Published: June 12, 2009 07:51 am      

Letters for June 12, 2009

Good experience on Cannonsville

On Sunday, May 31, two Catskill Mountain Club directors, Ann Roberti and I, along with three others, enjoyed an exhilarating kayak paddle on the recently opened waters of the New York City Cannonsville Reservoir in Delaware County.

This was kind of a test run for the group to see how the required steam cleansing of our watercraft would go and to check out a launch-site facility.

We must report that the cleaning process went very well.

We went to the JMT enterprises on Chamberlain Brook Road where the proprietors, Joe and Monica, were friendly, informative and efficient. Joe steam-cleaned while Monica did the computer and paperwork and issued our day-pass stickers, which were attached to the bows of our craft.

All this took about 45 minutes in total for all five of us.

We launched at the south side of the Apex Bridge, where we left our cars on a well-graveled parking area. All and all, it was a great first-time paddle, and we recommend all other paddlers to try this great opportunity on this pristine and beautiful New York City reservoir.

With luck and no glitches on this New York City Department of Environmental Protection pilot project, we anticipate paddles on the Pepacton and the Ashokan and other New York City reservoirs in the future. Information on this pilot project is available on the DEP website, http://nyc.gov/html/dep/html/watershed protection/

recreation.shtml, including local outfitters that rent boats that can be used on the reservoir. Immediate issuance of the required DEP access permit is also available on this website.

Thank you, DEP, and all others involved in getting this wonderful recreational opportunity available to all of us.

Jack McShane

Andes

Truth about attack on Liberty needed

With the 65th anniversary of D-Day and the commemoration of the 20th year since Tiananmen Square, I am saddened to see no mention of the fact that 42 years ago, on June 8, 1967, the USS Liberty was attacked without warning by Israeli air and sea forces. Of a crew of 294, 34 Americans were killed, and 174 were wounded in an unprovoked attack in international waters.

These brave sailors, Marines and civilians have never been publicly recognized for their sacrifice.

It is time we recognize that our country has kept silent long enough. If our president and elected representatives truly want "transparency" in all things government, let them release the truth about what occurred in the Mediterranean Sea that day, and honor the memory of those who gave their all in the service of a country that has forgotten them for too long.

Visit www.gtr5.com.

Thomas A. Riso

Garrattsville

{"headlinelight18"/}Future of learning

I saw the future last weekend at the Little Delaware String Ensemble concert and a book signing at Green Toad, where physics was shown to be fantastic fun.

Education that creates tomorrow is not a matter of test scores but of the creative, disciplined expression of mind and spirit.

N. L. Hutman

Oneonta