Your recent article about the Honor's Haven Resort & Spa left me bewildered and outraged. As a current employee of Honor's Haven I can assure you that the employees here are neither brainwashed or indoctrinated into any type of organized faction, and any suggestion of such is simply absurd. The Lee family has and continues to support the community through its continuous beautification of a Catskill icon, which in turn creates jobs for many of the area's residents, who would otherwise be unemployed and quite possibly on welfare.

You should be ashamed of yourselves for attempting to condemn a family that has brought so much good to the area. Not only has the Lee family facilitated the revitalization of the area's economy, but they have instilled a sense of family among their employees. They respect each of us not just as employees, but as individuals. They recognize our commitments to our families and encourage us to always put family first, whether that means caring for a sick spouse, running the children to soccer practice or participating as a volunteer for local humanitarian societies and church organizations.

If this is what we now deem as being iniquitous behavior, we as a society have become much too jaded for my liking.

Wendy Lupinski
Bloomingburg

As a very happy employee of Honor's Haven Resort & Spa, I was deeply saddened by the recent article published in your paper. The article misrepresented a business that has brought nothing but positive things to the area and breathed new life into a historic resort. More importantly, it has the possibility of damaging the name of a family that I, as well as every other employee at Honor's Haven, have come to respect. The generosity that has been exhibited by the Lee family is more than we could ever ask for.

Every year Mrs. Lee throws an excellent holiday party for all of the employees as a thank you for our past year of hard work. Two years ago we all received baskets filled with treats to enjoy during Christmas Dinner with our families. This year we were given a gift card, which I used to buy Christmas presents for my three sons. My children said spending Thanksgiving and Christmas at Honors Haven Resort & Spa this year was the best gift an employer could have extended and renewed their faith in the unconditional kindness of others.

As staff members, we have the opportunity to utilize all of the health facilities on property. When I was directly affected by the negative turn in the economy, the Lee family gave me the opportunity to live, dine and enjoy the resort amenities on property complimentary, as they do for other staff member struggling to make ends meet. Calling Honor's Haven a "compound" is not only inaccurate, but an insult to their generosity. Never once have we gotten any sense of superiority from the Lee family.

Almost every day the entire staff eats together in our staff dining hall, including Mrs. Lee. We become more than just staff members here; we actually become what we have come to know as The Honor's Haven Family. "Family" seems to be the only word that I feel describes the relationship the Lee family has with the Honor's Haven staff. We are never questioned when we need to attend a doctors visit, we are allowed the opportunity to work from home if there is inclement weather, and never is there a time that our own families do not come before anything else.

Monday morning meetings start off with a few minutes of personal conversation about our weekends. Each person is made to feel like an equal part of the Honor's Haven Family. Also, just like our own families, we are never asked to change who we are and what we believe to be accepted. The staff at Honor's Haven represents a multitude of cultures and religions, only adding to the beauty and diversity of our family. The generous offerings surpass that of what is just received by staff members, but it extends to our immediate families as well.

Mr. Oh, our Director of Sales, has always encouraged my coworkers and I to invite our families to stay and dine complimentary at Honors Haven Resort & Spa. Last summer Mr. Oh gave my son the opportunity to work at Honor's Haven and he was also invited to utilize the resort amenities. I, as well as the rest of the Honor's Haven Staff, greatly appreciate and value the generosity the Lee family, as well as all of management, have extended to us. Mr. Oh consistently shows appreciation for his staff by treating us to dinner at high-end restaurants of our choice . Furthermore, Honor's Haven prides itself on the relationships we have formed with the local community.

It is very sad for us to read such harsh words coming from the Shawangunk Journal, seeing as we have come to work closely with you during the past few years, even to the extent of hosting your employee Christmas party at our venue, extending our complimentary open houses to all of your staff, and doing a bulk of our local advertising with you. Despite the recent allegations, we hope that the local community will remember the positive changes the Lee family has brought to the area, and we hope to continue building a positive image within the community.

Curtis McNulty
Honor's Haven

I am Tanja Driever, a local in the community, and proudly the Director of Human Resources for the Honors Haven Resort & Spa, formally known as the Fallsview Hotel. Like many others, I have been employed on this property on and off since 1995, went through several ownership changes and have experience all of the triumphs and challenges over the years. I am very disheartened and offended personally by the article in the journal. I have been with the new ownership since the day they took over, they have welcomed me with open arms, have treated me with nothing but respect and professionalism. I have been fully involved in the day to day operations and can speak with complete confidence and authority.

The Honor's Haven Resort & Spa is not an extension of any other family owned entities; it is a stand alone enterprise. Anything that is going on in the media with any of the other entities has absolutely nothing to do with the business practices of the Honor's Haven. The statements that were made "the resort employs illegal immigrants and pays them "under the table", "the Honor's Haven is one of their compounds, and "the hotel is used to "recruit and indoctrinate more members" is simply not true. I am the one who recruits the staff. I am the one who is solely responsible for handling and processing all of the new hire paperwork. Most of the people who work for us are your friends, your family members, and your neighbors. In 2008 the Department of Labor came in and audited all of our personnel files and payroll records, with the exception of a minor infraction unrelated to the allegations, we were in complete compliance.

You article also casted shaded light on the ownership referencing the 'parent company" LLC, the INC, and all the legal names. But there is no mystery behind our ownership. Mrs. Lee, owner, and her son Julian Lee, General Manager, should be considered locals; they frequented the area long before they purchased the hotel, to play golf and to relax like any other families. There was no malicious motive behind the purchase; they just saw something special about the hotel and the community. They purchased the Fallsview back in 2006 and officially took over on January 1, 2007. Even though they still had all of the negativity of the Nevele to contend with and the economy, they saw a lot of underlying potential for the once very famous hotel. They thought, like any other business owners, if they could purchase the resort at the right price and managed it well; it would be in there personal interests as well as the community's. There only goal here was to become a community asset, restore jobs and strengthen relationships within the community.

There are no mysteries or wrong doing at the Honor's Haven. Our gates are wide open to everyone, come on in take a look around, enroll in any of our wellness class, as I have done and judge for yourself. Doing the right thing is very important to Mrs. Lee and her family. Since taking over, they have worked closely with state and local agencies. They are visible, accessible, and are focused on being contributing members to our community and turning the hotel back into a gem.

The health and quality of the Honors Haven is important to Ellenville's livelihood. Many people grew up in the '70s and '80s when the Fallsview was at the top of its game, and then watched it slide. We need to understand that the Honor's Haven is integral to the town. We as a community need to stop with the negativity and strengthen our support for the Hotel.

Tanja Driever
Honor's Haven