Mailbag

To The Editor:
When is a restaurant not a restaurant? When Don Hogan decides to add a restaurant to his convenience store and gas station in the Hamlet of Andes.
At its June meeting, six of the seven members of the Andes Town Planning Board decided that the addition of a sit-down, table service restaurant with wait staff was not “sufficiently different from the existing convenience store business. Therefore, no special permit or review of this change in use would be required. Since when are “convenience store” and “restaurant” synonymous?

To The Editor:
As a taxpayer in the Village of Margaretville and the Town of Middletown, I am proud to know that a fine young couple like John and Kate Van Benschoten are willing to step forward and help shoulder the burden of these tough political and economic times, by serving on the local boards.

To The Editor:
Today I spent the first half of my lunch hour at home, listening to the idling utility truck across the street. After waiting a reasonable time for it to be shut off, I asked the driver if there was any reason the truck was running. He seemed surprised to be asked, and said he guessed not. Several minutes later he shut off the engine.

To The Editor:
In these times of financial difficulty, what I am about to suggest may come as an added burden to the citizens of our area, but I feel it is a necessary evil when compared to the insensitivity and selfishness exhibited by year-round residents, second homeowners and visitors alike.

To The Editor:
The Middletown Town Board appointed Kate VanBenschoten to be on the town planning board.
I am sure she is a wonderful person but I and probably others would consider her appointment as nepotism (since her husband is now mayor of Margaretville), and this would present a conflict of interest on behalf of the town.

To The Editor:
In response to no girls in baseball, I would like to defend my husband Thom’s decision not to place Mrs. Bennett’s girls on the little league team. Out of all the children that tried out for the team, my husband picked 19 kids, quite a large team by most standards, but he does not like to turn away anyone who has the skills to play. When he approached Mrs. Bennett he did so because he had never seen her or her girls in the t-ball or minor league teams of which he has volunteered for the past four years.

To The Editor:
We are enthusiastically pleased having read the letter to the News from Ann and Mark Lukin. Their letter regarding the importance of maintaining a correct perception of the differences between our ski center operations and our private development issues is indeed welcome. We find nothing in their letter with which we disagree.

To The Editor:
Recent letters accusing the Catskill Heritage Alliance (CHA) of personal attacks on the Belleayre Mountain Ski Center and its employees, and accusing us of trying to torpedo stimulus funds for the ski center are factually wrong on all counts. Not only do we support the ski center and applaud the key role it plays in the community, we’re also on record that the ski center should be expanded to its full complement under the 2002 draft Unit Management Plan (UMP).

To The Editor:
Let’s be real clear. Stimulus funding to expand facilities at Belleayre Mountain Center (BMSC) has been delayed due to failure of NYS DEC to complete a Unit Management Plan (UMP) in 2002 as required by DEC guidelines. The UMP was delayed so that it could incorporate changes requested by the developer of The Belleayre Resort in Catskill Park. This delay made a “shovel ready” project impossible in 2009 since neither the BMSC UMP or the Environmental Impact Statement from Crossroad Ventures are ready.

To The Editor:
We showed up for practice/try-outs and my two daughters were told immediately that the game was dangerous and that while standing in the batter’s box that they could get hit by that hard ball. One of my girls said, “That’s O.K., I’ve been hit by hard things before.” I added that whether male or female, one could get hit by the ball. I don’t see what gender has to do with it. I insisted that my two daughters, one 12 and the other about to be 11, get out there and warm up for the try outs. I even joked, “Someone has to sit on the bench…” I was touched to see that one of the coaches took an interest in teaching my youngest how to throw.