The River Reporter Online - Letters to the Editor

[EDITOR'S NOTE: The River Reporter welcomes letters on all subjects from its readers. They must be signed and include the correspondent's phone number. The correspondent's name and town will appear at the bottom of each letter; titles and affiliations will not, unless the correspondent is writing on behalf of a group.

Letters are printed as they are received, or at the discretion of the editor, and without correction to grammar or spelling. It is requested they be limited to 500 words; correspondents may be asked to cut longer letters. Deadline is 1:00 p.m. on Monday.

I would like to express my deep appreciation to Judge Cooke for all the good things he did for the New York State Unified Court System and ultimately for the people of the State of New York.

Upon assuming the position of Chief Judge, he realized that the backlog of civil cases in the City of New York could only be relieved by a radical approach, and he established a transfer plan, which brought upstate judges to New York City to preside over added parts of Court. Initially, 22 parts were established. As a result of this effort, a backlog of about 25,000 cases was reduced to 15,000 cases in a year and a half, while at the same time newly filed cases were also being processed.

He expanded compulsory arbitration programs, enhanced educational programs for judges and non-judicial personnel, lent his efforts to obtaining additional compensation for judges and non-judicial employees while asking everyone to work longer and harder to get the work done.

In all of this, he never asked anyone to work more than two-thirds of what he himself gave to his job.

On a higher plane, he manifested spotless integrity in all of his dealings, often citing his father's advice, "Always take the high road."

I consider myself privileged to have served with him and under him for six years as Deputy Chief Administrative Judge for the Court outside the City of New York and for the final one and one-half years as Chief Administrative Judge for the entire state.

He was truly an outstanding lawyer, judge, husband and father to whom the adage "Well done, thou good and faithful servant," is most appropriate.

Am I the only one who is outraged at the lack of coverage by NPR (never mind the networks) of the Nader campaign? During the conventions, WJFF chose to air Democracy Now's coverage and that was an eye opener for me. I can't listen to Democracy Now because I am at work at 9:00 a.m., and have not heard or read a word about a man who is more worthy of my vote than anyone else. He is being shut out of the debates by a commission created and financed by the two major parties. I have looked at the www.votenader.com website, and there are excellent position papers on many issues all of us need to know more about. How about doing our part, here in Narrowsburg, to hear different points of view? How about publishing just one position paper a week, or running an update on the "invisible" Green Party campaign? It seems as though when there is a serious third party candidate who cannot be discounted as" fringe" or made fun of, we are not going to hear his views unless we have access to the web. That's not right. I would be really proud to see my local paper do the right thing.

Joyce Walker from Grahamsville was quiet, very quiet. She was not forceful, but she had a strong inner strength.

One remembers this summer her sitting at a table on her back porch, built by her husband, Dan, talking with her daughters Danielle and Rachel, and sometimes her visiting son, Joe, and friends who would naturally stop by a lot.

Her grandchildren, Dillon, Chelsey, Brittany, Wayne, Jr. and Zachary, beat a path from across the lawn, past the flowers and the rose bushes, up the stairs onto the porch, through the kitchen and into the house. Then they ran back out again.

She enjoyed this life, which some may call simple, completely except of course those evenings when she went with her friends to clear her head and play bingo.

Joyce died Friday, September 1 after enjoying a full, quiet, simple, but unfortunately short life.

I agree that Alan Gerry's "Woodstock" PAC in Bethel, NY will bring much needed economic growth to a very depressed Sullivan County. But is there a compelling reason that it could not be built on one of Mr. Gerry's adjacent fields, maybe just on the other side of Hurd Road? Preserving "the site" as a park (or national monument) open to free visitation and assembly in conjunction with a larger development project on the surrounding acres (already owned by Mr. Gerry) is the better answer for our grandchildren.

All of the local boom that the PAC would create would still happen, but the very reason people are attracted to this particular piece of real estate would be preserved. So that people will continue to want to come. That way, everyone REALLY wins!

More information is available at MuthaTheresa.Com, an "unofficial" Woodstock website.

What a sad thing it is when a millionaire is allowed to destroy our history and get the support of the Governor to do it. See what political contributions will get you? Not only will you be able to destroy a historical site and sacred ground to many, but you can alienate millions of people in the process, and get even richer! How does Alan Gerry sleep at night? Answer: On a pillow filled with stolen dreams and memories. Where will our children and grandchildren go when they want to see where their very own family members spent three days and nights of love and music in the midst of a war? NOT to a PAC! Where will they go to experience the love and kindness of the Woodstock Spirit themselves? Not at this PAC! No one will want to see the PAC on the original field, for it will cause great sadness to millions of Americans. Why is it so important to build a PAC on the original 1969 Woodstock site instead of building it ADJACENT to the field and PRESERVING its history? How will we tell our children that in the year 2000 people thought more of money than they did our own history? For 31 years now, since that fateful weekend in Aug. of 1969, hundred and thousands of people have migrated to the "site" on the anniversary of the original miracle. Ever since Mr. Gerry got control of the property he has done nothing but discourage this migration, and NOW he wants to BUILD a PAC...for US??? No, I think not. If he really wanted to do something for Sullivan County and for all the people he SAYS he's building this for... then let him spend that money to PRESERVE and HONOR Woodstock...not DESTROY and COMMERCIALIZE it.

In these troubled times, the wicked arise to doubt the spiritual guidance emerging from my soul. All I wish is for some solitude and wholeness in this fractured town ... but instead I am ridiculed and crucified not unlike another savior we all know and love as "Jesus Christ."

True I have changed my identity to protect my safety, for in this wretched town where devils roam freely to eat, talk and teach amongst us, I must fear for my life and failing health. If poor, defenseless statues can be defaced right in broad daylight, what's preventing heathen hellions from attacking a frail, defenseless, old, trembling nun in the same manner? Surely I would be next in line if they only knew who I really was. They want to silence the truth and an elderly, feeble senior citizen armed with only her pen and some rosary beads would be a perfect target.

Am I to withstand the pressures when wolves in sheep's clothing are bilking half the town out of their hard earned cash?

It is for these reasons that I have assumed an alias, an AKA if you will. This wonderful newspaper has published all my heart felt letters and for that I must say "God Bless The River Reporter forever and ever." They obviously love the Lord and the tranquility of God's grace as much as a publication could.

May your readers' hearts be filled with love and clarity each and every new day. Feel the warmth of your heads on the shoulder of the Lord. Bless the good ones and you know who you are.

Like many other readers of TRR I have followed with interest the ups and downs (mostly downs lately) of Richard and Joselyn Castellano and the Narrowsburg International Independent Film Festival. I've enjoyed attending the Film Festival the past two years and will be very sorry if it now is to disappear forever. I've met both the Castellanos only very casually (My wife attended Richard's acting studio and I helped out the projectionist one day at this year's festival) so I'm not prompted to write to you out of a sense of deep friendship with either of the Castellanos.

The purpose of this letter is to question the tenor of recent news articles surrounding the pending criminal trial of Mr. Castellano for fraud and the reporting of the various civil suits brought against him by various creditors. It seems to me that when TRR publishes accusations by one of his many angry creditors, his former lawyer, that Mr. Castellano has bragged about having committed a triple murder, that when a former bodyguard is given space to assert that he was instructed to "take care of" another creditor by Mr. Castellano, TRR has overstepped the bounds of decent, responsible reporting. The aforementioned accusations may have been uttered in the courtroom during the recent Civil hearing but it doesn't take a lawyer to know that they were utterly unsubstantiated and totally irrelevant to the proceeding. (I only hope the Judge presiding treated them as such.) People tend to believe what they read in the papers so I wonder how Mr. Castellano can now hope to get a fair trial in his upcoming criminal case.

Mr. Castellano now sits in jail. He apparently can't make bail because he can't come up with the necessary 10% required by a bondsman to secure a $25,000 bond. He could have fled the area. He didn't. His has always openly acknowledged his past. To my memory he did so in this paper. He's not the first person in this area to be taken to civil court mired in a sea of debt. Although his wife Jocelyn signed the contracts, he alone is being castigated and held responsible for owing money to the film crew of the movie, Four Deadly Reasons. His wife failed to show up for court and has possibly left the area and he sits in jail. Hmmmmm. Seems to me there is a real story here. A story of Shakespearean proportions. Maybe even a movie. Tom Kane, the RR reporter covering this story, should dig a little deeper. And be more mindful that Mr. Castellano's past, whether he is a triple murderer or whether he is just another Brooklyn street braggart, is of no relevance whatsoever to his guilt or innocence in either the civil or criminal charges against him.

You and your readers have given my family a reason to celebrate! Your generous contributions to the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon will speed worldwide research seeking treatments and cures for neuromuscular diseases, and help the Muscular Dystrophy Association provide unparalleled medical services through its national network clinics.

It's wonderful to know that families like mine can count on so many caring people in greater Narrowsburg. Your generosity enables MDA to maintain 230 clinics, including those at the MDA clinics at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, at the Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine at NYU, at the Hospital for Joint Diseases & Medical Center and at Mount Sinai Hospital & Medical Center, all in New York; as well as Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, Nassau County Medical Center in East Meadow, Long Island College Hospital, St. Charles Hospital & Rehabilitation Center in Port Jefferson, the Helen Hayes Hospital in West Haverstraw, and at White Plains Hospital & Medical Center in White Plains. Your support helps us sponsor hundreds of support groups and send thousands of youngsters to MDA summer camps each year.

Thank you for supporting the Labor Day Telethon on WWOR-TV, Channel 9, and for participating in other fun MDA events in our area. Your generosity is why rapid progress is being made in the fight against muscle-wasting diseases.

For more than 30 years, casino gaming has been dangled in front of Sullivan County residents as the saving grace that will back our glorious resort days. Numerous developers have presented attractive proposals that seemed to lack one element or another. One cannot fault residents who have grown weary of big promises from outside developers only to have their vision of revitalization dashed away. Perhaps the most frustrating of all is how close Sullivan County has come to realizing economic prosperity.

Although casino gaming is the key element of the past resort development proposals for this area, it is clear that in order to be successful any casino must be a part of a world-class entertainment destination resort that showcases the best our area has to offer.

Only recently have I come to realize what a tremendous opportunity we have for a new resort casino in Sullivan County. I have heard all the critics and listened to all the rhetoric. Having met with Park Place Entertainment's representatives, I now have a greater understanding of how committed they are.

Monticello once was the entertainment and dining hub in the county, benefiting greatly from guests at Kutsher's, Grossinger's and The Concord, as well as the bungalow communities, I am confident the Village will once again be the beneficiary of the influx of tourists. In addition, thousands of hotel rooms will be needed to handle the excess tourists not staying at the Park Place Entertainment resort.

I am sure others have noticed Park Place's significant involvement in and presence at numerous civic and charity events in the area. I am confident that this is only the beginning of be benefits their resort will provide.

No one questioned the desire of previous casino companies to build in Sullivan County. Why should they? Sullivan County's demographics indicate that the right type of casino resort would be highly successful.

I was recently up at the Tennanah Lake Golf club and picked up a copy of your publication. I read the stories and articles and thought they were just great. The photography was wonderful. I myself am a short story writer, very much published, and would like to send you in a story written about your part of the area. In 1935 or so, during the depression, when we were almost starving, my father bought a shack in Oak Hill. That was the heart of dairy country, next to Medusa, East Durham, etc. The purpose, to plant and harvest potatoes which we would subsist on for the rest of the year. The story takes in the travails of that period of my life. I think that your readers would find that period and the story interesting,