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The Altamont Enterprise - Thursday, July 20, 2006 The Enterprise opinion pages are an open forum for our community. We encourage readers to express their thoughts about issues that appear in this newpaper or affect the community. Letters should be brief (with an outside limit of 1,000 words) and must include the writer's address, name, and phone number for verification. The editors may reject letters that have been printed elsewhere. Letters concerning elections will be cut off one issue before the 0f ^ J* S „ . election at the editor's discretion. No unsigned J £^ 4&JC* Cs&~*S%st?' letters. Deadline for letters is Tuesday at noon. Leave our highway department alone To the Editor: I have just finished reading the July 13 article in The Alta- mont Enterprise with regard to maintaining highways in the town of Berne. I don't know how others in the town, who have lived all their lives here, as I have, feel about the proposed takeover of the care of our town roads by the County of Albany's department of public works, but it is my belief that our highway depart- ment has done an outstanding job all these years — and should be allowed to continue to do just that, Apparently there are those who would have you believe that this idea is in line with progress and the best interest of the town taxpayers and would save them monies in the long run. To predict what \future savings\ or \expenditures\ for the town would be are why budgets are put together, based on guesses (and the hope that their figures will come out as guessed). To predict the savings listed in the July 13 article as fact, seems next to impossible, as there are many things that will affect the figures presented — prices of fuel — a mild winter or a not-so- mild winter (when it comes to plowing). Don't let the few who would benefit by this lead you astray. Contact your assemblyman and other government representa- tives to voice your opinion and tell them not to let this happen. Leave our highway depart- ment alone, and let them con- tinue doing the tremendous job they have been doing. Rudy Stempel East Berne Editor's note: Rudy Stempel is a former supervisor of Berne. Old Men of the Mountain Lost souls share past predicaments By John R. Williams On July 11, the Old Men of the Mountain met at Jersey's in East Berne, and last week at the Helderberg Cafe which is in Berne. Jersey's used to be Wright's Delights, and the Helderberg Cafe used to be the Berne Country Store. We are old and easily confused but these are our regular eatery haunts only with different names. Being easily confused does not necessarily pertain only to get- ting older. We discussed how many wrong turns, andvstrange places we wound up in trying to drive in New York City, and Long Island, and we were not old at this point in our lives. We now avoid the place if we can help it. At the ages we are now, we would get so lost that search teams would have to come and look for us, because we would be gone so long we would be reported missing by our loved ones, or caretakers, whichever is the case. Some reported going one way over a bridge and, when going home, things were not the same and they would wind up in Connecticut or some other place. Or perhaps the sign said east, and they knew they didn't want to go east because that would take them back to the ocean and they were headed home. Any normal person would head west, or at least northwest but they don't mark signs like that, so they headed west. Doing that would take you lord knows where, then the problem was finding your way out of there to get back to where you were, and all that did was compound the problem. This scribe has done the same thing more than once and knew exactly what they were talking about; again the traveler would wind up in Connecticut or on the way to New Jersey, or who knows where else. Maybe these other states have an agreement with New York to garner more travel dollars and then split the difference as we tourists ram around trying to find our way home. Getting off at some exits (which the traveler thinks are the correct one) many of the OF's wound up in Harlem and could not find their way out. To hear the others talk about this and some having the exact same experience (myself included) indicates to us that the signage is either a joke or done on purpose to see how many people they can direct to some of these confusing places. We may be from the moun- tains but we are not stupid. If it is happening to us it is happening to others. One OF was trying to get his daughter and son-in-lafa to the airport in New York City and did exactly the same thing following the signs, and he wound up in Harlem. By the time he stopped for directions (and even those given were confusing) the kids missed their flight. We wondered if poor signs were worse than no signs like in New Hampshire. New Hamp- shire must save money on its highway budgets because it just doesn't have signs. A traveler either knows where they are going or to heck with ya. Sometimes the signs are okay but the traffic is close and fast, and a visitor has no time to react. Isn't that who signs are for anyway, the visitor? The locals don't need them. In Toronto, they have a good method for signs so the tourist can use them. There is one hitch though; the visitor needs to know what collector lanes are. (A young fellow I know, who was going to Canada to visit his parents, thought it meant that they would collect a toll at his exit on the collector lane, and, since he didn't have any money, he wouldn't get in the collector lane. Therefore, he went for quite a ride). The signs are way ahead of where you have to exit or change direction, and the signs are both on the collector lane, and on the through-travel lane. The speed is reduced in the collector lanes, and there is no one on your right, forcing you past your exit by not having a break in traffic so you, the driver, can get off the highway. Very civil and organized. To get back on the collector lane when you leave Toronto, that is also just as well organized. We also discussed the changes going on, on Long Island. Not all the OF's are originally from these parts; however, they do live on the mountain, for the most part. It is interesting to hear them discuss the changes that are occurring where they used to live, one of which is that, if you speak English, you won't have a clue as to what is happening be- cause most of the spoken lang- uage is Spanish. The Old Men of the Mountain are basically of the opinion that they should pass the law that makes English the language of the land. The OF's who travel abroad say that one of the advantages other countries have over the good ole US of A is that, if you are in Japan, they all speak Japanese. This allows workers to communicate efficiently, plus all the directions are given in one language, all instructions are in one language, and everyone understands that language. Imagine a supervisor in the United States with a multi- cultural workforce, each speak- ing his own language. Directions would be given once in Spanish, once in French, once in English, and, depending on the other groups, in whatever language they spoke. By the time the directions are given, it is time to go home. No wonder we spend more time at work, and get less done. Take the poor cop who stops someone for speeding and he doesn't speak Mandarin, and the driver doesn't speak English but yet he has a driver's license. Something-is wrong here. The OMOTM want to know who straightens these things out. To us it is so simple. Either learn to speak English in a certain period of time to get a job, or a driver's license, or go home. Whatever language is spoken at home or with friends, who cares. The OMOTM can't see what is so hard about this? We are tough OF's. Those attending the breakfast at Jersey's (Jersey is the name of their dog. Does that mean dog food is also on the menu?J and most of us speaking English were: Wally Quay Sr., Tim Thompson, Carl Walls, Mace Porter, Robie Osterman, Bob Snyder, Miner Stevens and his brother Gil Stevens, Harold Guest, Skip Skinner, Frank Pauli, Bob Dietz, John Rossmann, George Washburn, Ted Willsey, Bob Galusha and his son Bob Galusha Jr., Duane Wagen- bough, Ernie Ecker, Jim Ris- sacher, Mike Willsey, Harold Grippen, Arnold Geraldsen, Jim Yates, Millard Shultes, Norm Madsen, and me. _, Back In Time. ••••'. 1907 99 Years Ago 2006 Altamont Enterprise, July 19,1907 From London Ladies' Realm: Women visitors to the English House of Commons are relegated to the semiseclusion of a gal- lery provided with a heavy iron grating. When a gentle hum of conversation and light laughter floats down from the ladies' gal- lery members look up and see through the interstices of the heavy grating delicate tints of soft fabrics, the bloom of a fair cheek or the gleam of a bare white arm. Amusement and curiosity, of course, bring the ladies to the House of Commons, but these cannot be the only motives. The fair visitors would hardly trouble to array themselves in such ravishing evening toilets merely to sit in the gallery, that ill lighted den where dresses are not seen to advantage. No doubt it was with a view to the prevention of flirting that the rule was laid down that if a member desires to converse with a lady in the gallery he may do so for five minutes only. Mem- bers, especially the young\ and impressionable, make frequent visits to the cage. Of course it is for the purpose of pointing out the celebrities on the benches below. But if in doing so he should exceed five minutes the gallery attendant is empowered to call his attention, courteously, but firmly, to the fact that he has outstayed his limit. It is to be feared that this official, in evening dress, with a charm and badge, often interrupts, by his \Time's up, sir!\ whisperings of soft noth- ings in the ladies' gallery, or the \flirting lobby,\ as it has been nicknamed. **** Photographers Do Not Need Sun: The development of the elec- tric light has been the means of placing the photographic people in a position of independence as far as the sun is concerned. There are several electric printing machines in use at the present time for the making of prints, but they are ponderous pieces of mechanism and therefore expensive. The newest thing of this kind is simple enough. It is a light wooden framework mounted on a substantial tripod, on which it revolves. There are accommodations for holding ten 8 by 10 inch printing frames, which is the size in most general demand, and the faces of these are directed toward an electric light of special construction which hangs from the ceiling in the midst of this nest of frames. This apparatus makes the prints as fast as one person can load and unload the holders. The simplicity of the device makes it quite inexpensive. It is largely used for blueprint work, al- though it is available for other kinds of photographic printing. An Elephant Ferry: One of the strangest ferries in the\world is to be found in India. A Hindoo chanced to save the life of a prince and as a reward received one of the largest elephants in the royal stables. But this honor caused the recipient much anxiety, as the animal's appetite was too great for his owner to satisfy. The Hindoo's house stood near a turn in the river, where many persons crossed, and as the stream was at times a raging flood, boats and men were often carried out of their course. On one occasion when the elephant was bathing in the river, it suddenly occurred to the owner to use the animal as a ferryboat. A harness was made for the elephant, with a long rope as a trace, which was fastened to a heavy boat. The latter, loaded with pas- sengers; was successfully towed over the river, and since that time the animal has been a source of profit to his owner. THE ALTAMONT Enterprise Published continuously since July 26, 1884 \We seek the truth and print it\ JAMES E. GARDNER MELISSA HALE-SPENCER Publisher Editor §t NEWS OFFICE - StafTWriters •861-5005 or 861-5008.. Advertising Director. Office Manager Production BUSINESS OFFICE —861-6641 . . . JARRETT CARROLL, TIM MATTESON. MICHELLE O'RILEY. J O PROUT. SARANAC HALE SPENCER > CHERIE LUSSIER—861-857] WANDA GARDNER —861-6G4. JAMES E GARDNER JR., CARLA J. LUFT BARBARA DEGAETANO, DIANE GROFF. DEBRA PRATT, SUSAN SPACCARELLI The Enterprise is the newspaper of record for Guilderiand, New Scotland, Berne, Knox, Westerlo, and Rensselaerville. Our mission is to find the truth, report it fairly, and provide a forum for the open exchange of ideas on issues important to our community. PUBLISHED THURSDAYS at 123 Maple Ave., Altamont, NY 12009. Periodical postage paid at Altamont, NY. Postmaster Send address changes to The Altamont Enterprise, PO Box 654, Altamont, NY 12009. USPS 692-580, ISSN 0890-6025. FAX: 861-5105. E-MAIL: altamontenterpnse@csdsl.net WEBSITE: www.altamontenterprise.com OFFICE HOURS: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: For Albany County residents, one year, $28; six months, $21 For out-of-county subscribers, one year, $30; six months, $24. Postal charges incurred by a subscriber's failure to notify the newspaper of an address change will be billed to the subscriber upon renewal. No refunds on subscriptions. Single copy: 75 cents. ADVERTISEMENT RATES available upon request. The publisher reserves the right to reject advertising a t any time for any reason. Liability for errors in advertisements will, at the publisher's discretion, be limited to the value of the ad only. NEWS DEADLINES: For correspondents' columns, Monday before publication. For all other contributions, Tuesday before publication. CORRECTIONS: The Enterprise will correct errors and clarify misunderstandings in news stories when brought to the attention of the editor, phone 861-5005. VIEWPOINTS expressed by staff members, contributing writers, and correspondents do not necessarily reflect those of the ownership of The Enterprise. QUESTIONS and COMMENTS concerning the content of this newspaper should be directed to the editor by calling 861-5006 or in the form of a letter to the editor. WEDDING AND ENGAGEMENT ANNOUNCEMENTS will be printed free of charge. A $18 fee will be charged for announcements with a photograph. PHOTOGRAPHS will be printed with announcements about students for a $30 mini- mum fee. There is no charge to print announcements without photographs.
