Thanks to the Electrical Crews from Michigan

I second the motion to have the town thank the crews that helped us after the deluge. I certainly would like to thank the electrical crews from Michigan. We had wires down and I watched their work which was efficient and totally professional. If someone has the name of the company and a mailing address, I would like it so I can personally send a letter.

Having said that, I also want to note that the Copake Outpost of the County Highway Dept were equally effective in clearing the road following the incident near my house. I've already written to their management to thank them for their good work and effective operation.

Thanks,

Ian Jarvis

Copake

Signs are Polluting Copake

To The Editor:

I have been fed up with the white and red signs around town for a very long time. They are ugly and serve no purpose whatsoever. It has been years and no one has done anything about them. The crisis is long gone and yet the town is still polluted by these ugly signs. Why? Aren't there any laws about this?  And now I see that the Republicans are polluting Copake and have started to put up election signs three months before the election.

The old Supervisor told me that the town had a law that you couldn’t put up election signs until 30 days before an election.  Now that the Republicans have put up signs, I’m sure the Democrats will do the same thing.  Please, Please  Please,. can’t we wait and not pollute the beauty of this town.  Show some leadership and take down your signs and follow Copake's laws.  

J Miller

The "Junk Yard" South End of Town did not Fare well from Irene.

Hi Bob,

I just wanted you to know that many of us in the "Junk Yard" South end

of town did not fare so well from Irene.  I think that Copake has been

negligent regarding the over flow from the creek to the south end of town.

Thanks again for all the wonderful work you do to keep us informed.

Thanks to all the people of Copake who made it possible for us to evacuate

to town park and helped us.  The Fire Dept., Copake Police, Reggie, Hank and others.

I hope you will help us so that many of us in south end of town will not have to

evacuate as the overflow from the creek is very preventable and manageable.

Thank you,

Kathy & Alan Friedman

Is this a Judge?

To the editor: 

My name is Timothy Smith. I’m a stonemason and I train young people who are often under-served in having access to learning skill trades. I was outraged after reading in the Register-Star Thursday August 25, 2011, front page article: DROPPED FELONY CHARGES RAISES QUESTION. Here is why. Audra Jornov’s exhaustive investigating, found in Claverack Town Court in Jan 2011, that Town Judge Charles Hoag reduced the felony charges for a white  male 20 year old, for speeding 18 miles over the speed limit on the Taconic, possessing 4.7 grams of marijuana. Ian Cross, gave the arresting State Trooper Adul Weed a, false, freshly printed driver’s license, and he had the printing equipment in the trunk. Judge Charles Hoag reduced all of these charges  to PARKING ON THE PAVEMENT. Last week I went down to Claverack Town Court and spoke to Judge Hoag in the presence of Beth Cozzolino’s ADA. I had given one my 20 year old male, for his birthday, dinner at one of four great restaurants in Philmont. He got a $125 fine for seat belt violation while in Philmont. Kevin Clark is African American and works hard for wages. That was his food money for the month. I went to the Claverack Court, in person, to ask to please reduce the fine. Both the Judge and the ADA said that BY LAW they cannot reduce it. I had taken $25 a week out of Kevin’s pay. They lied to me. Since Beth Cozzolino is running for Columbia County Judge, this is everyone’s business. I call on her to immediately account for the $10,000 check that was issued to the County on behalf of the 20 year old defendant Ian Cross. It is obvious what he was doing with the printing press and the marijuana. It is not obvious what happened to the $10,000. We need to know how honest a judge she will be. Beth Cozzolino has a reputation of really sticking it to poor, defenseless young people. Why doesn’t she treat young people with wealthy families and expensive lawyers the same way? Is this the kind of Judge we want to elect in our County? Is this fair? Don’t we want a non-partial, non-corrupt County Judge?

Timothy Smith