ROSENDALE – On Sunday, July 25 at 7 p.m., Richard E. Schultz, Jr., 33, of Kingston, and Kirk H. Aegenheyster, 34, of Highland, were arrested by the Rosendale Police for hanging a 20 x 30 foot banner on the Rosendale railroad trestle owned by the Wallkill Valley Land Trust. The high-flying, hand-painted message said, "Frack No—Expropriate the Oil Companies and No Funny Shtuff!"

This year was the first year that a Rosendale Street Festival flag designed by Steve Laden was not hung due to the trestle's current renovation. However, this was not the reason that Schultz and Aegenheyster decided to put up their own banner at approximately 5:30 pm right before the Festival's conclusion.

Schultz said the unofficial banner, which actually was left hanging until Monday, was suspended to make a statement and create public awareness of the dangers of "fracking," also known as "hydraulic fracturing," a process in which water — sometimes containing contaminants such as benzene — is pumped into the ground to fracture rock deep underground, thereby freeing natural gas deposits. Critics of the process feel that it constitutes a significant threat to the aquifers and watersheds that supply drinking water to millions of people.

Schultz said that, on the night in question, he was rappelling down from hanging the banner, while Aegenheyster was on the ground taking photos, when they were approached by the police officers. However, to add humor to the endeavor, Schultz said he was initially detained by a raccoon that actually obstructed his departure before the law officials came upon the scene. "It must have been a sign," Schultz said.

Schultz said the officers told them not to run or they'd be Tasered; however, he stated that he had no intention of trying to run or avoid the officers. Rosendale Police Chief Perry Soule said that the officers are instructed to use a Taser as it is a tool that causes the least amount of injury — however he stated it does not have to be used if a person doesn't try to flee.

Soule also said that the two men were completely cooperative and there was no problems at the scene or afterward.

"The gentleman were very, very polite; they have their beliefs and they wanted to erect the sign, but it's [trestle] off limits at this time and we had to arrest them," Soule stated.

Soule added, "Obviously the trestle is closed until they repair and re-open it, and the police will enforce it to avoid any injuries due to the trestle's height."

According to Schultz, "The officers were really great. They were startled at first [at what we had done] and then asked why we were doing it. I told them that we wanted our kids to have clean water in the future and didn't want to have to buy Evian while our waters were being contaminated," Shultz, the father of a 4˝ year old daughter, said.

Schultz also hoped it would get people to be more vocal about the irresponsible methods used by private oil companies that have caused contamination of the earth's resources for years. He mentioned the recent British Petroleum (BP) devastation and also cited that he feels the public is not being given proper information about the true effectiveness of BP's latest capping solution.

"These private resources are the main problem; they are being irresponsible with everyone's well-being," Schultz said adding, "Oil is the people's natural resource — it belongs to us — but these companies have the apparatus to get them [natural resources] out of the earth. I think the only solution is to expropriate [or nationalize] the big oil companies."

He declared that this was his impetus for putting up the banner and feels that if the people had more "say-so" they'd have more control.

Defendants Schultz and Aegenheyster were hand-cuffed and taken to the Rosendale Police Headquarters on LeFevre Falls Road in Rosendale where their photos and fingerprints were taken. They were released on their own recognizance. They are charged with criminal trespassing in the 3rd degree, a class-B misdemeanor. Both men were issued appearance tickets to appear on Tuesday, August 3, at the Rosendale Justice Court before Judge Robert Vosper.