Letters

Letters             Write us at edit@hvmag.com

 

Hudson Valley Quiz (May)

 

Our May Hudson Valley Quiz, which concerned local farms, really stumped our readers — not one person got both questions right! We asked you to identify which Hudson Valley counties had the greatest losses and gains in the number of working farms between 1997 and 2002. Orange County lost the most (65 farms); the greatest gain was in Greene County (50 new farms). Close runners-up for the greatest-gain title were Ulster and Albany counties, with 32 and 26 new farms, respectively.

 

May’s quiz winner is Jennifer Valenti of Delmar, who got one of the questions right. She receives a gift certificate from the Daily Planet restaurant in LaGrangeville for her agricultural aptitude. For another Hudson Valley head-scratcher, flip to the back page of this month’s issue. Good luck!

 

A Good Fit

 

I would like to tell you how much I appreciated the article by Ann Hutton on Hilary Cloos (If the Shoe Fits, April). This well-written story offered a very honest view of Hilary Cloos’ career as a farrier and perspective on life. Hilary’s gifts and abilities are obvious, and the uniqueness and beauty of being in the Hudson Valley are clear and distinctive! Thank you for offering glimpses of Valley living that emphasize positive and true attributes of the region.

 

Denise Campoli

Newburyport, MA

 

Omitted Art

 

Thank you for the great article on Catskill (7 Hot Hometowns, April). I would like to point out, however, that art galleries were absent from your list of businesses that are revitalizing the town’s historic Main Street. I’m the director of Gallery 384 and also the president of the newly formed Catskill Gallery Association. This is one of only a handful of such associations in New York State.

 

David V. Griffin

Catskill

 

Here’s to the Little Guys

 

As a board member of Hudson Valley Fresh, I would like to applaud your efforts in enlightening, educating, and just plain helping local agriculture in your May issue. It is appreciated.

 

My concern is with my perceived notion that you folks have a phobia pertaining to smaller B&Bs and inns within the Hudson Valley. I own the Willows Bed & Breakfast and am the past president of Hudson Valley Lodging. In looking through past articles, most or all listings and articles are for the bigger folks (6 rooms and up). There are many fantastic smaller B&Bs. There are travelers who prefer a more intimate and personal setting. A smaller B&B can allow the innkeeper to do extraordinary things. As a Culinary Institute of America graduate, I work at our B&B to offer home-churned butter, house-made sausages, hand-ground grains for bread, freshly made jams with local produce, our own soap, and lastly, honey produced by our own bees. I also make hard and soft cheeses using Hudson Valley Fresh milk (which is how I got involved).    

Sometimes smaller can be better!

 

Lee N. Fraitag

The Willows Bed & Breakfast

Hyde Park

 

Global Warming Debate

 

The subject of your Wacky Weather interview (April), Fran Dunwell, flippantly claims, “There is now a scientific consensus that global warming is caused by human behavior.” On the contrary, there is hardly a consensus. Were Ms. Dunwell to do some independent research, she would learn that many serious, respected climatologists think her and former Vice President Gore’s apocalyptic claims are simply bunk. When an individual in her position makes such patently incorrect statements it leads one to suspect anything else she might say; and I do.

 

Michael Karpoff

Hyde Park

 

Fran Dunwell responds:

 

I stand by the statement and would refer the reader to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) February 2007 report, which can be found at www.ipcc.ch. In addition, even if the reader does not believe the evidence of climate change, the argument for conserving energy, reducing our dependence on foreign oil and protecting land and water resources is compelling.

 

Frances F. Dunwell

Hudson River Estuary Coordinator

NYS Department of

Environmental Conservation