After reading the article re Town of Rochester, I have to take slight (but essential) exception to what Chris Rowley wrote.

It was stated that "Chipman said that while freedom of speech is a right, he was not going to allow board members to be attacked at meetings, and there would be an effort made to improve decorum."

I had Mr. Chipman tell me directly that he will enforce the Rules of Procedure at future meetings; that law deals with audience participation and disallows the behaviors mentioned and also disallows speaking out thus the admonishment that "no one will address the board without the permission of the supervisor."

This is due to a couple of instances when the public spoke out with criticism concerning a board member's behavior. Of course, it should be mentioned that the board member in question actually solicited comments from ZBA members of the audience which led to the spontaneous criticisms.

However, Mr. Chipman stated to me that while he would hope that the public didn't have a need to criticize the board as a whole or individual members, but if done during the two public comment periods then they should have at it. And, if a board member is so thin-skinned as to take offense, then perhaps they should think about relinquishing the position.

In fact, the criticisms spoken out of turn were about a councilman's action at a prior meeting (getting up and leaving) and his refusal to attend meetings of the board to which he is liaison (thus his calls to members of that board to give his report to the town board).

While regrettable, the criticisms were nowhere near the level of attacking Mr. Drabkin. They were simply statements of fact. Mr. Drabkin did walk out of a meeting when members of the Zoning Review Committee were to give a presentation of the solar energy law to the town board as per MR. DRABKIN'S OWN RESOLUTION. The why of him walking out is as mysterious as he. The second criticism was when he asked members of the ZBA to give the board a report of what happened at the last meeting. This report is to be given by council members after having attended the meeting of the board to which they were assigned. While it apparently isn't possible to make an elected official do what the job entails, it certainly isn't very responsible to continue getting paid for a full job that isn't fully done. Officials in the Town of Rochester have always attended meetings of the boards and/or committees to which they were assigned. Board members from the towns of Wawarsing, Marbletown and Rosendale likewise attend liaison meetings. Mr. Drabkin's unilateral discarding of past precedent has him now depending upon just the briefing of the board's or committee's chair person which obviously leads to a singular POV and very possibly doesn't tell a full story of what transpired. While getting briefed via the minutes — in our town's case since we have an exceptional secretary that takes extensive notes — gives a good picture of the meeting it isn't like attending the meeting to fully absorb all that transpires, e.g., body language, facial expressions, how applicants react, how board members conduct themselves, and the full conversations that transpire, etc etc.

Be that as it may, no one should get the impression that there was a public trashing of elected officials. Rather, just a couple instances of rebuke.

And, kudos to Mr. Chipman for his research and subsequent comments re that prior comment from the floor that large landowners carry the burden of town taxation. That isn't true by a long shot. We, the people, the small residential landowners pay the bulk of taxes. That should never be forgotten.

Steven L. Fornal
Accord

Mr. Fornal is correct as to what I said about free speech and public participation at town board meetings.

Carl Chipman, Supervisor
Town of Rochester

My morning coffee uncomfortably gushed from my nose as I guffawed over the Journal's assertion in a front page article that the homes at Hudson Woods home are the new model for Hudson Valley weekend homeowners. Having designed, built and sold over 100 non-primary homes since 2002, I know better than anyone there are not enough millionaires to go around to buy all these new seven figure homes coming to market. If this is the home of the future, I'm Donald Duck.

Charles Petersheim
Owner, Catskill Farms

A town divided over Legoland indeed. I have lived in Goshen for over 30 years and I have been trying to weigh both sides of this issue fairly. However, the negatives of having this giant conglomerate come into bucolic Goshen seem to outweigh the positives. It just doesn't appear to be a good fit.

There is no way that any sort of road configuration is going to fix the already heavily congested Route 17 Quickway. In fact, all our side roads would be all muddled up as well, including the NY Thruway.

Next, I am very concerned about the strain on our already delicate water and sewer systems, despite assurances by our local officials. We already pay a great deal of money for our water because we have to cover the cost of the new water treatment plant. So guess who will be paying for all these changes? Eventually it will trickle down to the Goshen taxpayers, who are already financially burdened.

We have Amy's Kitchen and a new library project in the works and now the looming Legoland. There are so many facets to examine. Please look at the big picture. There will be no going back once it's a done deal and our quality of life in Orange County will be forever changed and not for the good I fear.

Joan C. Benson
Goshen

The guns of the National Rifle Association
Go kill each year the ten thousandth of citizens, still populating the United States.
Guns enough for every citizen,

Some are guns to hunt, some lust
Where NRA sets goals for American Exceptions.
All other nations are not allowed to pack guns, only for exceptions to hunt and practice targeting.

The NRA endorsed Trump to sling his words around his rhetorical prancing ego.
Shootout is his way to win
His law-and-order quip, for Deputy Sheriffs.

A metaphoric gun makes silent shootouts.
But Trump's oncoming fever of implosion in mind reversion of word-explosions on crowds.
Speaks oddly and ferociously to the dangerous.

The muskets of the original Second Amendment and their adopted target practice for hunting in debate with clear consciousness of citizens who only among the few have rashers for shootouts. NRA has a posse. It protects guns overwhelming Members of Congress accepting NRA money endorsements and Trump, who accepts an executive endorsement of $3 million. I hope Hillary will itemize a gun portion of the 2016 Presidential Candidate Debates that speak against concealment or flashes of guns in eyes beholding flashing muzzles imposed on my mind as smoke in the air that carries the silly Second Amendment, a whiff of military technology. Soldiers; dismiss.

Tom Gale
Cragsmoor

The Republican mantra is "personal responsibility." It is used to beat over the head anyone who is not successful: the poor, the poorly educated, the undocumented immigrant, the defenseless.

But this year the Republican Party itself is not personally responsible. It supports a man totally unqualified for the presidency, a likely disaster for the country and for the world.

They know this very well. Yet they support him. The Speaker of the House, the Republican members of the House and Senate, even Henry Kissinger prize their party more than their country.

The nation that we all love needs investment in infrastructure, health care, consumer protection, poverty remediation. Yet the Republicans spend their time trying to repeal Obamacare over 40 times, denying minorities the right to vote and stymieing attempts to work out a tax code that is fair to all. Inequality in wealth has reached obscene levels. Donald Trump, by some accounts, doesn't even pay taxes, yet wants to rule those who do.

Republican have agreed not to oppose Trump. The risk of his ascendancy poses a grave risk for the future of America.

Owen Reynolds
Goshen

No matter how articulate Obama's oratory skills are, a smart electorate can see beyond that. The president has failed us. He had two years with a Democratic Senate and House. Almost any president could move mountains with that support.

Further, I wish he would stop embarrassing himself, and the country knocking Trump. We remember that Obama had less minimum qualifications as a community organizer and U.S. senator than does Donald Trump. Congress, FBI Director Comey, Attorney General Lynch, all have set poor standards for the office they hold. It appears that they have forgotten their mission to represent the citizens, not the politicians.

America needs a Donald Trump! A successful private investor who promises to share his capabilities and dream with the citizens.

Thomas Jefferson
Monroe

It is rare in Ulster County politics when voters are given an opportunity to choose from several qualified candidates in a county-wide race. This is particularly true in the race for Surrogate Court Judge to succeed Mary Work who is retiring at the end of this year.

However, one candidate who stands above the crowded pack of attorneys is Sharon Graff of Rosendale. Sharon is a graduate of University of Buffalo School of Law and has been a practicing attorney since graduating from there in 1998. It was a strong sense of fairness And self-motivation that drew Sharon to practice law.

In 2001, Sharon Graff joined Graff Law, LLC, in Kingston, where she practices with her husband, Michael Graff, Esq., and his father, Wayne Graff, Esq. Sharon has expanded her practice area to encompass a broad range of complex legal matters and issues that come before the Surrogate's Court Judge, including fiduciary duty, trust and corporate accounting, all facets of real estate, drafting wills, petitioning for letters of administration and probate, and other civil matters including mortgage foreclosures, partnerships and dissolutions, contract disputes, auto accident and medical malpractice cases, divorces, bankruptcy cases, and many more.

The Surrogate's Court Judge is required to rule on a very wide range of legal issues involving contracts, property, real estate, corporate law, wrongful death, and fraud, to name a few. Additionally, about 20 percent of the caseload of the Ulster County Supreme Court gets assigned to the sitting Surrogate's Court Judge. Sharon Graff possesses the necessary experience & qualifications to carry out the duties of Surrogate Court Judge .I, as a member of the Ulster County Democratic Committee, urge your support for Sharon Graff in the Democratic Party Primary on Sept. 13th.

Dan Conna
Plattekill

This letter is to express a positive outlook on the game Pokemon Go, which has received negative media attention as of late.

As a teenager, I have played the game and am fond of it. I believe the media is showing only one side of the story: the negative side.

There are many positive aspects of the game, like getting people who do not go outside frequently to go on a jog to hatch their eggs in the game. Such exercise could help improve on attempts to decrease obesity rates. Also, the game encourages people to visit points of interest and parks in their communities, some of which may be underutilized.

I believe coverage of the game has not been fair. I would encourage people to find out the more positive aspects of the game.

Jack Harting
Latham