Eric Sundwall

I knew I was in trouble when three deputies and one State police officer where surrounded again by three and five various representatives from County agencies at a table with another two or three residents of the community. Supervisor McGivney indicated he would give opportunity for everyone assembled from various agencies to introduce themselves and explain what type of work that they do and what services were available to families in need. Doug (the Town's Supervisor) asked that they consider a fictional scenario where a 15 year old breaks a car window and it is soon discovered that the kid's mother is inside drunk on the couch. This lead to variety of talk about parents unable to cope and various resources available and other statist tripe ad naseum that made me wondered why this panel of expertise and stormtroopers had descended on the little hamlet that I grew up in. My quality of life is not being threatened by a few rowdy youth, but the entire apparatus of the 'State' that feels it can manage the lives of individuals better than we can. I just found out about this stuff yesterday and I live in the middle of the place !

Sometime during the various Roosevelt administrations the First Lady came to what would be known as the Valatie Colony to christen two large buildings which have been used for various semi-public purposes throughout the years. Apparently it was a women's prison at some point. As kids we called it the insane asylum because anybody brave enough to go back there was confronted by some sort of anomalous human being under some type of special care. Frightening stuff for silly over stimulated young minds. Of course as I get older and longer in the tooth, the possibility of my own demise or loss of faculties concerns me slightly more then it ever did then.
The photo is the former First Lady with former Cuban dictator Batista during the initiation of the Good Neighbor Policy.

Apparently the good folks from the State have 'given' these buildings to the locality. Tonight I'm off to a Niverville Neighborhood Watch Meeting there. Yesterday I received a notice from Town Hall indicating that such a meeting was even occurring. Apparently neighbors are forming to report 'identifiable young people' engaging in unacceptable activities. Despite a survey that indicates an overwhelming majority of people feel there is no problem, the Committee will continue to meet based on concerns about ATV's, crime etc. I'm sure some people will be surprised when I express my opposition to the group (after all I have young children . . ) more so than the teens, but we'll see. Here's letter I whipped up to be submitted to the minutes of the next Town Board meeting.