Letter to the Editor - January 10 2013

If only he was doing the speed limit ...

Sharon Road in Millerton is a lovely country road and is a common route for those traveling between Millerton, N.Y.,  and Sharon, Conn., for work or pleasure.

A section of this road, maybe a half mile or so, runs alongside Indian Lake where there are several seasonal cottages that have been there for close to 100 years. Some of the cottages are tucked into a narrow slip of land between the road and the water so they can take advantage of Indian Lake and all the wonderful things associated with it — including bald eagles, which started making regular appearances last summer on the north end of the lake. We happen to own one of these cottages which has been a labor of love and much enjoyment for us, our families and our friends for over 40 years.

Unfortunately, on the morning of Jan. 4, our cottage was struck by an out-of-control vehicle and sustained substantial damage to the porch, kitchen and bedroom areas. Yes, you may be wondering about the driver — a young person who from what I hear is going to be OK, and will probably never travel that stretch of road again. But the moral of the story here is that this person was driving way too fast, and that seems to be the norm, and not the exception, for this stretch of Sharon Road.

This is not the first time something like this has happened, as there have been several accidents over the past years causing property damage to some of our neighbors along this stretch of Sharon Road. We plead with law enforcement personnel yearly about the speeding on this stretch of Sharon Road, only to be told they are stretched too thin to do much about it such as setting up radar traps and writing tickets. It is very unfortunate that we can’t get some kind of support as we pay school and county taxes every year just like full-time Millerton residents without ever having a child attend school here, and we support local business in Millerton, Amenia and nearby Litchfield County by spending several thousand dollars every year at local restaurants, retailers and the like.

So what I am asking here is, if you travel Sharon Road on a regular basis — please note the speed limit is 35 mph for the portion of this road that runs along Indian Lake. You might be surprised how enjoyable you find this picturesque road while doing the speed limit, and we and our neighbors along this stretch will be most grateful.

And if you think this is not a big deal, then please pull over and take a look at our cottage at 432 Sharon Road and you might understand when I first laid eyes on it after the accident tears started to stream down my face, and tears are starting once again as I write this, knowing what a monumental task it will be to get our place up and running once again.

Rebecca and
Robert O’Connell
New Paltz and Millerton

Christmas mission accomplished in Amenia

On Dec. 22, 2012, 91 families received Christmas food boxes at the South Amenia Parish Hall. Each box contained a week’s supply of food, matched to the size of the receiving family. Other items such as detergent, toothpaste, diapers and formula where needed, and winter hats and mittens were also included.

Members of the South Amenia Presbyterian Church organize the distribution annually, but it is made possible only by the generosity of many people from several communities, who donate their money and time.

We thank all these kind folk, some of whom have given for many years. Included are the Amenia Lions Club; Adopt-a-Family; the Lola Sherman Foundation; the VFW Auxiliary of Dover Plains; Harlem Valley Sand and Gravel; Taylor Oil, Inc.; and many individual contributors.

 We also appreciate and thank:

• All those who drove trucks to get the food, sorted it, filled boxes and made deliveries to families who were unable to pick up their boxes. The Boy Scouts and their leaders not only packed boxes but also did a lot of carrying to cars;

• The students and teachers at Webutuck who gave hats and mittens (and food at Thanksgiving);

• The members of the Friendship Center at South Amenia who donated hats and mittens;

• The elders of the church and others who made the many phone calls necessary to contact the recipients.

Beyond this, it was possible to aid so many families only because of the great support of Sunday in the Country and its many contributors, and the management and staff of Freshtown of Amenia, who are especially appreciated.

 Thank you all!

Althea Meade
Clerk of session for South Amenia Presbyterian Church
Wassaic

Food baskets from the Bus Garage

Four years ago the Webutuck Bus Garage (drivers, monitors, the dispatcher and mechanics) talked with each other and decided to do something special for the children on our buses and their families. We decided to make food baskets, with Santa helping to deliver them from a school bus. We need permission to use a bus from the Board of Education, and they have let us do so each year ... thank you.

Our first year was crazy; we were able to do 10 families, food baskets only. The next two years we were able to do 13 food baskets along with a few toys. This year I went to my boss, Jerry Heiser, to see if it would be OK to ask the public to help us in our food and toy drive for the baskets. We got the OK to sit outside of Freshtown (Amenia) and Grand Union (Millerton) and then placed three boxes at local businesses: Little Professors, Talk of the Towne Deli and Ritchie’s Deli. Next we asked 13 local businesses if they would make a donation, and they did: Harlem Valley Sand and Gravel; Jack’s Auto; Ritchie’s Deli; Jessica’s Salon; Northeast Muffler; Metro Cafe; Basil’s Auto; Talk of the Towne Deli; Millerton Getty; Country Gardeners; Saperstein’s; K & B Performance; and the Round Tuit.

We were blown away by the response of money, toys, balls, toy trucks and food, food, food. Don’t know what else to say but thank you, thank you, thank you for providing 16 families and 38 children a very Merry Christmas.

I am proud to be a Webutuck bus driver. I am proud to live in my community, which truly cares for each other, and I am proud to raise my sons here.

Thank you everyone who helped make this a big success! It truly means a lot to me and my co-workers.

Christine Ford
Webutuck Bus Driver
Wassaic

Please, careful what you say

You could be kind to consider in an issue that deals with mass killings by guns (that same day an attack took place in China and 17 children were stabbed ­— not much difference/big difference) — in the same issue was another article regarding the supermarket that ended with Trotta’s words that “a silver bullet wasn’t enough — we need multiple bullets to fix this.”

Words, even expressions, lay the ground for meaning and action.

Arthur Moshlak
Millerton