About a week ago I put a sign on our county Route 33 property, close to Red Creek Farm. At first I laughed and said they wanted that sign for their lawn and of course I knew they really took it because they didn’t like what the sign said _ IMPEACH. That sign embodies my intense dislike for this administration and President.

We have a President who likes to tell the Congress what to think, doesn’t listen to advisors in the fields of Iraq and generally goes around acting like a dictator.

Mr. Bush acts like he has some kind of mandate from the voters. He sets up secret torture camps and calls himself a Christian. He spends billions of this country’s dollars on killing machines and manpower and makes poor attempts at real New Orleans reconstruction and health care solutions. He tries his best to control dissent, controlling demonstrations and spying on suspected dissidents. And the overwhelming reason for that sign is the death and destruction that this President has promoted in the name of the American people and democracy.

We don’t belong there and never did. We don’t heal and lead the ideals of democracy by being terrorists ourselves. Iraq has been devastated by America’s billions of dollars, bombs and bullets.

So is this a democracy and do I have the possibility of having the sign left there? As a person who believes in dissent, I invite anyone and everyone to put up their own signs. Discussion and dissent are the signs of a healthy democracy.

Sue Holmes

Cooperstown

Final concert is Friday

April 15th to 21st is National Volunteer Week, and as the outgoing volunteer co-director of the Cooperstown Concert Series, I’d like to thank the many volunteers who make our concerts possible.

We’ve had a tremendous year, with record attendance at the first six of our concerts. Much of this is due to the energy, enthusiasm, and extraordinary community mindedness of my co-director, Jeff Katz.

In addition, I’d like to thank Beth Brody, Dr. Rich Brown, Jean Davis, Cathe Ellsworth, Sally Goodwin, Dr. David Griger, Jane Johngren, Gwynn Jones, Kay Kantorowski, Joey Katz, Mark LaValley, Eileen Lieber, Angus Mackie, Stacy Michael, Liz Parsons, Nancy Potter, Jenny Richman, Maureen Rowley, Margaret Savoie, Elaine Schaeffer, Lynda Selover, James and Kami Yasko, and our corps of numerous volunteer ushers.

Our final concert of the season, the Friday, April 20, with the Kulu Mele African American Dance Ensemble, promises to be a real treat.

As a thank you to our volunteers, our donors, and our community, we will be serving free cake and coffee after the show to celebrate a great year. (We will also be announcing for the first time the artists set to join us in 2007-2008.)

Finally, if you’d like to become our newest volunteer, please contact me or any of the people listed above. We’d love to have you _ opportunities range from ushering to serving on our board. Thanks again,

Tim Wiles

Volunteer co-director

Cooperstown

Concert Series