Led astray by greed?

To the editor:

Last week’s feature article, “A primer on gas well gold rush,” brings to mind an old Sufi story.

A merchant, having finally procured a coveted pearl, was on his way to transact a sale that would make him the wealthiest man in the country. His journey of several days took him across a broad desert. On the second day, he encountered a sandstorm that caused him to become disoriented and veer from his path. Without water, he perished of thirst.

Another waste of energy

To the editor:

In Port Jervis, the train station parking is Alright Parking, which is owned by Metro North. They refuse to give 24-hour parking permits at this station as they do at other train stations and they only give two options: pay for the inconvenient metered parking (twice the cost of a comparable permit), which is always in disrepair; or drive to the next station and apply for a 24-hour parking permit there (after being on a waiting list for months or even years). This forces commuters who work in New York City several days a week to drive all the way into the city, because it is cheaper than paying the metered parking and cost of the train ticket. They also feel that if they have to drive an hour to get to a train station that offers 24-hour parking permits, they might as well finish the trip and drive into New York City.

Metro North refuses to accommodate these commuters in our region, claiming that they can’t offer 24-hour parking at this station because people were using the permits to “store” vehicles on the lots. One would think a much better policy would be to not allow a vehicle to be parked for more than seven consecutive days without moving the vehicle.

This results in a huge waste of oil resources because Metro North is discouraging the use of mass transit in our region. It’s all a matter of demand-side reduction and intelligent use of resources. It may be helpful to start identifying companies that promote wasting energy through their corporate policies. There is no reason Metro North cannot accommodate these commuters and promote the use of mass transit in our region.

‘Meet the Curriculum Night’ a job well done

To the editor:

I would like to sincerely thank the faculty and administration of Sullivan West for organizing “Meet the Curriculum Night” at the high school on Thursday night, February 21. The presentation was very informative and shed light on the many academic offerings of the junior high and high school. I learned about a variety of AP course selections and “Project Lead the Way,” which makes math and science relevant for students by engaging them in hands-on, real-world projects.

I was also delighted to see parents of the incoming sixth-grade class learning about curriculum options. It was extremely impressive to see the faculty presentations and student projects set up in the gym. This collaborative effort provides evidence of the growth and progress of our great community. Bravo for a job well done.