Another spring, another forest fire in the protected lands on the Shawangunk Ridge. Once again we all ask hard questions. Is there anything we can do to stop these things from happening? Is there a better way to share the news for such tragedies when they happen?

As usual with such conflagrations, rumors are that it started with someone's carelessness. A cigarette put out by a hiker taking a pause, we've been hearing. Just like word about the big one seven years ago blamed a burning butt tossed from a passing car's window.

At least the initial talk some of us were hearing about a planned burn gone bad proved wrong. Those planned burns are watched carefully, believe us. We've seen what happens when they get out of control.

How to stop human frailty? Greater and greater fines? Public humiliation? Or maybe the European methods come up with as a means of saving the land in places where so much of it has been taken up... you close it off to all human contact. Like cave paintings that deteriorate from human warmth, from breath, you protect and seal them as treasures not to be trifled with.

Seems drastic, but then again we've had to do such things over time with large portions of our National Parks, from Yellowstone to the Everglades, or with any terrain that fosters endangered wildlife.

Yes, the ridge line that looms above us all has a way of reinvigorating itself. Fire serves a place in the cosmos. And yet there's still great expense to these reoccurring fires, which could happen even more frequently as our climate continues changing. And greater and greater fears as more and more of us live close to fire-prone areas.

I suspect it's time to increase our discussion about how best to really save and protect those places we already treasure, while also keeping mind of making all our natural lands safer. We did it, over the years, with our towns and cities, our homes and commercial buildings... and even our cars. Maybe we need to give the same attention to all that surrounds us.

Seems kind of perfect, taking that route, to note how the latest Sam's Point blaze started the day after Earth Day 2016.

On a whole other front, we've read a growing number of calls for a deeper investigation into the Bloomingburg situation now that some of the court papers from the Town of Mamakating's dismissed racketeering case against developers have been leaked. But not because we think the courts have been getting things wrong.

As always, we believe our greater and more particular communities in this readership area need means to understanding, and to healing.

The developers are saying what everyone's up in arms about is a sales document, a means of raising money, and hence something full of hubris. They do not see what's been released as a smoking gun.

Others are saying it shows that they've been lied to, that there was a plan to build a massive new community for Hasidic Jews from the get-go. They're talking about conspiracies, and falsifications, and possible criminal acts.

The truth always contains portions of all arguments, in our view. There are key points that need clarification at this point. Is it illegal to build a community for one type of person? How far does a developer have to go to attract all people to their development? Is it illegal or simply immoral to engage exaggeration in one's sales pitches to investors, or deceit and changing plans of any sort in one's official pursuit of legal municipal approvals?

We all have things to say about all these questions... which makes it all the more necessary to find out what's what. But remember, legal issues also have limits of statute, and there always comes a time when life moves on and concessions to a new reality must happen.

Yes, this is complicated stuff. And messy, too. But it IS happening, and it seems big new communities are being built, populations are shifting, and our future is becoming quite different from what we once thought it might be.

At least May Day's upon us... which means we should end on an upbeat toast: To eight hours of work, eight hours of sleep, and eight hours of recreation each and every day!