Whether this place becomes “Patriot House” (“Hein House” would be presumptuous) remains to be seen, but let me advance a suggestion. Former county veterans’ service officer Terry Breitenstein, a past commander of Woodstock American Legion Post, served veterans in our county with distinction for more than 29 year, retiring two years ago. Breitenstein was certainly a rock on which veterans could depend. Why not honor that tradition with a plaque in his name at Kingston’s homeless shelter for vets?
Here and there
I love to see politicians beg, grovel, and plead, but that only seems to happen when their careers are in jeopardy, around election time.
Saugerties highway superintendent Doug Myer (not be confused with Republican town supervisor Kelly Myers) seemed to have done a pretty good job his first term and even ran a surplus. Thank you and good luck, said Republicans at caucus last week to their former nominee and party member, turning instead to local contractor Ray Mayone.
With little time to spare, Myer ran ads in the papers “humbly” asking Democrats to support him, which they did by 30 votes over Mayone.
It should be a close election. That Mayone has legs was evidenced by his knocking off an incumbent in one caucus and almost winning another. Somebody likes this guy.
What’s in a name? Rural Ulster Preservation Company, commonly called RUPCO, will officially change its name to RUPCO next week. Its mission of building and supporting affordable housing will continue.
RUPCO CEO Kevin O’Connor explained that the change reflects the organization’s reach into Sullivan and Greene counties. RUPCO also administers state energy conservation programs for the state in ten Hudson Valley counties.
It was about time. Even the “rural” part of the affordable housing organization no longer applied, as witnessed by its major renovation projects at the Kirkland and Stuyvesant hotels in Kingston.
And finally, something whimsical. A couple of local fishermen — let’s call them Dan and Bernie — dropped by my table at the Dietz Diner last week to whine after floating their dobbers in the Ashokan Reservoir all morning to utter frustration. At first, I thought they were talking about pollution, or the mythical Ashokan Monster who eats only Jersey and Gotham nimrods, maybe some new draconian regulations by the Department of Environmental Preservation, but no.
“They stock the reservoir with millions of fish every year and we never catch any of them,” Bernie complained. “The closest we get to fish is at Gadaleto’s [in New Paltz],” Dan chimed in.
Could it be you guys are just lousy fishermen? I asked.
They’ll be back.
