Letters to the Editor - The Lakeville Journal - 5-7-20

Thanks for helping to feed the hungry in our area

For more than 25 years, our mission has been to help our neighbors have an adequate supply of nutritious food. At no time has our mission been more critical than today.

To all in our Northwest Corner: If you or someone you know is unemployed, furloughed or in need of food, The Corner Food Pantry provides food staples such as pasta, tuna, canned fruits, fresh produce, cheese and much more each week. As always, quantities are based on number of people in the household. 

We have reorganized our operation and distribution protocols to comply with COVID-19 safety rules. Groceries are now pre-bagged and we are maintaining social distancing at delivery point. 

Also, we have instituted a delivery program for the homebound. If you are unable to pick up, please call us and leave a number where you can be reached and we will contact you regarding delivery.

The Pantry is open every Friday evening from 5 to 6 and Saturday mornings from 9 to 10. 

We are located at 80 Sharon Road in Lakeville next to St. Mary’s Church. Parking is available in St. Mary’s parking lot. Our phone number is 860-435-9886 and website is: thecornerfoodpantry.org.

If you find yourself in need of food, please stop at the Pantry on Friday evening or Saturday morning. If you wish to donate supplies or funds, visit our website for further information.

The Board of Directors of The Corner Food Pantry would like to thank the many members of our community who are so generously supporting us with either food donations or funds in this difficult time. We most sincerely appreciate your continued support.

Mary Taylor 

President

The Corner Food Pantry

Lakeville

Hoarding is not the answer

It is with concern, and frankly anger, that I enter my local grocery store, only to find nothing. I shop weekly, as usual, only to find most of it unavailable. The residents that call our quiet corner their second home, I believe, are inviting family and guests (unsafe) amidst this pandemic, and are overwhelming our small local grocers. It is almost impossible for local families to find essentials of any kind, and leaves us to wander hill and dale to find yes, toilet paper and frankly everything. 

So please, I ask you, be considerate, and shop reasonably like the rest of us. Money won’t buy your groceries next week if they are not there. I also recommend our local stores to put one-per-person limits in place, on everything. 

And now that the press has alerted us all about a potential food chain issue, be sure to buy all you can this week! NOT!

Don’t be ridiculous!

Dawn R. Sherban

West Cornwall

The truth of the Metcalf asphalt debacle is simple

The original ZEO appears to have done no research into the uses at the Mulville property before encouraging the Planning and Zoning to approve a special permit for Cold Patch processing. It seemed to be a business friendly decision with a seemingly sincere B. Metcalf who reassured the Commission and the neighbors that cold patch was all he intended to do.

Two years later B. Metcalf showed up at a Planning and Zoning meeting with a lawyer and plans for a 4 million dollar Warm Asphalt Plant.  The Planning and Zoning Commission not only had no lawyer at the meeting but the town attorney was retiring and no new attorney had been hired.

When the Planning and Zoning Commission handed back the application at that meeting because they thought that was the correct thing to do, there was no town attorney to advise them to actually vote on the application.  Evidently no one except Metcalf’s Attorney knew about a rule that says you have to make a decision on the application before 65 days go by.  Metcalf had already filed his 1st of 3 lawsuits against the town so everyone thought it was a waiting game.  The neighbors tried to become intervenors in the lawsuits twice and were denied twice.

Two years later in April of 2020 the Judge ruled that after 65 days Metcalf gets an automatic approval because the wording included in the 2016 special permit allowed a heated dryer for the aggregate to make the cold patch and that is the same as a Warm Asphalt Plant.  It is not the same but at the hearing, no one explained that to the Judge.  No one explained that the proposed Warm Asphalt Plant is sited adjacent to residences and ⅓ of a mile from the Blackberry River which is in itself against statutes in CT.

“The law is simply human will written down. The law must let every acre of living earth be turned into tarmac, if such is the desire of people.  Soon we’ll know if we were right or wrong.” Richard Powers from the Overstory.

Dolores Perotti

East Canaan

We need to protect the wildlife around us

There is a beautiful little sanctuary in downtown Lakeville. It’s called Factory Pond. On any given day an assortment of animals and birds can be seen fishing or foraging in this wellspring. Eagles, osprey, king fishers and Great Blue Heron fish the well stocked pond. Crows, ducks, Canada geese, muskrats, skunks, fox, squirrels and chipmunks forage the shores and water for food. Turtles lay their eggs along the shore each year. We interact with numerous species of wildlife in a tiny space on a daily basis and many people probably don’t realize it.

Unfortunately, a Great Blue Heron died there on Wednesday, April 29th. Someone fishing from shore got their line tangled in a tree limb, the line broke off and it was left there. The heron became entangled in the line, wasn’t able to free itself and it drowned. 

Every year I pick up countless yards of broken fishing line, hooks and bait carelessly left on the ground. This year is no different. We share this space with wildlife that doesn’t notice if the worm on the shore has a hook in it, or if the fishing line hanging from a tree limb or utility wire still has a hook attached. It’s not their responsibility to notice, it’s ours. 

On behalf of the animals, I ask that as a community we respect and protect the land and the wildlife in and around Factory Pond and Lakeville Lake. It’s simple, please don’t leave fishing line, with or without hooks, or trash of any kind behind. 

It doesn’t cost us a penny to safely discard our fishing line, hooks, and trash. But, our careless habits can cost the animals and birds we share this space with their lives.

Tracie Shannon

Lakeville

It’s time for a reset for the planet and for us humans

“What’s next?” Many wonder. It’s time for a tune up for both people and planet Earth. We must use this restart  to ‘rethink everything’ for our collective survival in the next decades to come.

Many sounding the alarm of Climate Change, such as 350.org and the great young activist Greta Thunberg, have said that we cannot survive if we keep destroying the Earth’s resources, using fossil fuels and eating meat. 

Recent reports shared on HealthyPlanetUSA.org declare that  a large percentage of the land and limited fresh water supplies worldwide goes to graze cattle and raise livestock, with great increases predicted. The ocean life is in peril as well due to over-fishing, with more than half is wasted.

Livestock outputs such as methane from manure and nitrous oxide (which is 30x more damaging) account for half the greenhouse gases. We can learn to eat primarily vegan diets with support to make changes. That alone can improve health outcomes on a large scale. But thinking things through and making changes are not easy to do all at once.

To help people tune in to tune up, consider using the free resources from BrainTime.com and HeartMath.org called Heart Smarts Adventure. 

Many other programs and books such as from MaureenStGermain.com/clearing, JudySatori.com and Eve Wilson at spiritualhealers.com suggest this is a time of great transformation that we will come through successfully with some fine tuning of our intentions and use of our human energy and relationships as well.

Thanks for staying strong at heart and doing your part locally and globally. More resources are shared freely on Livfully.org. Feel free to be in touch at cppaton@yahoo.com or 347-471-9209. Peace and light to all as we find our way to a healthier world and humanity together!

Catherine Palmer Paton 

Falls Village

Saluting nurses during their week

The COVID-19 pandemic has magnified our collective gratitude for the sacrifices made by health-care workers across our nation. During National Nurses Week, May 6-12, Noble Horizons salutes the courageous, dedicated nurses who every day put their lives at risk to care for others. Whether offering encouraging words of support or highly skilled care, nurses expedite our healing with equal doses of expertise and kindness. 

Their deep, unequivocal commitment and empathy have earned the trust of Americans who have voted nurses the most honest, ethical professionals in the country for 18 consecutive years. The intensifying complexities of providing health care during the COVID-19 pandemic have only magnified our profound appreciation and respect for their selfless work.

On the occasion of National Nurses Week, Noble Horizons honors and thanks the nurses across our community who, with wide-open hearts, devote their lives to providing comfort, compassion and care 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  

Caroline Burchfield

Noble Horizons

Director of Community Relations

Salisbury

Don’t throw out the hand sanitizer yet

The article “How to use gloves, masks, tissues to ward off viruses,” published on April 22, states: “As for hand sanitizer, (dentist George) Hetson and his staff are required by the state to take a class in infection control every year. One thing they are taught is that alcohol kills most types of bacteria but does not kill viruses (or coronaviruses).”

Since that claim is contrary to what I have read elsewhere, I briefly went onto the internet and found an unsigned piece titled: “On hand sanitizer and the coronavirus,” www.stltoday.com/on-hand-sanitizer-and-the-coronavirus/article_7bafd84f-..., that purports to deal with the claim “Hand sanitizer will do nothing to protect you from the new coronavirus.”  

It begins with “THE FACTS: Hand sanitizer containing more than 60% alcohol is effective against the new coronavirus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”

The piece goes on to agree that “while soap and water are the best method to help protect against the coronavirus, hand sanitizer will also get the job done,” citing Dr. Anna Sick-Samuels, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Johns Hopkins University.  

I’m just a lawyer with no special expertise in this matter, so I’ll close by suggesting that — before you throw your hand sanitizer supply out — you contact the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.org) or other authoritative source to confirm who is correct.  

Charles Church

Salisbury

Remembering a dear neighbor

The lovely Joyce Beebe has died, late of Falls Village.  I’d see her  sitting on her porch in clement, and not so nice weather, and not a person drove by without waving and calling her name.  Once I saw her come out of her house and slip and she did not seem to be able to get up. I came across the street and tried to help her. She said, Call Bill, who was working at the Kellogg School.  I did and he came immediately.  A  wonderful man and a wonderful love.

On this beautiful day,  she would have loved to be here, with all those people waving and calling her name.

Lonnie Carter

Falls Village

There are better ways to handle this pandemic

SARS-CoV-2 is a wakeup call though how the sirens are heard depends on ideology. There are facts all Americans agree on, such as insuring America’s future reliance for Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) for health-care workers, first responders — frankly every American — should be a domestic commitment; not dependency upon a communist party that commanded supplies in transit to the USA turn around. But leaders like Sen. Chris Murphy make me puke with statements like, “The reason the U.S. is in a crisis is not because of what China or WHO did, it is because of President Trump not taking the coronavirus seriously. If the U.S. worked with the WHO early on, ‘we might be in a very different position here.’” Chris spews ideological ignorance for the sheeple.

Per Wikipedia, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, “In early 2020, oversaw the world’s management of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). In January 2020, Tedros met with Chinese leaders including Foreign Minister Wang Yi and paramount leader Xi Jinping about COVID-19. On 23 January 2020, an emergency committee of the WHO decided against declaring a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). Tedros stated afterwards, ‘Make no mistake, though, this is an emergency in China.’ On 31 January 2020, the WHO declared the COVID-19 outbreak a PHEIC. In the first week of February 2020, Tedros stated that there was no need for the world to take measures that ‘unnecessarily interfere with international travel and trade’ such as worldwide travel restrictions.” But according to one of the left’s real news go-to sources, Aljazeera.com stated, “on January 31Trump blocks travel from China that became effective on February 2nd.”

Is Sen. Murphy ignorant to the extent to which China has bought world political influence funding global mega-infrastructure? China is Ethiopia’s largest trading partner and lender transforming its infrastructure. Any wonder the WHO and Director-General Tedros is in China’s pocket? Ethiopia is the tip of China’s global expansion with loans to countries that will likely never be able to repay the debt; they are good as foreclosed on by the PRC.

China supplies 90% of the world’s immensely strategic rare earth metals vital to cellphones, computers, catalysts and batteries for electric cars; and America buys 80% of its needs from them due to US environmental regulations restricting domestic production.

Hearing Sen. Chris Murphy’s BS reinforces why Connecticut is a “sinkhole” state. But occasionally common sense glimmers, like when in 2012 demonstrators stopped Gov. Malloy and the state’s Bond Commission’s $300,000 funding of the Connecticut Communist Party’s HQ. Or the recent demonstrations that stopped Westport’s plan to use drone tech to snoop on citizen behavior to insure compliance with coronavirus rules.

The pandemic’s worst result is government and governors who are out of control. I support the strategy outlined in the New York  Times Opinion (Is Our Fight Against Coronavirus Worse Than the Disease?) There may be more targeted ways to beat the pandemic, which essentially mirrors Sweden’s model that now the WHO is endorsing.

Chris Janelli

Salisbury

Making America truly great

The stable genius at “work”

Behind him the Pence doth lurk

A sight for all to behold

Time for them to take their cards and fold

We the people have had enough

Put them both in handcuff

March them off to a nasty jail

Not let them have any bail

So by getting rid of this bane

We make America great again

Michael Kahler

Lakeville

Thanks for PPP help for business

I want to thank Salisbury Bank for the diligence and dedication they have shown in getting the Payroll Protection Program funds to their customers.  The PPP funds are making a big difference to the recipients, and a big difference to our communities.   

On behalf of clients who had submitted PPP applications, I heard from Salisbury Bank employees as late as 8 at night, and on Saturdays and Sundays.  The executives and the employees of Salisbury Bank were making it work for their customers.  

Thank you from all of us,  

Martha Miller

Attorney at Law

Lakeville

This area needs off-hours emergency care for pets

This letter is about the lack of local emergency care for small animals when clinics are closed.

On a Sunday late afternoon recently, as we were walking my small Jack Russell, on a leash, on a dirt road in Lakeville, he was attacked by a domesticated, not feral, dog which came charging out of a hedge, made a bee line for my dog, and bit him on the shoulder. This caused a laceration that required emergency care.

What followed were frantic calls to Sand Road Animal Hospital, and veterinary practices in Millerton, Copake and Sharon as well as to a private veterinarian. All calls were answered by a recorded message about emergencies; the message referred us to veterinary clinics in Avon, Newtown, Brewster, Poughkeepsie and Kingston, all locations one hour or more hours driving distance from Lakeville. There was not one local veterinarian who could attend to the dog.

My dog was very lucky to have suffered a treatable laceration with no deep puncture wounds. Had he gone into respiratory or cardiac distress, and/or bled profusely, he could easily have died during the hour trip to the emergency clinic. We drove to Newtown where the dog received immediate care, seven stitches, and was fortunate to come home the same night with an antibiotic and a pain killer. 

A quick online search indicated that there are 16 Doctors of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) affiliated with the four local practices named above. A rotation system among these 16 veterinarians to address weekends only emergencies when the clinics are closed (not even after business hours emergencies during the week), would mean that one doctor would be on call for one weekend every 16 weekends, or one weekend every four months. This on-call veterinarian would then open his or her clinic only to provide immediate medical or surgical stabilization or treatment to animals in serious distress whose owners can transport them to such a clinic, or to provide on-location first aid to animals that cannot be moved, pending further treatment. 

This letter is a call for the local veterinarians in our Northwest Corner to reconsider a decision they made years ago to stop providing emergency care to small animals. I can imagine that keeping a veterinary clinic open for emergencies only is a costly proposition as the incoming fees for emergencies most likely do not cover the overhead costs, let alone any profit margin. But thought could be given to different solutions, like the rotation system described in the previous paragraph. It is our hope that this letter will inspire a much-needed solution in this matter.

Marie-Claude Ceppi

John Marshall

Lakeville