Letters to the Editor - The Millerton News - 12-17-20

The Republican Caucus of the Dutchess County Legislature donates raises

This year has been more difficult than any of us imagined. While we believe the light at the end of the tunnel is approaching, we all must continue to do our part to protect the health of our family, friends and community.

Due to the extraordinary circumstances of the pandemic, the 2021 County Budget was more challenging than usual. The difficult decision was made to not give County employees a salary increase for the 2021 calendar year. Our finances this year simply did not allow for increases this year, especially considering there are those in our community who are out of work or are struggling financially. We greatly value our employees and we know they work hard every single day for everyone in Dutchess.

In 2019, the prior Legislature established salaries for the 2020-21 term of elected legislators. When the increases were passed, the economy was in excellent standing and a 3% increase seemed reasonable — obviously now we find ourselves in different circumstances. There has been discussion of removing salary increases from legislators for the upcoming year, however, state and local laws prohibit the Legislature from changing our own salaries.

In order to do our part and stand next to our employees, the undersigned of this letter pledge to donate our 2021 $500 salary increase to Dutchess County charities.

We wish everyone well during the Holiday Season and hope you stay safe.

Sincerely,

Gregg Pulver

Chairman (R-19)

Donna Bolner

Majority Leader (R-13)

John Metzger

 Assistant Majority
Leader (R-12)

Will Truitt

Budget and
Finance Chair (R-7) 

Steve Caswell

Legislator (R-21)

Faye Garito

Legislator (R-22)

Deirdre Houston

Legislator (R-25)

Tom Keith

Legislator (R-5)

Doug McHoul

Legislator (R-17)

Lisa Paoloni

Legislator (R-14)

Michael Polasek

Legislator (R-3)

Don Sagliano

Legislator (R-2)

Alan Surman

Legislator (R-24)

Ed Hauser

Legislator (R-23)

Help lay Wreaths Across America

Each day, in cemeteries throughout this country, family members of our veterans and active duty military members listen to the sorrowful sound of taps played as their loved ones’ caskets are lowered into the ground and American flags are folded and presented in remembrance of their service and sacrifices. It is the commitment of the Wreaths Across America (WAA) organization to not only honor those currently being buried, but also to remember those who have gone long before and who might not have family members to visit their gravesites and thank them for their service

I have just recently become the location coordinator for the Evergreen Cemetery in Pine Plains. This year, the cemetery has become a new location for the laying of wreaths on National WAA Day.  As coordinator, I am responsible for organizing and conducting all aspects of my community’s ceremony. This includes recruiting and organizing volunteers, reaching out to the community, including veterans’ organizations and others, working with fundraising groups, communicating with local press, receiving the delivery of wreaths, facilitating the ceremony, removing wreaths after an appropriate amount of time and staying in close contact with WAA support staff. It was a big undertaking but one that is near and dear to my heart.

Wreaths Across America does not “decorate” headstones. We are honoring all veterans and active military members by placing live wreaths on the headstones of veterans. The fresh evergreens have been used for centuries as a symbol recognizing honor and as a living tribute renewed annually. We want people to see the tradition as a living memorial to veterans and their families.

The 2020 Theme: Be An American Worth Fighting For was inspired by Staff Sgt. Daniel Strong. As an infantryman in the Marine Corps, he lost 18 Marines during his service. Sgt. Strong’s raw emotion was felt by all on that cold December day, as he spoke about his strong conviction to teach his JROTC students to exemplify, on a daily basis, the Wreaths Across America mission: “Be an American worth the sacrifice.”

In many homes, there is an empty seat for one who is serving or one who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. There is no better time to express our appreciation than during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. With so many of our holiday traditions not being able to be enjoyed this year because of the pandemic, let us start a new tradition. 

Bring your mask and come out and join us for the laying of wreaths at noon on Saturday, Dec. 19.

Carol Hart

Location Coordinator, Wreaths Across America, Evergreen Cemetery

Pine Plains

To our Roe Jan Library patrons

We wish we could celebrate this holiday season with you as we always do, with concerts, holiday programming and the Friends’ annual Cookies, Soup and Books Sale. But COVID-19 has made 2020 a year of unprecedented trials for the library. Every year at this time we come to you for your support. This year your generosity is needed more than ever before.

If you have already given, thank you so very much. If not, please go to our website and learn how the library coped this year. And then we hope you, too, will support the library.

Our deepest gratitude and warmest holiday wishes to you and your families.

Pat Placona

President, Board of Trustees

Copake

Tammy Gaskell

Director, Roeliff Jansen Community Library

Hillsdale

Deli owner should have been called out in article

Whitney Joseph’s article profiling Talk of the Towne Deli owner Mary Hosier’s feelings about masks has a serious and possibly deadly flaw.

The very first line should read, “Despite scientific evidence and near 100% consensus that masks prevent the spread of COVID, Mary Hosier…”

It is irresponsible to not point out clearly that Mary is unequivocally incorrect in her belief about masks.

Alex Ely

South Kent, Conn.

Listen to science, not opinions

“Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.” Martin Luther King said this half a century ago. 

Once upon a time there was respect for education as opposed to just opinion. So now we have deli owners weighing in on grave matters of public health because, after all, opinions are for the having. And we have a president spewing forth false claims as to the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine and chlorox instillations because he believes he’s a smart guy who thinks he might just have a talent for medicine on top of his many other skills. This is the tyranny of the under-informed and over-opinionated. 

Why would anyone listen to them rather than someone who got eight-plus years of medical education? Don’t!

Marietta Whittlesey

Gallatin

Talk of the Towne should reverse policy

Unappetizing servings of alternative facts and misguided opinions were dished out by Talk of the Towne’s management in a provocative interview in last week’s Millerton News, offering both food for thought and heart burn.

The deli’s owner says she does not believe face masks can protect the public from being infected with coronavirus, stating it is no different than flu. A good reminder that our beliefs/opinions aren’t automatically the truth. Fortunately, science doesn’t care what we believe!  

Health experts unanimously agree that wearing a mask is one of the most effective means of protection. To dispute this is unbelievable. (Conversely, I’d prefer an experienced deli chef prepare my sandwich rather than a surgeon general.)

Another indigestible deli delight, “More people die of flu than they do of this COVID.”

A speedy web search reveals otherwise. Unless information from Johns Hopkins Medicine is deemed “fake news,” we find:

COVID-19: There have been approximately 1,584,788 deaths reported worldwide. 

Flu: The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 290,000 to 650,000 people die of flu-related causes every year worldwide.

Whether coming from a place of willful ignorance or simply being misinformed, I encourage Talk of the Towne to reconsider its policy and begin asking customers to mask-up for the sake of the community, which it proudly serves. 

Look forward to sampling your food and humor when you do. 

Respectfully.

Jonathan Doster

Sharon, Conn.

Celebrating the historic Irondale Schoolhouse

Efforts to  save the old Irondale Schoolhouse on Main Street, located at the entrance to the Harlem Valley Rail Trail, began in 2009 with the formation of The Friends of the Irondale Schoolhouse. 

Thanks to the hard work of a group of dedicated volunteers, work started to restore the building and find the best location in the historic district of Millerton. 

The schoolhouse was given a new public purpose and opened to the public in 2015.

Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, we suspended our programs for the season, but we look forward to reopening next spring.

On Saturday, Dec. 19, at noon, we will celebrate the seventh anniversary of the move by ringing the old schoolhouse bell. The public is invited to attend.

Ralph Fedele

President, The Friends of the Irondale Schoolhouse

Millerton

Mask article was sound, its placement was not

The decision to place the story about the local business owner who disbelieves in the number of coronavirus deaths and the danger from the coronavirus on the front page and “above the fold” requires some explanation. 

By doing so, you have legitimized and disseminated misinformation about the pandemic that circulates widely on social media platforms, at an incalculable cost of lives. It is laudable to report on disputes about public health measures that allow your readers to avoid commercial establishments whose owners have the views and attitudes of this one. It is also perfectly legitimate to report the owner’s erroneous opinions; after all the U.S. wouldn’t have the largest number of deaths from the virus in the world if there weren’t many people who received their wrong opinions from the same purveyors of false information that this shop owner does. The account was fully reported from all sides.

My concern is about where you placed the article in this issue of the paper. I question the judgment to put this story (and the quote from the defiant shop owner) in such a prominent position and to fail to provide a broader public health context for those opinions in an equally prominent place. Alas, many, perhaps most, readers, don’t read beyond the first two paragraphs of a news story. 

Your paper is now complicit in the same processes of circulation of perilous news for which many criticize social media platforms. But local newspapers are supposed to offer an alternative.

Laurie Nussdorfer

Amenia

COVID-19 and the flu are not the same

In last week’s edition, in a story about a local deli, it was stated that COVID-19 is no worse than the flu and that more people die from the flu.

While annually the flu is a scourge, a burden on our economy, and pure misery for anyone who gets it, the flu is not COVID-19. In fact, it’s possible to get both at the same time. (The survival rate for that double whammy hasn’t been computed.)

In less than a year, COVID-19 has killed more Americans than died in World War II. And the numbers keep climbing, largely because people in small towns and rural areas are not taking it seriously. Here’s what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), still the world’s most respected disease expert, says about the common flu:

Annually since 2010, the CDC estimates that influenza has resulted in up to 45 million illnesses, up to 810,000 hospitalizations and up to 61,000 deaths. For the 2019 to 2020 season, those numbers were 38 million illnesses, 400,000 hospitalizations and 22,000 deaths.

COVID-19: As of Dec. 14, nearly 17 million American have been infected, 306,000 have died. In other words, quite a few more people get the flu each year than have had COVID-19, and thank goodness: COVID-19 is 10 times deadlier.

It’s possible that, even after most people take the vaccine, COVID-19 will still mirror the infections and deaths of the common flu. Every disease has its own personality.

Speaking of personalities, it’s not too late for you outliers to get a flu shot. And when your turn comes, get the COVID-19 virus vaccine, both shots. Until then, wear a mask and social-distance — if not for yourself, for your community, your family, your friends, your co-workers. Keep mask-wearing and social-distancing after your get the vaccine, till the CDC gives us the all clear. As new research has learned, you can still be a carrier of this hideous disease, particularly in your nose. Sneeze, cough, laugh or shout once and you could contaminate a room.

Tom Parrett

Science writer

Millerton

Appreciate editorial on wearing masks

Many thanks for your well-written, sensible editorial on mask-wearing. It is, of course, unfortunate that such an editorial should be necessary but the front-page article about the Talk of the Towne Deli owner demonstrates that there are people who think like that in our community.  

My husband and I are rarely out so we have no sense of how prevalent this kind of attitude and behavior is, but the fact that it exists at all makes your editorial needed and an important public service.  

Again, many thanks.

Amy Rothstein

Pine Plains