Letters to the Editor - November 3

Several good candidates for office in North East

Town of North East voters are fortunate this year to have several credible candidates running for the town board. At the risk of offending those candidates I consider friends and well-qualified for the position, I encourage all voters of party affiliation to vote for the one person that I feel stands out from the rest ­— George Kaye.

I have known George for 45 years and have always been impressed with his intelligence, equanimity and open-mindedness. Not only does he have deep cultural ties to the community, but through his life experiences he has been exposed to the ways of the rest of the world. His is not a narrow-minded and insular viewpoint. He does not “shoot from the hip,” and his opinions are rational, well thought out and fair.

Having served with George for the past year on the Zoning Board of Appeals, I have been extremely impressed with his conscientiousness, his diligence in approaching arcane principles of land use and his knowledge of the realities of the local economy. He is courteous and considerate to all.

I also urge everyone to vote for Dave Sherman for supervisor. I am not going to restate all of his considerable attributes that already have been emphasized by others, but simply say that it would not be possible to find a better person to serve in this position. I find the allegations regarding the lack of transparency and availability particularly troublesome. Everyone knows where to contact Dave . . . at the Town Hall or at his home. His phone number is not unlisted. To my knowledge, I know of no instance where Dave has stonewalled anyone. Could it be that those questioning the transparency of our local government have not even bothered to ask for information or taken the time to inform themselves of what is readily available?

Julie Schroeder
Millerton

Members of French Club grateful

The Webutuck French Club would like to thank everyone who supported our Guadaloupe trip’s fund-raising efforts. Raffle tickets were sold and the drawing was held Monday, Oct. 17, at the Varsity Girls Senior Soccer Game. More than 15 items were raffled off and the club is grateful to the community members who bought tickets and to the local businesses who donated services or items: Marist College, Dutchess County Renegades, the Roundtuit, Mane Street Salon, Northstar Studios, the Fox and Hare Salon, Jack’s Auto, Lake Compounce, Tri-Arts and Millbrook Vineyards and Winery.

The Flamingo Flocking fund-raiser occurred during the month of October and we hope when you passed the pink birds on a neighbor’s lawn, or in front of a business, it made you smile. The club was overwhelmed by the generosity and support from the community. The students and parents enjoyed arranging the birds and we received many funny phone calls relating the reactions to the flamingos. All who were flocked thought the trip to the French island was a wonderful opportunity for our students and were happy to support this enriching educational experience. And, if you were not aware of this, the birds were also making indoor stops in the Webutuck buildings, going from classroom to classroom, sent on their merry way from colleague to colleague. The French Club thanks, and is grateful for the strong support, from the Webutuck staff and community members who participated in the fun to help defray the students’ costs.

If you would like to view some of the flockings please go to www.webutuckschools.org/whs/french_club_flamingos.htm.

The flock might appear from time to time to support different student organizations or events, so if you were not flocked this time around, maybe next season.

Joanne Boyd
The Webutuck French Club

The  Pine Plains Harvest Walk for Hunger

The broken promise of a withered plant,

earth cracked and caked without pattern.

Lips smacking shut like the shushing shush

of a plush revolving pneumatic door.

Hunger ghosts lightly touch split, blue lips

like a mocking invitation to a feast.

A child’s belly ballooning obscenely

as if the child were a bellowing bullfrog,

the washboard ribs of a skeleton elder still breathing,

eyes wide in bewildered resignation.

Elsewhere mouths fret about bills,

the electric, mortgages, credit cards, the hospital,

and what uncertain weather will be like for a relative’s coming wedding.

And what of that midnight snack,

the sound of toast crunching between teeth,

the tongue shunting granular debris to the throat

with the habitual assurance of practiced diplomacy?

Kevin T. McEneaney
Pine Plains
 

Teenagers came through for runaway dog

Our teens are both innovative and caring.

About four weeks ago our Great Pyrenees (all 135 pounds), during a thunderstorm, broke through our invisible fence area and made his way from Route 199 to Route 22. My wife, Nancy, went looking for him.

She found “Jack” at Harry and Julie Schroeder’s farm stand being restrained by four teenagers, who had caught him up on Route 22. In order to restrain him, the teenagers had taken off their sneaker shoelaces and fashioned a leash. Nancy was so relieved she forgot to take the leash off him and simply got him into the car.

I’d like to reward the kids since we couldn’t get the knots our of the “sneaker leash.”

Please call me at 518-789-3636.

Bob Trotta
Millerton

Dave Sherman works hard for his constituents

I have known candidate Dave Sherman for over 40 years and watched him work himself up to his current office. I stress work, for he was never mere window dressing on any of the numerous boards and committees he served on. I served over him and under him on the Planning Board. Frankly, he did a better job.

The depth and breadth of his knowledge of government matters is a community resource. He has no personal agenda, political or otherwise, except to serve the community to the best of his considerable abilities. He will do this fairly and calmly with little or no fanfare.

Dave Sherman has earned his position through work and diligence and deserves your support in the upcoming election.

Harry Schroeder
Millerton

Walter Davis fondly remembered at library

The service at the NorthEast-Millerton Library included all the wonderful characteristics that surrounded Walter Davis his entire life in Millerton. For a man who practiced law for over three quarters of a century, he was un-jaded. His character always remained intact. His associated grandchildren and children commented on his wonderful teaching, sharing and enjoying life.

His longtime junior partner and disciple in the law, Robert Trotta, gave an extremely moving talk of his history of working under and extending his career with Walter Davis. He humorously talked about Walter’s triple retirement and always being drawn back to the profession he loved and  devoted his life to.

At the memorial a card was handed out with an early photograph displaying Walter in his career. The brief passage on the rear of the card sums up Walter’s Legacy. “Nothing is so strong as gentleness and nothing is so gentle as real strength,” Ralph W. Stockman.

For a man who lived for almost a century, loving his family, his community and his profession, he characterized an individual who really knew who he was.

Bob Riemer
Amenia

 Job juggling can and does work

In response to Rick Butler’s letter Thursday, Oct. 13, good for Brian Coons for putting himself out there to run for supervisor. We all know how difficult this is in small communities like Pine Plains, as we are all neighbors, or friends, or even related. However, I would argue with Mr. Butler that “job juggling” certainly “does” work. What an insult Mr. Butler levels at Mr. Clyde Chase, our Republican supervisor, who served for many years, effectively, and worked in Poughkeepsie and Kingston. Mr. Jerry Stuetzle, our Democratic supervisor for some 28 years, worked in Kingston and Poughkeepsie as well. Then there’s Scott Chase, who was our Republican supervisor for several terms and managed to hold many other volunteer positions all while working in Poughkeepsie. How dare these gentlemen be insulted for the work they have done.

I would also be remiss if I didn’t ask where and what are the jobs to be had in Pine Plains? Unless you are independently wealthy, securing a job in Pine Plains is quite difficult.

So you see, Mr. Butler, as per your letter you have no argument, job juggling does work as per history.

I would also like to mention the two party (or more) system if not to have choice? Would Mr. Butler have anyone run unopposed? I myself think choice is good for any and all communities.

Again, I maintain Mr. Butler’s letter was insulting, will discourage people in the future and was simply political bashing.

Virginia C. Kemp
Pine Plains