Please read again this second paragraph from Terry Bernardo’s letter…
“When the news of the redistricting broke, I was approached by a group of concerned Republicans who asked me to run. They believed that my experience in county and state government as well as having owned a small business, made me a viable candidate. After giving it much thought and consulting with my family, I have agreed to be your candidate for the new 51st State Senate District.”
If you believe ONE WORD of it, you are as dumb as Terry…
Let me know where you want the Brooklyn Bridge delivered.
Terry’s letter has more lies than paragraphs. Here is the BIG WHOPPER at the end of the first paragraph:
“…we are now left with an OPEN SEAT for the new 51st senate district, a seat we cannot afford to lose.”
Bullshit!… according to Freeman Online:
KINGSTON, N.Y. — Former Ulster County Legislature Chairwoman Terry Bernardo has filed petitions to take on Republican incumbent Sen. Peter Oberacker for the GOP line in the race for the 51st state Senate District.
The two will face off in an Aug. 23 primary election for the right to run on the GOP line in the Nov. 8 general election.
Take a look at what Terry Bernardo considers an open seat:
Let’s send Terry back to Len on August 23 primary election…
While Rochester Town Board is sleeping at the wheel, Wawarsing joins Esopus in opting out of retail sales of – and lounges for – recreational marijuana.
December 21, 2021
In response to the Town of Wawarsing voting 5-0 to opt out of “consumption sites” (i.e., pot lounges) for recreational marijuana and 3-2 to opt out of “cannabis-based dispensaries” (i.e., weed shops) for recreational marijuana tonight at a special Board meeting to consider the newly enacted Local Laws 3 and 4, Fr. Arthur Rojas, a priest who assists with Hispanic ministry at the local Catholic parish in the Town of Wawarsing (St. Mary-St. Andrew) observed, “In a matter of one week, Wawarsing joins my home town of Esopus in becoming the second municipality in Ulster County to opt out of weed shops and pot lounges for recreational marijuana. Kudos to Fr. Kenneth Riello, pastor of St. Mary-St. Andrew Church and his parishioners for building on what my parishioners at Esopus first achieved last week to keep our towns a family-friendly place to live.” In addition to helping at Ellenville most Sundays with Hispanic ministry, Fr. Rojas is the administrator of Presentation-Sacred Heart Parish at Port Ewen and Esopus .
Deacon John Carr, an Ellenville resident who is assigned to a Catholic parish in Ulster County, attended the meeting and spoke in favor of both proposals. The deacon noted earlier to Fr. Rojas, “It’s already legal to consume in your home a certain amount. Why do they even need “specialty sites” for that purpose?” After the results of both votes, later Dcn. Carr exulted, “I’m grateful to God for a good outcome to this evening’s Town Board meeting. Be assured of it. I couldn’t be more pleased.”
With flyers sighted with the words “VOTE YES to Local Laws #3 and #4 NOW!!!”, a diverse group of residents, including English and Spanish speaking parishioners of St. Mary-St. Andrew Church, supported speakers – including Fr. Riello and Dcn. Carr – who urged the Board to adopt both bills in contrast to a seemingly smaller number of opponents present at the meeting.
Concluded Fr. Rojas, “It has been a blessing for our clergy and laypeople to raise awareness with people such as the three Board members who voted for both bills at Wawarsing and the supporters at Esopus on its Board and in the community, including people of different faiths, to keep our towns family-friendly places to live and to deter the normalization of narcotics, even in the name of raising revenues for local governments. These victories have been the fruit of much prayer, outreach, and persistence, along with sharing with the brethren at Ellenville and Wawarsing the benefit of our experience in Esopus.”
Presentation – Sacred Heart Parish Port Ewen, New York – Esopus, New York
In Esopus, Town Board NIXES more reefer madness…On the night of December 16, the efforts of prayer, advocacy, and outreach by clerics and parishioners – cooperating with neighbors of good will – to keep Esopus a family-friendly place to live when the Town Board passed Local Law 13. After numerous parishioners and two of our clerics made their presence felt and voices heard at three hearings of the Board, despite anti-Catholic barbs during the lively hearings, Esopus has become the first municipality in Ulster County to opt out fully from allowing “cannabis based dispensaries” (read: weed shops) and “consumption sites” (read: pot lounges) in our town. Upon learning of the bill’s passage, enthused Dcn. Timothy J. Dean, who spoke at the second hearing on December 2nd, “The Town of Esopus got it correct. We are trying to make our town a family-friendly place to live with businesses that are conducive to the lifestyle we desire.”
“Thanks be to God for blessing our efforts.” stated Fr. Arthur Rojas, Administrator, “We have addressed this moral issue with public policy impact via sustained prayer for our local authorities as well as seeking to evangelize them and our neighbors on the true common good of our town and in defense of our currently pro-family environment.” In addition to Presentation-Sacred Heart Parish’s efforts via Article 4 of the N.Y.S. Cannabis Law to limit the threats to impressionable children, youths, and families from the recent legalization of recreational marijuana, Fr. Rojas noted that in the Town of Wawarsing, Fr. Kenneth Riello, pastor of St. Mary-St. Andrew Parish in Ellenville is leading similar efforts there. “We urge all our parishioners and people of good will to keep Fr. Riello, his parishioners, and the local authorities in prayer as the Wawarsing Town Board meets on December 21st to consider Local Laws 3 and 4, which are their equivalents to our newly enacted Local Law 13.”, exhorted Fr. Rojas.
Presentation – Sacred Heart Parish Port Ewen, New York – Esopus, New York
In a previous post, What a coincidence, I pointed out that a food pantry was scheduled to pop-up in Skate Time’s parking lot on December 7, 2021 – two hours before the beginning of a referendum in which Town of Rochester voters may have decided to buy or not to buy… Skate Time 209!
It’s hard to believe that Skate Time’s owners Stephen Apkon and Marcina Lee Hale-Cristobal made the parking lot available – for free food distribution on the referendum day – without any thoughts of tampering with the people’s good will for a deal in which they stood to pocket a $730,000 profit, while the Rochester taxpayers would have been saddled with potential loans totaling twelve million dollars.
The deal fell through, the referendum was cancelled, and I was curious about the pop-up food pantry.
What food pantry?
During the hours advertised (10:00 am – 1:00 pm), the only thing one could see in Skate Time’s parking lot was the above discarded sign referring to something that took place in the Spring of 2020.
Makes sense! No referendum, no need for the Community Action’s Pop Up Food Pantry…
Take it with a grain of salt, but I dreamed about Supervisor Baden telling me that he had a dream, which he described exactly as in the above picture… Really scary!
Speaking of Supervisor Baden, there is a rumor that – as a Christmas gift to his constituency – he will produce a show focused solely on the historical reenactment of the exact moment in time when the idea of buying Skate Time 209 crossed his mind…
True or not, a “leaked” graphic illustration – shared among Mike Baden’s friends and family – is said to document also the exact location where it happened.
ACCORD – With a single sentence, the Town of Rochester abandoned its pursuit of Skate Time 209 as its new town hall/recreation center.
“The Referendum vote scheduled 12/7/21 for the purchase of Skate Time has been cancelled,”the town wrote on its website. Rochester Supervisor Mike Baden confirmed the move in an email, adding that the contract between the town and the owners of Skate Time had also been terminated.
Skate Time owners Steve Apkon and Marcina Hale will now be free to pursue other prospective buyers for the building, which sits on 5.96 acres and reportedly was appraised for $2,125,000. The idea behind the purchase came from Apkon and Hale, who presented the town with an offer for the property. They have publicly stated that their reason for approaching the town, rather than another buyer, was fueled by a desire to keep the building as a community space. The December 7 referendum, if passed, would have allowed the town to pursue a $2,060,000 bond for the purchase.
But an email from Apkon this week rescinded the offer, after it seemed as if the referendum would fail (both Republican and Democratic factions in Rochester had come out against the referendum). On Tuesday the town board unanimously agreed to terminate the deal. While preparation for the referendum (absentee ballots, lawyers’ fees an environmental survey, etc.)cost the town about $6,500, the cost would have been a few thousand dollars higher if the referendum proceeded, according to Baden.
What Happened?
Almost immediately the deal was wrapped in controversy. And many attacks appeared politically motivated, since the supervisor and some town board seats were up for grabs this election season. Councilmember Bea Haugen Depuy, who ran against Baden, said the building would cost millions more than the initial bond. While Baden was upfront that the total costs were unknown, he had mentioned pursuing an additional bond for any required fixes, but not before giving the power to the voters to decide yes or no. There were also several concerns raised about the state of the property. The town had opted to not invest in a full property inspection, citing cost concerns. In a previous interview Baden said that an inspection was going to occur before the sale was finalized, and it could quash the sale if the repairs were too costly. However, the lack of a full inspection may have fueled the rumor mill, as one local opponent to the referendum, losing town board candidate John Dawson, repeatedly blasted social media with claims that the building was in dire shape.
Opponents of the referendum also questioned the owner’s motivation and the assessed value of the property. In a BlueStone Press article, there was even an unsubstantiated claim that a buyer was interested in keeping it as a rink. But according to the owners, that was false.
For now, the fate of Skate Time remains uncertain. It might stay a rink, or it might become any number of commercial enterprises. The town, which still needs a new place to hold government affairs, will have to seek out other sites, buildings, lots, or existing town properties on which to build.
Rochester Smoke Out 