Mailbag

To The Editor:
I always enjoy Bill Birns’ “A Catskill Catalog” but sometimes they strike a special interest of mine. His column last week reminded me that Jane Smiley, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author, wrote her only nonfiction book about crafts in the Catskills, entitled Catskill Crafts: Artisans of the Catskill Mountains. She called the book a “friendship quilt” of a wide variety of hand-made crafts, which are made one at a time by local craftsmen and women.

To The Editor:
I am writing in response to Julie McQuain’s letter last week. I know my letter is likely to generate the usual letters of protest from those who oppose the expansion of Belleayre Mountain and are so blinded by their own anger at any threat to their exclusive use of our wonderful outdoor resource that they are willing to sacrifice the well-being of the entire region to prove their point. They will stop at nothing and the constant barrage of falsehoods, half-truths, deceits and recycled and debunked “facts” keep pouring forth.

To The Editor:
On May 13 I had the good fortune to have been invited by John Riedl and the Margaretville Memorial Hospital Auxiliary Wellness Committee to view a live assembly attended by Roxbury, Margaretville, and Andes K-6 grades.

To The Editor:
Many of us will be visiting local cemeteries this weekend to decorate the graves of loved ones. On some of those graves, a small American flag will already be flying, recognizing that person’s service in the U.S. armed forces.

To The Editor:
While you would be a fool to not vote yes for the Roxbury Central School Budget, I don’t feel you should be made a fool of and want to share the following information.
Surplus: RCS Board took $200,000 out of a “surplus” fund which would have represented an additional 1.7 percent increase to the taxpayer if they had not. In addition our budget does not reflect the approximate $320,0000 stimulus package which could be given to RCS on or about September 2009.

To The Editor:
I am not sure if the various news media have given much coverage to the following accomplishments of President Obama since his inauguration.

To The Editor:
It is important that this area get some stimulus money. Margaretville Telephone Company has a plan to provide fiber optic wiring to the region. This will provide access to TV, telephone and Internet service throughout our community.

To The Editor:
About a year ago, I started putting signs up for Didymo on the Esopus Creek from the Boiceville market all the way to Phoenicia and a few places beyond that point. I met with Region 3 fisheries before posting my signs to show them my signs. They had no comments, just stated “do not post my signs on DEC easements to the Esopus Creek.” I complied. I also asked when you are going to put up signs on the Esopus a number of times throughout the 2008 summer. The reply was “no money, no manpower.”

To The Editor:
Thank you Brian Sweeney for your column “Turn it up. Louder.” I’m tired of the news program loud-mouths, and loud cars, loud trucks and, especially, loud motorcycles. Related to this loudness is the music we are all but forced to listen to everyplace we go. Here we are subjected to it in Freshtown, our new supermarket, and CVS and several other shops.

To The Editor:
The Coalition to Save Belleayre, Ulster’s Legislature Chairman and anonymous Delaware officials have again called on Governor Paterson to direct stimulus funding to the expansion of public Belleayre Mountain Ski Center (BMSC). What construction plans do they want funded and on what land? Stimulus money is for shovel-ready infrastructure projects, already reviewed and ready for bid, to put people to work quickly.