Re TRR brief on gas leak

To the editor:

I am appalled at the misinformation and inaccuracies of the brief on a gas leak in Roulette, PA in your January 1 issue. I found the source of this article and have found out that this was a valve leak and no one was evacuated. It was unfortunate this happened but as you portray this incident you make it sound like this was a direct result of the drilling methods used.

People rely on information obtained from sources such as yours for an accurate depiction of the events as they happened. Your inaccuracies and misinformation can only lead people to make uninformed decisions about gas leasing.

Lately, The River Reporter has become spokesperson for the anti-drilling movement. Your news has become very biased, and can only lead to bad decision making for people who rely on this paper for accurate information.

I am very disappointed by a lack of professional journalism I see from this paper.

Fred Peckham

What’s wrong with the Town of Callicoon?

To the editor:

At a time when cities, states and the federal government are slashing services and raising taxes, it’s startling to find a government body that’s actually refusing to accept funds that amount to around $100 for every man, woman and child. It’s rarer still when you consider that accepting this money would actually save the taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars in years to come.

Of course, I’m talking about the action by Town of Callicoon’s board that could result in the loss of a $125,000 grant, as well as $247,000 in additional cash incentives that are available to the town.

Assemblymember Aileen Gunther is offering the $125,000 to the town to install solar panels on the town hall and the town garage. If the town goes ahead with the project, it would also be eligible to receive an additional $247,000 from a statewide program known as NYSERDA that is funded by surcharges that we all pay on our electric bills. These funds, totaling $372,000, would be more than enough to pay for the proposed solar installations, which would supply 100 percent of the electricity used by the town buildings.

But this worthy project may have fallen victim to partisan politics. Democratic supervisor Linda Babicz worked closely with Gunther to secure the grant and has been a strong champion of the project. There’s no doubt that if these solar installations are built, this will stand out as a significant achievement of her tenure in office.

Unfortunately, the three Republican members of the board may be intent on derailing the project precisely because it would be a feather in Ms. Babicz’s cap. At the last town meeting, they rejected the bids the town has received, and refused to solicit any new bids for the project.

Unless the board reconsiders, Ms. Gunther has let it be known that the Town of Callicoon will lose the $125,000—it will go to another town that will use the money to generate free, renewable energy.

Am I wrong in ascribing political motives to members of my town board? I hope so—and they have the opportunity to prove it. They can keep this project alive by voting to solicit new bids at the next town meeting on January 12.

A no-brainer

To the editor:

I see that geniuses are busily at work in one of our local governments, as reported in the December 25 issue The River Reporter (“Callicoon board says no to $335,000; Solar project shot down by council”).

The lameness of Mr. Bose’s and his supporters’ reasoning is overwhelming:

1. “…because the system costs too much, and the price of photovoltaic technology was certain to come down in the coming years, and it would be better to wait until then.”

2. “…in this tough economic environment, the state should not be giving away the grant and the NYSERDA incentives.”

3. “…a ball from the field near the town hall could hit the solar panels, and no one had adequately addressed this question.”

Hey, guys: this is a virtual freebee! Do you know what a grant is? Let me explain: You get the money. You use the money. You don’t have to pay back the money. Get it?

Mr. Bose, New York State has decided that such an energy grant is in the interests of the people. Your unbelievable comment that, “I was not elected to save the environment,” betrays a discredited “drill-baby-drill” mentality and complete aversion to energy alternatives that are clean, new, progressive or bold, which is exactly what this country needs right now. Our President-elect has made this a top national priority.

The silliness of the “errant-ball” excuse is self-evident. Go get a rocket scientist and figure it out.

The council has betrayed its duty to its constituents and in turn, affected the rest of us valley residents who stood to benefit from a lighter carbon footprint in the Town of Callicoon. This project would have cost nothing and contributed to our national agenda. A shame indeed. I hope you township voters remember these folks.

Bob Wasserman

Milanville, PA

Three legs, no tail

To the editor:

At midday recently, my neighbor and I saw what we thought was a not-quite raccoon outside his house.

Due to time of day, we thought it might be rabid, but it allowed us to approach, whereupon we saw that it was missing its tail and greater part of its hind leg. Seeing these things over his long life here, my neighbor proclaimed that she had chewed it off to escape a leghold trap. I ran inside to grab food, which it heartily ate. This coon clearly exhibited familiarity with William’s place, so we assumed it to be the now-older mother who gave multiple births under his elevated building and whose offspring I’d often see with her over the years eating apples at my place next door.

Needless to say, but I will say it, this animal will never climb a tree again, one of its best defenses—yes, we have coyotes here. Needless to say, but I will: Why?