What are those trains carrying?

I’m beyond amazed every time a train goes by, sometimes hauling up to 40 black and pressurized white tanker cars along this precious river, and that all the organizations concerned with the health and wealth that this river provides do not have this concern at the top of their list

They should work together to get all the trains labeled “HAZARDOUS” off these tracks.

All you have to do is search on Google what the black-and-white tankers are possibly transporting and this is what comes up:

A tank car can carry compressed or liquid commodities, like chemicals, molasses, edible tallow, water, diesel fuel and ethanol. Many chemicals, including ethanol, are considered hazardous materials.

And since every one of the trains I see pass by says “HAZARDOUS,” what has to happen before it gets stopped?

Please help protect the Delaware River before an accident happens.

Victoria Lesser
Callicoon, NY

Rising costs and increasing need squeeze Milford’s Food Pantry

Every Friday, the Ecumenical Food Pantry of Pike County serves 60 or more families. 

We are a choice pantry, which means families can choose the supplemental groceries they need and prefer from an assortment of canned and dried foods, along with fresh eggs, milk, meat or poultry, vegetables and fruit. 

An all-volunteer organization, the pantry is funded by cash donations from the community—from individuals and businesses— and from nonprofit organizations, small grants and donations of nonperishable foods from the community at large. 

The pantry is also a member of the Feeding America food network. 

Since the beginning of the year, we have seen a sharp increase in the number of families reaching out to us for assistance. Escalating food prices at the grocery store and a reduction of benefits for all SNAP (food stamp) recipients are putting a strain on the families we serve. During the first five months of this year, we welcomed 78 new families, compared to 47 new families during the same time last year. That’s a 60 percent increase.

While we are very glad that we can help so many people, escalating food costs are also affecting us as we purchase foods to supplement our donations. 

It takes a community to fight hunger, and this generous community has made our work possible for 32 years. If you can, please consider making a donation to help us continue to serve our neighbors in need. 

Donations can be made via the Donate button on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pikefoodpantry, or by mailing a check, payable to the Ecumenical Food Pantry of Pike County, to the pantry at 321 5th St., Milford, PA 18337. 

Thank you!

Nancy Potter, Director
Ecumenical Food Pantry
Milford, PA

Deception is no way to run a business

When is a Citgo gas station not a Citgo gas station?

When a new owner has purchased a Citgo franchised station and then changes the franchise and keeps the Citgo branded logo on its pumps and canopy.

I tried to make a purchase of gasoline at what was my beloved Singh’s Food Mart, and my Citgo credit card was declined for the purchase.  The attendant claimed that he did not know the reason for the decline.

When I called Synchrony Bank, the holder of the Citgo gas card, they told me that this station no longer honors the Citgo card and, in fact, is no longer a Citgo gas station.

Sadly, I choose to abandon a very local business. Deceit of the public is not an endearing quality for a merchant to have.

Stephen Stuart
Narrowsburg, NY

HIDTA designation would save lives in Sullivan

On behalf of the people seeking treatment for substance use disorder from Catholic Charities, and the dedicated employees who provide compassionate care to them, I am grateful to U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, Assemblymember Aileen Gunther, Sullivan County Sheriff Michael Schiff and other elected officials for continuing to call for Sullivan County to be designated a High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). 

As an agency that has been serving this vulnerable population for more than four decades, it’s imperative that we continue to press for this critical designation. 

In April 2022, Sen. Schumer hosted a press conference at Catholic Charities’ Monticello campus to call on the Office of National Drug Control Policy to approve Sullivan County’s request for HIDTA designation. He returned to Sullivan County in March 2023 to renew that request. Since the Senator’s visit to us in April 2022, nearly 1,300 individuals have come through our Monticello campus for treatment and recovery support including detox, residential rehabilitation, outpatient rehab and medication-assisted treatment. Yet the need significantly outpaces the available resources. 

According to a New York State Department of Health report published in January 2023, in 2021 Sullivan’s opioid overdose death rate was 108 percent higher than the statewide average. In 2022, Sullivan County reported 218 overdose incidents, including 24 fatalities. 

High drug use and availability have contributed to Sullivan County’s consistently low health ranking as 61st out of New York’s 62 counties. 

HIDTA designation will bring critically needed funding and resources to law enforcement in this underserved community. In order to curb the opioid epidemic that is killing our loved ones, friends, and neighbors, partners at the federal, state, county and local levels must work together to secure increased funding and support the organizations that are on the front lines of this battle. 

If you or someone you care about is struggling with alcohol, drugs or other substances, call our HELPline at 845.794.8080 xHELP (4357) to speak with a substance use treatment professional or peer advocate, or learn about life-saving naloxone training. Help is available and recovery is possible. Call on your local officials to continue the demand for HIDTA designation. Lives depend on it. 

Shannon Kelly, CEO
Catholic Charities of Orange, Sullivan & Ulster
Goshen, NY