Where’s that ‘progressive government’?

To the editor:

Last week, we on Foster Hill in Milford, PA had two power failures, two in the same week caused by trees falling on power lines. This is not unusual: every winter hundreds of thousands of people in the Northeast experience outages when ice pushes trees onto lines, poles fall, cars skid into them or squirrels eat the lines. The question is, we bury water, we bury gas, we even bury sewage, so why do we want our electricity strung through the trees?

The answer is, of course, because it is cheaper to deliver power that way. The quick and dirty way, that is. It would cost money to bury the lines. But, there’s plenty of money available in conservation if only we would do it.

If we turned all municipal power off at midnight, for example, we would save enough to both bury the lines and achieve other civic purposes, such as funding our library and historical society, and maybe even more. And we would also save the planet, plus darken our once-beautiful skies (dark at night? what a novel idea!).

But to implement such a plan will require those in government to actually do something constructive and progressive to benefit the people of this county. I seem to remember campaign material from the last commissioners’ election ringing the bell for “progressive government.” Well, where is it?

Help save Swan Lake

To the editor:

Residents of Swan Lake have watched their lake go from weed-free four years ago to being overtaken by invasive alien water chestnuts. We are currently trying to work with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and to raise the monies needed to combat this serious situation.

The Swan Lake problem is a wake-up call to all the lakes in our area, as to how short a time it takes this weed to spread and pose a threat to all the fish and wildlife that need the lake to sustain life.

Swan Lake is a tributary and part of the U.S. waterways governed under the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. Sadly, there is no funding available to combat this terrible species. We are looking into applying for a federal program which may provide a matching grant opportunity. We, the residents, are trying to raise the needed funding: $50,000. It will take at least three years to combat this weed.

The residents, along with Sullivan Renaissance and the Swan Lake Fire Department, are having a tag-sale weekend on Saturday, August 15 and Sunday, August 16 at the lovely Swan Lake Park, and are selling eight-by-10-foot spaces that cost $10 for one day, $18 for both. If you are interested in buying a space or volunteering or making a tax deductible contribution, call 845/292-0614.

Heartfelt thanks, round II

To the editor:

One of the most important of the “goodfolks” who was not included in last week’s thanks is Zoot of Woodstock Stage & Screen. The benefit for Angela Page on July 5 would not have happened without him. Zoot, we thank you. And thanks to all the “goodfolks” who came to support Angela, to our emcee Andrea Henley-Heyn, Rent-Event for light covers and chairs, Aura Tie-Dye for the stage backdrop, to Maureen Neville and the artists who donated CDs for our raffles, and if we’ve missed you, thank you everyone who helped out.

Also, thank you to Calkins Creek Winery, Beach Lake Bread, Rent-Event and Calkins Creamery for all their support for this past season’s RiverFolk concerts. We raised money for both the DVAA and WJFF through these concerts. More to come in the fall! Please remember to support the arts!

Thank you all again.

Strong libraries, strong communities

To the editor:

As a long-time Pike County resident, and having raised my family in local schools, I firmly believe that strong libraries create strong communities. They enhance our quality of life and are uniquely democratic institutions vital to the continuing economic, recreational, cultural and social well being of our county and our country. The Pike County Public Library (PCPL) system is a key component of our county’s educational resources, helping all citizens to enjoy and to prosper in the information age.

Our local library system is facing some tough choices due to increasing demand for library services, which is dramatically outpacing current library funding.

After careful deliberation, the library board has asked the county commissioners to place a referendum on the November 2009 ballot for a dedicated library tax of one mil (which equates to about $35 per year for the average homeowner).

The library is currently holding community meetings in every Pike County township and borough to provide information about the measure. I attended the kickoff meeting in Dingman Township on July 13, where PCPL board member Tom Hoff did an excellent job of talking with residents about the referendum and about the future of the PCPL system.

PCPL has a realistic and responsible plan to expand services county-wide in order to better serve Pike’s growing population. I urge everyone who supports PCPL to attend one of these meetings, and to bring a friend to learn more about the future of our Library System.

It’s up to you. Without increased funding, PCPL will be forced to begin service cuts in 2010. However, with the proposed tax, at a modest cost to Pike residents, our county will have a flourishing library system and that will benefit everyone.

How about Fort Delaware as a visitors’ center?

To the editor:

Recently I read that the construction of the planned visitors’ center at the train depot building on Route 97 in Cochecton, NY was on hold. It occurred to me that rather than building a new facility, Fort Delaware should be considered as a possible visitors’ center. It has already been built and has rest rooms and electricity. The fort is more visible than the proposed depot site. While I realize that the fort is not winterized, it could be, and in a more cost-effective way than building a new facility from the ground up.

Furthermore, consider the need of additional employees to staff it, when only six miles away there is an existing staff, both providing the same information.

This is something for the county to think about.

S. Feinberg Damascus, PA