Letters to the Editor - The Lakeville Journal - 8-13-20

Looking at the bright side

I expected a storm on Tuesday as my soap was interrupted for a weather guy predicting doom and gloom. I expected a power outage and it happened around 4 p.m.  I was surprised when I woke up on Wednesday and there was no electric power. I have water and candles saved.  

As time went on I fired up the chafing dish which I had not used in years. The Sterno caught right away which was good.  It must be at least 20 years old.  Couldn’t get the water boiling for coffee, but at least it was warm.

I lost three quarts of chicken soup stock and a pint of Haagen-Dazs chocolate ice cream, but the freezer didn’t have much in it.

I’m looking for my Mom’s chocolate cake recipe using sour milk.

I live in Canaan Valley where a lot of trees blew down. I have a land line phone which was out, but it was nice to know I wouldn’t be receiving any robo calls.

Carolyn McDonough 

North Canaan

 

The driver’s seat

Edgar Cayce and many in the quantum field theory including  author David Shiang who I’ve met briefly in Deb Poneman’s Yes to Success, say ‘everything has some connection to everything else ... or that it doesn’t happen “out of the blue.”

As human beings on earth people such as Ali Storm of Project One offers that we are in the driver’s seat for how not only our individual, state or country’s well-being goes, but humanity’s at large.

This time of 2020 is like no other time in history or the galaxy, again considering where the planets are and the many theories of our collective human experience, beliefs and abilities.

 We may feel more vulnerable yet many are saying we may have more awesome ways of understanding ourselves and learning to use our feelings, imaginations, thoughts and actual physical beings and energies to create healing waves of peace, harmony, health and healing on many levels. 

Everything leading up to this moment may be part of that awakening. Consideration that generations have come before us (and possibly that we were part of those not only in terms of having ancestors but reincarnating, some say from simpler life forms and through the animal kingdom to human form or even from other dimensions.) 

The basics of all religions and spiritual science would be helpful to have handy as times “heat up” or otherwise become challenging. We have a lot to learn and do, including voting in the next U.S. president. 

With more people learning together with open hearts and minds we have the best chance at making this next critical decade work in humanity’s favor. I welcome connection on my public FB page, Catherine Paton,  and share ideas on Livfully.org. 

Catherine Palmer Paton

Falls Village

 

Response to Falls Village neighbors on River Road

• The law requires all contiguous property owners to be notified of a meeting regarding zoning changes. Colter Rule’s property is not contiguous to the Habitat IHZ because state land and railroad track lie between River Road and his property. Contiguous property owners were properly notified. For other residents, publication is required twice in a daily newspaper. This was done via the Republican-American and can be proven.

• Falls Village Housing Trust (FVHT) wants to make a difference by creating a significant number of rental homes relatively quickly for the health of our town’s housing needs. We designed a multi-acre, 16-unit project. DOH does not currently have funds available for smaller projects.

• River Road Homes is not a public project, instead a private, charitable endeavor. Financing is publicized when gaining a Certificate of Occupancy. Meanwhile, our finances are inspected yearly by the Internal Revenue Service and quarterly by the DOH.

• The Town of Canaan (Falls Village) is not responsible for the expenses of River Road Homes, being a separate legal entity.

• Expansion of school attendance will lead to greater state and federal support of the local schools.

• The recent grant of $14,800 to the Town is for an overall municipal housing plan. This grant was obtained through the efforts of, among others, Felicia Jones, who is a member of the FVHT board. However, this grant has nothing to do with FVHT, nor will we share in this grant money.

• “Conflict of interest” does not exist providing there is disclosure of a person’s connections and no personal financial gain. Our Vice President, Tracy Atwood, is described on our website as the current President of NWCT Habitat. He is an asset, due to his affordable housing experience and his lifetime of work supporting people in need. He recused himself from negotiations regarding our option to purchase the 10-acre parcel.

• “To ruin” means “to destroy.” “Pristine” means “untouched, in its original state.” “Hillside” means “a slope on the side of a hill.” The FVHT site is a former sand-pit/quarry that is virtually flat, its altitude measuring 544 feet at the road and 550 feet at the rear, which is a rise of 6 feet over a distance of approximately 300 feet. There will be no destruction of any pristine hillsides.

• With approximately 20 living units in the Lime Rock Station/River Road neighborhood, adding 16 units will not even double the current residential capacity.

• Since Falls Village is, at 1.28%, significantly below the state’s standard of 10% affordable housing, FVHT is not required to use an Incentive Housing Zone to proceed with our project.

• The FVHT Board of Directors each have long records of professional and volunteer accomplishment in the NW corner. None of our Board stands to make any financial gain due to the River Road Homes project.

• Additional information is available at www.fallsvillagehousingtrust.org.

Tracy Atwood

Allen Cockerline

Jandi Hanna

Felicia Jones

Martha Miller

David Wilburn

Board of Directors of the FVHT

Falls Village

 

Housing Trust has the community needs at the forefront of its goals

In 1991 when I decided to move to the Northwest Corner, I first rented a house in Sharon, and then I started to read The Lakeville Journal. At that time, it was open civic warfare in Falls Village (I don’t remember the issues), so I decided I would choose Salisbury, with its good government and social comity.  

Falls Village took a knock-out blow at that time and has just started to move forward again. The recent civic ill wind created by Laura Werntz, Colter Rule and Daly Reville is reminiscent of that terrible time in 1991. I would encourage all to look at the interests of the town and refuse to be directed to the red herrings and rabbit holes offered by this group.  

The Falls Village Housing Trust, of which I am a member, has a constructive and qualified membership of honest people working for the public good.  The Trust members have proven records of contribution and accomplishment. I think that the opposition to the River Road Homes is either acting in self-interest (Rule lives near the proposed building site) or because they need something to do, and don’t recognize the destructiveness of their actions.  

As a community, we have a responsibility to all — not just a privileged few.  That’s what the River Road Homes are about, a place for our teachers, nurses, firefighters and their families to live and not be priced out of our community. One could argue that a teacher or a nurse is more important to a community than a mere taxpayer. 

Take it from me ­— your Falls Village selectmen and P & Z members are not lying to you. They are not sloppy or stupid. They know what they are doing, and they are living to the letter of the law. No local persons or businesses are making money off of the River Road Homes, no matter what a few may allege.  

Martha Miller 

Treasurer of the Falls Village 

Housing Trust   

Lakeville

 

Thanks for the help when needed

A special thanks to the kindness of strangers on Sunday, Aug. 3, at Stop and Shop in North Canaan. We never got to say thank you for your help after I had fallen at the entrance. Hopefully, you will read this and know how grateful we are for your assistance. 

Jody and Louis 

Dieffenbacher

Millerton

 

Maybe he can take up knitting

Is it insanity? I don’t know

But to our democracy it’s a blow

Every day it sure gets worse

Needs an asylum or at least a nurse

Tantrums need a time out

In the corner without a doubt

No need for the dunces cap

For his tweets are all over the map

That this is allowed to go on

He’s seen the movie thinks he’s the Don

Removal first, this is a must

He has lost all our trust

Then let the courts decide

What to do about his pride

I think jail is most fitting

In his cell he can take up knitting

Michael Kahler

Lakeville

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