To the Editor:
As I was putting away photographs of this summer’s memories I stopped at a picture of my grandmother and it reminded me of her struggle with the challenges of Alzheimer’s disease. The many ways she and my family contended with this disease inspired me to become a long-term care administrator. While working with the aging population, I saw a more widespread and critical need for help. Many people with this complex disease have no family members to give them the attention they so deserve and desperately need.
Few of us may know that federal funding for Alzheimer’s research has been stunted since 2003, yet the numbers of people affected by the disease are growing dramatically. There is no cure. There is no prevention. The disease is an enormous emotional and financial burden.
As I reach 30, I am compelled to help with this issue by becoming an advocate and volunteer. I hope to encourage others. Don’t wait until there is a crisis in your family to become active. Get started today. You can participate as easily as signing up for the Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk on Oct. 13. You can contact your members of Congress to support increased research funds. You can volunteer your time. To find out more details, go to www.alz.org/hudsonvalley.
I encourage you to become part of our aging community. Please offer some support and get involved.
Aislinn Smith
Hyde Park
To the Editor:
Dennis Weinel is the best choice for the 8th Ward council seat in the upcoming Nov. 6 election. He is our wonderful neighbor and friend who has proven himself an honest, energetic, civic-minded individual who cares deeply about the City of Poughkeepsie .
Dennis and his family have lived in the city for 27 years. We can attest to his integrity and intelligence in whatever endeavor he aspires to reach. He approaches city government with that same integrity. As the current 8th Ward councilman , Dennis has proved his dedication during the past two years in taking the City of Poughkeepsie forward with more fiscal and responsible government, making the city a better place for all of its citizens.
Please vote for Dennis Weinel, 8th Ward, Poughkeepsie City Common Council, on Nov. 6.
Muriel and Matthew Lampell
Poughkeepsie
To the Editor:
I am writing to ask for your support of Mr. Erik Haight for the 2nd Ward Common Council in the City of Poughkeepsie. I have watched Mr. Haight throughout his term on the council. To say this fellow has gone above and beyond for the residents of this ward is an understatement. He is always there for us and is always rolling his sleeves up to accomplish any challenge that comes our way.
He is a very dedicated and concerned member of our community. He, along with the rest of us, wants the election poll returned to Eastman Tower building. We are all aware of the residents of the building (being mostly elderly and disabled) not being allowed to have the right to express their choice with the electing the person and or persons to stand up for what we need to have accomplished in our ward and city.
He has fought tirelessly for the 2nd Ward, and yes, he is still struggling for the betterment of the Eastman Tower building residents. The owners of this residence are this city’s worst nightmare (worse than the Poughkeepsie Housing Authority) but yet he continues to battle with them to do everything that will ensure the health, safety and welfare of the people who reside there. He will not stop going with his conscience and principles in allowing the owners to collect a vast amount of money and let these people live in squalor. He is totally against the unfairness of the Board of Elections in moving the election polls across the street, and is trying hard to get it returned.
With this, I ask the 2nd Ward residents to please case your vote for Erik Haight in November to ensure that we are represented by a caring, honest and fair council member.
Laura Downing
Poughkeepsie
To the Editor:
In your story about changes to 2nd Ward polling places in the City of Poughkeepsie (“Poll bearer,” Oct. 5), it was suggested that Election District 3 should move out of the YMCA and back to Eastman Tower. While this would return the polling sites to last year’s locations, with District 1 at the YMCA and District 3 at Eastman Tower, it would not resolve the complaints of Eastman residents. The problem isn’t that the District 3 polling site was moved, it’s that last year when the Ward and District boundaries were redrawn, Eastman Tower was moved from District 3 to District 1.
For at least the last few years, the 2nd Ward, District 1, which primarily included residents in the Rinaldi Boulevard area south of the Mid-Hudson Bridge, voted at the YMCA. District 3, which included Eastman Tower, voted at Eastman. When the voting districts were changed last year, District 1 was enlarged to include some residents who had previously been in District 3, including Eastman Tower. So there was no reason to keep District 3 voting in Eastman, since Eastman residents were no longer in District 3. Moving District 1 voting out of the YMCA would have changed the polling location for the original District 1 voters who had been voting at the YMCA for years.
There have also been problems with the facilities at Eastman over the past few years, aside from the parking problems. Elections inspectors often arrived to find a dirty polling area full of old food and would need to spend time cleaning the room rather than preparing to open the polls on time. The restrooms were equally filthy, and last year the women’s restroom was completely out of order. I’m sure these problems were also considered when selecting a polling place.
Robert Mortell
Poughkeepsie