People looking for leadership
Hudson Falls opens new restaurant, significant art exhibit
The Front Page
Morning Update
Friday, December 3, 2021
By Ken Tingley
One of the leaders I criticized in my newsletter this week contacted me Thursday.
Bob Henke, the Argyle town supervisor and renown outdoor columnist for The Post-Star, wanted to know why I lumped him in with some of state-level politicians.
I’ve known Henke a long time. I hired him to be our outdoors columnist when I was sports editor at the newspaper in the 1990s. I labored for years trying to get him to shorten his column to make it a better read.
When the retired conservation officer got into politics, I applauded the move. Henke is not only a smart guy, but a straight shooter who I thought would be a good leader in Washington County. Others came to that same conclusion and Henke eventually became the chairman of the board of supervisors.
When I answered Henke, I told him I considered him one of the most respected figures in Washington County. That’s why I mentioned him. With that respect comes a responsibility. In fact, I will take it a step further, I think his character is far superior than any of the others I mentioned.
What I didn’t say was that people like Henke could make a difference in their communities and save lives, not by being politicians, but by being neighbors.
So I wasn’t surprised when he contacted me to tell me the Washington County Board of Supervisors had shared information about vaccinations and wearing a mask at the board meetings. But I didn’t think that was enough. Few people go to board meetings or read about them. I wondered if the supervisors could take their message directly to the people. Henke said he wound consider that and bring it to the supervisors. Maybe they could do better.
See what I mean about being a straight shooter.
Henke is the kind of guy who when he gets called out, he doesn’t get angry - OK, maybe a little - but he also thinks about it and considers if there is a lesson to be learned.
I also shared with him a comment from someone who had read the newsletter and also believed county officials needed to do more. Here is what that person said:
“I sent an email to Rachel Seeber stating just this. I explained that back in 2020 a Governor from a midwestern state scheduled Town halls in every county. He had a local doctor and minister speak at every town hall to answer questions. He did this because he believes citizens are more likely to believe local professionals than Washington DC . It was considered a successful event . Staff were available to give Covid vaccine shots. I suggested that each town could do the same if their town supervisors did an event in their town. I did not even receive an acknowledgment from R Seeber.”
It was a year ago I made the cross country drive to move my son to Texas.
I vividly remember pulling into the parking lot of a hotel in Altoona, Pa. where there was a line of cars more than a mile long waiting in line to be tested for Covid.
There was no vaccine, yet.
Everything was closed.
We all became shut ins in our homes.
We were buying hand sanitizer by the bucket-full.
We forget what it was like.
On Wednesday, I went grocery shopping. Less than half the people I saw were wearing masks in a community with one of the worst infection rates in the state.
Earlier this week, Lake George closed its village offices to protect its staff from Covid.
Erie County (Buffalo) announced it required masks for any indoor public events. But get this, the infection rate in Washington and Warren counties is far worse than Erie County.
Washington County remains the county with the highest infection rate. Warren County is right behind it. Vermont neighbors in Bennington and Rutland counties have it even worse.
Public events are continuing locally. Most people aren’t wearing masks at the hockey games. If it saves one life, what is the harm of wearing a mask.
On Wednesday, Rachel Seeber, chairman of the Warren County Board of Supervisors, criticized the state for not helping more, despite the fact that the problem seems to be more of attitude rather than resources.
Hope and prayers won’t fix this one.
Great leaders act in the best interest of their communities even if makes some of their constituents uncomfortable, or even angry. Great leaders tell you the hard truths.
Where are our leaders?
Why aren’t they acting?
Because they really aren’t leaders.
They’re politicians.
Alcohol sting
In 2002, The Post-Star did an in-depth series on underage drinking called “The Cost of Fun.” It was effective and important community journalism that saved the lives of young people.
This past week, it was gratifying to see that a Warren County sting failed to net one arrest as underage volunteers attempted to buy alcohol at local stores.
It is a great to see how far our community has come.
Hudson Falls restaurant
Over the summer Kendall McKernon contacted me about wanting to carry my book “The Last American Editor” in his gallery in Hudson Falls. When I arrived, he took me on a tour of his gallery, then up the stairs to the refurbished Sandy Hill Arts Center.
On my second visit, he took me into the back of the ground floor of the arts center where the owners of DeNatale’s - Kevin Golconda and Theresa Harwood-DeNatale - were putting the finishing touches on their new restaurant. I talked to them for a bit and told them I would be back.
They had a soft opening last week and are now open. It is another part of the Hudson Falls resurgence. I’m looking forward to making Hudson Falls a destination for dining as well as entertainment at the Strand and shopping at McKernon Gallery.
Fran Bull exhibit
Fran Bull, an acclaimed sculptor, has an exhibit currently showing at the Sandy Hill Arts Center. I don’t know a lot about art, but this may be one that I will check out.
The exhibit will be open beginning this Friday and run through Jan. 15, 2022.
Ken, you are absolutely right. Last month I was in NYC where I felt safer with 17 million people than I do here in Washington and Warren counties with an overall population of less than 100,000. Why you ask? Because everyone in the city was masking up to go indoors and because you had to show your Vax card and ID to get into museums and restaurants.
I just don't why it is so difficult to do the same here on our small towns to protect all of those around us.
I, too, love the close observation, humor, curiosity, and knowledge of Henke's nature columns...although i often wonder why, given his clear love or our earth, he does not seem to support legislation around regulations of toxins or speak much, or at all, about global climate change and the crisis of extinctions.
What's interesting to see is how the main republican response to Covid is to blame Biden (who has tried all he can do in his capacity) and to support legal measures opposing mandates as a misuse of power, equating it with Nazi dictatorial overreach and rousing people to go to school boards to protest masks and vaccines... I would love our community leaders to speak against threats and violence against election officials, teachers, those in Congress and all who do not follow the words and desires of Trump, who contually chose to support the lie that Trump won, who are unable to care about democracy.