I appreciate the initial presentation made by Legoland as it was detailed and informative. Respectfully, I have some comments I would like to share with the community. The Goshen area is a rural, non-congested community. Most people I know like living here because it is an escape from the congestion and fast-paced lifestyle. I'm not against growth, job creation, and additional revenues but our area is not prepared nor have an understanding of what a Legoland monstrosity entails. When large amounts of people are brought into a small community there are many negative issues that develop. The natural environment, water, sewer, power, infrastructure, etc will all be highly stressed. We should not forget that Legoland will be in addition to the already approved businesses in Goshen. In the near future, additional revenues will materialize from Amy's Kitchen and Kikkerfrosch. Amy's will employ 680 and the brewery at least 80. Add to that the proposed Legoland employment of 1300 and one will see that a Legoland approval would have a significant increase in population both transitional and permanent. This doesn't even take into account Legoland's projected visitors to the park at c. 2,000,000 per year. Add to these numbers the Amy's Kitchen spiritual pavilion proposal as it would bring further congestion annually at 12,000 people/day over three days + 2,000 people for a day annually for regional gathering + 250 people every weekend. We need smart growth and in my opinion this doesn't seem smart as the negatives outweigh the positives.

Eric Miller
Goshen

It should be obvious that every terrorist attack is free advertising for the gun industry. The attack in Orlando was the second largest attack since the Boston Marathon in 2001.

Here are some statistics: In 2009, The U.S. population of 305 million people, had 310 million guns. Today it is estimated that there are even more guns distributed to the population of our country than there are people. Furthermore, in 2009 gunmakers made 5.6 million guns and in 2013 they made about 10.9 million guns in that one year. So, as you can see advertising works and that's why most companies have to pay for it.

The main reason that there are so many guns produced is that there are so few restrictions on who can buy them. According to CNN, 9 out of 10 people on terrorist watch lists were allowed to buy guns. It's true that some states have better laws than others, and NYS is at the top of the list for that, but for the country in general the gun industries priorities are: "Profit first, Lives last." As you know, the recent terrorist was on the "watch list," but no laws said that the gun sellers had to know that fact.

So, what should we do? Surely the gun industries answer is: "Guns in everyone's hands, everywhere."

But I just want to point out that the "bad guys" point their guns at kids and innocent people, and people that have guns at home often put their kids at risk by not properly locking up their guns.

It seems obvious that people on federal watch lists should be restricted, but even now the Republicans, who are now running the Senate, voted down any and all restrictions. It's hard for me to live with sitting back and doing nothing. But, other than voting out all the senators that voted against the recent gun control measures, but even that takes more effort that we've given this issue so far.

We have to work as hard as the NRA does to move our "representatives" to our side. They only have more money at stake, we have lives to protect.

Jill Paperno
Glenford

Quotes from a local pastor that Jesus told us to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us is very true.

Dr. Martin Luther King also spoke about the same issue when he said, "Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."

May the day come when we Americans heed these words more seriously. That would be the fastest way to overcome violence.

Christoph Arnold, pastor Woodcrest Community
Rifton

The recent decision in the U.S. Supreme Court case of Utah v. Strieff should make all Americans consider the meaning behind "land of the free."

While Edward Strieff was most certainly showing that he likely was involved in something illegal (repeatedly visiting a known drug house in Salt Lake City), the police had no legal right to frisk him and use what they found on him (drugs) as evidence in a court of law.

The Fourth Amendment protects against illegal search and seizure. I have never used an illegal drug in my life, so I am certainly not advocating for his behavior. I am advocating for the rights of all Americans to feel safe from police harassment walking down the street (something that too many African Americans already have to struggle with).

This is a slippery slope if, when it comes to police evidence, the ends justify the means.

Adam Kudio
Kerhonkson

I recently came across an online news article that struck a chord. It asserts the present tax cap law is a headache to residents and school districts alike. I take issue with that assertion. This law does not bother me in the least. On the contrary, it gives me some comfort and eases my anxiety when the school budget season rolls around.

The law establishes a spending increase constraint on public school budgets, namely a tax levy cap of two percent or the rate of inflation whichever is less. This fiscal constraint provides, to some degree, much-needed tax relief for homeowners. Hopefully this cap will prod school administrators and board members to don their outside-the-box thinking hats to produce cost controls instead of finding ways to generate more revenue to balance school budgets. Indeed this may well be the best fiscal strategy to adopt in light of a prolonged low-inflation environment.

For long-lasting tax relief I prefer Albany make the tax levy cap permanent. Many fellow homeowners agree with me. School districts would be more receptive to the tax levy cap if firstly, Albany eliminates its frivolous unfunded mandates that waste school time and

secondly, Albany foots the bill for its unfunded mandates that have value and are necessary for public schools. With this done, school districts would encounter far less difficulty in the budget construction process.

John Lown
Maybrook

Congratulations to the National Rifle Association for breaking the modern-day record of people shot to death in one mass murder in our country.

One of their so-called "good guys," a security guard with a clean record, used a legally purchased assault rifle to shoot to death 49 people and wound over 50.

In other countries where mass murders have occurred, laws have been passed banning possession of automatic weapons by ordinary citizens. Those weapons were designed for armies, not civilians. And does it matter what were the motives of the mass murderers? Homophobia, sexism, love of killing, anger at loss of a girlfriend or a job?

To those worshippers of the Second Amendment to our Constitution: The signers meant muskets, which take several minutes to arm and are not very accurate. Those conservatives who insist on original intent must agree that the Second Amendment covers only muskets. Others believe people other than a "well regulated militia" should be allowed to own guns; perhaps the modern equivalent would be guns that need to be loaded one bullet at a time.

I hope the LGBTQ community will harness its grief and anger to force Congress to ban ownership of automatice and semiautomatic guns. Their only purpose is to kill many people quickly.

Andi Weiss Bartczak
Gardiner

A brief overview of how Lippman Park became a reality after thirty-five years in the making: Prior to 1981, it was home to the Glen Brair Resort with approximately 150 rooms, where guests would come and enjoy home cooked meals, entertainment, outside activities, a beautiful lake for boating and fishing and swimming in the pool. The resort was operated by the Lippman Family.

A fire partially destroyed the main building in the early 1970s. As a result, the resort was closed. In 1981, Martin Lippman came to the Wawarsing town board and offered his seventeen plus acres to the Town of Wawarsing to be developed into a park for everyone to enjoy. Marty Lippman's only request was that it be named Lippman Memorial Park in memory of his dad, Jack Lippman. On October 1981, on a motion by councilman Kenneth Mitchell seconded by councilman Leonard M. Distel, the property was accepted to create this beautiful park that we have today. Also voting in favor were supervisor Frank Spada, councilman Francis Irwin and councilman Robert Dowling.

The work commenced in the fall of 1981 and continued for ten years. With councilman Kenneth Mitchell supervising the operation, a crew of state inmates cleared the land along with highway department personnel. Supervisor Joseph Stoeckeler officially opened the park in 1991, twenty-five years. We have a beautiful park shared by many.

Leonard M. Distel, Supervisor
Town of Wawarsing

Sadly, Governor Cuomo's recent Executive Order punishing BDS supporters shows that he is more interested in pandering to a small segment of his constituency rather than supporting honest, open, and free political speech. Boycotts have always been a powerful vehicle for expressing political views and fostering change. Our nation has a long tradition of boycotts beginning with the boycott of British products which helped to spark the Revolutionary War which led to our independence. Recent boycotts have helped secure civil rights, labor rights, women's rights, and animal rights.

The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel is a non-violent call to address the deprivation of Palestinian human rights. BDS calls for the end of Israel's military occupation of Palestinian land. BDS calls for equal treatment of both Israelis and Palestinians. Lastly, BDS calls for the return of land, farms, and homes which were stolen from Palestinians. In recent years BDS has gained momentum and hopefully this peaceful movement will result in changes to Israel's apartheid policies. Governor Cuomo's wrongheaded attempt at curtailing our First Amendment right of free speech (which includes the blacklisting of boycotters) is not only disgraceful and unconstitutional, it is downright embarrassing. I wonder if this shameless and illegal behavior by an elected official is grounds for impeachment? In a state with such rampant corruption among elected officials perhaps it is not so surprising that Governor Cuomo would stoop so low. Hopefully, the Governor will see the error in his ways and rescind the order.

Eli Kassirer
New Paltz

Clintonites Into A Clinton

The Clintonites that Bill arranged another Democratic Leadership Council took up triangulation:
Wall Street to White House from Congress.
It worked for bankers, untaxers and not for Welfare.

It caused the origin of subprime mortgage finance.
A risk was reached by Fannie Mae that made a net of housing counselors to educate consumers.
Making the net was tested for sub-prime.

Fannie warded off the banks
Until the banks approached the Fannie with money.
It all came tumbling down from 1997 to the end of 2002.

The movie of 2015, "The Big Short" did not touch the early-buried, only risky.
Rising to make the '07 Recession.
The risk was in the way the financiers made bets.

I researched the risk for the American Homeowner Education Counseling Institute (AHECI) while under the auspice of Fannie Mae (1997-2002). They never funded my last credits. And I wonder if Hillary's embargoed speeches ever mentioned the subprime risk before the mess of The Subprime debacle.

Trump In And Out Of His Conventional Topple

The early days of summer settled into green leaves warding sight away from hiding places.
Eminent greens relieve most tensings;
So natured minds must tease the riggings of man.

To rig a man who may be baying to a moon;
So tight is Donald Trump a rig of self fully demanded moon of summer green and only peopled,
Living gracefully, humanly frigged.

Self-fully tight to make his way
To the door of Republican Conventionals in July.
Paul Ryan will offer Trump an agenda fully planned

And Trump will nod and say his yes under his breath then run his mouth on oppositional Hillary.
People will come to his rallies, his People,
The unconventional people of resurrect mind.

The four hundred year device of elites appointing middle-class white man to be fiduciaries to never ever African-Americans, Latinos and other ethnics. In three decades Trump's all-whites will be minorities. Desegregation is the ultimate Republican presidential candidate but a likely candidate nears the demography of Trump. Then we can all settle into green, summer rigging.

Tom Gale
Cragsmoor

Hello... Let me introduce myself. My name in Tinkerbelle (formerly Frankie). I am a part Siamese cat. Tortoise in coloring with beautiful blue eyes that would make most hearts melt. I am not sure how I came to be, just know that I am.

I was lost and alone when Gail from Project Cat rescued me. I was young and had already had a litter of kittens. I do not know what happened to them, but Ms. Gail gave me water, food, and a warm place to call home with other misfits like me. She provided me with toys to play with. She got me seen by a doctor to make sure I was healthy. She gave me extra attention as I was scared of my own shadow. We misfits became a sister/brotherhood. I would see some of my other "sisters and brothers" leave with new faces I had not seen before. They all looked so kind. I wondered why I was still here. Doesn't anyone want me?

Oh, look, here comes someone, she is looking at me. Please take me home and love me. I want a new forever home. Here she comes... YES, she picked me. I am caught between a hard spot and a rock now. I really love Gail. She has become a mommy to me. I went to my new home but was afraid. Afraid of everything and everyone. The nice people tried and tried but it just did not feel right to me. I went into a place where no one could get me out, so the lady had to call Ms. Gail for help. Gail came and got me and took me back to my home. Ah... it felt so good to be back with my friends. Poor Gail, she really loved me but wondered if I would ever find my forever home.

One day this nice lady came to see one of my friends that she seen a picture of online. While looking at and petting all of my other friends, she kept looking at me. I was sitting by Gail. The nice lady came a bit closer and I instantly fell in love with her. I used my big blue eyes to capture her heart. I could hear the violins playing. This was going to be my forever mommy. She did not think twice, she picked me and I came home with her. I love my new mommy and daddy. My forever home.

I was a success story. Let me tell you about the ugly side of being feral. In order to survive out in the big world, we have to kill birds (yup, the kind you love to feed and listen to) we need to eat. We also capture mice, squirrels, chipmunks, anything possible in order to survive. Some of us are not so lucky, we get a mouse that has eaten rat poison. We get sick, we die. We sometimes find road kill or other dead animals and try to get scraps of meat off to eat. We go through garbage to find food. We don't have birth control so we get pregnant because that is what cats do. Then we have to find a safe place to have our litter. We have to try to find enough food so we produce milk to feed our litter. We have to watch out for other predators — mean dogs, coyotes, foxes, raccoons etc. It is a scary world out there. We need to find shelter in the rain. We need to find some place that is warm enough in the winter so we don't freeze. We don't know how to cross a road safely. We pray every day that someone will help us. Some of us are out on our own for so long that we hate people. They have turned their backs on us one too many times. Some of us simply get sick and with no medical attention we die and get crazy in the process. I was one of the lucky ones, but can tell you that not every feral cat is going to be as lucky as I. Not every one of us can be saved. If you truly love your cats, keep them indoors so we do not have to fight to survive, we do not have to watch out for cars etc. You will find with lots of love and attention we can be an important family member. We are not super expensive to keep. Some scoop-able cat litter, some dry and canned food and a couple scratching posts and we are as happy as can be. If you train us you can cut our nails once a month so we do not accidentally scratch anything. The joy of having us cuddle up to you and purr with shear happiness is calming to you.

If you have a horse that is sick you have it put down. If you have a dog that is sick and in pain you have it put down to prevent it from suffering. People even shoot deer, mostly to eat but sometimes it is just to get the horns... now that is sick.

Going after Ms. Gail is just wrong. She has a warm and loving heart. She even has some foster homes for some of us. Not all of us can be saved, some are too sick, some are too mean. Some are even too old and people don't want them because of their age. You need to walk a mile or three in Ms. Gail's shoes. She is non-profit. She needs you to volunteer to help her or donate money to help her save as many of us as possible.

I just heard some news, really great news. My mommy is so happy with me that she is adopting another kitten from Ms. Gail. I cannot wait to meet my new little sister!

Regards,
Tinkerbelle