The Political Pressure Put on Individuals in Copake

Thank you for standing up against the political pressure put on individuals in Copake.  I  found the article about the missing political signs  and playing the "game" politically very interesting. This also happened in Hillsdale during some tense campaigns. I'm sure it is wide spread in Columbia County. I think we need to be constantly vigilant about preserving our right to choose political candidates. It is a sad commentary on our humanness when we have adults who are blatantly trying to take away our democratic right to a fair and open campaign. Power seems to corrupt. I hope the people in Copake realize how they are being manipulated.

 

Maryann Schafer

Two Points About Our Police Force.

To The Editor:


1 - I recently saw a note on one of our local political sites saying that the cost of our Copake Police force is $30-$40 dollars a year per person. For me, it's a misconception to describe it that way. Our Police Force costs us $100,000 per year - that's $100,000 that could go to children's programs or downtown development to name a few. It could also pay outstanding bills or simply disappear from the budget entirely. Justifying large costs by breaking them into tiny pieces is an illusion and a terrible business model - one pound of feathers weighs exactly the same as a one pound brick.  If we think every $100,000 in budgeting is a "few cigarettes,"  we will soon give ourselves permission to spend our way into bankruptcy. I hope that those on the fence about "yes" or "no," make their decision based on more information than the cost of coffee or Marlboro's.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2 - On October 21, I found out that a woman we contracted to sit our house and our dog while we were out of town, had been driving around town for 3 days in my car. In order to find my keys,  she'd had to rifle through my house. As her actions were manifestly illegal, I called our local, Copake, Police Force, while I was still in North Carolina.

Sadly, I got an answering machine. We spend $100,000 of our tax dollars every year on our force.  Couldn't we have one policeman - on a 24 hr, rotating basis - designated as the "go to" person for a citizen''s call? Even if our pay structure doesn't allow that cop to saddle up in the face of an emergency, wouldn't it help our citizens just to be able to talk to our local police and get feedback and direction? Isn't that  what  we all seek in a difficult moment?. It's what doctors do, why wouldn't our force do it too?  Without this kind of presence and commitment to our community, the power of a local police force becomes a crap shoot - and it's one that I lost.

I did, in fact, call the Hillsdale Sherif's office next. They had an officer at my house in 15 minutes - a whole lot faster than the answering machine could have gotten there. My car and the illegal driver brazenly returned to my house several minutes after that. The presence of the Sheriff made the resolution extremely fast, simple and safe because otherwise, it would have fallen to my neighbors to enforce the law on my behalf and there's little doubt an argument and who knows what else might have followed that kind of a confrontation, so my thanks to the sheriffs for their efficiency and help.

it is now ten days later, and in spite of the tone of my voice, the explanation about the crisis and the telephone number I left on the Copake Police answering machine - I have not, to my knowledge and up to the moment of writing this -t received a phone call or follow up. Can I assume our $100,000 law enforcement agency has not yet checked its answering machine? Or did our Police decide my Copake based problem wasn't their problem?  If they make the case now, that they found out from the Sheriff's department that it was resolved,  why  didn't I get a call from our Copake Police - whose salary is in part, paid directly with my tax dollars, to express their concern, their acknowledgement of my call and a question above all, about how things happened and how could they could help now?  Perhaps as further outreach, they might have offered some cogent advice about hiring people without sufficient background checks and how I might, in fact do that job up front, next time. If anyone from the Copake Police reads this, please know that I would still like a friendly return call, if not a visit, to explain to me where they dropped the ball and what they plan to do about it.

I hope all who read this will walk in my shoes. I hope you'll take a minute and think what this Police absence and voice mail means should you ever have a problem in your home or neighborhood and not personally know one of our policemen. For me, it means the emergency number on my refrigerator is now the Hillsdale Sheriff's Department, not the Copake Police.

PS - In case the Copake force is interested, the sheriff's department sent a patrolman to my house last Saturday so I could sign a warrant for the prosecution of this individual. If I don't get my requested call back from our local  force, I will publish a follow up letter so they can find out how this ( alleged) crime, committed in Copake and to a citizen of Copake was adjudicated; just in case they'd like to know.

Ian Jarvis
Copake

Peter Stoll CPA - A Proven Track Record of Excellence

Peter Stoll CPA - A Proven Track Record of Excellence

Peter Stoll CPA - A Proven Track Record of Excellence

There may have been a time when name recognition and commendable core values were sufficient qualifications for one to serve the public in office.

Unfortunately, this is not such a time. In these times, we need a person with a strong moral and ethical fiber who also has the qualifications and experience to face the fiscal challenges of the present.

I believe that candidate is Peter Stoll. Mr. Stoll is a Certified Public Accountant. His education and experience in the business and finance world make him uniquely capable of ushering in a new era of effectiveness and transparency that the current fiscal climate of Columbia County needs desperately.

He has a proven track record of excellence in turning around under-performing companies, experience as a CFO in charge of budgets of hundreds of millions of dollars, and has been instrumental in implementing measures that resulted in cost-savings in the tens of millions.

His impressive resume includes broad experience in financial analysis, contract negotiations, and legal compliance.

Mr. Stoll is clearly a leader in the financial world, a creative problem-solver with the knowledge, skills and integrity needed to navigate our county through its current challenges and guide us through the uncertainty of the economic future.

He is exactly what Columbia County needs right now and in the years to come.

It would be a tragedy to reject the opportunity to have someone of Peter Stoll's caliber heading the treasurer's office.

Voters of Columbia County have a unique opportunity to elect a candidate for County Treasurer whose credentials are unsurpassed.

Please join me in supporting Peter Stoll, CPA, for Columbia County Treasurer.

 Rosanne Aulino

Hillsdale/Copake

Emergency Updates Extremely Helpful

Bob, I find your weather and emergency updates extremely helpful.  Keep them coming.  We wouldn't have known what was going on had it not been for the Chronicle.
Thank you, Terry Sullivan

I appreciate your emergency updates

Bob- I appreciate your emergency updates, and I do not even live in Copake at this point! I am in Millerton. It gives me a sense of being a part of the community when I am kept informed. That is very important to me. If someone feels his time is wasted by reading your news updates, he has the right to choose to not read them. Thank you for your time and caring.
Sherry Rucker

Appreciate Getting all the News from the Chronicle,

Just noticed that someone has said they don't need Copake Chronicle weather notices.  We spend just 4 weeks a year at Taconic Park, but much appreciate getting all the news from the Chronicle, including the weather notices!  Sometimes  a friend, who is a resident of that area, but doesn't receive the Chronicle, is out of town and I forward the notices to her, in case she's wondering how things are at home---And we, ourselves, since we think of your beautiful part of the world as a second home, like to read about it - sorry when it's necessary, but glad to be informed.  Thank you!

Mary Thompson

Your service is invaluable to any of us in Copake.

Your service is invaluable to any of us in Copake.  Many Thanks!

And, kudos to NYSEG!  As taxpayers of Copake Township & residents of Copake Lake, we just got our power back!  Roads up here are cleared & power & internet are back!  NYSEG has come a long way since our last winter storm!

christine corcoran 

Living in Copake is like Living in Downtown Baghdad

Last week before the unusual snow storm, we lost power in the birch rd section of taconic shores twice in one day, once the week before and three times during the last month. the lights go out  like someone turning a light switch on and off. when we lived in claverack the power went off once in 20 years. it seems that my new hobby is going around the house and changing the clocks on all the electronics.
 
I implore the town officials to push NYSEG to improve the power supply here and to trim the trees back to help stop the outages.
robert garon

My Support for the Copake Police Department

 I wanted to express my support for the Copake Police Department.  As a member of the Copake Fire Company I have come to know the men and women of the CPD and they are an asset to the community no matter the cost.  I cannot speak for the Fire Company directly, but I will share some of my personal views.  While I was out with the FD on numerous calls during the tropical storms of August, I did not see any State Police or Sheriff vehicles, as I am quite sure that they were very busy and inundated with calls.  The CPD made it a point to stop by on scenes to check in with us.  During the recent snow emergency, it was the CPD standing in the snow storm helping me isolate a hazardous area from onlookers.  They have even notified the FD of the best route into a scene.  There was even a time when the FD was responding to a call and Copake Rescue had their ambulance on another call.  We received an “Echo call” for a cardiac arrest and the truck I was on was diverted to the cardiac call which was moments from our location at the time.  When we arrived the CPD was on scene and we worked together to provide CPR and AED assistance to the victim.  True, there is a Sheriff substation in Hillsdale but their patrol area is much larger than Copake.  There may be times that the Sheriff and State Police are tied up on a call and will not be available to answer a call from a Copake resident.  From what I have read in the papers, both the Sheriff’s Department and the State Police support having the CPD. 

   I also hope that the on Election Day there is adequate instructions on the CPD resolution.  It seems counter-intuitive for a resident to have to vote NO on a ballot to save the CPD.  In short my feeling is that the resolution to dissolve the CPD is both short sighted and puts the well-being of the citizens of Copake in jeopardy.  This is one of the main responsibilities of our elected officials and by considering this they have failed the citizens they have been entrusted to serve.

Michael LaForge