Thanks for the memories

To the editor:

I was very happy when I saw my brother Bennet Allen’s photo in the paper. I remember the Oktoberfest very well, because I was there, and I still have the papers.

When he bought the building, it was a chicken house where chickens and eggs were sold. He then turned it into a motel and now it’s an apartment building. My home was built on a lot that my husband and I purchased from him. It was a cornfield.

Looking at his photo brought me great memories.

Just want to thank you for everything, and let you know he was a great brother that I love dearly.

A haven in our midst

To the editor:

We appreciate being named “The Best Library” in The River Reporter. Irma, Penelope and I, along with many dedicated volunteers, work to make the library an inviting place for folks of all ages. Our library consists of three conveniently located branches: one in Narrowsburg, one in Callicoon, and one in Jeffersonville. We’d like to encourage community members—and visitors too—who haven’t yet had a chance to stop by to stop in and have a look around. We’re confident you’ll find a book, video, magazine, DVD, audio book or an item from our book-sale room that will interest you.

Did you know that—as members of the Ramapo Catskill Library System—our patrons have access not only to the materials on our shelves, but to those of 46 other libraries in Orange, Sullivan, Rockland and part of Ulster County? If you don’t find what you’re looking for on our shelves, there’s a good chance that one of these other 46 libraries will have it, and it will be sent to Narrowsburg for you to borrow.

To view the vast catalog of the holdings of all these libraries visit rcls.org and click on ‘Library Catalogs’ to have a look. With your library card you can go online and put a book on hold from West Nyack, Fallsburg, Newburgh or Ellenville’s public library, to name just a few. In no time the book is on its way to Narrowsburg via our delivery system. Don’t have a computer at home? We’ve got four internet-connected terminals available to the public—in the Narrowsburg branch alone! Come in and search the net, listen to music online, work on an assignment, peruse a magazine, put together a kids’ puzzle, or just relax and enjoy the beautiful view of the Delaware River—you can do it all at the library.

In response to patron requests that we expand our hours, the Narrowsburg branch will now be open on Tuesdays from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. We will continue to do our best to meet the needs of our patrons and appreciate the public’s acknowledgement of our efforts.

These are the good new days: Part I

To the editor:

I thought all that hagiographic “Working-Class Hero” nonsense died with John Lennon nearly 25 years ago. But the myth lives on (see Phil Oakes’s letter, “These aren’t the good old days,” in the May 12 to 18 issue of The River Reporter). The river valley, the county, their residents, their part-time residents, their loyal and perennial visitors, have all been hungry, lo these many years, for a new infusion of economic strength and vitality into an area nearly laid waste by the loss of summer visitors, the demise of the Catskill Vacationland Culture of another era.

Economic malaise is a gentle euphemism for the mess we’ve been in for years (and for which we are now paying with a desperate and ill-advised plunge into the false hope of casino gambling). Yet Kaitlin Carney writes a charming piece on the efforts of several young residents to revitalize one small business in Barryville on the site of a long-cherished “local country store” (the over-eulogized and often under-swept Oelker’s), and Mr. Oakes raises the war banner of the xenophobe, claiming that the fledgling enterprise “caters to the wealthy community from Greenwich Village; the Starbucks, double-latté crowd with gourmet wants and needs.” Utter twaddle.

“A bowl of venison stew, some biscuits and a cup of black coffee would be fine, thank you,” says our defender of the working poor and those on fixed incomes. Tell you what, Phil. Open your “Venison Stew Restaurant” at the old Reber’s Restaurant site, print up your working-poor menu, charge your fixed-income prices, and post a sign on the door barring steenkin’ latté drinkers, Greenwich Village furriners, and filthy pâté munchers. I give your working-class hero enterprise about two weeks. But fear not. You always have a shot at grabbing a blackjack dealer’s slot at one of the Big Five casinos. You can request a table that caters only to the working poor and old ladies on fixed incomes…

These are the good new days: Part II

To the editor:

The letter from Phil Oakes last week regarding the River Market was nothing but a demonstration of misinformation and misplaced anger. The Kaitlin Carney article on River Market merely highlighted what is a new energy in Sullivan County. It is called change. Yes, there is good change and bad change. In this regard, the new River Market is a huge breath of fresh air to our community in Sullivan County.

My goodness, the Oelker’s Market was fine for what it was. But the building was falling apart and lacking in cleanliness, problems the new market has addressed. Further, the market (due to the huge success) employs many more people than the former store, bringing more jobs to the community. And speaking of community, where was this Phil Oakes this past Saturday when the owners of River Market, along with a group of others, were picking up trash along side of Route 97 as I drove by? These people clearly embrace the idea of community. They go the extra mile for this town by doing The Pumpkin Fest and getting grant money so the town can take pride in itself.

The River Market owners are anything but a fly-by-night, out-to-make-a-quick-buck people. They live here, they work here and they volunteer here. They are locals and transplants alike and represent the great diversity of this community. So when you see those folks walking up and down 97 picking trash, or putting on festivals for our families and friends, or getting grant money for our town so we can take more pride in our community think of Phil Oakes and ask yourself: “Where is he?”

Requiem for a pope

To the editor:

As a young Polish student, poet, actor and a playwright with vision and hope, Pope John Paul II grew up to be a priest and a bishop, an archbishop and a pope.

He was just as comfortable climbing mountains or skiing down a slope as being “the champion of faith and freedom around the world,” and at the Vatican as “the people’s pope.” His unwavering faith sustained him when he overcame adversity and sickness and strife.

He always carried on bravely as he lived a blessed life. He traveled the world to bring “the word,” and help the poor in spirit, the helpless and the weak. And he instituted world youth days as children flocked to hear him speak.

They chanted, “We love you, we love you,” in joyful voices with waving arms, and the Holy Father replied to them,

“John Paul II - He loves you!”

He was such a shining example for the entire world to see. Pope John Paul’s legacy will always live on: sanctity of life, compassion and peace. He was such a role model to follow on how to live and die—living a holy life, with goodness and dignity. John Paul II had been such an extraordinary man that millions flocked to St. Peter’s Square to gather ’round close to him with heavy hearts and offer their fervent prayers.

As the world sheds a tear for “The People’s Pope,” and St. Peter’s Basilica bell rings, “The Great Communicator’s” voice is forever silenced.

He is with God—the king of kings. Through trials and tribulations and battles of life, with faith and courage he’d won. May he rest in peace for eternity or every good thing he has done.

The peace from within

To the editor:

I recently read quotes from the woman named Peace Pilgrim who walked 25,000 plus miles crossing and re-crossing the U.S. to promote peace through her own example. “When you find peace within yourself, you become the kind of person who can live at peace with others.”

So how do we find that peace within ourselves that leads to peace without? I know I have to really work at it by getting aware of what is going through my mind that creates unpeaceful situations. I achieve a good deal of success by identifying needs that I cannot fulfill quickly or easily and then I hold them very lightly and drop the desire if it starts to create frustration, irritability, or anger.

“World peace will never be stable until enough of us find inner peace to stabilize it.” This gives me hope and a clear view of what to do. Besides the inner work I am finding that supporting the Department of Peace campaign is very satisfying. You can find out about them at dopcampaign.org or call me at 845/292-2279.

Let there be peace.

Nuclear deterrence

To the editor:

Please join me in calling your representatives and senators in Washington and asking them not to support the “nuclear option” that would take away the right to filibuster. The filibuster is a 200-year-old rule and part of the checks and balances that take place within our governing bodies. It is a way to ensure that those who hold a majority are kept in check and will need to work with the minority to pass bills, make laws, and nominate judges. That is democracy at its best.

The filibuster and the independent judiciary

The United States Senate has confirmed most of President Bush’s judicial nominees. The approval rate would climb even higher if President Bush resisted the temptation to nominate unnecessarily controversial candidates from far outside the political mainstream. In President Clinton’s two terms, 372 out of 488, or 76% of district and circuit court nominees were confirmed. Under President Bush 205 of 230, or 89%, have been confirmed so far. This is not a new process and ensures that moderate judges reach the bench.

The filibuster ensures that a controversial judicial nominee cannot win confirmation unless the nominee enjoys broad support in the senate. This check on bare majority power is crucial for judicial nominees, who receive lifetime tenure when confirmed.

Eliminating the filibuster would dangerously increase the ability of any party that controls both the White House and Congress to pack the judicial branch of the government with radical judges who would not weigh the facts impartially or interpret the law dispassionately. I am especially concerned about the potential for such extreme nominees to undermine our landmark workers’ rights, environmental and privacy laws.

Radical Republicans are breaking the rules and trying to eliminate 200 years of checks and balances. They have resorted to threatening judges to get support, as did Tom DeLay when he promised the Schiavo case judges would have to “answer for their behavior.”

We need to urge our senators, Specter and Santorum, to vote against the proposed changes in the filibuster rule by calling them today at 202/224-4254 (Specter) or 202/224-6324 (Santorum).

Praying on the street corners

To the editor:

Remember the famous statement that we all were taught at home or in school? “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” was supposed to be the guiding force in how we treat others.

Today, many with political or religious power seem to have a different idea of how we define our actions towards others. Decisions on sticky social issues such as abortion or gay rights seem to be based on “Do unto others according to how well they agree with your personal convictions and beliefs.” Tolerance, a key factor in allowing others to be different or choose other options, seems to be disappearing in America. Some are fervently promoting their religion as the only true alternative to hell and damnation. Religious beliefs are becoming political goals and an excuse to deny freedom of choice.

The founding fathers of America saw the need to clearly separate religious doctrine from governmental law. They wrote into the Bill of Rights wording that called for the separation of church and state. They did so because religious persecution had been a large part of the reason early European settlers came to America to seek a new life. Freedom of religion is one of the cornerstones of a democracy. Freedom of choice is the mortar that holds all of the goals of a democracy in place.

Correction

There were several inaccuracies in the letter from Vinny Melone printed in last week’s issue of The River Reporter.

Gerald Murphy is erroneously listed as a school board member who voted to close Narrowsburg and Delaware Valley schools; in fact, he resigned from the board some time before the budget votes were taken.

No board member has so far voted to “close the schools” per se, they have voted for a budget of a size which may imply the closure of two schools but that matter is yet to be decided.