Wayne County Green Party supports BLM

At its most recent meeting, The Green Party of Wayne County voted to support Black Lives Matter.

Many of us have attended the protests in Central Park, Honesdale. We are proud of all who marched in peaceful protest. The protest allied with several pillars of The Green Party—those of Peace, Social Justice and Democracy.

Events of 2020 have brought to light glaring needs for reform in areas such as police training, health care, income equality, education and climate change. David Axelrod, political consultant and analyst, said in a recent interview “What was considered progressive six months ago is now pragmatic.” Our very survival now depends upon overcoming division and working together to solve these issues.

Thank you Black Lives Matter of Wayne County for your voice and your hope.

The Green Party of Wayne County meets on the last Saturday of each month. See our Facebook page for location and time.

Beverly Beers
Green Party of Wayne County

July among hottest months on record

Last month, extreme temperatures spread across the U.S., causing Pennsylvania and a half-dozen other states to set or tie their hottest month on record.

In the Northern Hemisphere, it was the hottest July ever, surpassing the previous record high set just last year.

For the planet as a whole, July 2019 still holds first place as the hottest July in 141 years of record keeping—but just barely: Last month missed tying that record by just two-hundredths of a degree Fahrenheit.

July 2020 was also the 427th consecutive month with temperatures above the 20th-century average.

This trend of record heat can only be explained by the warming impact of burning fossil fuels. That warming brings more intense storms, like Hurricane Isaias, which left my stepson’s family without power for a week.

Other parts of the country are experiencing unprecedented heatwaves, droughts, wildfires and floods, which are all a consequence of the record warmth.

If COVID-19 has made anything clear, it’s that we need to listen to scientists and heed warning signs. Addressing climate change by shifting off fossil fuels has to be among our nation’s top priorities.

Rebekah Creshkoff
Callicoon, NY

That huge political sign

I am writing about the huge political sign in front of Mr. Lang’s establishment at our most active intersection in Narrowsburg. This sign is in my immediate neighborhood. It so offends me that I make an extensive detour to avoid seeing it. Due to some surprising zoning law, it is legal to display this size sign if it’s mounted on wheels.

Please, people, this president is harming our nation. It’s a fact that he is causing the death of thousands of people because he is refusing to implement a national policy such as has been shown to be highly effective in many other countries and in a handful of states such as our state of New York. I am very upset and I thank your paper for letting me write about it.

Heidi Schneider
Narrowsburg, NY

Parking in Narrowsburg

The Tusten Town Board’s decision to prohibit parking on Bridge Street in Narrowsburg between the interstate bridge and the railroad bridge is a sensible action to decrease vehicular congestion and improve traffic flow.

As an office located within that impacted stretch, the Upper Delaware Council is fortunate that our property at 211 Bridge St. (the former phone company) includes a small, paved lot with 10 marked parking spots, one of which is reserved for handicapped-accessibility.

The River Reporter’s article covering the July 14 hearing relayed that a member of the public asked where people with walking issues could now park to visit Bridge Street businesses.

Town supervisor Ben Johnson reportedly “replied that there is generally availability in the Upper Delaware Council parking lot and also in the town hall-library lot.”

While the council strives to be a good neighbor, we remind everyone that unauthorized use of our privately-owned lot can be problematic for our bi-state organization since we staff a business office on weekdays and hold meetings on at least four weeknights per month in which the attendance can exceed our own number of parking spots.

The fact that there are Narrowsburg businesses and public sites that lack designated parking areas presents a challenge that we recognize, particularly for those with mobility impairments. Mutual consideration and cooperation for short-term needs should be respected in all cases.

Laurie Ramie, executive director
Upper Delaware Council, Narrowsburg, NY