Fire Commission Vote

This article appeared in the Townsman, December 11 edition

An unprecedented 505 voters, plus 21 absentees participated in the Woodstock fire district election, held December 9th from the hours of 6:00 to 9:00 pm at the Company 1 firehouse in Bearsville. The candidates and observers had to wait until 10:10 pm for the ballots to be tabulated and results announced.

James Brunner narrowly won a third five-year term for commissioner over challenger James Hanson, final numbers coming in 247 Brunner, 242 Hanson. Three of the absentee ballots were yet to be certified due to uncertainty of their postmark, but seeing that even if they broke all his way he would still come up short, Hanson conceded the race to Brunner, shaking hands and congratulating him on the victory.

Michael Lourenso ran away with the race for the three year term with 263 votes over Steve Dallow's 220 and Duncan Wilson's 32.

Likewise Judy Peters swept past incumbent Karen Shultis for the fire district treasurer position, 280 to 212.

Brunner, generally noted for his laconic style, reacted to the result by observing, "Well, another five years."

Lourenso credited his victory to "a lot of hard work" and thanked voters for their support.

Peters said simply, "I am delighted."

For a race that generated much attention there had been little heat between the candidates. Howard Shultis, speaking for the fire district, captured the spirit by thanking all the candidates and voters for their participation. "This has been good for the community."

One wag commenting on the unusually high turnout said, "These fire district elections are getting to be like the library's."

Snow Tires In Spring

This opinion piece appeared in the Townsman, December 4 edition

Oh boy, it's snowing, and I don't say 'oh boy' in that let's-get-out-the-sleds way, I say it in that where-are-those-darn-snow tires way. I am a great procrastinator, so while you're zipping down the road watch out for the guy ahead of you slip-sliding on both sides of the highway with his trunk bulging with snow tires on his way to the garage to get them put on; that's me. To add to everybody's peril, I won't even be thinking about the slippery road or Nature's intense effort to arrange our fender-bender. I'll be thinking about little league. The trick to being a good procrastinator is steady maintenance of Denial, and my way of getting through winter is to think about the coming spring. Thus, my vernal visions of the coming little league season.

My career as a little league manager began the usual way, signing my kids up in the minor league. Then I showed up at all the games and stayed. Then I helped the coach pick up the bases and gather the bats and do the detective work required to return the gloves strewn over the field to their respective owners. Next thing I knew the incumbent coach's kid aged out and I was left with the team (The Woodstock Meats Yankees, if you're curious).

For two seasons we waged battle against the Colonial Pharmacy Giants, the Bearsville Market Red Sox and the Sunflower Tigers. Toward the end of this stint I finally had been able to advance the players' from the perception that a position in the outfield was Nap Time to the belief that staying on one's feet was definitely required in baseball.

This astonishing accomplishment led to my advancement to the Big League, and assumption of the manager's role for the Blue Jays. A big leaguer, I found out, does not have to carry his sponsor's name on his back, and we were simply the Blue Jays. During the first season we battled against Chester Robbin's Indians, Lou Casciaro's Orioles and Mark Bailey's Cubs.

I would have had better luck managing against Leo Durocher. Lou and Mark had developed terrific teams, and Chester had fashioned a machine so well oiled and finely tuned that to this day I bow in reverence to the man. Make a long story short, the Blue Jays that year went 0-14. That's right, '0' as in 'oh hell, not again' for 14.

You would think half way through our drubbing that we'd start to feel depressed. You would be wrong. The Blue Jays fought like the Army of Northern Virginia did against its unspeakable odds. Unfortunately, I wasn't Robert E. Lee, so we never got even one Bull Run to celebrate.

The losing was all my fault. It began with the draft before the season had started. I picked my kid, a couple of his mates, all nine year olds, and then a whole bunch of big twelve year olds. Heh heh, I snickered to myself when none of my choices were challenged. Little did I know that in baseball, steroids be damned, size does not matter, and what I had assembled was a big team with little experience. This in itself may not have been a disaster, but coupled with my scanty knowledge of big league coaching we were dead ducks.

Oh my, the scores. 16-2. 22-4, 12-0. You get the picture.

The next year we came in second, and for two years after that we were the champions. But the team I will never forget is that 0-14 crew.

Not one of them gave up, dropped out or failed to show up for even one drubbing. The dugout, as it was in those days a mere bench in the sun, remained watchful, hopeful and even expectant through every game. Each batter approached the plate with the dignity of The Iron Horse, and took his position on the field with no less diligence and alacrity than Derek Jeter. There was no carping, no finger pointing, no scapegoating. They were truly a band of brothers. The whole world may have thought they were losers, but somehow the message never had gotten through to them.

The play-offs said it all. The rules stated the last place team played the first place team, which meant we played the Indians, who had not lost a game all season. The winner would advance to the championship game. By this time the other teams began looking at us like we were stupid for just showing up. Don't get me wrong, the other coaches taught sportsmanship and taught it well, and certainly showing respect to the losing team was part of it. But human nature, being what it is, one can't help but make the saddest face to an 0 for 14 opponent.

I sent my ace to the mound, which meant the plate was guarded by one of my nine year olds.

The climax of our season was the fourth inning. We led by two runs. By the next inning we were behind six runs, and our perfect imperfect season would soon be over, but in the fourth inning we were ahead by two runs. We all looked over to the Indian bench, and saw something we had never seen that entire season in an opponent; worry!

By golly, we had worried the Indians! So what if it had been for only five minutes? To the Blue Jays that fleeting moment was like winning the World Series.

The Blue Jays of that era are young men now, not only facing a winter but a world fraught with gloom and peril. The era that had tolerated my procrastination now lies under snow and a challenging, even daunting new era begins. I'd worry, except that I know there are people in this world capable of great fortitude. I had the privilege of coaching some of them.

Okay, my eyes are on the road now.

Dining on Memory Lane

This article appeared in the Townsman, December 4 edition

Long time locals will find themselves dining on memory lane when they patronize Woodstock eatery Oriole 9, now proudly hosting the magnificent Table Four, which was last seen by the public when the Bear Café changed ownership in the spring of 1980 (yes, when Jimmy Carter was still president).

Created from one piece of Peruvian mahogany by local master carver Jon Berg, Table Four, measuring approximately thirty inches by nine feet, was intended by the then owners of the Café, Bernard and Mary Lou Paturel, to replicate the medieval dining experience of eating at an immense table from wooden bowls. Of course, board of health regulations even then forbade the practice, and conventionally glazed oval plates filled the bowls Berg carved into the table. It still left plenty of room for carving the many roasts and stuffed fowls prepared in the town's most famous kitchen of that era. The table seats up to twelve people.

Berg, who died earlier this year, began his career apprenticed to Alexander Archipenko, then studied with Alfeo Faggi before a career noted for bas-reliefs focusing primarily on the female form and on flowers. Aside from this considerable body of work he also carved everyday subjects such as jackets and shoes, and fashioned numerous headboards, doors, room dividers and table tops, including the restored Table Four. Almost all his work was executed in mahogany.

Mary Lou, co-owner of the Bear Café through most of the 1970s, remembers, "At times Jon's children and mine with chisels in their little hands would carve and scoop out the wood for the bowls."

Mary Lou (Bernard died in France in 2004) recently gifted the owners of Oriole 9, Nina and Luc Moeys, her daughter and son-in-law, with the table. "For almost 30 years the table has been leaning against my mothers wall," Mary Lou explained. "It was such a thrill to dust it and oil it and put it back to use. We're enjoying remembering the people who sat at that table all those years ago."

Nina and Luc, the new proud owners of Table Four said, "The table is awesome and a must see. It's up to us to maintain its tradition as a setting for fine dining." The table is available by reservation for large parties.

Fire District Candidates

This article appeared in the Townsman, December 4 edition

Approximately 70 people interested in the upcoming Woodstock Fire District elections turned out for a meet the candidates forum held at the Woodstock Community Center and sponsored by the Woodstock Democratic Committee. Moderated by town supervisor Jeff Moran, the session got off promptly at 7:00 PM.

Incumbent James Brunner is being challenged by James Hanson for the 5-year term of fire commissioner commencing on Jan. 1, 2009 and ending on Dec. 31, 2013. Steve Dallow, Duncan Wilson and Michael Lourenso are seeking the remaining three-year term for the seat vacated by the death earlier this year of commissioner Billy Van Kleeck.

Incumbent Karen Shultis is being challenged by Judy Peters for the three-year district treasurer seat.

The hour and one half proceeding took place in the complete absence of rancor, and with one exception one had to look closely to find issues truly dividing the candidates, all of who possess strong qualifications for the positions they seek and have histories of volunteerism and involvement in the community.

All the commissioner candidates spoke of the dire state of volunteerism in the fire district, and the specter of huge costs to the tax payer should the fire department become professionalized. The average age of volunteers is past forty years old. All promised to do their best to come up with new approaches to encourage new recruits. "We can't just promise a tee shirt," as Dallow put it. A question from the audience concerned providing affordable housing for volunteers. Brunner thought it as a "great idea," but added it was the town board's responsibility. Lourenso thought it might help, but added that jobs in the area would be necessary as well. Wilson said that a program in Rockland County setting aside affordable housing for fire volunteers was "working excellently." All the candidates were willing to explore the idea.

With the 12% increase in the fire district levy for 2009, almost all of it attributable to the hiring of additional professional paramedics for the ambulance service, there was the question of whether to maintain the service as an arm of the fire district, which cannot charge a fee, or turn it over to the town, which can. Here differences emerged, with Hanson, Dallow and Wilson expressing qualified support to at least study the idea, while Brunner and Lourenso were less enthusiastic. Brunner pointed out that a bill stalled for four years in the New York State legislature if adopted would allow fire districts to charge for ambulance service, and called for its passage. He also pointed out, however, that a property assessed for $350,000 paid approximately $27 a year to maintain the service as it is, and that compared to the $400 now charged for a ride in an ambulance it seemed to him a "good insurance policy." Lourenso, a member of Company 5, which provides the emergency medical response service, said the service was "working fine" and that now was not the time "to throw away all that good training and the dedicated volunteers," and further stated that going to a professional service, even if it charged, would not save a lot of money for the tax payers. Hanson and Lourenso shared concern over the abrupt cancellation of service awards, modest retirement benefits based on years of volunteer service, for the volunteers who had worked for many years in Company 5.

Some questions alluded to tensions said to exist among the five fire companies that make up the district. Company 1, housed in the new facility in Bearsville, is 100% taxpayer funded, while Companies 2 through 5 are housed in facilities owned by the respective companies, who are responsible for their maintenance and improvements. The fire district makes an annual allotment from tax receipts to the companies as "rent" for housing the district's equipment. The companies have made up the difference with fundraisers, ranging from pancake breakfasts to annual bazaars, but lately these endeavors have not been very fruitful. "It takes a lot of pancakes to make $20,000," said Hanson, whose Company four in Zena recently had to make a costly repair to its foundation, and who called for "a new formula" in the distribution of funds to the companies. The commissioners budgeted $9000 to each fire company for the coming year; an increased sum to defray projected higher energy costs. To the question if the candidates could be unbiased toward all the companies in addressing their respective needs, all answered in the affirmative and nodded in agreement with Wilson's pledge "to stop problems before they grow."

A request for more detailed information to be posted on the web concerning the fire district budget met with general approval. Brunner reported that a recent New York State audit of the district's finances "came up good," and that the report was available for inspection. Peters and Shultis both promised to provide as much detail as possible. Brunner pointed out that the commissioners meet the second Thursday on each month (except January) at the Company 1 building, and encouraged the public to attend the sessions.

All the candidates promised to work for more transparency in fire district matters.

The election will be held on December 9 at Company 1 in Bearsville from 6:00 to 9:00 PM. If the unusual meet the candidates forum is any indicator the turnout should be high by fire district election standards.

Happy Thanksgiving

This opinion piece appeared in the Townsman, November 27 edition

When I was a tad I remember finding out from a relative that her favorite holiday was Thanksgiving. Not Christmas? Not your birthday (I thought mine was a holiday until I was thirty or so)? No, she said, Thanksgiving. I had to know why. Because, she explained, it is a time when family gets together for no other purpose than to celebrate our good fortune and plentiful bounty.

It took me a while, but as I get brittle and slow and squinty and gray it becomes more apparent there is a lot to be said for a good, million course supper, even one where old aunt Tilly's turnip casserole makes its way to the table. But there must be more to Thanksgiving than good vittles.

How did this holiday get started? Well, like so many other things in our nation, it began with President George Washington, who in 1789 proclaimed:

"Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor, and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me "to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.

"Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be. That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks, for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation, for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his providence, which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war, for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed, for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted, for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

"And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions, to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually, to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed, to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shown kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord. To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and Us, and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best."

It has been suggested that Washington got the idea from the Pilgrims. I don't know what their proclamation said, but no doubt it inspired some of Washington's sentiments. The Pilgrims narrowly escaped starvation; Washington narrowly escaped a British noose and the Nation narrowly escaped Taxation Without Representation. Certainly you noticed the religious nature of the Proclamation. Maybe Thanksgiving is meant to be a big Whew!

We live in a society where some worship an Almighty God, and others don't, where some support gay marriage and others don't, where some think Bush was a good president (okay, not many) and others don't, where some think Pete Rose deserves to be in the Hall of Fame and others don't. Each of these issues could tear a more fragile society apart; here we just shout and fuss and sue and petition and vote and then move on.

I'm really thankful for that. Have a great supper.

Woodstock Town Board Meeting November 18, Part II

This article appeared in the Townsman, November 27 edition

Two public hearings, one on adoption of a general code for the Town of Woodstock, the other on adoption of regulation of out-door wood burning boilers saw the adoption of the former and no vote on the latter.

Adoption of the general code for the first time combines and indexes all of Woodstock's local laws into one volume "logically arranged for convenient use." Prior to now, the Town's local laws and ordinances, ranging from alarm systems to zoning, lay in a file as separate documents. In the process of codification, which began almost three years ago, numerous local laws were updated and amended, including laws regulating solid waste, water and sewer districts, various commissions, animal control and tree preservation, to name a few. At least one ordinance, dating to the 1930s prohibiting the wearing of bathing suits on the main street, was tossed.

The code is available for inspection on the Town website (Woodstockny.org) and a hard copy is filed with the town clerk's office. The town board in the future will decide on a price for the volume for those who may wish to have their own hardbound edition.

The public hearing for the code raised barely a comment from the public, most likely because no new laws or regulations were contained in the body of the document. After closing the hearing and voting unanimously to adopt the code the town board received the appreciation of the town clerk, Jackie Earley. Earley, who has worked during her tenure to sort, organize and properly store town records, had persuaded the previous administration to allocate approximately $16,000 for the consultant, General Code of Rochester, New York, to assist in producing the document. "I really thank you for seeing this through," said Earley after the adoption of the code.

But matters were not so smooth for the proposal to regulate outdoor wood burning boilers. The proposed law, modeled on legislation adopted by the Town of Hurley, raised reservations on the part of David Boyle and Ronnie Spaziante that a useful utility could be regulated out of existence. Councilwoman Liz Simonson made the point that the law appeared to be a land-use regulation and therefore should be added to the zoning law rather than be adopted as a free-standing regulation. Supervisor Jeff Moran agreed with Simonson that the regulation might best be situated eventually in the zoning law, but warned the board that applications for outdoor boilers may soon be made and that a free-standing law was a faster remedy to the potentially unfettered proliferation of devices known in other communities to cause discomfit to neighbors. After some discussion the public hearing was recessed until further notice.

Resolutions to pay the monthly bills in the amount of $366,360 and authorize budget transfers were adopted with four votes and one abstention, Simonson again withholding her vote because she "didn't have the time" to personally inspect the manifest.

Councilman Chris Collins led off the committee reports with the offer to "be very brief" on his "superficial start" in his now three year endeavor to update the Town's comprehensive plan. Apparently discussions with councilwoman Terrie Rosenblum concerning the recent scheme to adopt the executive summary of the draft comprehensive plan, which had been substantially developed in 1999, were not conclusive enough to advance a serious proposal to the board.

Simonson announced that after several months she had finally successfully installed software purchased from the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives ("ICLEI"), and is now working with the assessor, Marc Plate, to supply the data that will disclose the carbon emissions of Town buildings. Simonson promised a report in a month.

Simonson also reported having a "pleasant talk" with C. Powers Taylor, owner of the three hundred foot tower on top of Overlook Mountain, which according to a legal opinion from the Town's land use attorney Drayton Grant is now illegal. Simonson, acknowledging that the tower had caused considerable consternation to the community when it was first built in the 1980s, now feels that after "twenty-five years it is what it is," and is hopeful that the facility will be useful in providing cell phone service to the western areas of the town not served by the tower on California Quarry. The Town has commissioned no independent study to substantiate claims that the tower would indeed provide such service. Simonson, who opposed the California Quarry tower that now services almost 80% of the Town's population and entire commercial district, reported that Taylor was "surprised" his tower wasn't used instead of the California Quarry site. Simonson reported that NEXTEL, a cellular service provider that had expressed an interest in the Overlook Mountain tower, is no longer an interested party.

Simonson chaired a committee that issued a report dated August 12, 2004 recommending Byrdcliffe as "the best" location for a cell tower, and failing that the former landfill as "an attractive site" for a cell tower, and nowhere in the report recommending Taylor's tower on Overlook Mountain. Simonson had led the charge in 1998 to amend the zoning law with a regulation that killed the possibility for a cell tower on Overlook Mountain. According to Town commissioned studies the Overlook Mountain tower would have left the entire commercial district in a dead zone for cellular service.

After hearing Simonson's report, supervisor Moran suggested that any contemplation of a cellular service provider being located on Taylor's tower should begin with a formal application to the building inspector.

The next scheduled meeting of the town board is for December 9th.

A Master of Ceremonies

This opinion piece appeared in the Townsman, November 20 edition

Oh boy, where is this going?

No doubt, you have already received the following letter from your congressman:

Dear Constituent,

As you know we have hit some tough economic times. Revenues are down and expenses are continuing to rise. It is a time for potentially painful cuts in services. These cuts will not only affect you, but also the breadwinners who have been employed delivering services to you. These decisions are so painful to even contemplate that I cannot make them. Therefore, I am calling for the formation of a Finance Committee, made up of concerned citizens like you to make these decisions for me. In the meanwhile I will keep my salary and benefits, and be available for peace-pole celebrations and farm festivals.

Yours truly,
Congressman Slag

Okay, it's a joke.

What's not funny is that Woodstock may be in for a tough haul. Since June the town supervisor, Jeff Moran, has shouted that the revenues were drying up, but these warnings were lost in the din of several members of the town board handing out freebies to businesses that use town buildings, and to farm festivals that "require" tax funded traffic control. It has taken until now, on the very eve of adopting the 2009 budget for the message to sink in. Now those same members of the town board are shocked, shocked to find the taxpayer cupboard bare and a diminished opportunity to be NICE to everybody. It seems like just yesterday councilman Chris Collins was defending the proposition that the Town's buildings should be made available FREE to anybody. Fortunately, the Doctrine of Freebieism seems to be in retreat; unfortunately a Doctrine of Wishful Thinking seems to be hatching in the hopelessly nostalgic mind of councilman Jay Wenk, who recently made his second plea to make up revenue shortfalls with the sale of square inches of Woodstock. To give this splendid idea context, imagine President Obama in his first budget message to the congress offering up the idea of selling square inches of the United States as a revenue source!

There are some sane citizens among us, and I will quote sections from a very prescient letter sent by one to the town board. I'm going to keep his name out of this; it's hardly relevant.

Dear Town Board

The real impact of the evolving economic issues will not be felt until next year where it will significantly impact the 2010 budget. If 2009 turns out to be as difficult a year as many predict we may not have an unexpended balance to carry over into 2010. Using 2009 revenue and increase in expenditures without an unexpended balance, the town will have a revenue shortfall of $550,000, which would require at 19% increase in the tax rate.

The pension issue could potentially be huge. A shortfall in the state retirement fund brought on by the unprecedented fall in the stock market and other investments could result in a large increase on the town's pension costs. I urge you to look into this matter further since it may impact the town budgets for years to come starting in 2010.

We also know that energy prices though currently low will not stay down forever and may again be significantly up in 2010 or 2011.

Given the current uncertainties I ask you to consider carefully before adding any permanent positions to the town payroll. Plan not only for next year, but for the coming years. Here are some steps that could be taken

1.Institute a hiring freeze.
2.Place limits on PT and OT expenditures.
3.Take a sharp pencil to every line item and work to contain expenses in 2009.
4.Ask our employees and department heads where they feel we can reduce expenses and or which activities should be cut back or expanded.
5.Work with the town departments to develop a contingency budget of even deeper cuts to be instituted if the current economic conditions deepen and worsen.
6.Start a discussion as to where the town feels we can make changes and or what are the appropriate levels of town services. What services are essential and which are not.
7.Form a Financial Committee to implement the above and report periodically on the status of the town finances.

This thoughtful letter evoked the response from a town board member; I'll let you guess who:

"I believe that [the above letter] brings up some very pertinent points about long term financial oversight. I would personally like to serve on this team for the beginning and then if someone else wants to jump in and take my place that would be fine. I would love to have [the letter writer] help us if he is willing. I also have been approached by others who may be available."

Now then, dear reader, dare we ask; if the Woodstock town board is not the "financial committee" of the Town, what is? What does it mean when a town board member offers "to serve on this [financial committee] team for the beginning and then if someone else wants to jump in and take my place that would be fine?" We might also despair to find out that this town board member "approached by others who may be available" does not perceive this as an obvious, HUGE vote of no-confidence on that member's ability to rectify the Town's finances. If indeed the sole function of the town board is to dream of square inches and dispense freebies, and to avoid making hard decisions by fobbing them off on others, why do we even bother having local elections?

Think of the money we'd save if we didn't.