Vol. 127, No. 10 Alfred, Allegany County, New York State, U.S.A. 14802 Thursday, March 8, 2012 Inside
Ted Root, Hazel Brown ...Pg.2 A favorite salad ...Pg.3 Disagree with guest editorial ...Pg.4 Musical offerings in area ...Pg.5 Wait A Minute...on fracking...Pg.7 It’s for the Birds ...Pg.14 Another Saxon in NFL? ...Pg.15 Area swimmer dominates...Pg.16
This photo was taken at the Allegany County Picnic held in Daven- port, FL. In the photo reading The Alfred Sun, from left to right are: Gene Ormsby, Marilyn (Zirkelbach) Cimino, Don Coleman, Jean (Carpenter) Brown, Galen and Bet- sey (Burdett) Stout, James Dunn, Diane and Bob Davison.
Allegany County Florida Picnic...
T he “A pretty darn good newspaper serving Alfred since 1883” A lfred S un
Of the Community. By the Community. For the Community.
Official Newspaper of Town and Village of Alfred and Alfred-Almond Central School District $1
ALFRED- Professor Tom Stolberg of Alfred State’s Business Department met with Honors Program members on Feb. 20 with a simple but startling promise: by using the ‘miracle’ of compounding interest in tax-deferred index accounts held over many years, ordinary people can amass very significant amounts of money by retirement age, even considering current low interest rates. Using basic math and easily understood concepts, Stolberg provided examples of how a student could use dollar cost averaging to begin investing now, even on a very limited budget. Stolberg’s presentation is based on his popular personal finance course taught at Alfred State for many years.
Pictured from left are Stolberg and Haomiao Yu, Brooklyn.
Lions Club President Bill Emrick (right), ASC President John Anderson (center) and ASC Vice President for Academic Affairs, Stephen Havlovic.
Alfred State president updates Lions on life at State
By BRAD BOWDEN of the Alfred Lions Club ALFRED--John Anderson, President of Alfred State College, was the guest speaker at the Thursday, Feb. 23 meeting of the Alfred Lions Club. His com- ments focused on the numerous changes in the academic pro- grams and physical facilities that have been occurring at ASC dur- ing the past four years.
He emphasized that project- based learning was the corner- stone of the campus curriculum, and that working on ‘real-world problems’ helped students ‘to think, not what to think.’ He stated that the major problem many people have in seeking em- ployment now is that they don’t have the appropriate skills for the types of available jobs. His sub- sequent remarks focused on ini- tiatives in the Institute for Sustainability and its two campus Centers, the Center for Renew- able Energy and the Center for Organic and Sustainable Agricul- ture (COSA).
The center-piece for the Center for Renewable Energy is the stu- dent built Zero Energy Demon- stration Home on the Wellsville campus that enabled students to learn about, implement and oper- ate green building standards and energy efficient and renewable energy systems.
Another example of a student project incorporating renewable energy and efficiency into pro- gram curricula was rebuilding and converting donated cars into either electric cars or hybrids, and entering them into regional and national competitions.
An example of an off campus activity in which students have and will continue to work with faculty on a ‘real world problem’
is a cooperative agreement with the U.S. National Arboretum to develop and install alternative en- ergy systems as part of their goal to ‘go green’.
The Center for Organic and Sustainable Agriculture facilities on Route 244 is undergoing both removal of older buildings and
construction of a new state of the art barn. The primary focus of COSA will be to compare two genetically matched herds of Holstein cows.
One herd will be raised with all the energy-related costs of com- mercial fertilizers, plowing/fertil- izing/cultivating fields, and harvesting feed crops for the
herd, and annually spending
$25,000 for bedding.
The organic herd will feed strictly on grass and bed on shredded campus (and perhaps community) waste paper pro- duced by a commercial sized shredder. Soiled paper bedding would be composted. COSA also has 300 acres and a new barn
ALFRED—Registration for Summer School classes at Al- fred University begins Monday, March 15.
This year’s schedule includes a variety of popular undergradu- ate and graduate courses. Areas of concentration include the arts, chemistry, education, engineer- ing, and foreign language.
Undergraduate courses in- clude Metal Casting, Glass Con- nects, Business Statistics, General Chemistry, Software Engineering, Kinetic Wood Sculpture, Thermodynamics I &
II, Heat Transfer, Physics I, Intro to World Religions, Spanish I &
II, and Introduction to Theatre.
Summer Sessions are also available in an online and “hy- brid” format. These are online courses with some required on- campus meeting dates. The first class meeting day, time, and lo- cation will be indicated in the description. Subsequent required class meeting days and times will be included in the course
along Route 390 in Groveland that will be used as a small scale farm model to demonstrate how to operate sustainable organic agricultural businesses.
Anderson emphasized the im- portance of weaving civic en- gagement projects and development of leadership skills into curricular and campus activ- ities to enhance students’ ability to work effectively in employ- ment concerned with sustainabil- ity issues.
He described a new student union building to open in 2013 that, among other features, would contain 13 leadership suites for clubs and organizations that will submit projects and plans indicat- ing how their proposals will con- tribute to developing leadership skills. He would like every ASC student to have what he termed a
‘Life Transforming Experience’
through one or more civic en- gagement experiences during college.
As examples he cited the vet- erinary club raising money and going to Haiti to help rebuild a hospital and take care of animals and, more locally, students in the heavy equipment curriculum working with Broome County to redirect a stream bed to prevent future flooding.
Registration begins March 15 for AU Summer School classes
syllabus.
Courses offered in this format are identified with an asterisk in the list on the summer school courses pages Web site, which is
accessible through
www.alfred.edu/summer/school/
. Summer Session I will run from Monday, May 14-Friday, June 22. Summer Session II will run from Monday, June 25-Fri- day, Aug. 3.
Classes are open to current Al- fred University students, incom- ing freshmen, transfer students, and undergraduate and graduate students from other colleges and universities. Registration can be done online for current AU stu- dents through the Banner Web system.
Housing is available during both the first and second ses- sions but should be requested at least four weeks prior to the start of classes.
Meal plans are not available for the first session and may not
be available for the second ses- sion but the Cyber Fresh Café in Powell Campus Center will be open for lunch during the week.
For summer residents, the suites and apartments have kitchen fa- cilities.
Studying at AU over the sum- mer allows students to complete a full semester course within a few weeks, concentrate on one course without the burden of a heavy course load, and can lighten students’ course loads in the fall and spring.
Students can also make up a failed course, get more individ- ualized attention, advance aca- demic standing, and take graduate courses to prepare for graduate study.
General questions about Sum- mer School may be directed to the Office of Summer Programs at 607.871.2616 or summer- [email protected], where costs and registration forms may also be found.
2 THE ALFRED SUN, Thursday, March 8, 2012
OBITUARIES
A LFRED
P OLICE
R EPORT
ALFRED
Weather for the Week
February 27-March 4 Feb. Hi Lo Precip. Snow
27 48 20 0 0
28 38 26 0 0
29 39 30 .43” 0.2”
March
1 38 32 .03” 0.1”
2 43 31 .25” 0
3 45 27 Trace Trace 4 28 11 .02” 0.4”
February Summary High Temperature: 56 (2/1) Low Temperature 8 (2/12) Average High Temp: 37 Average Low Temp: 22 Total Precipitation 0.71”
Total Snowfall 6.4”
By JOHN BUCKWALTER Alfred Area Weather Recorder
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HORNELL HEARING Center owner Dr. Krisa Szalc welcomes new customers at her firm with offices in Hornell, Dansville and Warsaw.
Recent arrests made by the Al- fred Police Department include:
--Sarah L. Dykstra, 18, of Bellingham, MA and Bryan D.
Adams, 19, of Randolph, were each charged with 2nd degree criminal trespassing and mali- cious mischief. The two were ar- rested after Police discovered the two individuals inside a South Main Street house in which the residents were on va- cation. After a brief investiga- tion, it was determined that Dykstra and Adams threw a brick through the front door win- dow and gained entry to the dwelling. Both were issued ap- pearance tickets returnable to Village Court on March 21.
For an emergency, DIAL 911.
HORNELL--Dr. Krista Szalc recently acquired a local audiol- ogy practice, namely the Hor- nell, Dansville and Warsaw Hearing Centers, formerly known as ABK Audiology.
The practice was originally founded about 33 years ago and has been offering clinical audi- ology and hearing aid dispensing services by professional audiol- ogists ever since.
Dr. Barbara Klatt, the former owner of ABK Audiology, will be moving out of the area in an effort to be closer to her family.
The offices will continue to be known as the Hornell, Dansville and Warsaw Hearing Centers.
Krista Szalc, an original na- tive of Alfred, is the daughter of Alan and Judy Burdick. Dr.
Szalc completed her bachelor of arts degree in communication sciences and disorders from SUNY Fredonia in 2001 and her doctor of audiology degree at Towson University in 2006.
Since then, she has worked in various settings including a fast paced Ear, Nose and Throat Practice in Alexandria, VA and a private audiology and dispens- THEODORE D.
“TED” ROOT Long-time State Trooper ALMOND—Theodore D.
“Ted” Root, 79, of 1 South Main St., Almond, died Saturday after- noon (March 3, 2012) at Hornell Gardens, following a long ill- ness.
Born in Livonia, on Feb. 25, 1933, he was the son of Donald and Loleta Root.
Ted grew up in Atlanta, and was a graduate of Naples High School (Class of 1951). He later graduated from New York State Trooper Academy in Syracuse.
He was a veteran of the U.S.
Navy, serving his country during the Korean Conflict. He had resided in Almond for the past 53 years.
From 1962–1982, Ted served as a New York State Trooper working out of the Almond Sub Station for most of those years.
Following his retirement from the troopers, he was employed for several years as a bartender at the Hornell Elks Lodge and for about 15 years worked for A.L. Blades in Hornell.
Ted was a member of the American Association of State Troopers and was a former member of the Hornell Elks Lodge. He enjoyed visiting the casinos and had made a few trips to Atlantic City and many mem- orable trips to the casinos in Salamanca. He also enjoyed staying in touch with his many friends via email and also play- ing solitaire on the computer.
He was preceded in death by his son, T. Donald Root and also his grandson, Eric Drake.
Ted was married on Jan. 16, 1959 to the former Wilma Mullen who survives. Also sur- viving are his daughter, Terri Jean Root Hirt of Olathe, KS;
two step-sons, Jerry (Kathy) Drake of Almond, and Guy (Eileen) Drake of Wellsville; one half-brother, Bob Gleason of Hawaii; two step-brothers, Stan (Phyllis) Raphburn of Atlanta, and Charlie (Gloria) Raphburn of Naples; eight grandchildren, Ashley Hirt, Nate Hirt, Paul (Terri) Drake, Mary Bess (Shawn) Clark, Matthew Drake, Michelle Drake, Brian Drake and Greg Drake; eight great- grandchildren; one great-great- granddaughter; several nieces and nephews.
At Ted’s request there will be no calling hours. Private services will be held at the convenience of the family. Funeral arrange- ments are in care of the Dagon
Funeral Home, 38 Church St., Hornell.
Ted’s family request that me- morial contributions in his name be made to Southern Tier Hos- pice, 11751 East Corning Rd., Corning, N.Y. 14830.
To leave an online condolence or share a memory of Ted, visit www.dagonfuneralhome.com
DAMON CHESTER LAWRENCE COHEN
A kind and gentle soul W E L L S V I L L E - - D a m o n Chester Lawrence Cohen died at age 59 on Saturday, March 3, 2012, at Hart Comfort House where he had been residing since January, 18, 2012.
Born and raised in New York City, he moved to Wellsville 20 plus years ago to be close to his mother, Laura Cohen, who re- tired from teaching in NYC and moved to her farm in Andover in the 1980’s.
Damon was a kind and gentle soul who had a wide range of talents, music, art, languages, chess, and had a passion for nat- ural foods and nutrition. He had a razor sharp wit and frequently laughed about himself and his own illness, but his humor was never mean-spirited. He had a way with animals and his love for them inspired him to become a vegetarian many years ago.
An avid follower of the teach- ings of the Indian philosopher Krishnamurti, Damon was ex- tremely concerned about societal conflict, disorder, poverty and suffering. In a collection of drawings and prose he wrote, a spirit being says, “A world is an awful thing to waste. One thing that can make a universe worth- while is a world populated by a well-developed society, perpe- trating its own goodness and that of others.”
Damon is survived by his good and closest friend of 20 years, Jean, his two sisters, Lau- retta Goforth of Brooklyn, and Robin Klados of Athens, Greece. Memorial contributions may be made in Damon’s name to Hart Comfort House, 141 East State Street, Wellsville, NY 14895.
HAZEL E. BROWN Had worked at Alfred-Almond
ALMOND/WELLSVILLE-- Hazel E. Brown, 94, passed away peacefully, Sunday (March 4, 2012) at the Wellsville Manor.
Born in Clinchco, VA, June 3, 1917, the daughter of Robert and Susie (Bartley) Marshall, she had resided in the area since 1945. Hazel had worked for Eastman Kodak Company in Tennessee, and later for the Al- fred Almond Central School as a cafeteria monitor. She enjoyed gardening, yard sales, but most of all was dedicated to her fam- ily.She was predeceased by her husband William F. Brown on March 18, 1984, her son David Brown in 1988, a sister Ruth Rose, and two brothers Bobby Jean Marshall, and Jackie Mar- shall.
She is survived by her sons John (Mary) Brown of Almond, Douglas (Mary Ann) Brown of
ing practice in Albany. More re- cently, she collaborated with other hearing health care profes- sionals by providing them with ongoing clinical training, as well as product/software training and trouble-shooting of advanced amplification systems.
Dr. Szalc recently relocated permanently back to Alfred with her husband, Jesse, and infant son, Liam, so as to be close to family and friends.
Dr. Krista Szalc is excited and passionate about offering profes- sional hearing health care serv- ices locally.
“I know from personal experi- ence that hearing problems can have negative personal and so- cial consequences for the pa- tient, as well as for their family and friends, if left untreated,”
she said, “I will strive to assist my patients in enjoying the sounds of life once again.”
If you or a loved one may be in need of a hearing evaluation to determine if there is the pres- ence of a hearing loss, please contact Dr. Szalc’s offices at 607-324-0467.
Alfred native returns to area, acquires audiology practice
Almond, Milton (Colleen) Brown of Wellsville, Gerald (Candace) Brown of Hume, and William Brown of Whitesville, many grand and great grandchil- dren and one great-great- grandchild.
The family was present from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Wednesday, March 7, 2012, at the Bender - Brown & Powers Funeral Home, 354 Canisteo St, Hornell, where a funeral service will be held today (Thursday, March 8) at 11 a.m. with Rev. Ken Chroniger officiating. Burial will be in Alfred Rural Ceme- tery.
To send a remembrance visit www.brownandpowersfuneral- homes.com, the family is being assisted by Chester A. Gosper IV director.
Friends may make memorial contributions to the charity of the donor’s choice.
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THE ALFRED SUN, Thursday, March 8, 2012 3
[Editor’s Note: While Ellen is away, Patty Harvey Curran has agreed to share some recipes with our readers from her vast collec- tion. Anyone who has visited her home can attest to her hobby of collecting cookbooks.]
By PATTY HARVEY CURRAN Guest Columnist
I got this recipe from a “recipe swap” years ago. It’s one of my favorites--and a good winter salad.
Donna Traylor’s Broccoli Salad Salad:
1 lg. head broccoli, broke into flowerettes 1 c. raisins
1 c. chopped red onion
1/2 lb. bacon, cooked/crumbled Dressing:
3 T. sugar
3 T. red wine vinegar 3/4 c. mayonnaise
Toss vegetables. Mix dressing and whip smooth. Pour over salad just before serving. Delicious! Note: I sometimes add sunflower seeds, craisins and/or a cut up apple.
A good winter salad from recipe swap
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In the center of this photo is a dense clump of leaves, juicy and bril- liantly green against a bright blue sky. It is mistletoe, greening up the gnarly leafless branches of its host. Wish the Sun's readers could see the colors! Mineral Lake State Park in Texas. We are loving Texas...and the SUN! [Editor’s Note: This editor is wondering what Bob and Sherry were doing under a tree filled with mistletoe.]
HALEY HART (left) of Wellsville’s Hart’s Jewelry had the op- portunity, along with her father, William Hart (right) to visit with famous French designer Frederic Duclos (center), at the Independent Jewelers Organization’s Spring Conference in Or- lando, Florida recently.
ALFRED STATION--The March program of Baker's Bridge Historical Association will begin at 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 19. All those interested in the history of the area are invited to join us at the Meeting House at 5971 Hamilton Hill Rd., Al- fred Station, for a presentation by Allegany County historian, Craig Braack.
Mr. Braack's topic will be
"Architectural Styles of Area Homes" and will focus on house
ALMOND--The Alfred Fra- ternal Association of University Lodge #230, F&AM and Kanakadea-McArthur Chapter
#242, Order of the Eastern Star, State of New York recently held events to raise money to support their building on Karr Valley Road, Almond.
The Association thanks every- one who participated in making these events successful, and sup- porting Masonry and Eastern Star. The next Pan Steak dinner will be Friday, March 9.
County Historian Craig Braack to talk at Baker’s Bridge meeting
styles in the Alfred and Alfred Station area from the late 1790's to about 1910. Specific styles and local/regional examples of each style will include Georgian, Federal, Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, Cobblestone, Octagon, Italian Villa, Mansard and Queen Anne. Mentioned briefly will be the ranch style homes of the 20th century.
For more information about Baker's Bridge Association, visit www.bakersbridge.org
WELLSVILLE--William Hart, owner of Hart’s Jewelry in Wellsville, recently attended a series of educational seminars, workshops, and courses at the Independent Jewelers Organiza- tion’s Spring Conference held in Orlando, Florida.
Hart, accompanied by his daughter and employee Haley Hart, also had the opportunity to preview the lines of more than 150 top manufacturers and jew-
ALFRED--“Conversation for Alfred Rural Cemetery Memo- rial Day Service” will take place at 7 p.m. Monday, March 26 in the Christian Education Build- ing of the Alfred Station Seventh Day Baptist Church. All are wel- comed to come and share in this conversation. For further infor- mation please call 607-587- 9545.
The church is located at 587 Route 244 in Alfred Station. The Christian Education Building is the red brick building adjacent to the church.
WELLSVILLE--March was first proclaimed Red Cross Month in 1943 by Franklin D.
Roosevelt, and since then Presi- dent Obama and every other president has designated March as Red Cross Month. March is a great time to remember how you can help the Red Cross - we de- pend on the support of the com- munity to help those in need.
For over 130 years the Red Cross has been helping people down the street, across the coun- try, and around the world.
Thanks to the generous sup- port in our counties, the Ameri- can Red Cross is able to respond to disasters both large and small, help members of the military, veterans and their families, pro- vide blood for those in need and teach lifesaving skills.
The American Red Cross de- pends on support of the people across the nation to be able to continue its work. The Red Cross is not a government agency; it relies on donations of time, money and blood to do its work and help those in need across the United States and the world. The Red Cross relies on more than a half a million volun- teers to accomplish its mission.
An average of 91 cents of every dollar given to the Red Cross is invested into humanitarian serv- ices and programs.
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Memorial Day meeting set Monday, March 26
‘Red Cross Month’
started in 1943
Pan steak dinner set for Friday, March 9
Current Exhibition March 2nd - April 6th
“Natural Forms”
Fred Beckhorn Art Supplies Framing Fine Art Gallery
www.ar¥istknot.com 36 Main St¢eet * Andover elry designers who were exhibit- ing their merchandise. Many of these designers and their mer- chandise are exclusive to Master IJO Jeweler members and is not available from any other stores in this area.
Hart then carefully selected many unique and exciting items for the Spring season that are sure to delight customers. In- cluded in this group is merchan- dise from famous French
designer Frederic Duclos, New York state bridal manufacture Unique Design INC, and wed- ding ring manufacture Bench- mark INC.
IJO (www.ijo.com) is an inter- national buying group and edu- cational organization of independent retail jewelers with almost 900 members worldwide.
Its group buying power enables members to offer customers the finest in high-quality jewelry and loose diamonds at tremen- dous savings, while maintaining the reliability and integrity of an independent retail jeweler.
Hart’s Jewelry is Allegany County’s exclusive Master IJO Jeweler member located at 148 N. Main St., Wellsville.
Hart’s Jewelry attends IJO conference
4 THE AlFRED SUN, Thursday, March 8, 2012
Official Newspaper of the Village of Alfred, the Town of Alfred and the Alfred-Almond Central School District.
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764 ROUTE244 AlFRED(TINkERTOWN) SNAIl-MAIl:PO BOX811, AlFRED, NY 14802-0811
PHONE: 607-587-8110 FAX 607-587-8113 E-MAIl: [email protected]
David L. Snyder, Editor & Publisher
The Alfred Sun is published weekly except for two weeks during the summer by Twin Creek Publishing, Box 811, Alfred, NY 14802.
Second Class Postage paid at Alfred Station, NY 14803.
Member, New York Press Association Member, Alfred Business Association
Contributors:
Betsy Brooks, Lana Meissner, Elaine Hardman, Graham Marks, Tammy Kokot, Doug Lorow, Matt Mueller, Linda Lewandowski, Leo
Nealon, Donna Ryan, Amanda Snyder, Ben Howard, Ellen Shultz, Sherry Volk, Mary Lu Wells, Linda Staiger, Alfred State College,Al-
fred University, Alfred-Almond Central School and many more.
How to Subscribe or Renew Your Subscription:
$30 a year in Allegany County, $33 outside.
To Order, send a check with mailing address to:
Alfred Sun Subscription, Box 811, Alfred, NY 14802.
For advertising rates, call 607-587-8110, fax request to 607- 587-8113 or e-mail: [email protected]
T he A lfred S un
Of the Community. By the Community. For the Community.
“A pretty darn good newspaper serving Alfred since 1883”
POSTMASTER:
Send address changes to:
Alfred Sun, Box 811, Alfred, NY 14802
Is This the Norm or Just a Fluke?
How can I learn right without contraception?
I’m sure being pregnant would warp my perception That life here in law school is all fun and games, Not spending time worried about baby names, Or diapers or Onesies or bottles or nursing, Or making a living or tightening the purse-string…
I’ll go broke buying birth control all by myself (Brand-name prescription, not that stuff off-the-shelf), Cuz you know I’m a college kid; therefore, I’m poor, And standing right outside of deathstitute’s door;
Yes, you know I’m a college kid (and, therefore, wild), So I shouldn’t be having, uh…you know…a child – But that shouldn’t stop me from coming to know Mike, Brandon, Matt, Andy, Tyler, and Joe,
And, well, I could go on, but then why should I bother?
No chance they would ever, by chance, be a father – As long as you’re with us and paying the bills For our condom-at-a-minium, and also for pills.
And maybe, just maybe, I’ll find me a buddy –
Some night when it’s boring – and stay up and study…
Which I hope won’t turn out just to warp my perception That law school’s for learning to use contraception.
~O:> Nonysense
“TAX CAP” BUDGETING
I was on vacation from February 18th to February 26th. It was good to get away, even though things were especially busy both be- fore and after the vacation. I arranged my vacation so I wouldn’t miss any Board meetings or Committee meetings, which meant I had to be back by February 27th. That Board meeting began with the Pledge of Allegiance, which was led by Army Staff Sergeant Timothy Filkins. Later in the meeting we learned that Tim is leaving active military duty, after serving in capacities, including foreign deployments, involving use of foreign languages (Serbian and Farsi) and top secret clearances. We owe a debt of gratitude to Tim, and those like him, who have given so much of their lives to protect our nation. I wish him the best as he returns to civilian life in the coming months.
The Board considered 11 resolutions covering a wide variety of topics. All resolutions were adopted unanimously. Resolution #32- 12 authorized submission of a grant application to help municipal water systems find more efficient ways to operate. Resolution #33- 12 designated the official County newspapers for 2012. Resolution
#34-12 confirmed appointments to the County Youth Board. Reso- lution #35-12 accepted the insurance proposal for “Excess/Stop Loss Insurance Coverage for the County Workers’ Compensation Self- Insurance Plan at a cost of $72,514. Resolution #36-12 accepted a federal grant for $27,300 related to reducing violence against women. Resolution #37-12 re-appropriated $3,726 of unexpended funds for the ACT II Batterers Program.
Resolution #38-12 re-appropriated unexpended funding totaling approximately $36,900 from 2008, 2009 and 2010. The funds were from the NYS Office of Homeland Security, and go to various ac- counts in the Sheriff’s Department. Resolution #39-12 re-appropri- ated $2,368.92 of unexpended funds from the Governor’s Traffic Safety Program to the Traffic Safety Program. Resolution #40-12 approved a supplemental agreement between the County and NYS DOT for the design and incidental work on the Rush Creek bridge replacement project in the Town of Hume. Resolution #41-12 au- thorized the implementation and funding of the federal and state
“Marchiselli” Program involving $1,416,000 in highway aid. This represents a major source of funding for highway maintenance and repair. Resolution #42-12 authorized the County to contract with Southern Tier West Regional Planning and Development Board to manage the administration of a NYSERDA Grant related to a
“Cleaner, Greener Communities Regional Sustainability Planning Program.”
The coming weeks will be spent trying to figure out how to deal with the new financial realities facing counties. The federal and State governments are both facing budget deficits and must cut spending.
That means less funding for mandated programs imposed upon county government. State and federal politicians don’t have the backbone to cut or eliminate popular programs, especially in an elec- tion year. That means the County is likely to face a financial “push down” from above.
Guess what happens when the State or federal government say mandated programs must be continued at current (or increased) lev- els, but cut support for those programs? In the past counties raised taxes to cover the increased local costs. The real property “tax cap”
has introduced a new dynamic into this situation since raising taxes is no longer a viable option. Since counties cannot cut mandated programs, our only option is to cut non-mandated programs. It is no longer possible to simply “freeze” costs for existing programs at current levels. It appears we must cut valuable and popular programs that we have traditionally funded.
For 2012 Allegany County’s “tax cap” number was about
$700,000. Increased costs for mandated programs were more than
$2 million. We covered the difference through cost savings, and by using about $1 million of un-appropriated fund balance. The pro- jected gap for 2013 will be even greater. Our options are to raise taxes or cut programs. My guess is that we will choose to cut non- mandated programs. Which programs should be cut? By how much?
What do you think?
I respectfully disagree
Wilderness release act
ALFRED SUN WEEKLY DEADLINE:
12 noon Monday for Thursday publication E-mail news, ads, address changes to:
[email protected] Mail ad payments, subscription renewals to:
P.O. Box 811, Alfred, NY 14802 Questions? Call 607-587-8110
To the Editor:
The editorial stance of a news- paper, including political car- toons and editorials, reflects that of its owner. I try to respect the editor’s stance. Nonetheless, I want to object publicly to the cartoon of March 1, to the guest editorial below it and to the
“humor” of Sun Spots.
I object most of all to the dis- respect shown to many of the persons mentioned specifically or obliquely—President Obama, my Muslim friends and myself.
I object to the disrespect shown to Obama’s achieve- ments, including gaining the of- fice of President of the United States. We have had some poor presidents over our 250 years, men who had little ability to think or to govern. Obama is not one of them.
President Obama was elected by a majority of our fellow Americans. Further, he did not
“force “the health care plan on us, as a “despot” would. It was voted on by the Congress.
I applaud Obama’s ability to speak other languages, some even without an accent. We know that if a child learns a lan- guage at an early age (Obama would have heard the call to prayer in childhood in Indone- sia), he or she will speak that language without an accent as an adult. I would that more of our children had such opportunities.
I also object to the disrespect shown to Muslims. The editorial writer objects to the statement that “Islam was ‘revealed.’” We also speak of Mormon scriptures as being revealed. Many reli- gions, including my own (the Religious Society of Friends) believe in continuing revelation.
Also, I believe in the adage,
“Don’t judge another until you have walked a mile in his shoes.” I enjoyed living in In-
donesia. I liked the people. I liked the way the people I knew worked for peace, raised their children, supported their fami- lies, respected one another, wel- comed and cared for our family.
Did I fear them? No.
I fear extremists, whether Muslim or Christian. I fear peo- ple who do not respect other people, who do not respect those who work hard to make their country work well. I fear people who think that their beliefs are, absolutely, more important than tolerance and compassion.
If the Afghans had come in and bombed and burned much of the United States, killing thou- sands of us, then burned our Bibles (or our Shakespeares) after we made it clear that those books are precious to us, without consulting us (as the Americans might have consulted with Afghans, if indeed, the Korans contained harmful messages along the margins) I’d be angry, too. America staged a revolution when we thought King George did not respect us. Are we Amer- icans still in “the barbarous Age of Bronze” or are we now in the barbarous age of spent uranium and land mines?
I object to unexamined as- sumptions throughout the car- toon and editorial:
• that the entire United States government is bloated.
• that current attempts to im- prove our medical system and its costs are to be denigrated.
• that “This . . . mandate . . . mandates that we all (my em- phasis) violate our consciences.”
• that only people who hold the particular beliefs of the edi- torial stance have consciences.
Sharon Hoover Lewes, DE (formerly of North Almond)
To Whom It May Concern:
There is a lot of misinforma- tion being bantered about con- cerning H.R. 1581, the Wilderness and Roadless Area Release Act of 2011. Contrary to what opponents may have you believe, the bill -- which is now being considered in Congress -- wouldn’t open 43 million acres of public land to interests that would decimate it. The bill
would merely allow federal land managers to re-evaluate the 43 million acres of public land in question to determine what uses, if any, should be allowed, with input from the local community.
The Wilderness and Roadless Area Release Act involves 6.7 million acres managed by the federal Bureau of Land Manage- ment (BLM) and on 36.1 million acres of U.S. Forest Service (USFS) land that was evaluated for strict congressional Wilder- ness land-use designations.
The federal agencies have de- termined the 43 million acres aren't suitable for Wilderness designation, which is one of the strictest forms of public land management. Yet because of various laws and rules, they must continue to strictly manage the land as de facto Wilderness until Congress "releases" it for consideration for other possible uses.
In fact, U.S. Sen. John Bar- rasso (R-Wyo.) stated in a hear- ing of the National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Sub- committee of the House Natural Resources Committee that the bill doesn’t dictate what will or won’t happen on the released lands. Rather, he said, it returns management to the respective agencies using well-established criteria.
It provides them the flexibility to manage our public lands for a multitude of activities, including responsible motorized recre- ation.
BLM Director Robert Abbey and Harris Sherman, Under Sec- retary for Natural Resources and Environment, Department of Agriculture, agreed.
Sincerely, Wayne Allard Vice President for Government Relations American Motorcyclist Assn.
Former U.S. Senate and U.S.
House member from Colorado
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Moonlighter
Restaurant Guide...8 Entertainment...8-9 Movie listings...9 Classified Ads...11 Years Ago...12
Alfred Sun’s Second Section--Entertainment, Classified Advertising, Etc., Etc.
Week of March 8-March 14, 2012 ALFRED SUN, PO Box 811, 764 Route 244, Alfred, NY 14802 607-587-8110
Singer-songwriter Jeff Varga considers himself a troubadour, and says his sound is “very Woody-like”. Hear him on Sat., March 10th at Black-Eyed Susan Acoustic Café.
“Nothing Fancy But Guaran- teed Authentic!" “V”–The Gypsy Cowbelle” will perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 9 at Black-Eyed Susan Acoustic Café.
CAROLANN SOLEBELLO and PAT WICTOR will perform at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 17 at Wellsville Creative Arts Cen- ter.
Amy Gallatin & Stillwaters will be performing on Friday, March 9 at the Wellsville Creative Arts Center. Show starts at 8pm. Advanced tickets are $12, $14 at door. Members save an additional $2. Tickets may be purchased online at www.Wellsvil- leCreativeArtsCenter.com or at the Art Center Coffee House.
For more information visit the website or call (585) 593-3000.
The two are enhanced by the recent addition of Roger's son J.D., who--in the time-honored tradition of musical consanguinity-- complements his father's style perfectly, and by veteran bassist Eric Levenson, formerly with Joe Val and the New England Bluegrass Boys and later with Boston City Limits.
WELLSVILLE-Carolann Solebello and Pat Wictor will perform at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 17 at the Wellsville Cre- ative Arts Center. Advanced tickets are $12, $14 at door.
Members save an additional $2.
Tickets may be purchased online at www.WellsvilleCreativeArts- Center.com or at the Art Center Coffee House. For more infor- mation visit the website or call (585) 593-3000.
Most familiar to folk audi- ences as a founding member of the female harmony trio Red Molly, New York City native Carolann Solebello first fell in love with mountain music – and the bluegrass and country that grew out of that tradition – while
working as an actor in East Ten- nessee and Kansas.
Carolann has three solo CDs to her credit, Just Across the Water (2000), Glass of Desire (2009) and is currently touring in support of her 2011 release, Threshold.
Pat Wictor, an innovative slide guitarist known for fresh and memorable versions of tradi- tional and contemporary songs, is equally well-regarded as a singer and songwriter, writing material grounded in the rural country, gospel and blues tradi- tions of our nation. In the past year he's been touring nationally as one third of Brother Sun, the powerful harmonizing trio with Joe Jencks and Greg Greenway.
Red Molly’s Solebello to perform with Wictor
ANGELICA––Ya-hoo! Black- Eyed Susan Acoustic Café wel- comes “V”–The Gypsy Cowbelle who will perform gen- uine “cowbilly” music on Friday, March 9. On Saturday, March 10 we settle in with troubadour- style singer-songwriter Jeff Varga. Both shows start at 7:30 p.m. There is no cover charge, but guests are expected to con- tribute to the musician’s tip jar.
Living the life she sings about, The Gypsy Cowbelle is a gen- uine American troubadour and offers an intriguing glimpse into the hidden folds of American history and culture. Compelling lyrics, rich vocals, homemade banjo, guitar and autoharp blend classic country, folk and cowboy music to create "V"s unique and timeless 'Cowbilly' sound. Hear her at Black-Eyed Susan Acoustic Café Friday, March 9.
Musical heroes include Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Carter family, Ramblin' Jack El- liot, John Prine, Loretta Lynn, Buck Owens and Dwight Yoakam. She has been a rafting guide, wrangler and a cow- puncher, has hayed and logged with horses and hitchhiked across America. Other interests include making dandelion wine, building banjos, tooling leather, making tack and clothes and other homesteader activities on a remote ranch in Cora, Wyoming.
"V" is on the Wyoming Arts Council Artist Roster, has ap- peared on numerous statewide radio interviews, Wyoming PBS, performed for Wyoming's First
Lady, opened for Ramblin' Jack Elliot and appears in Robert Redford's 2011 movie "The Con- spirator". Learn more at gypsy- cowbelle.com
On Saturday, March 10, singer-songwriter Jeff Varga will perform at Black-Eyed Susan.
Jeff began performing in coffee- houses and clubs at the age of sixteen and eventually moved to New York City to study at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
His style is influenced by Jim Croce, Cat Stevens, James Tay- lor, Steve Earle and Townes Van Zandt as well as Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger. Jeff says his personal sound is “very Woody- like”.
He has obtained international
status as an artist, touring Europe and Scandinavia with two differ- ent Country music groups. Re- turning to Cleveland, Ohio, Jeff found a warm welcome in the rock-n-roll capitol with his own band. Now focusing on his singer-songwriter troubadour roots, he travels far and wide to play guitar, banjo, harmonica and vocals as a soloist in coffee- houses and other small venues.
Jeff is also a certified massage practitioner for horses and dogs.
Learn more at jeffvarga.com.
Coming Up:
Friday, March 16th
Mike Mizwinski--Fusion of folk, rock, bluegrass and blues / Americana
Ya-hoo! Gypsy Cowbelle, Jeff Varga to perform
OLEAN--The Southern Tier Symphony, in its ninth season, has announced a concert of light fare called “American Stage.”
The first program will be on Friday, March 16 at 7:30 p.m. in the Olean High School audito- rium. The repertoire will be re- peated on Sunday, March 18 at 3 p.m. at the Bromeley Theater on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. Tickets, at $20 will be available at the door with students admitted without charge.
Music Director John Whitney has selected a variety of popular movie and stage musical mate- rial. Spotlighting Gershwin fa- vorites, Cole Porter and George M. Cohan tunes, John Williams, Cole Porter, music from “007 films” and “Lord of the Rings”
will also be included.
In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, an appropriate Irish melody will close the concert.
For further information, please telephone the orchestra at (716) 372-1110 and leave a mes- sage or check the web site at www:southerntiersymphony.org
Mike’s music is deeply rooted in the Wyoming Valley of N.E.
Pennsylvania – the rough coal- country northern end of the Ap- palachians. 7:30–9:30 p.m.
No cover charge.
Saturday, March 17th
Christopher Mark Jones -- Con- temporary Folk / Americana Christopher has played folk clubs & festivals (Bristol / Rot- terdam) in England, Holland and Denmark, electric clubs in the Boston, MA area, and showcase clubs and coffeehouses in the Pittsburgh area. 7:30–9:30 p.m.
No cover charge.
Black-Eyed Susan Acoustic Café serves lunch seven days a week, dinner with live music every Friday and Saturday evening, and breakfast Wednes- day through Sunday mornings.
Located at 22 West Main Street in Angelica’s Park Circle Na- tional Historic District, the café seats 65 and is fully handicap-ac- cessible, making it a perfect place for luncheons, showers, private dinners and other events.
Food and beverage menus, wine lists and music schedules are posted on-line. For more infor- mation call 585-466-3399 or visit www.black-eyed- susan.com.
So. Tier Symphony concerts in March
To perform in Wellsville March 9
6 THE ALFRED SUN, Thursday, March 8, 2012
THE EGO FILTER
Let us imagine that it’s a Friday afternoon, and you are driving on the New York State Thruway. You are in the passing lane, going sev- enty-five miles per hour. The car on your right is not slowing down, and the SUV behind you is fast approaching. You can see its embla- zoned grill in your rearview mirror. You do not want to increase your speed, but the driver behind you is leaving you no choice.
As the SUV draws closer, you feel your heart rate increasing, your anger arising. You can’t see the driver in your mirror, but you can well imagine him: an aggressive, insensitive lout, with no con- cern for anyone but himself. As you reluctantly speed up and move over, an epithet comes to mind, and you let it slip from your lips. It is not a nice word, but it gives you satisfaction.
Moments later, the SUV passes on your left, and you see that the driver is not a lout at all but a petite woman in her thirties, who is keeping her eyes on the road, apparently unaware of your distress.
And a few minutes later, after she and her SUV have long since dis- appeared, you realize that your anger, too, has disappeared and your clarity of mind is slowly returning. It is as if a veil, through which you were viewing the world, has gradually been lifted.
Shodo Harada Roshi, a contemporary Zen master, has coined a suggestive name for that veil. He calls it the “ego filter.” In his book Moon by the Window, he describes its effect on the ways in which we experience the world:
When we look out the window at the moon, it is always the same moon. But if any thoughts or desires come between us and the moon, what we see changes completely. . . . When we live with no separa- tion between ourselves and what we are experiencing, we know the truly bright and clear mind that is our Original Nature. But as long as we carry around an ego filter, it’s impossible to experience this.
As can be inferred from these remarks, the “ego filter” consists of thoughts and their emotional subtexts, which come between our minds and our immediate experience. The moon itself is constant, but the ego filter colors what we see.
Lest Shodo Harada’s statement be misunderstood, it is important to note that the “ego” to which he refers is not that of Freudian the- ory. Nor is it quite the same as the “ego” of popular culture. In Freudian theory, the ego is one of three components of the psyche, the other two being the “id” and the “superego.” The ego mediates between the instinctual energies of the id and the moral and social values embodied in the superego. These days Freud’s theory is out of fashion, but his neutral, analytic term has survived in popular cul- ture, where its aura is decidedly negative. In today’s American ver- nacular, the word ego evokes the Big Me, the Number One whom the egocentric person is always looking out for.
As used in Zen teachings, ego has a rather different meaning.
In his article “The Psychology of Zen Buddhism,” the cross-cultural psychologist Reginald Pawle explains that in Zen the ego is seen not as the id’s executor but as the “root of mind,” the “principal op- erator” of the psyche. Zen teachings call it “discriminating mind,”
and its function is to make dualistic distinctions: up from down, left from right, pleasant from unpleasant, good from bad, and especially,
“self” from “other.” The ego picks and chooses, in accordance with our desires and aversions. Without it, we could not choose a deter- gent or read a map or wisely invest our savings. Indeed, we could not safely cross a busy street, much less drive a car.
Yet in Zen teachings the ego is also seen as the source of suf- fering, insofar as we identify with our preferences or posit a solid, separate, choice-making self. It is one thing to choose miso soup over cheeseburgers, PBS over Fox News, a Toyota Prius over a Hummer. It is another to conjure an immutable self who makes such choices, irrespective of changing conditions. “If you’re not sure whether you own an iron,” reads an ad for a popular men’s deodor- ant, “you’re a Mitchum man.” By such formulations, we reify our attitudes, beliefs, and patterns of behavior into fictive selves. More harmfully, we separate our illusory selves from others, and we pit our race, religion, gender, or economic class against the rest of hu- manity. By nurturing such habits of thought, Zen teachings tell us, we inflict suffering on ourselves and the rest of the world.
Shodo Harada urges us to “dig down” and “dig out” the illusory ego, to “get rid of the ego filter,” through the rigorous practice of zazen. By persistent effort, he assures us, we can find that place where the “water of clear mind is flowing freely” and “the ego isn’t directing our life.” That is a high aspiration, requiring years of pa- tient practice. But should that practice come to fruition, we may find ourselves less tethered to the “me-story,” as Toni Packer has called it, and less inclined to divide “me” from “you” and “us” from
“them.” And should we find ourselves being tailgated on the Thruway, we may find that we no longer see a virtuous driver being bul-lied by a bad one. Rather, we see a field of rapidly changing re- lationships: a dangerous configuration of cars and drivers, to which that entity we call the self would do well to pay full attention.
_____________________________________________________
Ben Howard is Emeritus Professor of English at Alfred University and leader of the Falling Leaf Sangha, a Zen practice group in Al- fred. For more information, please see www.fallingleafsangha.blogspot.com. To learn more about Zen med- itation, visit www.practiceofzen.wordpress.com.
ALFRED—The Box of Books Library E-Place is offer- ing the following classes during the month of March:
Tablet Training every second Tuesday of the month (March 13) Two sessions, 4:00-6:00 p.m. or 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Bring your iPad, Nook Tablet, Kindle Fire, or any other tablet device, along with your ques- tions about them, for a hands-on session that will enable you to get the most out of it!
Thank you to Anna McHale who purchased and installed the paver pathway for the Box of Books. The pavers are in the lawn from the Fire Hall parking lot to help those who park in Montessori parking lot access our library without having to dodge mud and mud pud- dles. Please remember that there is no parking in the Fire Hall drive- way.The Box of Books staff is issuing a plea to patrons to please re- move your books from grocery bags before putting them into our book drop. Bags with books stacked in them tend to jam up the book drop not allowing it to close and preventing others from utilizing this service. If you have a large amount of books to return you can always return them to the main desk as well.
We are, also, asking for help in finding books that were acciden- tally returned to book kiosk outside of the Box of Books. The book kiosk is a great way to find some neat stuff but is no longer associ- ated with the Box of Books. The books we are looking for are not all from the Box of Books they are: Crazy like a fox, The trouble with granddad, Faint frogs feeling feverish, What! Cried Granny and What’s under my bed? Please if you have the books or know of someone who might have picked them up a few weeks ago please encourage their return to the library.
Coming up on March 29th; the Annual Chicken Barbecue to sup- port the Box of Books. Orders will be taken at the Box of Books, preorder and payment is required. More details to follow in next week’s article.
I am currently taking suggestions for new book orders. An order will be placed very soon so get your suggestions in. You can send them via email to [email protected] or make them at the library.
Upcoming events at the Box of Books (the most up to date pro- gram information can be found on our website at www.alfredbox- ofbookslibrary.org)
--March 8th at 4 pm; Build a Leprechaun Trap. Make a trap to catch those pesky leprechauns on St. Patty’s day, using recycled ma- terials. Please register for this event, feel free to bring some extra materials from home to help build your “trap”
--March 9th at 11 am; Mother Goose on the Loose
--March 12th at 11 am; Stretch and Grow, music and movement for preschoolers and their caregivers. This program is less than 30 minutes long, it is a good way to get out of the house and shake those sillies out.
--March 13th from 4-8 pm; ePLACE Tablet Training, contact Amanda Burns at [email protected] for more details.
--March 15th from 7 – 9 pm; Scrapbooking Night, Adult program, please bring your latest scrapbooking project and your materials.
This is a great way to share ideas, and find some motivation for your projects.
HORNELL--The Hornell Area Family YMCA has several new music classes on Tuesdays beginning March 13. These classes are made possible, in part, with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts’ Decentralization Program, administered locally by the ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes.
Music, my Grownup, & ME! meets from 11-11:45 a.m. for chil- dren ages 0-5 with an accompanying adult; the six-week class is $30 for Y members and $45 for nonmembers.
Songbirds voice class for 8-12 year olds meets from 3:30-4:30 p.m. for 8 weeks ($36/48 M/NM).
Youth Group Piano (ages 8-15) is offered from 6:30-7:30 p.m. for 8 weeks ($48/78 M/NM).
Adults interested in learning to play the piano may enroll in our eight-week group class at 5 p.m. ($64/96).
The Y’s next One-Day Workshop is a rock/blues jam workshop with Peter O’Connor on Wednesday, March 28. Join Peter as he shares the life of a gigging musician and leads participants through a variety of rock and blues songs. More information can be obtained by visiting www.hornellymca.com or calling the Y at 607-324-5520.
Classes set at Box of Books E-Place
E-mail your news or ads to:
[email protected]
Mail payments to:
PO Box 811, Alfred, NY 14802
ALFRED—The Hinkle Me- morial Library on the Alfred State campus will host a photo exhibit by faculty member Michael Colomaio, a lecturer in the Social and Behavioral Sci- ences Department at the college, March 1 through 25. A photog- rapher’s reception will be held Thursday, March 1, from 4-6 p.m. All are welcome.
The exhibit is titled “Mise Eire” (I Am Ireland), from the title of a poem by Patrick Henry Pearse, leader of the Easter Re- bellion of 1916, and boasts more than 50 color landscape photo- graphs.
The photos in the exhibit were taken during the artist’s “three trips to Ireland: 2008 with Alfred State Alumni, 2010 with family and friends, and 2011 with close friends Brian and Marlee Can- non from Wellsville. Many show the wilder west coast area with the rugged mountains and rocky coast line.”
The exhibit may be viewed during normal Library hours:
Monday-Thursday, 7:30 a.m.-11 p.m.; Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.;
Saturday, 1 – 7 p.m.; and Sun- day, 1 – 11 p.m.
Photo exhibit at Hinkle Library Empire State offers info session Tues.,March 13
Using Pinterest Wednesday March 21, 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. Pin- terest enthusiast Kristen Starks- Braaten will teach you how to share your online collections of the things you love, and how to follow the “virtual pin boards”
of others whose taste you ad- mire!
Prerequisites for this class in- clude basic computer skills, and a Facebook or Twitter account.
You should also sign up for a Pinterest account about a week before the class. If you need any help with these prerequisites, we would be delighted to help you.
Just contact us to make an ap- pointment.
Introduction to MS Excel Tuesday March 27, 6:00 – 8:00
p.m. Learn the basic features of this popular spreadsheet pro- gram, including: how to create, edit, and format a simple spread- sheet, creating and using basic formulae, and how to save and print your worksheet. Basic computer skills are a prerequi- site for this class. If you feel you need to brush up on your basic computer skills feel free to con- tact us for help.
Our contact information:
Phone 607.587.9290, email [email protected], or stop by the Alfred Box of Books Library on 1 West University Street in Al- fred. Our web site is www.al- fredboxofbookslibrary.org; go to the ePLACE tab to see what we’re doing!
ALFRED--The Alfred Unit of Empire State College will offer a free Information Session on Tuesday, March 13, from 5:30 pm until 7 pm at the Unit Office.
For directions to the Alfred Unit office, and to make a reservation for the Information Session, call Unit Secretary, Susan Havolvic, at 607-587-4140.
As part of the State University of New York system, Empire State College is a fully accred- ited, non-traditional college. It offers degrees in Community and Human Services; Liberal Arts; Business, Management and Economics; and Science, Mathematics and Technology.
Students design their own de- gree programs with the help of a faculty mentor and may receive credit toward their degrees for college-level learning gained through experience or non-credit courses. Instead of attending traditional classes, students meet with a mentor or tutor at sched- uled times during each 15-week learning contract.
Empire State College offers a flexible, individualized learning environment ideally suited to the lives of busy adults.
Hornell YMCA offers
new music classes
THE ALFRED SUN, Thursday, March 8, 2012 7
As of 3/3/12 there are 81 towns in New York State that are asserting home-rule authority by enacting a moratorium or a ban on high volume, slickwater, hor- izontal hydrofracking from within their jurisdictions. There are 45 more municipalities with legislation that is pending and awaits a final vote.
The Town of Alfred has so far enacted a moratorium only. I thought it would be interesting to find out more about a town that started with a moratorium but went on to enact a ban. I was curious about their process, so having read that the town of Jerusalem, in Yates County, at the north end of Keuka lake, had recently moved from a morato- rium to a ban, I called up Daryl Jones, Town Supervisor and asked if I could interview him.
On Monday, Feb. 17, I met with Supervisor Jones in the town offices. Daryl, a soft-spo- ken man in his early sixties, was eager to share his experience. He was quick to point out that the whole effort was the collective hard work of many people.As he spoke he struck me as thought- ful, logical, and unemotional, that is, until the subject of water came up, then his face reddened and he spoke with passion and concern.
GM: Please tell me some- thing about your background.
DJ: I have lived in Yates County all my life and Jerusalem almost 40 years. I was away for four years in the Air Force and was happy to return. I retired from the County Sheriff’s office and have been on the town board since 1998 and Supervisor since 2004.
GM: How would you de- scribe your town?
DJ: We have a population of about four thousand. We’re the largest town in the county run- ning from Penn Yan to a half mile south of Branchport. We have twenty miles of lake frontage, Keuka College, lots of grapes, dairy farms, not a lot of industry – just a tight knit com- munity.
GM: When did you first be- come aware of hydrofracking?
DJ: A concerned group in the community attended a town board meeting about a year and half ago, and asked us to look into it.
GM: What happened next?
DJ: We formed a committee.
The committee was made up of town volunteers, representa- tivesfrom the zoning, planning, and town boards, and myself.
We did a lot of research…
weighed the options, pro and con. We contacted anybody and everybody who knew something about this issue. I was getting daily e-mails. Some of our com- mittee members took it upon themselves to go to Dimock, PA [where, because of hydrofrack- ing, many homeowners now have polluted water wells and receive water deliveries from the
EPA] and other towns.A few of- ficials from Torrey [Yates Co.]
took a guided tour in PA from Chesapeake Gas [a major gas corporation currently drilling in PA.] but they only show you what they want you to see on those tours and don’t give you the whole story. My doctor’s family lives near Williamsport, PA. and they are just in turmoil.
The roads are clogged with heavy truck traffic, truck after truck after truck and the roads are all tore up and it will be this way for years.
GM: How did you move from a moratorium to a ban?
DJ:The committee met two to three times a month and had in- formational meetings with the public. One at Keuka College was packed beyond capacity. We had three speakers…Tony In- graffea [a Cornell geologist and one of the developers of the modern hydrofracking process who, nevertheless speaks out against it.] Steve Coffman [au- thor and founder of The Com- mittee to Preserve the Finger Lakes] and Scott Cline [spokesman for the Independent Oil and Gas Association of New York.] [Go to You Tube and type inany of their names to watch various lectures.] After the pre- sentations we handed out a short written survey our committee had created. Then it was clear how people felt. Over 95 % were against fracking. Helen and David Slottje [lawyers who worked with the Alfred planning board to draft the moratorium]
were then brought on, pro-bono, to help us revise our zoning or- dinances. We also got comments from several attorneys who live in the community. We met with the Mennonite community, they are large landowners, and ad- dressed their concerns. We also sent some questions and a copy of the zoning draft to the Asso- ciation of Towns. At that point I decided it was time to bring it to the town board for a vote.
GM: At this point I would like to tell my readers that be- fore the actual vote you made the following statement:“Most important to me was the re- search… that presented facts that fracking as it is currently done is not safe. It’s not safe for the waters we drink. It is not safe for the crops we grow and the produce we eat. It is not safe for the livestock we raise. And it is not safe for the waters of Keuka Lake in which our children and grandchildren swim, fish, and play. Research proved without a doubt that property values, agri- culture and tourism would suffer if fracking came to our town…
This research and the strong preference of our residents, our taxpayers, the people who elected me to office bring me to a clear conclusion: Hydrofrack- ing drilling…is not worth the risk in the town of Jerusalem.”
And then what happened?
DJ: We had a vote and it was
4 to 1 to adopt the new zoning law.GM: You could have taken a wait and see attitude and left it up to the DEC to protect you.
But I gather the town board didn’t trust them to do that.
DJ: [Daryl paused, hesitated, sighed. It seemed he didn’t care to comment] The town has the ability to home rule. As far as I am concerned home rule is the deciding factor.
GM: I understand the com- plexities of this issue; many of us struggle to pay our taxes and leasing can be an attrac- tive proposition to some in both our towns. What do you say to the people who see fracking as their economic sal- vation?
DJ: You are going to maintain your property at the expense of the town? If we allow it and it pollutes your neighbor’s water,
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or our lake, your property will not be worth anything along with everybody else’s…it won’t be worth a darn thing.
GM: Once you had edu- cated yourself about hy- drofracking was there one thing that you found the most threatening?
DJ: It’s the danger to the water. The noise is going to last till the drillers leave, the roads can be rebuilt and repaved… it all comes down to the water!
Where would we be without the water?We wouldn’t exist with- out it! They are using millions of gallons per well and what are they mixing with it that they don’t have to divulge! What guarantee is there that the water will be safe when it goes back to our water source? Right now it’s a big experiment! I can’t imag- ine what would happen to this town and this county if our lake is polluted.[He groaned.] We would basically be a ghosttown!
At this point we concluded the interview. Daryl gave me copies of their survey and amended zoning law to bring back to the Alfred Town Board.
Driving home to Alfred, through Pulteney, I took a route that took me high in the hills overlooking beautiful Keuka Lake. I passed a flat farm field with a truck parked by the side
of the road and some men stand- ing together in the field. On the side of the truck the sign said Chesapeake Gas.
_________________________
Moratoria and Ban update:
This week: St. Johnsville (Montgomery Co), Manheim (Herkimer Co.), Springwater (Livingston Co.), Starkey (Yates Co.); all have enacted one-year moratoriums.
Minden (Montgomery Co), Palatine (Montgomery Co.), Dolgeville (Herkimer Co.) Italy (Yates Co.); all have formal ac- tion pending towards a morato- rium or a ban.
DARYL JONES Jerusalem Town Supervisor
