A column appeared in last week's Journal entitled Barber Shop Talk. Part way through the article, its author named "Budman," made a statement, and I quote, "We lost that (HITS) due to greed and our not bending over backwards for them." That statement raises many questions. Who was greedy, how did they benefit, etc? It may interest Mr. Budd to know that I was town supervisor when Mr. Struzzieri announced that HITS was leaving their Ellenville site for a location in Saugerties. This move was being made in spite of the fact that the Ellenville site was their most profitable location out of the four shows held each year.

At a meeting, jointly scheduled at their Leurenkill site, I pled with him, offered to provide him with assistance from the town. After I had finished, he replied with a comment that I remember word for word, "Dr. Craft, you do not understand, we have no intention of staying in Ellenville." Several weeks prior to his announcement, he had purchased a large mansion with a five car garage in the Saugerties area. His wife had just given birth and he no longer wanted to make the trip from Saugerties to Ellenville every day.

Where Budman got his information on greed from is unknown. All I can assume is that it came from the barber shop, from authorities who knew the real "truth." It is very unfortunate that too many people listen to gossip and not facts and turn it into gospel truth which then by virtue of its inflammatory nature enters the public media. Instead of staying in the barber shop where it belongs, it becomes public fodder with the statement, "I knew it." Instead of it serving for the common good, it leaves egg on the face of those making such rash statements.

Such innuendos only stir up strife and mistrust, especially for those working hard to bring our community back from a series of disasters, not of their or our making. Every public official wants what is best for this community. You may differ strongly with their policies and that's where elections come in, but please don't make blanket statements that have no basis of fact. Where is your evidence?

Our community welcomes constructive criticism and constructive solutions. Let's leave our inconclusive facts at the barber shop, get out there, volunteer and do something. We need more linemen than armchair quarterbacks and please get the rest of the story before you go viral.

Dr. Richard H. Craft
Ellenville

Heads up. I have noticed that a brand, Hudson Valley Eggs, is being substituted for Feather Ridge Eggs (which are antibiotic-free, free-range and vegetable-fed) in many of our local stores. Some of the stores actually promote Hudson Valley Eggs as antibiotic and free-range but they were not as attested to when I called Hudson Valley Eggs to find out. Hudson Valley does have eggs that are raised from humanely raised chickens but they are labeled on the box. The ones being sold now, for a similar price to Feather Ridge, are normal run-of-the-mill eggs.

So for those of us who are trying to keep our bodies and the bodies of our children safer by feeding our families with what we believe is a better-quality food, please note that these Hudson Valley Eggs, unless marked as antibiotic, free-range and vegetable-fed, are not. The boxes must be marked.

Bruce Levy
Saugerties

Eighty-two school districts in New York state who have been identified as being in some form of "fiscal distress": This situation should come as a surprise to no one. New York state has done its best to financially cripple the public school in the state in four ways:

State government has restricted the amount of state aid provided to the public school, especially our most needy, while at the same time increasing funding to the largely unregulated charter schools. State aid still has not reached the amount mandated by the courts some eight years ago.

The state-imposed "tax cap" has restricted school districts in their ability to raise local revenue. A minority of the voters can reject a school budget that exceeds the rate of inflation, currently 0.12 percent. This law disregards the fact that many district expenses are not accounted for in the inflation calculation.

In school district audits, the state comptroller continues to criticize school districts for the size of their fund balances and reserves. Yet, this is often the only way in which the districts can protect against drastic program cuts.

Finally, the state continues to impose unfunded mandates on the school districts. Many of these mandates have a positive purpose, but the sheer number of them and the fact that they rarely come with state funding for their implementation further impacts the school districts.

Eighty-two district in fiscal distress; it is surprising that there are not more in that situation. If the factors outlined above do not change, there will be many more than that in the future.

Martin D. Handler, superintendent
Pine Plains Central School District

Many people feel that the cultural contributions of Blacks are not given proper recognition. This may be true in some areas. But when the Voyager was sent into outer space, with information from all fields, to tell extraterrestrials or future humans who we are, it was not Frank Sinatra who was immortalized, but Chuck Berry, singing Johnny B. Goode.

And though it is officially denied, rumor has it that a message came back: "More Chuck Berry!" This is a sentiment that a large part of our population shares.

Hank Harwood
Montela

At last! There are a few things to be grateful for this week.

First, we escaped the first big storm this winter, after all that shopping I did in case I couldn't get out. Second, our Governor Cuomo, and our cities Mayor De Blasio, made a wonderful decision, (for the first time I can remember) to issue a travel ban, so that the plows could actually work and at least clear a pathway for emergency vehicles in the city.

I guess if I was still travelling down there, I couldn't find where I parked my car since all I'd see is a bunch of 6 foot white bumps, but inconvenience is better than dangerous. The other miraculous thing was no loss of power in the city. I only hope that we will experience the same with our new power company, and frankly since I've seen so many wires being repaired, I'm hopeful. Time will tell on that one.

The next thing to be thankful for is Bernie Sanders surprising leap to the foreground. On the list of our presidential candidates stance on Climate Change, Bernie comes first.

Bill McKibben, founder of the environmental group 350.org, called Sanders "the most consistent and proactive voice in the entire Keystone fight." Sanders comes first because he has no money invested with the BOOGI (Big Oil Or Gas Industry) men.

The next candidate that has a chance of winning is Hillary Clinton, and she has moved away from her former policies and is now pro solar energy. She is second on my list of candidates that could possibly do enough to stop a giant change that I hope the next two generations can still possible avoid. Martin O'Malley is also a believer in Climate Change.

On the Republican side, there is no hope on this issue other than NYC's former mayor Michael Bloomberg, who began his fight against Climate Change about l0 years ago. Many of his other issues side with Republicans and billionaires; however, in my opinion nothing is more important than Climate Change and since he is one of the richest men in the world (about $37 billion), perhaps he has enough to change his focus over to doing good for the planet.

In my opinion, the next election will let us know whether or not life on the Mother Earth as we know it will continue. Dramatic enough? If so, I encourage you to believe that:

Democracy is not a spectator sport.

Jill Paperno
Glenford

The 6th had 7 and the 4th had 3 that made the 10 little Indies their selves declining to 2,
Waiting for primary state elections.
Their Parties authenticities are hidden
In voter middens where anger turns to rot.
The candidates shape their toughest stuff to ride the rough and ready to the White House corral.
Right Wing, Left Wing is powered by money.
Money is muck in democracy.
Most candidates sidle through investor feeding troughs.
But two walk through. The one, his money and ego, the second is a revolutionary unbidden by investors.
The rotting pot investors are manipulators of candidates. That is to say, inequality in America is shame.
Donald and Bernie, duke it out!
Each voter must find the passionate extreme of will.
The primaries are now started, we are months away from restoring completion of the
New Deal left by the war and later compound authentic greed against human nature.

Tom Gale
Cragsmoor

On behalf of the Rochester Food Pantry, I would like to thank Zali Win and the members of the Rochester Residence Association for their outstanding support. Their annual end-of-the-year fund drive was a resounding success and will help keep us afloat in the coming year. We received 119 donations attributable to the fund drive. The $1000 matching grant from the association was met many times over, resulting in donations of more than $15,000. This outpouring of support will be a great help as we incur extra expenses associated with our move from the Accord Firehouse to the Rochester Community Center in the summer.

During 2015, the Rochester Food Pantry provided food sufficient for over 31,000 meals for more than 2,600 people belonging to 642 households. Within those households, about 40 percent are children and 8 percent are seniors. On a positive note, these numbers are down from last year, but the need is there.

Thanks again to the Rochester Residence Association, to all those who responded to the appeal, and to all those who support our efforts throughout the year.

Margaret Bonner
Kerhonkson

Having lived a long life and been and walked as a letter carrier in tremendous snowstorms, today's weathercasters are ridiculous in the extreme. They start getting people in a panic with all the latest information in forecasts, whereas, in my day we took it all as it came and accepted it as Mother Nature.

I, at the present time, do not watch any weather channels and am better off for it. I'm sure many people of our generation feel the same way. What will be will be.

Robert Milroy
Rhinebeck

I am writing to thank you for printing my letter and to inform you of a needed correction in the article about the town board meeting. I was named as the commissioner who spoke at the meeting, that was not me that was my fellow commissioner Catherine Hull. Although I do agree with what she said, I believe the credit should go to the right person.

Bonnie Hull
Ellenville

Every village, city or community wants to establish their own little niche. Monticello seems to now want to position itself as a food capital. They have developed the Bagel Festival which seems to be attracting many tourists. I remember when I was the Resident Manager of the Baltimore Hilton in 1974 they coined the phrase Charm City for the City of Baltimore, which is still being used today.

In my opinion and certainly if you have seen the photography of Steve Aaron there isn't any community in the Catskill region that has more potential and beauty then Ellenville. The Shadowland Theater certainly provides the community with a core base of culture and you need to capitalize on that further. As I have suggested months ago the Hunt Memorial can be turned into a facility similar in scope to the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria, Virginia. Perhaps, with a few incentives and imagination the growth of art studios, antique shops unique specialty shops could develop.

If you emulate other communities successes it can help transform Ellenville. I have had some recent disappointments with our museum project, however, I continue to move forward and don't plan to give up.

Jack Godfrey
Virginia Beach, VA