SunStone much better than salt
I applaud the city of Oneonta for using SunStone, the mixture of mostly pulverized glass with some road salt. This blend seems far safer environmentally than salt alone.
The type of glass used is inert (it will not interact with the environment). It will not pollute our waters. It will not affect vegetation. It lasts longer on the roads than salt, reducing the amount needed.
One citizen expressed concern about the glass harming children, pets and floors. I, too, was initially skeptical of its safety in this respect. So I picked up some of the largest and sharpest pieces I could find. Very tentatively at first , then much more aggressively, I squeezed and rolled them between my fingers. Though I used quite a lot of force, the only danger I felt was the possibility of bruising my fingers from the pressure. This glass seems no more dangerous than the pebble that got stuck in my shoe a few days ago.
Salt, on the other hand, WILL harm the environment. It can alter water chemistry more than 500 feet from the road, and change soil composition, affecting both plant and animal life. Extended use may affect ground water quality. Salt can apparently cause vomiting and diarrhea in pets when ingested (by licking coats and feet). It can irritate their foot pads, causing cracking and bleeding.
It seems that the advantages of SunStone far outweigh the possibility that a tiny percentage may still have edges ragged enough to cause harm.
It was unfortunate and misleading that The Daily Star chose to highlight the quote: "This stuff is not safe." This opinion was not the main point of the article, and is unsupported by facts or research. It should not have been prominently displayed.
Sandy Bright
Oneonta
Paterson's plans would hurt SUNY
Oneonta is a college town. State University College at Oneonta drives the education and economy in this region.
A weakened SUNY Oneonta would seriously compromise the future of our community. The same holds true for SUNY institutions and their environs throughout New York state. United University Professions believes that the executive budget proposed by Gov. David A. Paterson on Tuesday, Jan. 19, poses the most serious threat to the mission of SUNY since its inception in 1948.
Gov. Paterson advocates giving each SUNY campus the power to set its own tuition. Through the years, SUNY has found champions among all New York governors, Republican and Democratic alike. As SUNY expanded, it gained a national reputation for excellence and accessibility. That accessibility is central to the mission of a public university in a democracy.
Gov. Paterson's proposal would encourage tuition increases that would deprive the daughters and sons of many New York families of the opportunity to obtain a college education. New York's working families deserve better, and New York's economic revitalization needs a workforce educated for the challenges of the 21st century. Make no mistake: tuition escalation sets the stage for dramatic cuts in state support for SUNY.
The governor further proposes that SUNY institutions raise revenue by leasing their property without adequate safeguards to ensure oversight and accountability. This is wrong. Ultimately our state university belongs to the citizens of New York, and important decisions about it need to take into account the voice of the people and their elected representatives. We need to retain strong legislative oversight of SUNY.
To diminish SUNY is to diminish the family of New York. Let members of the state Legislature know that we want SUNY to continue to provide a quality, affordable education.
William M. Simons
Oneonta
Simons is Oneonta chapter president of United University Professions, the labor union that represents SUNY academic and professional employees.
Citizens must speak out about city
The current state of our community should alarm each and every resident within the city of Oneonta. If there were ever a time to go to the Common Council meetings or speak with your aldermen and mayor, it would be now. In just six months, we have seen our National Soccer Hall of Fame on the verge of collapse, our police officers violate their duties, our elected officials go back on their word to investigate the situation despite public demand, Bresee's drain almost $10 million from the city and county, our Foothills Performing Arts Center drain another $9 million due to mismanagement by the executive board, and now the baseball team is leaving, as the city approaches the end of its financial reserves.
The problem with all of this, and the reason that I believe all should be speaking with their aldermen, is because we have given a small group of individuals too much power. Whether it's the Soccer Hall of Fame board of directors, the Foothills board, or the Common Council, the methods that we have grown used to implementing and the people who continuously enact these methods are simply not working to the standards we deserve. So with this, what will it take for us as a community to make change happen?
Merging with the town and selling off property will only help our economic decline for a short while, before we then run out of those funds, and are still left without any substantial resource to generate revenue.
If we, the people, do not start acting and speaking up, we will always end up on the losing side of things and our city will die. The college students can only hold us up so much before we have to rely on ourselves for answers and direction.
Jason Corrigan
Oneonta
Corrigan ran as an independent candidate for Oneonta mayor in November.
Summers boring now that baseball's gone
I am 12 years old and for as long as can remember, I have been going to O-Tigers baseball games at Damaschke Field. My parents always took me to the games, and I never missed a game unless I had a Little League game.
I met a lot of players and was lucky enough to get 71 foul baseballs.
Mr. Nader and Mr. Levine were always nice to me and my friends at the games, and I never thought the new owners would pack up and not keep their promise to Mr. Nader to stay at least two seasons.
When the baseball players came to town, I knew summer was here, and the games meant fun for me, my friends and family. Thanks to the new ownership, my summers just got boring.
If you want to watch a baseball game this summer, bring your lawn chair to Circle Park. (It's at the end of Maple Street.) My friends and I play sandlot baseball there and, I promise, we're not going anywhere.
George Foti
Oneonta
