Woodstock Glitter

This opinion piece appeared in the Townsman, October 9 edition

"The Woodstock Film Festival stands for more than just girls wearing no bra," said cinematographer Haskell Wexler ("One Flew Over…" and this year's recipient of the WFF Honorary Lifetime Achievement Award) to the several hundred attendees of the WFF awards ceremony held last Saturday night at the Backstage Productions venue in Kingston. The purpose of film, according to Wexler, "is to denounce the deception and lies that have become part of our life."

Cool, but let me dwell on that 'no bra' comment. First of all, although it was dark except for the flash bulbs, it looked like the 'girls' were wearing bras (I assure you this was not the focus of my study). But aside from that formality or utility, with the exception of exactly three women in heels and black cocktail dresses, the sartorial equipage of the mob of film buffs and professionals would make a congregation of skateboarders look like a Tommy Hilfiger fashion show. Tee shirts and sweatshirts almost looked like dishtowels, jeans absolutely refused to flatter any legs, and the shoes may have been left from Napoleon's army deserting Russia. Of all the businesses in Ulster County that benefited from the film festival, not one of them was a hairdresser. This was one event where the 'help' (the dozens of volunteers who made Festival possible) clearly outshone the grandees.

I loved it. It has been said that no man is a hero to his valet. Here, VERY BIG PEOPLE were dressed like their valet on a Saturday morning cleaning the leaves out of the gutter. As one fellow put it, it makes every one at the festival "approachable." I'll say; if actor David Strathairn were standing outside of Cumbies some kid would have asked him to buy a six pack of beer.

The films I saw I liked. I thought local boy Phil Dorling's 'Predisposition,' one of the shorts shown at the Community Center on Friday night, verged on brilliance. The full- length feature at the Tinker Street Cinema on Sunday, "Visioneers," was uneven but contained enough flashes of inspiration to make me glad to have seen it. Point is though, without the vision of the "fiercely independent" WFF I doubt either of these films would have been seen and the very worthy writer/director/producers would have been deprived of the encouragement to soldier on.

The people who made the WFF possible, and Meira Blaustein and Laurent Rejto are at the top of that list, deserve both ours' and the film community's gratitude. And the corps of volunteers, each one of them helpful, cheerful, welcoming, that made the chaos navigable and most enjoyable, also deserve a big round of applause. This annual event has put a nice little zing in the air. It's made the "deception and lies that have become part of our life" for a moment tolerable.

* * *

It's not too late if you act right now to get a seat at the Shady Methodist Church's Roast Beef Dinner this coming Saturday night. Talk about "mom's" cooking, this platter comes right out of the first edition of Fanny Farmer's Cookbook. Plus you get to rub elbows with a part of the Woodstock community that is almost invisible, except that it forms the core of volunteerism that glues our town together. Take my word for it; good chow, low prices, great company!

* * *

Boy, if we could bottle this year's weather. Whether it was that or the increased volume of CO2 in the atmosphere, but the fruit and nut trees and the vegetable patches simply went crazy. I am fortunate to have on my tiny, almost infinitesimal lot an apple and a black walnut tree. Last year I couldn't have made a tart from what they produced. This year, five apple pies and six quarts of applesauce later (not counting the ten apple pies the deer got to first), there are still apples the size of softballs waiting to fall. Does anybody out there have a good suggestion for processing black walnuts? I did it one year, cracking them with a vice (believe me, a nutcracker didn't make it, not with these nuts), but it sure took a long time to end up with a fist full of nutmeat. Please let me know, because I've got lots of them.

And you know what, with what's happening in the economy and all the gloomy things being said, we might better get into the habit of helping each other with friendly hints and advice. To make matters even more dramatic, the wooly caterpillars are promising a long, cold winter. Let's all keep an eye out.

Woodstock Film Festival A Success

This article appeared in the Townsman, October 9 edition

Woodstock, October 3, 4 & 5, 2008

The best one-liner award for the 2008 Woodstock Film Festival goes to actor/director Kevin Smith ("Clerks," "Chasing Amy"), who in accepting the 2008 Honorary Maverick Award said to the crowd of film industry buffs and pros, "In any other year it would be better to be a 'maverick.'" The crowd at Backstage Productions, the theater venue on Wall Street in Kingston, variously estimated from 300 to 500 people roared its appreciation before sitting back for Mr. Smith's subsequent droll remarks that cannot be printed in this family newspaper.

The Saturday night award ceremony included speeches and/or presentations by John Sayles ("Return Of The Secaucus Seven"), actor David Strathairn ("Good Night, and Good Luck"), cinematographer Haskell Wexler ("One Flew Over…" and this year's winner recipient of the Honorary Lifetime Achievement Award), and Woodstocker Pamela Marvin, who presented the Lee Marvin Best Feature Narrative Award (Sean Baker for his "Prince of Broadway"), which she had established in the name of her deceased husband. In another highlight, director Ang Lee ("Brokeback Mountain"), presented The Honorary Trailblazer Award to James Shamus, CEO of Focus Features and award winning writer/producer.

By many estimates the 2008 "fiercely independent" Woodstock Film Festival, now an annual event that started with the new century in 2000, has been the biggest so far with festival reps claiming record attendance and receiving kudos from the many professionals who participated and legions of attendees of the films, concerts and panels that were part of the program. "It was wonderful too see how the festival has grown and still has maintained its particular charm and eccentricity and hands on feel... Brava!" was actor David Strathairn's take. "…Amazingly warm and welcoming and genuine," according to James Schamus. "Film is connectivity, and it is appropriate for this festival to be in Woodstock."

Woodstock town supervisor Jeff Moran, who saw several of the films said, "What is wonderful about the Festival is how approachable the film makers. You won't see this anywhere else." Moran was particularly impressed by "Diplomacy," a Danish documentary concerned with efforts in the United Nations to stop the Darfur genocide. When prompted to dwell on a more prosaic level, Moran noted how extremely busy the town was and he hoped the area merchants were benefited.

Woodstock Chamber of Commerce and Arts spokesman Barry Samuels thought they were. "We are happy to host this prestigious event, which has put our name out there to the world again." He described the many attendees as providing "a great atmosphere" in the town. On a personal note he added, "Being the owner of an independent book store I am very proud of our 'fiercely independent' film festival."

Peter Cantine, partner in the Bearsville complex, which includes the Bearsville Theater praised the event not only for the talent it attracts but adding "It's good for business and good for the community."

Next year the 2009 Woodstock Film Festival is slated to run from September 30 to October 4. The sponsors are promising great things to occur during this tenth anniversary event.

On a final note, local artists Steve Heller and Karen Whitman designed and created the Maverick Award Trophy and this year's official Film Festival poster respectively.

Woodstock Town Board Meeting, October 1, 2008

This article appeared in the Townsman, October 9 edition

At a special meeting Woodstock town supervisor Jeff Moran presented a tentative budget to the town board, which, if adopted, would increase the general fund levy by 8.8% and the highway levy by 6.3% over the 2008 levy. Plummeting mortgage tax receipts and increased prices for petroleum related products, including black top, were cited as primary reasons for the increases.

The water district will see the user fee increase from $0.28 to $0.32 cents per one hundred gallons (14% increase), and the levy to pay the bond for district improvements will increase from $51,472 to $55,629 (7.2%). Also, the $10.00 base fee charged quarterly to each meter will increase to $15.00. The hamlet sewer district will see no increase in the annual levy, but the user fee will increase from $0.81 to $0.99 (22%) per one hundred gallons. The on-site districts will see their operation and maintenance (O&M) cost increase from $35,062 to $44,598 (27%), but their bond payment reduced by $6000, resulting in an overall district increase of 1.9%. Disposal fees and hiring an additional water/sewer employee were given as reasons for the user fee and O&M increases.

The Woodstock library and fire district budgets, over which the town board has no authority, are increased 0% and 12% respectively. The proposed 2009 town-wide levy, exclusive of special district levies, is $5,837,935, an 8.6% increase over 2008.

Response on the town board to the budget and the message delivered with it was muted, with only general statements with regard to cutting some expenditures, perhaps in medical health insurance costs.

A decision to maintain annual funding in the amount of $10,000 to promote the town was effected by passage of a resolution, subject to permissive referendum. Notice of such resolution will be posted in both the Town's official newspapers. For those not familiar with the procedure of permissive referendum, if approximately 140 residents of Woodstock (the number representing 5% of the number of Woodstock voters participating in the previous gubernatorial election) sign a petition calling for a vote of the proposition the town board would be required to schedule a town-wide vote on the question.

As required by law proposed salaries for Town officials, representing a 5% increase over 2008 salaries, also will be posted in the official newspapers.

The town board scheduled special meetings to discuss the budget with the various department heads, to be held at the Town Offices on October 15 and 17 beginning at 9:00 am. The public is invited to attend.

Public hearings for the water and sewer budgets were schedule for October 21 at the Community Center beginning at 7:30 pm. The public hearing for the town-wide 2009 budget was scheduled for November 12 at the Community Center beginning at 7:30 pm.

Hollihocks (sic)

This opinion appeared in the Townsman, October 2 edition

How sad the tale of the Florentine painter Masaccio, who in 1423 began his frescoes in the Brancacci chapel and was dead four years later at age 27. Killed by poverty. He was hardly moldering in the potters' field before the world suddenly awoke to his astonishing genius, and painters came to the chapel from all over the Italian peninsula to study his technique; Masaccio is now recognized as one of the earliest major contributors to that historic pageant we call the Renaissance. His is by no means the only woeful story of genius gone unrecognized during the life of the artist; who can study a Van Gogh and not interweave their impressions with a meditation on his unhappiness when he painted, and his world's indifference to him?

Don't you want to wag your finger at the ignorant contemporaries who had let Masaccio and Van Gogh suffer in such need and shout, "You dopes." And don't we shudder and hope we won't be judged for a similar level of ignorance? It's a smaller scale, but some of us might think about John Ernst in this context.

Well, there's nothing to be done about it now. What's done is done. Misfortune, like the rain, falls on the deserving as much as the undeserving. Masaccio and Van Gogh and John Ernst will not be the last artists caught without an umbrella.

This does not intend to be a sermon; I'm thinking about the art scene in Woodstock, and why some of our area's very deserving artists are struggling for recognition, in some cases just trying to secure a venue to exhibit their work. We do, after all, have institutions and galleries devoted to art; how come it ain't happening for our local talent?

Years ago in Woodstock lived a painter who had emigrated here from France. I was a lad then, but I knew of the Fall of France and the occupation that ensued, and not surprised by this painter's leftist politics, for after all he had suffered under the Pètain regime installed by the Nazis. Image my great surprise when I asked him one day what he thought was the best form of government, and he responded, "Monarchy." I had to have an explanation. "When kings and queens become great they need to decorate their palaces and build great edifices, and this is good for artists." Mind you, this painter did not surround his subjects with pucci or depict idylls or create satyrs with lyres; actually he was a surrealist, and I'm not sure what monarch he had in mind for a patron since the institution of powerful kings and queens was long gone before surrealism came about.

But his point, I believe, was that there is a nexus between wealth and art. There is a built in tension to this nexus.

The tension is primarily founded on the fact that wealth chooses. It's as simple and plain and awful as that. If moneybags likes your stuff, you're in. If he doesn't, you're home re-reading Letters To Theo. When I say "wealth" I refer also to tax funded organizations like the National Endowment For The Arts, who have elated and broken just as many artist hearts, I'm sure, as say Bill Gates or Warren Buffet.

Rejection by wealth is particularly hard on the artist who may be used to hearing from the general public, "hey man, nice touch." The general public is seldom harsh in its artistic judgment; it doesn't need to be; it's not expected nor has the means to support nice touches. Occasionally, when tax dollars are spent to mount exhibitions of Madonna's created out of horse dung, the general public, at least a segment of it, will scruple loudly and bitterly, but as a matter of course popular criticism tends toward the "whatever makes you happy and so long as nobody gets hurt" school.

The artist finds himself either appreciated but not supported by the general public, or subject to the esthetic whim of the wealthy that will or will not sustain him. Not an enviable position.

I don't know of any way of avoiding this without Wal-Marting art. Do you?

Maybe recognizing the nexus or art and wealth is the best chance for our local struggling artists. It might be better to have a crapshoot than no shoot at all. There was no greater patron of the arts than the Medici. I'm sure the Medici said "no thanks" a thousand times more than they said "Honey, where's the checkbook?" It may have been sad for the poor artist to hear the former, but how sweet for the lucky artist to have heard the latter. How sad that many of Woodstock's art venues have become so stressed that the possibility for the latter has diminished, and may eventually be gone for many of our artists.

Some people will know what I'm talking about.

Film Festival Preview

This article appeared in the Townsman, October 2 edition

Woodstock, October 1

The ninth annual Woodstock Film Festival (October 1 - 5), which kicked off with an array of films, panels and concerts spread over venues that far transcend the Woodstock border, has come a long way, baby. Once a modest affair restricted to a few venues in Woodstock, it is now noted for its vast breadth of styles and tastes in film making, and for attracting top-notch actors, directors and writers to the event. Just about everything in film, from long to short, tragic to comic, real to animated, name it and it will most likely be found somewhere in the scheduled screenings.

So what else is new?

If you are a film aficionado and want to learn a few things about the industry (aside from turning out the lights before running a reel), try attending some of the panels; this year's line-up looks potent.

Film making still seem like a man's game? Let's hear from the ladies, who will be hosting a panel, "AMAZING WOMEN IN FILM" at the Utopia Studios (next to the Bearsville Theatre) on October 4 at 10:00 AM (admission $15.00). "Women in the film industry continue to carve a strong and meaningful path in a world that used to be traditionally dominated by men," says the program note. "With more women sitting in the Director's Chair and holding top positions as executives, producers and administrators, has the balance finally shifted to a point of equality?" Wow, this could be good, especially since "word has it" there is going to be plenty of humor. Thelma Adams, who currently writes film reviews for US Weekly and contributes regularly to The Independent, The New York Times, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, The Christian Science Monitor, The Huffington Post and Indie Magazine will moderate the panel that includes actor/producer Maggie Renzi, actor Rita Taggart ("Weeds," how special for Woodstock!), and two-time Academy Award¨ winning documentary filmmaker Barbara Kopple. Google them, believe me, these are very accomplished women.

How about a close up "CONVERSATION WITH HONORARY TRAILBLAZER RECIPIENT JAMES SCHAMUS" at the Utopia Studios October 4, at 12:00PM (admission $ 15)? Mr Schamus, when not busy as a professor in Columbia University's School of the Arts, is perhaps best known for his longtime collaboration with writer/director Ang Lee, with whom he co-wrote and produced such films as Eat Drink Man Woman, The Ice Storm, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The moderator for this conversation, Karen Durbin, is the film critic for Elle magazine, where she also writes features, and articles on film for the Sunday Arts & Leisure section of The New York Times. Hey, let's hope she gets in the conversation, too.

What about those films that focus on environmental, political or social issues; do they make a difference or just sell popcorn? Find out at "MOVIES THAT MATTER: DO THEY COUNT?" at the Utopia Studios October 5 at 10:00AM (admission $ 15). "In helping to define the fabric of our culture, do filmmakers have a responsibility to address social issues?" is the question on the table. The discussion promises to explore "the impetus, the process and the impact of movies that matter on our world." Moderated by David D'Arcy, a critic for Screen International and who writes regularly for a wide range of publications, he is also a frequent commentator for BBC. The panel will include John Sayles (you read that right; writer/director of "Return of the Secaucus Seven"), Haskell Wexler, the noted cinematographer ("One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," another must-see for Woodstockers), Morgan Spurlock, writer/producer/director ("Super Size Me"), and producer Pamela Yates ("Witness to War"). Probably best to leave the popcorn home for this.

The above are just a taste, and say little about the huge variety of films, which have always received at least interest and in most cases out right kudos. It's not too late to get in on the action; tickets for films, panels and concerts (Wow, Donovan; alas sold out) are available on line from woodstockfilmfestival.com or at the box office located at 13 Rock City Road (across from the Chamber of Commerce building) between the hours of 9am and 7pm (the box office will close at noon on October 5), or call 845-810-0131 for information.

Winter Watch

This article appeared in the Townsman, October 2 edition

Woodstock, September 27

County, local and representatives of not-for-profit agencies hosted a well attended meeting at the Woodstock Library to unveil plans to address the potential problems for Ulster County residents associated with the high price of energy, especially home heating fuel this coming winter. The "Avoiding A Crises Forum" panel included Woodstock elected representatives, the county administrator Michael Hein and also the chairman of the Ulster County legislature David Donaldson. Also on the panel were Roberto Rodriguez, director of Ulster County Department of Social Services, Michael Berg, executive director of Family, Pat Courtney - coordinator, Mid-Hudson Energy Smart/ NYSERDA, and Kari Hastings - Medicare coordinator, Ulster County Office for the Aging. Hein, who then left the forum for other business, made opening remarks.

As indicated by the panel's composition, the issue was not restricted to the danger of residents freezing in their homes due to high fuel costs, but also the possibility that those able to meet home energy costs may then be unable to fund food, medicine and transportation expenses, among others.

Earlier this year, County officials formed the so-called Winter Watch task force, which reached out to the county's municipal officials, not-for-profit organizations including food panties, the United Way, Family, religious institutions, and also fuel distributors. The fruits of this endeavor were presented at the Woodstock library forum.

Emphasis was first placed on the necessity of residents to keep special tabs on their neighbors. "Make sure your neighbor is warm in their house," implored Dave Donaldson, chairman of the legislature. "We will need to get out and help each other." Residents who may be in need of emergency fuel assistance were strongly urged to arrange for a delivery before their fuel goes below a quarter tank. "It is very difficult to arrange for immediate deliveries," said Donaldson. "Don't wait until it's too late."

Rodriguez, who oversees approximately 300 employees and administers the County's 100 million dollar department of social services (DSS) budget, said the coming winter called for "a combination of vigilance, volunteerism and altruism." The goal of social services is to "minimize displacement," and he further noted that, "Winter Watch services are not just about DSS clients," that the intention is to "create a safety net for the whole county."

With regard to altruism it was announced that Heritage Energy and KOSCO have agreed to make donations of fuel for the needy (details have not been worked out), and that the United Way will fund energy costs as well. There are also plans for a fund raising concert to go off sometime in January.

The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) grants, funded by federal monies and administered by local agencies, which are available to low-income residents and those on temporary assistance or SSI, are increased to an annual allocation to $800 per household. People who may qualify for this assistance are encouraged to call Ulster County HEAP office at 334-5436 for information and filing their grant application.

Directors of Ulster County Area Transit and Ulster County Emergency Services, Cynthia Ruiz and Art Snyder respectively, who were not present at the forum, were described as in the process of marshalling their departments' resources to meet this winter's challenge of providing additional transportation services for those who need it and to enhance emergency response.

Kari Hastings, Medicare coordinator for the Ulster County Office for the Aging, provided information to assist seniors in obtaining access to state and federal resources for medical expenses so that their personal funds can be directed toward food and fuel. Seniors were strongly encouraged to avail themselves of her office's services, which can be reached at 340-3583.

In an effort to head off spiraling home energy costs due to inefficient insulation or equipment, Pat Courtney, coordinator, Mid-Hudson Energy Smart/ NYSERDA, provided information on the availability of loans and grants to implement home energy efficiency measures.

Brian Shapiro, Ulster County legislator and recently appointed director of the Ulster County SPCA, rounded out the County's response to the potential problems of this coming winter by announcing the SPCA's program for housing household pets in the event of temporary displacements.

The most passionate speaker addressing the issue was Michael Berg. First speaking generally on Family's effort to stock food pantries around the county and crediting some entities for their contributions (Bruderhof Communities donated 3200 pounds of fresh produce), he then described the exponential increase of people availing themselves of assistance. He saw "big problems ahead for people" in Ulster County. With a slight nod to Woodstock councilman Chris Collins and supervisor Jeff Moran, who represent a community in an uproar over the proposed development of 53 affordable housing units behind the Bradley Meadows shopping center, Berg stated, "This problem largely comes from a lack of affordable housing. We need a balanced community. We do not have one because we are not amenable to mixed housing." He cited statistics indicating that Ulster County working families are in many instances spending 50 % or more of their income just on housing. "It is not just the unemployed and seniors who are suffering," said Berg. "Lack of daily necessities like food and medicine is affecting working families as well."

Moran and Collins also addressed the attendees, urging anyone in the Woodstock community in need of assistance or information for obtaining such to contact them. Brochures provided by the Town listing contacts for all the agencies represented at the meeting will be made available in the town clerk's office, the Woodstock library, Woodstock dispatch (at Town Hall), the Family of Woodstock facility on Rock City Road, and it is hoped in both the local drug stores.

Ulster County representative Don Gregorius, instrumental in arranging the forum with assistance from library director DJ Stern, and who served as host and introducer for each panel members, thanked the participants and again urged the community to "watch out for each other" this coming winter, and to spread the word concerning assistance. Gregorius in a subsequent statement said that the lack of Republican elected officials at the forum had no intended political implication, and went out of his way to describe County Republicans as participating and helpful in the Winter Watch program.

In a related topic, it was announced September 30th that DSS director Roberto Rodriguez was appointed by Governor David Paterson to serve on the governor's newly established HEAP commission.

...And Taxes

This opinion piece appeared in the Townsman, September 25 edition

It is September, and of course a property owner's fancy turns to school taxes. For those of you with little scholars in the house the anguish can be soothed by simple arithmetic taught us long ago when our parent's wrote checks to the tax collector: divide the school tax amount by one hundred and eighty school days (180) and you will probably come out to somewhere between $8.00 and $20.00 per day. This is not an unreasonable expense to lavish on the future generation, especially when you consider the debt we are gifting it. The deal gets a lot better if you have two or more budding Einsteins, because schools charge by the roof and not by the number of children under it. When your little Johnny and Susie get on the bus it can be for as little as $4.00 to $8.00 a pop. Makes you sometimes wish you had had a tribe.

For elders, the term I prefer to "seniors" because it implies wisdom whereas "seniors" simply speaks to a successful accumulation of years, the school tax is tamped down with exemptions and can fall to amounts that provoke in younger property owners the temptation to lie seriously about their age. When people say 60 is the new 40 I think it's really forty year olds passing them selves off as sixty-five to get the senior exemption. I could have it backwards; maybe when you're only paying $300.00 in school tax, no matter how old you are, you look forty. You're not "old as you feel," you're "old as you are taxed."

Of course, the people who really get whacked are the second homeowners. Deprived of the right to vote in or vote out the school boards that establish the annual levy, they are also deprived of all exemptions, including STAR (School Tax Relief program). Fortunately for us their tax bills are mailed to far away places like Lodi and Riverside Parkway and we can't hear their gnashing of teeth.

This year, comparatively speaking, Woodstock got by lightly. The Onteora school district levy had the scantest increase (less than 1%), and the Kingston and Saugerties school districts, serving the eastern parts of Woodstock, saw only modest increases.

By now most of us are through the agony; we've hocked the jewelry, sold the extra car and shopped in Good Will for our autumn attire, and the school tax collector's September 30th deadline has been met. Happy with the remaining skin on our bones, we have nothing to dim our prospects until the… January town and county tax bill!

If you are still getting transfusions to replace the blood lost paying the school taxes, read no further.

It is very likely that town of Woodstock (and most likely many townships in the area) will see a significant percent tax increase, maybe even double digits.

Before reaching for the pitchfork, let's understand the situation facing our fiduciary officers -- another word for town board (yes, when not debating until midnight no-idling resolutions they watch our money).

There are two components to a budget, expense and revenue.

Expenses will see the expected increases, what with the escalating price of fuel and blacktop and other inflated costs, primarily labor. This by itself would not have a dramatic effect on the tax levy.

What's going to take the little pad out of our wallet is the plunge in non-property tax revenues, primarily mortgage tax and sales tax receipts. Combined, these revenues contributed $615,000 toward this year's $4,235,074 general fund budget, or 14%. When you add the $380,000 left over from the previous year's ('07) budget it covered almost 24% of the funds needed this year to sweep the streets, arrest the malefactors, inspect and assess the new construction and keep stray dogs off the street, among other municipal services.

This year mortgage tax revenue has plunged, sales tax revenue is wobbly, and although the previous town board left a generous rainy day fund in its wake, it will not by itself to make up for all the other lost revenues.

The Gang of Three on the town board is going to have a trip. This is the gang that diluted the town supervisor's authority to set the agenda, watered down his proposal to increase rental fees for use of the taxpayer funded buildings, and hissy fitted when he tried to adjust the schedule to increase paid parking revenues. Just imagine their eyes rolling when the 2009 budget is presented for their consideration.

Some predictions:

Finally, an answer to the question of who to blame for the meltdown of our nation's financial system; the Woodstock town supervisor! Look for these words: "Poor management." "Failure to take a holistic view." "When I worked in the corporate world…" Yes, finally an answer to why real estate tanked, banks collapsed and unemployment rates soared; it was the Woodstock town supervisor's fault!

Once that revelatory fact is thoroughly chewed and spat out and still no answer to how to address the problem of a big tax increase, then will come the discovery of the "previous administration's" total incompetence and misfeasance that led to today's debacle. At first we might be interested, like the first time we saw a cow chewing its cud, but it will get old quickly. The Gang of Three, dilatory but not stupid, will sense our boredom and move to the next step.

The next step will be to complain about the police department. If you think that Woodstock happens to have a nice police department you are in for a serious shock. By the time the Gang gets done you'll wonder why they don't fire them all. But they will fire no one. What they will do is cut the police car! That'll show 'em. The average property owner in Woodstock will save $5.00.

Anyway, the simple if unfanciful picture is this; we have a revenue shortfall. If we want to maintain the current level of municipal services it will require a hefty tax increase to make up for the lost revenues. (Warning: increasing fees for use of town buildings is off the table.) If we want to cut or curtail some municipal services, NOW is the time for you, taxpayer, to weigh in. If we want an autumn entertainment similar to mud wrestling then say nothing, tune into channel 23 and pass the popcorn.