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.

We, the objecting students of the Class of 2002 of the Sullivan West Central School District at Narrowsburg, have been informed that we have great possibility of being sent to the Jefferson-Youngsville Campus for our senior year.

Certain members of our class are strongly opposed to the proposal. We feel that we have been insufficiently informed concerning the issue. Being as it affects our education, we feel that we should be among the first to be informed, and our opinions should be acknowledged and taken into consideration.

Our parents, teachers, and community have always taught us to educate ourselves and to take a stand on issues that concern us. We would greatly appreciate any public support. We plan to approach the Board of Education at their upcoming meeting on October 19, 2000 at 7:30 p.m. at the Delaware Valley Campus.

This will be our senior year. We have been together 12 years, some of us even longer. We would like to walk into our own building in our senior year and be greeted by the same familiar faces and hallways. We have grown together with students and teachers through the years, and it is only fair to give us our last year with the people we consider family.

Megan Gorzynski
Robert Taylor
Danielle Hoye
Michael Popolillo
Brian Popolillo
Matthew Pomes
Logan Cole
Jams Kearns
Joseph Hawker

My husband and I paddled the lovely Upper Delaware for the first time... Hancock to Zane Grey last weekend. I discovered your online TRR while surfing for more history and knowledge about the area. My husband and I treasure the Delaware and have completed paddling this year from Hancock to Trenton. We are members and webmasters of the Mohawk Canoe Club, Trenton NJ www.mohawkcc.com

We can add TRR to the link list if you approve. Our club actively paddles the entire Delaware and many are members of the National Canoe Safety Patrol. Your article and features are so informative and perfect for the area you serve. And also for those of us who live in the lower Delaware River Valley area and need to know about all Delaware issues.

Your website is excellent. I searched and read prior issues which was helpful to understand the area. Residents are protective of the area rivers and that was clear in your reporting of the Wal-Mart silt pollution of the Lackawaxen.

Thank you for the wonderful article in last week's The River Reporter announcing the opening of Nicolina Country Place on Main Street, Narrowsburg.

We have been living here for two and a half years and have always admired your paper. Having become part of its news and the success of the people brought into the store as a result of the article has heightened our admiration.

P.S. The article mentioned that Barbara Harris is a close friend of mine. l have not met her but she would be a nice friend to have. My close friend is actress Julie Harris.

Engaging in the community affairs, I have the opportunity to stop once in a while at our Lumberland Town Hall Office for one reason or another. To me it is privilege to meet with our town clerk, Christina (Tina) Bodnaruik. Tina has been the Town Clerk since January 1980. She is caring and humble woman, who serves our town with dignity and dedication. In her dealings with residents she is always friendly and her door is open to everybody who is seeking help or advice. In my opinion she is a special individual, very cooperative, knowledgeable and experienced, who works honestly for the good of our town.

Besides her job as a town clerk she is active in community services: Lumberland Fire Department Auxiliary, Lumberland Lions and New York State Town Clerks Association. Recently she was awarded certification as a Registered Municipal Clerk for achieving high educational and experience requirement by named New York Town Clerk Association.

Yes, our Town of Lumberland should be proud to have such friendly, true professional and dedicated clerk, Christina Bodnaruik.

As we lurch toward election day, the ever declining state of this great American experiment in freedom and personal responsibility continues on a tragic road to failure. Even supporters of the two candidates for "President" will reluctantly admit that their two "running mates" would make better "Presidents" than Gore or Bush. And neither of them are what might be considered "Presidential.".

How have we come to a state where elections are won by candidates and parties which promise (even though we know they are lying) more of our own money (taxes) to constituencies with the most votes (bribery)? Look in the mirror.

Marx, Hitler and every other tyrant throughout recorded history has clearly identified the three requirements for the success of tyranny.

Point I - First and foremost you must have an uncaring, uninformed or (misinformed) and lazy populous.

Point II - Then you must control the minds of the present and future generations.

Point III - Finally you must proceed incrementally so that the targeted populous, for the most part, doesn't realize what is happening. Any individual or group that does smell what is coming must be immediately demonized or destroyed.

The egocentric focus of the homo sapiens makes point one easy, especially when coupled with point two. In our society, we have the almost unbeatable combination of the "System of Compulsory Public Indoctrination" coupled with the "Mainstream Ministry of Propaganda." These two forces also provide the tools to accomplish point three.

When the American dream was first conceived, cause and effect were much closer together. What we sold and bought and government's effect on that traffic and our lives was obvious and immediate. We knew our elected officials personally. When they lied, we could respond effectively and they knew it. As our nation grew, cause and effect grew further apart and we had to depend on the "fourth estate" for a great deal of information. While not always totally honest, journalism was a (mostly) respected "profession." Today, it is recognized by all but the journalists as a tool of tyranny.

Before 1850 there was almost no "public" education. Teaching the three "R's" was handled at the family and local level. The federalization of education and the degeneration of our culture has not happened coincidentally. The national education establishment, a power structure of government bureaucrats and unions now tows the party line. History, culture, values are whatever they want them to be, facts be damned.

Generations of "teachers" controlling the minds of generations of children whose every waking hour is filled with the same message emanating from TV, motion picture screens, magazines, newspapers and the entire socio-economic system have created a population ready for the New World Order and the tyranny which makes it possible.