To the Editor:
Friends of Seniors recently had its first and very successful fundraiser, called Walk-a-Month. Many, many people walked and/or donated to our nonprofit, which provides medical transportation, grocery shopping, visiting, respite for primary caregivers and telephone reassurance to the older adult community. Thank you to all who participated.
In particular, thank you to Jean Curlee, who runs the exercise program in Dutchess County, the East Fishkill Exercise Group, run by Barbara Gilmore, Rose Johnson, Kathleen Peluso, individuals from the CVAP Little League Team and from Elder Abuse of Family Services, Bob Gioia, Craig Gioia, Darby O’Gill’s in Hyde Park, McGillicuddy’s in New Paltz, Florence Kaufman, St. Simeon’s, St. Anna’s, Gina Donegan, Capital Preservation, Michael Hymes, Mary Ellen Alexander, and Judge Rockhill Gray. Your donations help us to help others. We are partially funded by Office for the Aging, and have received grants for mileage reimbursement (30 cents/mile) from the Ann and Abe Effron Fund and the George and Catherine Quill Donor Advised Fund through the Community Foundation. Thank you all. Presently, we are in desperate need of volunteer drivers. If you wish to volunteer or would like more information about Friends of Seniors, please visit our Web site at www.friendsofseniors.biz or call 845-485-1277.
Susan Davidson
Program Coordinator
To the Editor:
On Aug. 28, the Town of Poughkeepsie Planning Board, in a 4-to-2 vote, gave Negative Declaration (no significant environmental impacts) and preliminary subdivision approval to The Woods at Cliffdale – the former Girl Scout camp on Spackenkill Road. Rammed through, the approval was based on a recommendation from the Planning Department and guidance from the town’s land use attorney.
This has the appearance of a backroom deal where the recommendation was a quid pro quo for the 40 acres offered to the town by the applicant, rather than criteria set forth under SEQRA. A Planning Board member even said that he felt the 40 acres was the carrot to get the approval. Only days before the meeting, the Planning Department had recommended “deferral” based on over 20 issues to be resolved. But on the day of the Planning Board meeting, the recommendation was reworked by the planning board attorney and the developer’s attorney, and then put forth to the Planning Board as a last-minute recommendation for “approval,” while still listing the same 20-plus issues.
A July 30 letter from the applicant’s attorney, to the town attorneys, stated, “The applicant is striving to obtain a Negative Declaration and preliminary subdivision approval prior to the time that the Town Board adopts a new Zoning Code and a new set of Subdivision Regulations.” This entire sequence of events was an obvious attempt by the applicant and their attorney to avoid stricter Zoning and Subdivision Codes. Shamefully, it seems to have worked.
James L. Beretta
Poughkeepsie
To the Editor:
My hope is to get in contact with Christian youth pastors/leaders who are interested in starting up something awesome. I’m talking about something more than just meeting and chatting, but actually starting accountability groups and partnerships with other youth pastors/leaders. We need to pray together, taking time out to intercede for one another and for hurting youth. We are the Body of Christ and God calls us to work together, not in isolation. Yes, we have our own part on the wall (like Nehemiah). But God calls us at specific times and places to fight together – to encourage each other and work together to reach more young people than we could ever reach on our own. The Church was never meant to work alone.
We as youth pastors/leaders need to start planning outreaches that reach lost youth instead of simply committing to our own little events that minister to young people who are already free in Christ. Let’s truly answer “the call” by planning, reaching and saving young people throughout the Hudson Valley. We need to start thinking outreach instead of in-reach, bringing our students together to minister to their own generation for the glory of Jesus Christ.
Other youth pastors/leaders are seeking to have an impact on Hudson Valley schools. We are meeting one Thursday a month at rotating locations and we’re looking for others who have a similar burden. If you are interested in joining with us, please contact me at pastorpaul@missionchurch.com or 878-3380, ext. 6.
Pastor Paul DiToro
Mission Church, Holmes
To the Editor:
I’d like to thank representatives Maurice Hinchey, John Hall and Kristin Gillibrand for their recent votes to protect the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) despite the efforts of the Bush Administration to gut this vital program. The SCHIP provides health care services to nearly seven million children nationwide and has the potential to reach an additional five million children. However, president George W. Bush is currently threatening to veto funding to this program in favor of big subsidies to Medicare HMOs. I applaud the courage of Hinchey, Hall and Gillibrand for standing up to Bush and defending SCHIP.
Since the Children’s Health Program began in 1997, the number of uninsured children has dropped by one-third. Compared to children without coverage, children in SCHIP are much more likely to have had at least one well-child visit in the last year and to have lower rates of unmet health care needs.
However, the president would rather provide wasteful subsidies to private HMOs than fund children’s health care. Medicare payments to private HMOs will total $150 billion over the next decade, most of this spent on HMO profits and advertising. The HMOs claim they need the money to help seniors, another non-truth spun by the companies. The vast majority of seniors (80 percent) who are still enrolled in traditional Medicare are paying higher premiums to subsidize Medicare Advantage plans.
As a nation, we need to get our priorities straight. Thankfully, Hinchey, Hall and Gillibrand are looking out for our children. We are lucky to have them representing us in Congress.
Tim Riley, President
Hudson Valley Area Labor Federation, Newburgh