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Where in the Hudson Valley…?
In last month’s contest, we challenged readers to identify the location of “Barefoot Kate,” a marble statue of a seminude nymph who resides in the Italian Gardens at the Vanderbilt Mansion estate in Hyde Park. Owner Frederick Vanderbilt, of the prominent family of railroad tycoons, purchased the 19th-century statue and had it installed between 1904 and 1910. Hats off to Laura Bartell of Schenectady, who nabbed our prize. This month, click here to see if you recognize the resting place of a formidable feline.
I remember, as a child, sledding the roads in the estate. The mansion grounds were closed to traffic and the statue of the Marble Maiden was “boxed up” — I suppose to protect it. In exploring where we probably should not have been, we “opened” a space large enough to see it — and it has been indelibly etched in my mind ever since.
Karen T. Boice
Guilderland
I love hiking here with my three girls. There’s always something new to see, though stopping here and posing is their favorite.
Kathleen Bennett Marold
Fishkill
We have pictures of some of the Vanderbilts in our family albums — although we don’t know which ones, how we’re related, or what happened to our share of the fortune!
Heather LaBruna
Goshen
Farming Feud
With great disappointment I read the article “Digging Deeper,” found in the July issue. I’m a fourth-generation farmer in the Black Dirt region who has dealt with Rural Migrant Ministry for roughly 18 years. [In my experience], they have consistently lied about the living and working conditions of farmworkers in New York and the plethora of laws associated with them. The overwhelming majority of farmworkers in New York have nothing to do with them. They represent various church groups who benefit from some of the same labor law exemptions, like overtime, that they hypocritically want to end for agriculture.
Chris Pawelski, Pawelski Farms
Goshen
A Matter of Faith
Thank you for your intriguing series, “Religion in the Hudson Valley.” Your historical/cultural surveys offer great insight into the nature, ethics, and personality of the region. Every month, our other favorite articles include “Where in the Valley,” “History,” and the “Final Word.” Thank you for offering such authentic, alive, and diverse perceptions and facts so we can feel as if we are in the Hudson Valley, even though we are miles away.
D.R.M. Campoli
Newburyport, MA
Top Docs
Thank you for taking the time to research, review, and publish the Top Doctors list in the June 2014 issue. However, you omitted one of the key players in patient health care: anesthesiologists. Physician anesthesiologists are primarily responsible for the safety and well-being of patients before, during, and after surgery. They provide continuous pain relief and sustain patients’ critical life functions as they are affected throughout surgical, obstetrical, or other medical procedures. Needless to say, they are key to a patient’s health care, and it’s time they get their deserved recognition. I certainly want to know who is putting me to sleep, and who has the responsibility of waking me up!
Suzy Merin
Goshen
Editors’ note: Although we publish an annual list of top doctors in the Hudson Valley, the list itself is compiled by Castle Connolly Medical Ltd., a healthcare research and information company. To learn more about their nomination and selection process, visit www.castleconnolly.com/nominations.
Correction
Two doctors from Crystal Run Healthcare — Dr. Eric W. Baranel, internal medicine, and Dr. John Juliano, orthopedic surgery — were inadvertently left off the Top Doctors list. View the entire list here.
