Letters to the Editor - The Millerton News - 9-17-20

It’s time to wake up

“You can run but you can’t hide.” A line from an old West movie or a description of those fleeing cities devastated by anarchists. I know I’m not alone when some mornings I’m hesitant to turn on the news.

When is the next innocent child going to be shot by an irate mob or business destroyed by peaceful looters? Unfortunately, hatred for our president has blinded way too many regarding the reality of our present situation. 

Political correctness along with apology politics has helped to create an environment totally foreign from what our founding fathers envisioned. To think so many stood by while historical monuments were trashed should be frightening to all who believe in our Constitution. What’s next, burning books as the Fascists did in Germany?

No one can deny racism driven by prejudice has been a worldwide problem that hasn’t been limited to Blacks or unique to this country. Slavery goes back thousands of years; the Nazis exterminated millions of Jews. Truth be known, if anyone deserved reparations it would have to be the American Indians.

Attempts at destroying our heritage are just plain wrong.  Civil discord is not the way forward. Half-truths perpetuated by our liberal media should be called out for what they are; fat chance that will ever happen.

This country is on the brink.  Our institutions are under continuous attack by liberals that follow no flag. Many are afraid to speak out for fear they will be castigated by friends or possibly an employer.

What must it be like living in one of those cities that have experienced rioting and property destruction?

And you think it can’t happen here… WAKE UP PEOPLE!

John Walters

Millerton

Stanford Community Day reminds us, ‘We’re all in this together!’

The 62nd Annual Stanford Community Day on Saturday, Sept. 19, will be very different this year due to COVID-19.  Those who planned Community Day this year understood this from the very beginning when planning began in May.  

Community Day is when our town comes together with booths, food, entertainment, music, children’s activities, a car show, derby races and an evening program with a free ice-cream social.  But, with COVID, this wasn’t possible this year.

With the Pine Plains Central School District returning to remote learning on Sept. 9, the Community Day Planning Committee made the decision to have a very modified Community Day with only a few activities that could occur safely based on COVID regulations set by the state and county. We felt we had to do something to give our residents hope, give them something to look forward to. Giving people hope was very important to us when we were making the difficult decisions of whether Community Day would happen or not. People need to have something to look forward to in order to break of the monotony that has become COVID life.

Two main events will take place at the 62nd Annual Stanford Community Day on Saturday, Sept. 19. First, Stanford Grange will serve its Annual Lloyd Woodcock Memorial Chicken Barbecue at the Stanford Grange Hall, 6043 Route 82, Stanfordville. Dinners are to-go only and will be ready at 4 p.m. Dinners will include barbecued chicken, potato salad, baked beans and brownies for dessert. Donation is $15 per person. All CDC and Governor Cuomo’s Health Guidelines will be followed including face masks, gloves and social distancing. For reservations, contact me at 845-868-7869.

The second event will be a family-friendly outdoor movie, sponsored by the Town of Stanford Recreation Commission, featuring Disney and Pixar’s “Onward” at 7 p.m. on the Recreation Fields behind the Stanford Free Library. Prior to the start of the movie, the Annual Stanford Community Citizen Awards will be given. Reservations for the movie, which is free, are a must, and information on making reservations are on the Town of Stanford website (www.townofstanford.org) along with the Stanford Recreation Commission and Stanford Grange Facebook pages. During the movie, chocolate and vanilla ice cream donated by Stewart’s Shops will be served by the Stanford Grange Youth. The Grange Youth will wear face masks and gloves at all times when serving ice cream.  When people are finished, the Grange Youth will go around to each group to collect refuse for proper disposal.

While Community Day this year looks very different from what we’re used to, we still wanted to plan something to celebrate our town and bring us together safely as a community. A lot of heartfelt discussion went into the planning of this year’s Community Day for the last four months. With proper precautions and guidance, we hope this year’s Community Day will be remembered in a positive way. After all, “We’re all in this together!”

Ryan J. Orton 

Secretary, 

Stanford Grange #808

Stanfordville

Broadband limited by service providers

If Pine Plains can look only to Optimum, I despair of the ability of students there to have a decent, affordable and reliable service.  

As a monopoly in the area, Optimum/Altice charges huge fees and delivers poor quality WiFi and virtually nonexistent customer service. If communities were permitted to open up for competition, those hallmarks of arrogance and market dominance would have to disappear. 

Gail Berney

Millbrook

State wants safe voting

I am writing to share with other concerned voters information on how to deposit their ballots if they are reluctant to enter a polling site on Election Day. 

First of all, anyone can use an absentee ballot in the upcoming election. Governor Cuomo’s Executive Order 202.58 permits “potential for contraction of COVID-19” to be deemed an illness for purposes of allowing a voter to vote by absentee ballot.  

Secondly, for those voters skeptical of the USPS’s ability to deliver their ballots on time, the Dutchess County Board of Elections will provide ballot collection boxes in every early polling site from Oct. 24 through Nov. 1 and will provide such boxes in every polling site on Election Day, Nov. 3. See the Board of Election’s website on this subject: www.ny.gov/early-voting-and-absentee-voting-mail-or-dropbox.

This means that voters can quickly enter and leave the polling site without waiting on line to vote or spending a substantial amount of time in the polling place. Regardless of one’s political views, I think we can all be grateful that we have an array of voting options to choose from in this difficult COVID era.

Amy Rothstein

Pine Plains