
I got up just before 8 a.m. and it was a beautiful morning. Azure blue sky
and cool, low-humidity air. About 8:45 a.m. we heard the explosion and
thought it was a construction site. Minutes later we saw the Special Report
saying a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. We ran outside. Our
neighbor Rick Wenger was there and said Julie had just called him. He was
crying and very upset. She was on her way downtown on 6th Avenue with her
4-year-old son Luke heading to day care. As they were crossing 6th Avenue, a
plane flew right over them and it was really low. Everybody was saying how
low it was flying and that it looked like it was headed for the World Trade
Center and they saw it hit. We thought it was a tragic accident. It never
occurred to me that it was a terrorist attack until Rick said, “Oh my God,
another plane is crashing into the other tower.”
People were beginning to come across Morton Street as they headed up the
West Side Hwy.
Some were coming from nearby buildings and had seen the second plane crash.
Others talking about seeing what they thought was debris coming out of the
windows, then realizing it was people jumping out. People ran up our block
and said Tower 2 had just come down and it was about an hour later that we
saw Tower 1 fold into itself. I couldn’t stop screaming. We couldn’t believe
what we were seeing. Neighbors were crying and we were hugging strangers.
When we heard that the Pentagon had been hit and that another hijacked plane
had gone down in Pittsburgh, I really got scared wondering how far they were
going to take this. John said we should go to St. Vincent’s and donate
blood. We felt we had to do something.
When we got back, our buildings had been evacuated because of a possible gas
leak. Thank God it was a false alarm. We’ve seen vehicles coming from the
scene covered in ashes. Our neighbor Irv Raible went down to join Search and
Rescue and said it’s a war zone. They have no idea how many are dead.
Tonight we took a break from the news images of the collapses, and the shots
of the second jet diving into Tower 2 which were so disturbing. I’m still in
disbelief.
Anguished America (Pg. 4, 5)
he events of last week are burned into our national memory.
At 8:45 a.m. Tuesday, a commercial airliner crashes in the north tower of
the World Trade Center.
18 minutes later a second terrorist-hijacked commercial plane flies into the
south tower.
Then an airliner smashes into the Pentagon.
And another is crashed into the ground in rural Pennsylvania.
By 10:30 a.m., the twin towers have collapsed. Rescuers inside and the
thousands of people stranded are killed. By nightfall the nation is in the
grip of fear, grief and disbelief. The next day, we are at war. By week’s
end the tally is 415 dead; 5,097 missing.
Far less known are the local acts of prayer, sorrow and unity that were
repeated across the country in their own forms last week.
Here, the Community Church of Fremont was among the first to open its doors
Tuesday to people who wanted to pray. Other churches followed. Pastors set
up prayer vigils and candlelight services. Communities set up their own
vigils and marches. Lines of people assembled to give blood locally; some
signed up for disaster duty with the Sullivan County branch of the Red
Cross.
Even as we lived in a nightmare, we kept our plans and altered them.
Sullivan County Community College helped seek answers in a panel discussion
on war, politics, the Middle East – and on shock and mourning.
A POW/MIA ceremony at the government center in Monticello was re-shaped to
now include the people newly lost in the terrorist attack. The county fire
parade was re-cast as a memorial for the attack’s victims and for the more
than 200 city firefighters and policemen crushed by the collapsing towers or
otherwise lost in rescue efforts.
On Friday evening, as a nation, we all stepped outside with small, lighted
candles against the night. As small groups and communities we continued a
struggle to show respect for the dead and to understand.
On Sunday, 500 people gathered on Main Street, Liberty, to pray together and
seek strength. Many simply raised their candles in the night air when it was
said: God Bless America.
Letters
I Cannot Agree With Those Who Call For War (Pg. 6)
To the Editor:
What darkness in the human mind could conceive of such unspeakable evil as
the destruction of Manhattan’s glittering twin towers, occupied by ordinary
people whose only crime was to show up for work in the morning?
The recent attack on our nation is reminiscent not only of a 1993 bombing of
the same structures, but of certain writings by a member of the so-called
“Trenchcoat Mafia” – a couple of punks in Littleton, Colorado, who two years
ago decided they wanted to kill most of their classmates and hijack a 747
full of passengers and crash the plane into the World Trade Center in New
York. Their goal was a “body count” in the thousands. With the weapons
available to them, they succeeded in amassing a body count of 15. But the
dream of these tormented children was realized this week by the actions of
fanatical foreigners.
What differences and similarities exist between the teenagers who fantasized
in a diary about crashing a 747 into the towers, but failed not for lack of
serious intent but only because of limited abilities and resources, and
adults who carried out the twisted fantasy?
By no means do I suggest a connection between the assault on Columbine High
School by two of its own and the destruction of the World Trade Center by
foreigners. But I cannot keep from sadly wondering at the similarity of
intent. Such a grievous destruction of innocent civilians surely qualifies
for the term “crime against humanity.”
At the present writing, it feels as though we are being catapulted into a
war of tremendous proportion, which I fear will solve and accomplish little
and cost much. Some say that we are already engaged, but until we strike
back, I must differ. A path is not chosen until it is acted upon.
As we often attempt to teach children, it takes (at least) two to fight. And
as Mandela, Gandhi, Mohammed, Jesus, and Buddha have taught, there are many
ways to oppose evil.
At a conference this week in Liberty, New York, a speaker told of a man who
was with his young child watching the TV news. Feeling torn about whether he
should censor what his son was allowed to watch, the father asked the boy,
“What do you see?” The boy replied that he saw buildings falling and a lot
of people being killed. Crowds of people ran from the buildings, he said.
“But the firefighters and police ran toward the buildings,” the boy
reportedly observed. The speaker had tears in his eyes as he told this
story, as did much of the audience. These civil servants understood the
value of sacrifice, and the way they did (and others are still doing) their
duty is the epitome of valor.
We all respect and admire the tremendous courage of those who volunteer to
put their lives on the line in defense of life and liberty. This goes for
soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines as much as it does for the firemen
and police of the City of New York. If our country goes to war, I will
support the troops in every way that I can, by donation of time and other
resources. I am filled with sadness for those who died in the recent
attacks, for their families, friends, and loved ones.
Yet, I cannot agree with those who call for war.
No matter how one tries, it is a hard thing to face up to unmitigated evil.
Flying into those buildings was evil. I don’t know the solution to evil in
the world. But to think that a likely world war will stop future acts of
terror on our soil, perhaps of the same or even a grander scale, is naive
folly and ignores the lessons of history.
But goodness, such as we saw and continue to see among the workers at
“ground zero,” by itself gives reason for hope and continued struggle
against humanity’s dark side.
Tom Rue
Monticello
Mr. Rue is a clinical mental health counselor.
Letters
Terrorists Were Just Plain Shrewd (Pg. 6)
To the Editor:
I couldn’t believe the first plane hitting the World Trade Center and just
as I was beginning to absorb what had happened, the SECOND plane hit the
south tower! If this weren’t enough, my family and I witnessed the complete
collapse of the World Trade Center Towers soon after!
Horror and concern aside, I can’t help but be amazed how something like this
could happen, but, should I be?
Weeks back, there many opinions voiced about the money President Bush wanted
to put into space missile defensive systems. At that time, I was in
agreement with those factions that felt a system such as this would not be
able to detect more archaic missiles. Quite frankly, the enemies we have
have no money resources for the more technologically advanced weapons. This
sad case in point was demonstrated yesterday [Tuesday]. What our government
and media touts as a sophisticated plan with a lot of resources amounts to
this:
Firstly, a plan such as this required no great amounts of money. There was
the cost of four airplane tickets, possibly rented cars to get to the
airports, no incendiary device costs (the full fuel tanks were already
available) and perhaps flying lessons about a year ago. Even with flying
lessons, many hours in lessons were not necessary because there was
obviously no intent to land and there was no need to take off. As for
carry-on weapons, we now know how common it was for airport security to
return items placed in the ‘tray’ after flyers walked through metal
detectors and, as one WPDH radio caller pointed out, he has always had his
belt knife returned to him prior to boarding.
What is being touted as a sophisticated plan is really reminiscent of the
domestic tactics most of us experienced in the “sixties.” This plan wasn’t
sophisticated; it was just plain shrewd. In our society of hi-tech
complications, implications and convenience I fear the mental deterioration
depicted in science fiction has begun. After all, what is being credited
with sophistication is nothing more than observing, watching, having one’s
plan and a couple of suicidal zealots willing to carry out an otherwise
useless mission. What was gained? Nothing. Not money, not status as everyone
who might have done it is denying it. And this is the sordid beauty of the
whole thing.
We are no longer able to comprehend the uses of low-tech. Everything has to
be logged in, pass-worded and entered. What we have here are zealots who
still function at a low-tech level so planning low-tech terror tactics was
quite natural for them, but not for us.
How can we prepare for other such attacks? I honestly don’t know because we
are geared up for what we know as high-tech assault.
There is talk of reinventing the “secret agent” or “spook.” Some, such as
former New York Mayor Ed Koch, are advocating giving evacuation time to any
country proved to be harboring these terrorists then bombing the cities
until the criminals are turned over.
Obviously, airline security has to be redefined and so on and so on, but how
do we prepare for the simple machinations of the human mind?
In humiliation, we are giving credit to this attack by calling it
sophisticated.
I will call it what it is. A tragedy and embarrassment.
Florence Mattersdorfer
Livingston Manor
Letters
We Are All ‘A Part of the Main’ (Pg. 6)
To the Editor:
I finally went back to Manhattan Thursday to check on my loft. I live about
10 blocks from the Trade Center site.
As I passed through Greenwich Village, smoke with an odor of burning rubber
and synthetics like plastics began to fill the air. But a wind was blowing
from the south, bringing the foul-smelling smoke with it.
Some restaurants were closed in the Village, but many were open for
business. The sidewalk tables at the White Horse Tavern on 8th Avenue, about
1 1/2 miles from the site, were full of people eating an early dinner or
having drinks. Signs in many restaurant windows invited police and
firefighters to come in for drinks and snacks. The most dramatic change that
far downtown was the lack of car traffic on the streets, but the streets
were still populated with people. Or perhaps the most dramatic change was
that people looked each other in the eyes, bound together by a common
feeling of loss.
Walking down Greenwich Street below Canal, I could see the cloud of thick
yellow smoke where the Trade Centers had once dominated the skyline and
filled in the space between the buildings on either side of Greenwich
Street. It was difficult to adjust to the empty space there. On my street,
other trucks were parked on both side. I am told they used my street to lay
out bodies at one time during the rescue operations. Volunteers with masks
hung out outside a neighborhood restaurant on my street, that seemed to be
open for the sole purpose of accommodating relief workers. Most of the
relief workers that far south stood at checkpoints or stood around waiting
to be of use. I heard a great rumble and was told that part of the teetering
wall of one of the buildings had finally come crashing down. Of course, the
mood was somber.
Upstairs my loft was full of smoke and a layer of dust from the disaster
covered everything. But the windows were still intact and only a few papers
had blown off the counter. I looked out of the windows to the empty smoke
filled space that used to house the great rectangles of the World Trade
Centers, and again the eerie knowledge that these two great monuments of our
city were gone was difficult to grasp.
I realized how much a part of us they had become over the years; how much
they had dominated every visual aspect of the skyline and the downtown
scene. They were the landmarks one told visitors to look for to get their
bearings when they emerged from subways; the landmarks that would silently
inform them which way was south, and consequently, which way was east or
west. They were the landmarks from which Godzilla had dangled, and from
which daredevils had performed their dare-devilish feats of bravery and
skill. They were the landmarks that housed a diverse array of peoples in
business, government, and the arts.
The Trade Center towers were monuments of vast strength and proportion,
dwarfing even the tallest surrounding skyscrapers, yet they appeared to be
held up by the thinnest possible supports, like broad-backed spiders on
needle-point legs. At times they disappeared in a cloud of mist, but always
emerged again, gleaming with sparks of silver as the sun burned the mist
away. They were there on waking with their spiral antenna poking at a cobalt
sky, or spearing gray, slumbering, clouds. And they were there at bedtime as
the lights in thousands of their windows illuminated the night.
As I looked up to where the World Trade Center once stood, it was difficult
to imagine they would not emerge victorious this time as they had emerged
from the mist so many times before. It was even more difficult to imagine
that the remains of so many of their inhabitants were now inexorably mixed
with the dust of their tragic demise.
I offer my condolences to the multitude of people who lost family, friends,
and co-workers to this senseless terror.
And I offer my condolences to our great city for the demise of two beacons
that had served as reminders to the world, of the extraordinary human
capacity to achieve great feats, and that now remind us of how fragile life
is, and how tentative is our moment on the earth
As no other tragedy of recent times, this for me brings to mind John Donne’s
famous Meditation XVII that “No man is an island entire to itself; every man
is a piece of the continent, a part of the main ... Any man’s death
diminishes me because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to
know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.” In demonstrating its
solidarity with Americans in this time of mourning, the world demonstrates
the spirit of Donne’s sentiments that we are all “a part of the main.”
I can only hope that in the days, weeks, and months ahead, when more talk of
war whips the country into a frenzy of revenge, we can all remember that
John Donne’s “every man” knows no country of origin – no ethnic, racial, or
religious separation. Perhaps heeding Donne’s sentiment can be the greatest
homage one can pay to the victims of this sad event.
Thea Halo
NYC and Callicoon
Letters
Reasons for Running (Pg. 7)
To the Editor:
There are many factors that influenced my decision to challenge Mr.
Carnell’s seeking the legislative seat for District 9.
Whether Mr. Carnell is adequately fulfilling his current position with the
town is not the issue I question.
If the county expects to be as busy as many people feel that it may become,
how can Mr. Carnell, who is currently the Town of Thompson Code Enforcer and
Assistant Building Inspector (a full-time/40 hr. per week job) find the time
(the taxpayers’ time) to effectively fulfill the duties of a county
legislator that is a part-time job? It was only last year that the
legislators sought a pay raise based on the fact that the job requires much
more than part-time work. 40 hrs. + 20 hrs. = 60 hrs. How does that work in
a nine-to-five or eight-to-four job? It appears that either the town or the
county gets the short end of the stick. Haven’t we just resolved the case of
the absentee legislator? As the People’s candidate, I can and will put in
whatever time is necessary to do the People’s work.
More importantly, I ask how Mr. Carnell would serve his constituency if he
were to be elected as Sullivan County Legislator District 9 and at the same
time have to enforce code violations/issue summonses with the same
constituency? How would he handle a violation for a constituent who voted
for him? Worse yet, how would he handle a violation for a constituent who
voted against him? Would that expose the Town and/or the County to lawsuits?
This situation most definitely creates a conflict of interest! I would also
like to respond to Carmen Rue’s allegations that I lack compassion for the
disabled, which is pure hogwash. Throughout the operation of my “defunct”
business on Broadway, I worked with several job coaches and clients to give
them meaningful training and jobs. Some were successful (1 worked 3 years
for me and was one of my most dependable employees), and some were not.
As pertains to the clinic (no longer there) on Broadway, I recall the
incidents with a client who persistently “visited” the businesses across the
street and “flashed” the occupants. Distasteful, to say the least,
potentially dangerous and not something anyone would have wanted their young
child attending the Middle School (located within 200 ft. of the clinic) to
witness. Unfortunately, a mental health clinic, by the very nature of the
agency, deals with some very sick and possibly dangerous people who often
are mandated by the courts to be treated there. This includes sex offenders.
As I recall, the police were called there many times. Did we have to place
our unsuspecting children and other citizens at risk of being victimized? No
doubt, these people need help; however, is it necessary to provide these
services at other people’s expense?
Ms. Rue’s time would be better spent finding ways to support Broadway
businesses instead of critiquing someone who invested one million plus
dollars transforming a burnt-out shell into a premier building, without, I
might add, grants, IDA funding, or Empire Zones. Unfortunately, Sullivan
County’s economy TANKED big time and I could not justify the continued
operation and astronomical taxes. I cannot point to one new building since
mine was built out in 1987. I try and imagine what the space would have
looked like had we not rescued it and built a first-class building. Perhaps
like some other empty lots on Broadway where buildings had burnt down, just
fenced off and waiting...
Pat Croissant
Monticello
Letters
Paying for Computers (Pg. 7)
To the Editor:
The night air is becoming crisper, the days are shorter and the children are
back in school. This can only mean one thing – it’s time again to have your
children bring General Mills boxtops in to their teachers.
We are in our fourth year at LMCS collecting qualifying boxtops and
receiving money from General Mills (we receive 10¢ for every boxtop). Last
year we narrowly missed our goal of $450. This money went towards the
purchase of computer software. I am very proud of our children’s efforts and
that of the community. We couldn’t do it without your support. Please
encourage your family members to help your child collect boxtops this year.
As in previous years, there will be collection containers set up at
Livingston Manor Peck’s, the Livingston Manor Post Office, the LMCS
elementary office, and in each pre-K through 6th grade classroom.
Eligible boxtops are all General Mills cereals, Yoplait, Trix, Gogurt and
Yumsters yogurt, and various snack products as well as Lloyd’s Barbeque
Buckets. Don’t forget that Betty Crocker products are also eligible
(wherever you see the boxtop logo).
We look forward to a very successful year and appreciate the cooperation of
our wonderful community. If you have any questions or ideas, please feel
free to contact me at 845-439-5474.
Here’s to the great students of Livingston Manor Central School!
Marilyn Verderame
Livingston Manor
Practical Issues Rule in Town Park Vision (Pg. 11)
CALLICOON CENTER – When it comes to what they want in a town park, people
here have taken a no-frills approach: Bathrooms and parking top the wish
list for a soon-to-be built park on Hessinger-Lare Road in the center of the
hamlet.
A survey distributed at local stores, shops and diners as well as through
The Towne Crier showed that people were no-nonsense about park amenities.
Some 186 people (85 from within the town and 101 from out-of-town) filled
out the forms designed by the Sullivan County Planning Department.
Initial results were presented to the Town Board Sept. 10 by Marge Sommer
and Sonja Hedlund. Mrs. Sommer serves on a small advisory committee to the
town in regard to the park. Ms. Hedlund is interested in seeing civic
involvement in the development of the land.
County planners and landscapers are helping design the park which is to sit
on nearly four acres that used to be a junk yard and long-standing town
eyesore.
The issue of what should be in the park gained attention this summer when
the Callicoon Center Band seemed to be outgrowing (crowd- and traffic-wise)
its traditional spot beside County Route 121 between the Callicoon Center
Band fire department and Buck Brook. The band had considered moving to the
new park.
The survey asks folks what they’d like to see in the park in addition to a
band shell. While bathrooms came in first, followed by parking, picnic
tables, barbecues and a pavilion also scored high. Results were mixed on
other amenities.
Out-of-towners and in-towners were pretty much in agreement except on
horseshoes. Many more people in town favored them.
While people of all ages responded, most respondents were between 51 and 70
– that’s attributed to the many folks who filled out surveys at a mid-summer
Callicoon Center Band concert.
Town Supervisor Gregg Semenetz said the creation of a plan would be a long
process.
Catskills 2001 AIDS Ride Nets $37,245 for Relief (Pg. 13)
HARRIS – After more than a year of planning and volunteer efforts, the first
annual AIDS Ride in Sullivan County proved to be a financial success as a
fundraising event, and a day of community spirit for all who participated.
Organized by Glenn Wisch, D.M.D., and sponsored by Community General
Hospital, the Catskills 2001 AIDS Ride benefitted the hospital’s Patient
Emergency Relief Fund, which provides financial assistance to AIDS patients
and their families living in Sullivan County.
The first group of cyclists left from the Bradstan Country Inn in White Lake
at 6:30 a.m. for their 100-mile ride, and other cyclists who would ride
either 75 or 50 miles left shortly thereafter. The forty-five cyclists rode
through towns all over Sullivan County, assisted by a support team of
medical personnel, bicycle mechanics, and others who volunteered to
transport riders, bicycles and supplies.
“I’m not worried about the hills; we eat them for breakfast,” said one
enthusiastic rider while checking her gears.
Although a few registered cyclists changed their plans to ride because of
the tragic events of the week, most made it their business to travel to the
Catskills and participate in Sunday’s ride. It was important to them to help
AIDS awareness in this area and be a part of an effort in which people work
collectively for a common good.
Sullivan County reports the highest per capita incidence of AIDS in New York
State outside of New York City. Community General Hospital takes an active
role in providing medical treatment, referrals, and social services to
patients and their families. For information on how you can participate in
next year’s AIDS Ride, as a cyclist or volunteer, call 845-794-3000, ext.
2626.
The mood was high at the closing ceremony, which took place at the Woodland
Wildings Garden behind the hospital building. Participants, either cyclists
or support, traded stories about the day’s events and congratulated each
other for completing the course which took riders over flat terrain and up
and down hills. “It was a remarkable event, beyond my wildest dreams,” said
Wisch. “There was support from cyclists, sponsors, co-sponsors, and members
of the community. I can’t thank them enough.”
After being treated to musical entertainment, a meal, beverages and snacks,
the crowd was informed by Gerard Ilaria, Director of AIDS Services, that the
Ride raised an astounding $37,245 for the hospital’s Patient Emergency
Relief Fund. The news was met with applause and cheers. At the end of the
ceremony, Ilaria smiled as he asked the crowed to set aside Sunday,
September 15, 2002, for next year’s AIDS Ride. He also asked each cyclist to
inform ten of their friends so that next year’s event would be even bigger.
Film fatale
Alphabet Loop: Videos from A to Z (Pg. 15)
By Sara Lee Seginak
Here’s an end-of-summer gift. As winter is approaching and dreary cold
weather is just around the corner, here are 26 random video suggestions to
keep you entertained during those isolated gray months to come. (Mind you,
you should still go out once in a while, but if it’s just one of those days,
heat up the cocoa and enjoy one of these.)
A is for Always – Spielberg directed; Richard Dreyfus, Holly Hunter. A
heavenly little movie.
B is for Beverly Hills Cop – As far as I’m concerned, still his best movie
and has a terrific score.
C is for Chinatown – Mystery set in the 1930s. Oscar for Best Screenplay,
played out as only Jack Nicholson can.
D is for Double Indemnity – Barbara Stanwyck, Fred McMurray. Insurance,
deceit, murder, and all directed by Billy Wilder.
E is for Excalibur – King Arthur and all the gang in a very stylish version
of the Camelot legend. Directed by John Boorman.
F is for Fargo – The Coen brothers at their quirky best. Minnesota,
kidnappers, schemers and a very pregnant police chief!
G is for The Godfather (I and II, not III) – I watch this incredibly acted
and directed saga of a family about family once a year.
H is for A Hard Day’s Night – charming Beatles and still good to hear all
the early songs.
I for for I Remember Mama (1933). Norwegian immigrant family in San
Francisco. Engaging and not overly sentimental.
J is for Joe’s Apartment – Not for everyone; talking, dancing, well-meaning
cockroaches inhabit NYC apartment with – who else – Joe.
K is for Koyaanisqatsi – which is Hopi Indian for “Life Out of Balance.”
Mesmerizing imagery with a Phillip Glass score. If you haven’t seen it, it’s
like nothing you’ve ever seen!
L is for The Last Emperor – Beautifully realized account of the life of Pu
Yi, the last emperor of China. Outstanding cinematography.
M is for A Man for All Seasons – Intelligent film based on Sir Thomas
Moore’s conflict with King Henry VIII. Six Oscars.
N is for Never Cry Wolf – Quasi-documentary about Canadian author who goes
to the Arctic to study wolves and discovers much about himself. Very
entertaining.
O is for One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest – Ken Kesey’s story of Randall
McMurphy ... Nurse Ratchet ... humanity at its best and worst, and all the
characters in and out of the asylum. Jack Nicholson perfect in every way.
P is for Palm Beach Story (1942) – Preston Sturges at his best. Screwball
comedy with Joel McCrae, Claudette Colbert and the fabulous Mary Astor.
Q is for The Quiet Man – My favorite John Wayne movie, and NOT a western!
R is for Raiders of the Lost Ark – OK, this one is for pure fun from start
to finish.
S is for The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad – Remember stop-motion animation?
Here’s Ray Harryhausen at his best.
T is for Ten Things I Hate About You – Teen treatment of The Taming of the
Shrew, and for the life of me I can’t tell you why I liked it so much, but I
did!
U is for Unstrung Heroes – Well-written story of a boy growing up in the
60’s ... inventor father, ill mother, two very eccentric uncles.
Heartbreaking and funny all at once.
V is for The Verdict – Sidney Lumet directed. Paul Newman, a courtroom, and
justice for all.
W is for Waking Ned Devine – A small Irish village, the lottery, a plot, and
all the townsfolk in this amusing comedy.
X is for ... What can I say that won’t get edited out? Just X-periment a
little.
Y is for Yankee Doodle – My mother thanks you, my father thanks you ... and
most of all, I thank you. James Cagney as George M. Cohan in this Saturday
afternoon perennial.
Z is for Zelig – Hilarious Woody Allen “mockumentary” about a guy whose
chameleon-like abilities make him a celebrity in the 1920’s.
So there you go – just enjoy them!
Recent releases are:
Memento. Man who is unable to retain new memories since the murder of his
wife is trying to solve the murder. Not for all tastes (be warned). However,
if this is for you, it is extraordinary, albeit a tad gimmicky.
The Amati Girls – Sweet little family story based around four devoted
sisters.
Blow – Based on true-life story of the man responsible for introducing
cocaine to this country. Johnny Depp stars.
Tailor of Panama – Spy thriller that was well-received by critics, but
unseen by me to date. Pierce Brosnan, Geoffrey Rush, Jamie Lee Curtis star.
Shadow Magic – I can’t say enough about this wonderful movie. Mandarin with
English subtitles. Fascinating movie about the first motion pictures seen in
Peking. An Englishman and a Chinese still photographer team up, but that’s
just the beginning.
Crocodile Dundee in L.A. – Well, I guess they thought they could squeeze one
more back out! Should have stayed in the outback!!
The Luzhin Defence – Great sets, costumes, and intriguing story of
emotionally damaged chess genius, the women he loves, and a chess match.
Someone Like You – Overrated garbage, not appealing, not amusing, and
certainly not clever. Dumped girl comes up with idiotic theory about cow,
men and women, and falls for roommate, and I still can’t figure out where,
when, or why.
Spy Kids – Great family fare. Which means tolerable for the adults who have
to sit through it. I confess, Antonio Banderas is not one of my favorites.
Sara Lee Seginak lives in Grahamsville and has worked in the video rental
industry for the past 15 years. Her column will appear regularly, if we can
get her to shut off her VCR long enough to write it.