Letters (9/26-10/3)

Mary Wawro, that’s who!

Response to Charles Lantz:

Last week Charlie poked some comical fun at Mary Wawro, let me poke back. I will also start with a little story.

I was walking down the street on a dark, gloomy night when I came across Charlie Lantz and some other Democratic supporters. The group was milling around looking at the road. Being a friendly Saugertiesian I asked what they were looking for. We’re looking for our County Legislator Mary Wawro was the response. Now I’m a helpful Conservative so I said “Why don’t you look in the Ulster County office building. The legislature meets there and most of the county committees do to.”

Charlie’s answer– It’s dark out. We need to see what we are doing. This is where the street light is.

Now the rest of the story.

It is really hard to come up with issues to use against an elected official when that official has done a great job her past term. The opposition has to stretch and be creative. This is what the Democrats are going to do to mount a campaign against Mary Wawro. The best issue they have come up with “We searched Mary Wawro on the web and have not found a lot.” I guess this is the difference between Mary Wawro and the Democrats. Mary spends her time doing her jobs! Jobs like being a single mom to five kids, supporting her family by operating a successful business in her legislative district, representing Saugerties District 1 in the County Legislature, and serving on four and chairing two committees in the County Legislature. Mary does not spend her time posturing for publicity or writing blogs.

In keeping with the “clean campaign agreement” I will not directly address Mary’s opponent. By all reports she is a fine lady who spends a lot of time recording public meetings.

I will address statements in Charlie’s letter. Which candidate do you think knows the problems facing the average person living in West Saugerties and has a better idea of what needs to be done to help resolve those problems? The Democrat, a retired IBM marketing researcher who records public meetings, or Mary Wawro, a successful business owner in West Saugerties, a single mom that successfully raised five children into young adulthood, and is your current legislator who has earned the respect of all her peers.

Do most of the voters agree with Charlie Lantz that the primary standard for being a good public servant should be “You need to be a twit that tweets.” I do not think so.

Dan Ellsworth
Saugerties

Unreliable sources

Okay. So an article by the editor proves my point again. As someone interested in history I’m believing there is neither the comprehension nor memory in journalism needed to count on any newspaper today being an accurate resource for the information we’ll need to count on in the future.

The article on Chris Allen beginning with the gross inaccuracies about Bob Aiello never showing any interest in communicating with or helping the village, with no attempt at a reservation in the edit (“by his account”; “reportedly”), is downright feeble reporting.

Several months ago I wrote a letter to the editor read by the editor and published in this newspaper. It was about how the village wasn’t responding to its county legislator’s requests to meet and discuss what he can do for them. After that both the legislator (Aiello) and myself were painted as liars by the Village Board and office. Subsequently the record of those several correspondences sent by the legislator’s secretary to the village, requesting those meetings (between January and March of 2013, well before Mr. Allen began “acting like a legislator”), proved that the village never wanted to be bothered having a policy of communicating with our county legislator. And now, all of a sudden, there is interest in communicating, but with a candidate, not the real thing?

Proper reporting would have begun fact checking this recent story based on memory of that letter to the editor and asking a few more questions. This is a weekly newspaper. There is no excuse for this laziness.

You can see how this has me wondering if there is anything being accurately represented by either the local government or newspaper.

Michael Sullivan Smith
Saugerties

Vote for hardworking Marge Block

I recommend you vote for Marge Block for the Saugerties Town Board. And here’s why.

I’ve known Marge for a number of year, especially from working with her in the context of the Saugerties Historical Society and her work with Lighthouse TV23.

She is conscientious, hardworking, savvy, caring and most giving of her time and energy for the benefit of Saugerties.

She knows how to see problems and then come up with solutions. She was instrumental in moving the historical society Barn Project from a wish and a dream to a free-standing reality for the benefit of all of our residents. She has written and secured a number of grants for the betterment of Saugerties residents, including the federal usda Community Facilities Grant for the Dutch Barn project. She has significantly augmented the historical collection of the society and brought us a wonderful array of exhibitions detailing the fascinating history of Saugerties and its people. She was most helpful in facilitating the music programs run by Heritage Folk Music, allowing performers from the Catskill region to be showcased at the society, and to showcase Saugerties itself.

She serves on a number of local boards: she’s currently chair of tourism, a member of the Chamber of Commerce board of directors, was chair of Holiday in the Village, co-chair of the Shine on Saugerties auction, and chair of the Great Saugerties Bed Race & Old Timers Day.

She has a seemingly inexhaustible supply of energy that she has made available for the betterment of all of Saugerties. She knows how to work with people and to get things done. She’s got my vote … and yours, I hope.

Ernie Mortuzans
Saugerties

Schirmer thanks Indy supporters

I would like to thank the members of the Saugerties Independence Party who made the extra effort to support me as a write-in candidate on primary day. Attempting to run a successful write-in campaign was a daunting task. Fortunately, it gave me the opportunity to connect with many great members of our community. I’m grateful for the positive feedback I received through the petitioning process and the campaign leading up to the primary. I look forward to your continued support on Nov. 5.

Bill Schirmer
Saugerties

Leighton thanks Indy supporters

I would just like to thank all the Independents that came out in numbers to support me in the recent primary for my re-election bid for the Saugerties Town Board. It has truly been an honor and a pleasure to serve my community for the last eight years as a Town Board member. I will continue to make economic development my focus, along with job creation, reducing taxes be increasing our tax base and making cuts where needed. I have operated a successful local business for 30 years and bring that business experience to my job as your town councilman. With your support on Nov. 5, I will continue to work for all residents of Saugerties. Thank you.

Bruce Leighton
Saugerties

Animal Shelter thanks benefactors

On behalf of the staff of the Saugerties Animal Shelter, our volunteers and myself, I wish to thank the following for their recent contributions of funds and pet supplies to our shelter. Daisy and her staff of the Saugerties Fashion store DIG, who held a fashion show to raise funds and pet food donations for the shelter; Rae and crew of Lucky Chocolates who had a fundraiser for the shelter on Old Timers Day and continued the fundraising for weeks after that event; the Saugerties Price Chopper store and Kingston’s Target store for their donation of pet food and pet items; Leader Mary Alice Millham and the members and parents of Girl Scout Troop #60009 for their time and work painting furniture and helping to arrange items at the Animal Shelter; the Caplan-Bensley Foundation for its generous grant of $1,000 credit at the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley through their expansion of the Jazzy’s Place Dog Food Initiative and last but not least, our faithful contributors who regularly contribute funds to our Shelter Renovation Project. We appreciate all you do for us.

Marie Post
Shelter manager

Two blessings

On the last two weekends of August I had the pleasure of exhibiting my “retrospective” show at the most amazing space that Saugerties is blessed with: the Saugerties Performing Arts Factory (SPAF).

I hear it used to be a paper mill and a book binding factory.

The daytime light in the factory is wonderful so my work of over 3o years was showing really great. The welcoming attitude I received from the owners of the premises, Erica and Gerard Price, was wonderful in every way. The space is a blessing to the community. I’m extending my thanks to everyone that showed up. It was a great show, if I can say so myself.

My second comment is that we have another blessing in the village in the name of Smith Hardware that never fails to contribute to the village any time, including the glowing light at night on my Saugerties sign on the Snyder’s Farm hill, to which I’ve just made an addition, thinking about the upcoming winter. Check the light at night and thanks to the community of Saugerties. We have a great town and a community worth living in.

Z. Willy Neumann
Saugerties