River Reporter readers come through

To the editor:

Thanks to The River Reporter, I’m happy to report that all six of Grace DeFina’s cats have been placed in good homes.

After you published my article titled “Remembering Grace DeFina” in the March 15 issue, Marlena Rosnel and I both received calls from concerned cat lovers volunteering to adopt one or more of Grace’s beautiful cats. It is gratifying to acknowledge the generosity of those who responded. Now, every one of Grace’s beloved cats has a chance to live a full and happy life.

Thanks again to you and to the readers of your newspaper for creating a happy ending to Grace DeFina’s sad story.

Barbara Yeaman

Milanville, NY

Needed light on some forgotten people

To the editor:

Thank you for reporting the story “Teachers support embattled colleague” in your March 15-21 issue. All we’d have to do to make it my story is substitute my name, and change the employer to a Federal agency. I have seen 21 physicians now, four of them specifically hired by Worker’s Comp to give second opinions. Twenty of the 21 say, “she’s sick, it happened at work,” and yet the battles continue. I too want to return to work. I miss my work, my career, my passion, what I prepared for with college and post college internship. I miss being a force in my field, and serving in the professional organization.

One of the many problems we face is that we have no real voice. Our economic power is diminished when we can’t continue working. Drug companies have no interest in finding something to help because most of the drugs just worsen the condition. We have an unclear picture as to what is the underlying defect. There are many theories, but none are universally accepted. The entire activist community is too fragmented to be effective. There is no one umbrella organization to bring together all the interested parties.

Even the most basic privileges people most enjoy, such as going to the supermarket, obtaining medical treatment in a safe environment or serving on a jury, are not available to us. One organization will soon issue a press release regarding the inaccessibility of the judicial system.

My heart goes out to Angela Page. Hopefully she has a husband or someone who is helping her through the ordeal financially and emotionally. Not everyone has that safety net—the degree of homelessness amongst those who have the illness is alarming. I think the various employers and Workers’ Comp entities want to try to outlast us, hoping we just fade away. Thanks again for your article.

Linda D. Ray

Manteca, CA

The students like it just the way it is

To the editor:

I just don’t understand the reasoning behind the idea of opening up the Delaware Valley (DV) campus and closing the Lake Huntington high school. The cost alone doesn’t make economic sense. We have a wonderful junior high/high school and elementary school. The money it would cost to open DV could be used to add or enhance programs in both. What would be gained by opening DV and separating the K-6 students? We have all sorts of programs and extracurricular activities that the previous districts did not have. Some that I know of are new art classes, Spanish in the elementary school, volleyball, ski club and photography.

We are the Sullivan West School District, not Narrowsburg, Jeffersonville, or Delaware Valley. The students have accepted this and moved on with their lives. They have made new friends and are happy where they are. I hope the board members truly listened to the students at the board meeting. They passionately spoke about wanting everything to stay as it is. I think the board members need to put aside their personal feelings and listen to everyone in the district. There is an overwhelming number of people who don’t want the schools to change. These people are from all parts of the district, including each of the old districts.

After the board meeting I thought about the students that signed the petition. These students should be given credit for doing this on their own free will. We shouldn’t right away jump to the conclusion that they were talked into this. They want this high school. They feel very strongly about this and were not coerced into starting or signing the petition. It would be great if the board could follow their lead and work together.

Barbara M. Schultz

Hortonville, NY

The missing dimension

To the editor:

Our Sullivan West students are accomplished in so many ways. So when concerts are performed, games are played, science projects are exhibited, attending these events is a reminder of how diligent our students are and how much they appreciate and constantly utilize the wonderful facilities the school community has provided them.

Let’s make a stop at a few events and see who is there to enjoy and champion the students’ work.

Here we are at the Pops Concert, a special concert offered each year to give students exposure to more contemporary music. A look around the room yields no Noel van Swol.

We are under the lights on the football field at the Lake Huntington high school campus watching the action of the Sullivan West Bulldogs, one of the most successful football teams in the region. Where is van Swol, Sullivan West board of education member?

It’s a Saturday morning at the exhibition of the high school students’ science projects in the high school cafeteria. The projects represent months of student research, student collaboration, and the encouragement of teachers in the science department. Noel van Swol, where are you? Noel is a “no”...again.

Mr. van Swol, what would happen if you witnessed the talents and hard work of our young people? What would happen if you tried to understand how they felt about the school they love? What would happen if you showed interest in something other than board legalities and budget numbers?

Without this human connection, Mr. van Swol, you can never factor into your decisions the young people the school is meant to serve. Your performance as a school board member can, at best, be one dimensional. That is a shame for you, Mr. van Swol, but even sadder for the students who depend on the nine board members to make the decisions that affect their lives each and every day for 13 years.

Steven Schmidt

Jeffersonville, NY

Sullivan West needs late bussing

To the editor:

As a mother of two children in the Sullivan West School District, I believe the district has many great things going for it. The academic program is very strong and the district offers many extracurricular opportunities to its students. My son has been involved in the football program and he loves it. I have seen how the football program has helped him grow, and how proud he is to be a member of one of the most successful football teams in the region.

While I would like to see all Sullivan West students have the same kind of positive extracurricular experience as my son, I believe transportation can sometimes be an obstacle for some students and their families. That is why I am advocating late bus transportation.

When a school district provides late bus transportation, the bus runs are typically done a couple hours after the end of the school day. Late transportation is extremely helpful for both the students who participate in the after-school extracurricular program and those students who would like to stay for extra help with their schoolwork.

Several school districts in our area already provide late busses to their students, and I would like the Sullivan West School District to be added to that list of schools.

My hope is to make it possible for every Sullivan West student to participate in after-school activities by removing the transportation obstacle. The district now has the funds to provide late bussing. I’m for using our money for a direct benefit to students and their parents—late bus transportation.

Theresa Whittaker

Youngsville, NY

Penna goes overboard

TO the editor:

Mamakating Town Supervisor Charles Penna has been using his position to promote his personal opinion. Additionally, in using the town’s website for this purpose he’s confused the issue of freedom of speech.

His recent behavior has demonstrated that in no way is he interested in best serving his constituency; rather, he has used his position to attack and antagonize those who have challenged his decisions. He has attacked the Basha Kill Area Association, an environmental group, on the Mamakating town website, making unfounded accusations in an arena paid for by the very citizens he accuses.

Additionally, he’s ordered an individual affiliated with that group banned from public meetings, and after that individual refused to leave the meeting, Penna cancelled it. He’s continued to spread his venom attacking other community organizations with handouts paid for by tax money. And all while unopposed by his town board.

Holding political office in the form of a dictatorship is neither in the job description of town supervisor job nor in that of any elected position. It’s certainly not in the best interest of the citizens of Mamakating.

It’s time Penna checked his feelings at the door. Perhaps it’s time he retired.

Sherry Bigelisen

Spring Glen, NY

Is impeachment a good option?

To the editor:

On March 19, we remembered as a nation that the war in Iraq started four years ago. This gave occasion to commentators in the media to look back and highlight the most heinous crimes committed by our government. Now Congress is seeking testimony from witnesses in an effort to make people aware of the enormity of transgressions by the Bush administration.

Many citizens feel that we are looking at impeachable offenses and that, in order to prevent further damage and to repudiate the current policies, it is necessary to remove the leaders from power. Impeachment would get this process started. Others are of the opinion that impeachment would create disruptions for Congress and would prevent them from introducing legislation designed to undo some damage and to force the White House to stay within the law.

In Wayne County, we have a peace group that wants to give people a chance to understand all the issues connected with impeachment. A film will be shown and there will be a discussion in hopes that more and more people will come to terms with this issue and participate in spreading the word. This is going on all over the United States. People are educating themselves about what it means to impeach Bush and Cheney. You can learn more by coming to the Wayne County Library, second floor at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 3.

Heidi Schneider

Narrowsburg, NY

Bring an end to the war

To the editor:

We are now entering the fifth year of this heartbreaking Iraq war. We are also witnessing a huge anti-war movement, including powerful voices coming from soldiers and their families turning their grief into action.

On August 25, 2004, two Marines arrived at Carlos Arrendondo’s home. He thought that his son Alex had come home from his second deployment to Iraq to surprise him on his birthday. Instead, the Marines informed him that Alex had been killed in action in Najaf.

Carlos was devastated, to the point where he accidentally caught himself on fire with gasoline. He suffered burns on more than one-quarter of his body. The physical healing was the easy part. It was the emotional healing that he had to work at. After he got out of the hospital he bought a wooden coffin covered it with an American flag, placed a photo of his son and his combat boots on top placed all of it on a trailer. Soon he started driving back and forth across the country sharing his story with whomever would listen.

He said, “this is my way of grieving the loss of my son.” From listening to this my heart opened. I felt sad and at the same time joyous and appreciative for what this man was giving us. Through the courage of his actions Carlos gives me hope and strength to do my part in ending this war. When asked if he was going to visit his Congress people, he said, “yes, they need our help.”

Please join me in every way you can to bring an end to this heartbreaking war.

Saniye Gungor

Hurleyville, NY