We're Getting Close to the Election.

To the editor,

We're getting close to the election. In my mind the choices in this election are easy. On both the Copake Chronicle and the Copake politics forum as well as elsewhere, Linda Gabaccia and Bob Sacks have spelled out where they stand on various issues. They have served the town well. Among other things, Linda took the lead in both creation of a town policy handbook and taking on Sal Casino, the town's absentee polluter. Bob has been a voice of reason on the town board and most recently did the analysis that showed how Copake spends almost $10,000 per mile more than one of the other towns to maintain our roads. Thanks to Bob, this may result in our savings hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Their challengers, Harvey Weber and Joe Laporta have not, despite the fact they had been invited to post their views on the Copake Chronicle and this forum. In the assessor contest, Loredana Delventhal has committed herself to taking the training to be assessor as rapidly as possible; on the other hand David Gordineer has passed up opportunity after opportunity to take one of the most important courses required to properly do his job. In addition, he has a background of physical confrontation with the police and a shadow hangs over him because of another more recent arrest which also involves an allegation of violence.

In the contest for town justice, the incumbent Brian Herman, a highly respected attorney, is being challenged by the current chief assessor, Bill Kane, untrained in the law, who although he was once a town justice, has anger management problems and quit in the middle of an important course that assessors need to do their job.Now we just have to get out and vote.

Howard Blue

Allowing the Public to Decide for Themselves

Bob, Your hard work and effort make the "Copake Chronicle" an informative and needed resource for those among us who are not always able to attend local meetings concerning our community. Reporting un-biased news and allowing the public to decide for themselves is not a new but certainly an important aspect for an individual’s decision making, for that, I thank you. What is happening with the proposed housing project in the center of Copake and what is your view? Thanks again! Greg W

You Be The Judge

You be the judge Margaret Hosier I respectfully disagree with Mr. Jeff Nayer’s outrageous criticism of the grant process that was followed to obtain new carpeting for the Town Hall, and after listening to much of the misrepresentations around town and in the papers, I decided that it was about time to state the facts of the matter. The only pause I had, was, all of the grant info/correspondence was stolen from my desk in the Court Clerk’s office and a police report was filed on June 15, 2009. I have since received copies of the applications that were submitted to New York state, but all of the original paperwork, which included direct involvement with Judge Herman and everyone else I spoke with, was everything that mysteriously disappeared. The fact of the matter is, I had began simply contributing to the grant activity because Judge Herman included me in the process. He showed me where and how we could apply for these grants so we could bring our court up to date. Together we have been able to share the grant monies for the town of Copake’s benefit. Judge Herman’s involvement hasn’t been… just a signature. I have to say... thank you to Judge Herman, for being such a fair and equitable and knowledgeable individual, who put his trust and faith in me to take on the tasks of this challenging job. My wish is that the people of our community “vote the person not the party". Truth be told, Judge Herman knows the law and has executed this in his first term as our town justice! Margaret Hosier

Right For Copake

Right For Copake Over the past couple of years I have watched, read and listened intently as business has been conducted in Copake. Also during this same timeframe I have also been a member of the Copakepolitics yahoo group in which there has been many topics discussed by concerned residents and a select number of elected officials. Those few elected officials have listened to the residents and offered their points of view on the topics. Councilpersons Sacks and Gabaccia have demonstrated over and over again their professionalism and their concern about their town and what goes on to keep it running. Their service and commitment as board members, especially during the current financial crisis, shows that both have leadership qualities commensurate with their abilities. Sometimes it is necessary to take the road less traveled along with the ability to make the least popular decisions to do the business of the town. Both Bob Sacks and Linda Gabaccia have been able to do just that and still keep their promises to those who elected them to their current office. Their collective accomplishments are too long to list in this short article. Bob Sacks and Linda Gabaccia should be re-elected to their Copake Councilperson seats on Tuesday, November 3rd. It has also been my pleasure to get to know a fine man named Brian Herman who was elected as a Copake Justice a few years ago. I feel he is a real asset to the Town of Copake since he is a lawyer by profession so he has a real grip on the law. I have had enough exposure to Judge Herman to call him friend and know that he is truly a servant of the law which he administers firmly and fairly. Judge Brian Herman is the only clear choice to return to the bench on Tuesday, November 3rd. No matter what town/city you live in, please get out and vote. This is a Right that has been given to you by the sacrifice of many who have fought and died. You may not have noticed but election day in the United States is held just before Veterans Day and it is the veterans who fought for and gave you the right to vote. Signed: Arnie Anderson

You Got to Get the Taxes Down

Bob: It sounds like your fighting a tough battle. I agree, you got to get the taxes down. I think I told you that was one of the main reasons I left Copake. I was paying over three thousand dollars. Could not afford to stay. This was back in the middle 90s. I'm with you , the police force should go. I'm coming up deer hunting on the 17th of this month and will be here for about two weeks. Would like to meet you. Where do you hang your hat? Walt

illegal campaign activity

Dear Editor: In our local elections on November 3rd, we will be choosing among fellow citizens of our towns, often friends and neighbors. Prospective members of town boards have been campaigning on issues, on plans for positive change. Town Judge candidates, however, do not propose to change law, and so have little basis for appeal to voters, other than record, legal competence, and character. In Copake, however, there is a choice between an incumbent Town Judge, Brian Herman, who abides by the laws governing judicial elections, and Bill Kane, who does not. Section 100.5 of the Rules of the Chief Administrator of the Courts Governing Judicial Conduct defines illegal activity by “a judge or candidate for elective judicial office.” Part A-1, iii of that section states that “prohibited political activity shall include…e) publicly endorsing or publicly opposing (other than by running against) another candidate for public office.” Bill Kane has violated this law, first, at the Republican caucus by seconding the nomination of David Gordineer for Copake Assessor, and since then by having a Gordineer sign on his front lawn. Since Mr. Kane is not a lawyer, he may simply be ignorant of legal requirements for judicial candidates. In that case, Brian Herman’s careful obedience of the law, like his many contributions to Copake during his judicial tenure, illustrates an advantage of seating a qualified and practicing attorney as a Town Judge. Clark M. Simms

I am on a very tight budget

Bob, the Chronicle is a great thing. I am not sure what impresses me the most, the fact that you thought of it, or the fact that you have put it out each week for almost a year. That shows a dedication and it really gets better each issue. I agree with most of your editorials. Please continue to do your best to save me my tax dollars. Like most people, I am on a very tight budget. If we need the police force so much, why doesn't Hillsdale have one? Why doesn't Art Baird want one? Or Ancram? or any of our other towns? Eva S

PUT UP A SMOKESCREEN AND PASS THE BLAME IN COPAKE

To the Editor PUT UP A SMOKESCREEN AND PASS THE BLAME IN COPAKE I'm sorry if I seem to write often, but I hate to see misinformation and misleading information put forth in an attempt to smear others. In your October 15th issue, you published a letter to the Editor from Reggie Crowley, Copake Town Supervisor, under the headline "Copake super faults last board's math". Early in October, Supervisor Crowley submitted a tentative budget to the Town Board for 2010 that, by the calculation of the Town's accountant, called for a 57% tax increase. He takes exception to variations on that amount such as 56%. My , what a difference. He comes forth in the letter stating that the increase is only 32%. My, my, that is a difference. How did he get such a wondrous reduction? He didn't include expenses to pay for special districts, such as Fire and Lighting. Add those amounts back in and we're back in the mid fifty percent range again. We have to pay those taxes so why delete them from the calculation? Now for the blame game. In late 2007, the then Democratic controlled Board, prepared a final budget for 2008 calling for a 2.7% increase, less than three percent in an effort to keep our taxes reasonable. Some of a large reserve was used to keep the increase low, but $75,000.00 was left in the budget as a reserve for future needs. Reggie Crowley took office January 1, 2008. If he thought that the budget needed adjustment, he could have started cutting costs then, but he didn't. He prepared a budget for 2009 when his party was in control of the Board. He kept the tax increase low by using a smokescreen - overestimating income from real estate transfers and mortgage recording, even if everyone else knew that those amounts were falling because of the poor economy. He cites overestimates in income by the 2007 Board. He was in power when income started to fall from all sources during 2008 but he did nothing to cut spending. He now blames the Democrats for that failure on his part. Instead, he used the balance of the reserve. Instead, he failed to reduce anticipated income for 2009. Now comes the 2009 reality, not the smokescreen. Because of the overestimation of income, the budget by early August showed that we would end the year short $200,000.00 to pay our bills. What to do? Borrow $200,000.00 instead of first looking to cut expensed to reduce that deficit. The Democrats on the Board fought that and as a result of their perseverance, cut spending by $100,000.00, leaving $100,000.00 to borrow, to borrow and pay interest. Reggie, cut the smokescreen. The deficit and the need for a huge tax increase (only 32%? by his numbers) came about under his supervision. Point your finger at others, but when the smoke clears, you were responsible. Remember Harry Truman? THE BUCK STOPS HERE!! Take responsibility. Morris Ordover Copake, New York

How do you lose $9 million dollars out of a balance of $20 million?

How do you lose $9 million dollars out of a balance of $20 million? Are you as confused as I was when I first read about the $9 million dollars that’s uncollectible in Columbia County ’s fund balance? Well here’s a brief explanation. When the Columbia County Department of Social Services spends $1 million dollars, the county immediately bills the state or federal government for reimbursement. That amount then shows on the county’s financial records as an asset, because the state will reimburse the county for the money. Unfortunately the DSS has been billing the state for amounts above reimbursement limits or caps. The Treasurer has treated the whole bill as an asset when in fact only a portion is an account receivable. Now a significant portion – $9 million – will never be paid by the state. What this does is inflate the county’s unexpended fund balance, so that everyone, including the Board of Supervisors, thought it had more funds than it had. Financial statements showing these bogus numbers have been used to obtain loans and bonds. Those outstanding loans or bonds were given by lenders based upon false financial statements. Now the county’s financial statements need to be written down by the $9 million. This write down must be, and apparently has been, reported to bond holders and perhaps even the SEC. Under these circumstances the county’s bond rating will almost certainly be reduced, which means the rate of interest the county pays on all its loans will go up. This will negatively impact the county’s finances. I can’t help wondering why Treasurer Ken Wilbur, never saw this. Would not ordinary reconciliation have shown a lack of $9 million? Carol Sacks

This Town is Very Lucky with Volunteers

Dear Bob, I read the letter in the Chronicle last week praising the Fire Company. I had to write in and agree 100%. This town is very lucky to have such a great group of volunteers. They respond to everything and we really need them. I don’t think the town really understands that if the volunteers stopped volunteering we would have to have a full time paid fire department. There is nothing more expensive than that. Thank you Bruce

The 2nd Annual Hillsdale/Copake Fall Harvest Festival

Dear Editor: The 2nd Annual Hillsdale/Copake Fall Harvest Festival was a huge success! Despite gloomy weather predictions, the rain held off long enough for everyone to enjoy the day and all it had to offer: farmers’ wares; a bake sale; a silent auction; Halloween Face Painting by Tracy Hanselman; 4H sheep petting; Main Farm calf petting; music by local musicians (The BH Brothers, Civilian, The Varriales, The Hillsdale Hillbillies, and Paul Slusar & Chris Dellea); food, featuring a Pig Roast by the Hillsdale Fire Co.; drinks by the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts; and hay wagon rides. Many activities were ongoing throughout the day, including turkey calling demonstrations, kids’ games, pumpkin decorating, sack races, duck races in the Roe Jan Kill, a “biggest pumpkin” contest, an apple pie contest, and more. This special event has a unique vision. Unlike each town’s individual-annual community day, it is a chance for our towns to join together at fall harvest time in the new Roeliff Jansen park to celebrate our local agriculture, and our local farmers’ wares, which are a featured aspect of the festival. We all agree that we live in a beautiful little piece of the world, and the Festival encourages us to come out and connect with nature, our community members, and be grateful for the precious land we share. As this year’s event Chair, I personally want to thank all members of the community for your hard work, support, and generosity. Specifically, I thank our enthusiastic event participants, including Rose Rita Peterson Scarecrow Display, St Bridget Universal Prayer Garden, Cornell Cooperative Extention, Farmscape Ecology program at Hawthorne Valley, Friends of Taconic State Park, Old Rte. 22 Dog run group, Roeliff Jansen Historical Society, Trout Unlimited, and Hawk Dance Farm. Many thanks also to our donors for donations including silent auction items, donuts from Stewarts, syrup from Camphill Village, apples from Philip’s Orchard, Love Apple Farm, and Threshold Farms, gourds from Samascott Orchard, potatoes from Staron Farm and Honey Dog Farm, pumpkins from White Oak Farm, and various vegetables from the farmers’ market. I would like to thank our generous sponsors, including the Town of Hillsdale, Columbia County Tourism, Salisbury Bank & Trust Co, Copake Park & Recreation, Hillsdale Highway Dept., Hillsdale IGA, North Mountain Nursery & Farmstand, Roeliff Jansen Community Library, and Taconic Valley Lawn & Garden. Finally, I would like to extend special thanks to all the volunteers, whether behind the scenes or working that day, including the Roeliff Jansen Park Steering committee, the Harvest Festival committee, and all who helped make this event so wonderful by their participation and attendance. The day couldn’t have happened without you all! Next year’s Festival is planned for Saturday, October 2, 2010, and will be held rain or shine, as there is plenty of barn and tent coverage. The Roeliff Jansen Park Steering committee will organize the event in 2010 and beyond: the goal is that the “Roe Jan Harvest Festival” will truly engage all the Roe Jan towns, in addition to Copake and Hillsdale, and that community members from across the region will participate in the festivities and unite through our area’s bountiful harvest. See you next year! Most sincerely, Christina Dellea Hillsdale 2008/2009 Harvest Festival Chair