The closing of the Advantage After School program and loss of funding will have a huge economic impact on the area. Twenty (20) good paying jobs, the benefit of "free" childcare and enhancements for 110 younger children, daily supervision and activities for older students, have all been lost. The impact of this on parent's pocket books as well as the change in the overall quality of life in Ellenville remains to be seen but is not expected to be positive.

It was once said that you can gauge the quality of a community by how they care for the oldest and the youngest sectors of the population. This community has asked for a Youth Center in every major survey conducted within the community for years. Consistent, year round, teen programming and venues for such programming are non-existent in this community. Surveys show parents want a community center, teens want supervised activities and the community needs them for our continued economic development and growth. As the town and village struggle to re-vitalize the area, the lack of activities for older youth and their presence on the streets will not be appealing to new businesses and families who are considering moving into our community

. With the many empty buildings available in Ellenville, and funding available for so many other projects, it would seem that a center for our youth would be a priority, and would have already become a reality. The Ellenville Partnership Project, along with the Shawangunk Valley Kiwanis Club, are making this a top priority. We need YOU, the parents, students and community members of the Ellenville/Wawarsing area, to attend our local government (town and village) board meetings, voice your opinions and express your support and desire for a Youth Center. Many local organizations and agencies already providing services for youth are interested and committed to help make this happen. However, what is needed more than anything else is for our families, community leaders and those who are invested in improving the quality of life for all who live here, to step up and make this dream a reality.

If you can contribute to this cause in any way please contact: Lori @ 647-7743.

Please check this website to find out where/when these meetings are held or to contact us via email: www.ellenvillepartnership.homestead.com

Together, we can make a difference.

Susan Nibe, President, Shawangunk Valley, Kiwanis
Stephanie Beaver, Chair, Ellenville Partnership Project

Its an amazing thing to observe as the priority projects are not a top priority. Correct me, if I am wrong. And if they are, why do so little people know about it? A few days ago, at the local radio station, Dennis in his usual "what's happening around us" at minimum six times mentioned how the Saugerties Town Board will handle the problem with the parking lots in their village. Of course they have a problem. People travel there all the time. They have motels and hotels. They have main street with shops which have clean windows, lights and merchandise that looks inviting. So, they have a parking problem.

My question is: IS IT OUR PROBLEM? I DON'T THINK SO. Why did Dennis not said anything about Minnewaska Park? There is still time to call, email, write and demand. Why did he not inform the community how to contact Minnewaska and State officials? An argument that the State does not have money is not our problem.They have money for the comprehensive plan, for other entrances in the park. How much exactly it will cost to make an official entrance? Or whatever else will take to turn some tourism and hikers, professional hikers, with money, toward our Village?

I receive emails about art openings in the Village. I hear on the radio what's happening around the Wawarsing. What's wrong with this picture? Well, like it or not, the art, in the shape its presented in the Village, brought nothing substantial at this point. When I will see the actual artist opening a full time studio with the front store in the Village I will apologize, but not until then. Dennis, pass Kerhonkson radio does not work. So why do you think locals want to know about the Saugerties? Do you want them to go there? You know, we can solve their problem and rent them parking lot at the Napanoch Mall. We have plenty of parking here.

Use your email address book to promote the importance of Minnewaska Park. Its not a small thing to show the state we mean business. When, at what point we will start to demand what is righteously ours?

Bella Volchik
Napanoch

According to an opinion piece in the October 8, 2009 Shawangunk Journal by Joseph Zankl, "The current administration and congress are trying to take over completely and it seems that they are unwilling to listen to the American people." Yes, President Obama and the Democratic majority in congress did win the last election when the American people spoke with their votes and gave them a mandate for change.

"This government is trying to push down our throats a government-run health care system." Yes, our elected government was given a mandate to reform our health care system, which is broken, and they are trying to do it.

A word on what a mandate is. It used to be that you needed to defeat the other guy by a large percentage of the popular vote, like when Lyndon Johnson defeated Goldwater in 19664 with around 60% of the popular vote. But George W. Bush claimed a mandate in 2000 when the other guy actually got more votes. So that part of the definition has gone by the boards and people now concentrate on large electoral margins. Obama defeated McCain 365 to 173 in electoral votes this past election and that qualifies as a mandate, without question.

What can you do with a mandate? Well, Bush, for one, with no mandate for anything spent (a ten year cost) $2.4 trillion on tax cuts (mostly) for the wealthiest of us, and he spent untold trillions on a war of choice in Iraq. Oh yes, according to Ed Rollins (Republican) "President Clinton left George W. Bush with a budget surplus. President Bush left President Obama with a deficit getting close to $2 trillion." He did all this with an imaginary mandate.

What is Obama seeking to do with his true mandate, that is so objectionable to Mr. Zankle? He is trying to follow through on, probably, his biggest campaign promise, health care reform. Public opinion polls show that 65% of the American people and a majority of doctors support the public option. I would call that "listening to the American people."

Let me be clear: he ran on reforming health care, he won the election, he gets to do what he ran on. Elections have consequences.

Incidentally, according to the Congressional Budget Office the 10-year cost of the bill that passed the Senate Finance Committee was $829 billion (less than a trillion) and would reduce federal deficits by $81 billion over a decade.

That's my opinion.

Lee Augustine
Wawarsing