Revolution
The media calls them dissidents and an insurgent coalition. This week 32 true Patriots took a stand against tyranny and oppression. Called a bloodless coup, these freedom fighters have put a halt to the liberal juggernaut dragging NY into the black hole of socialism. Death to gay marriage, death to gun control, death to taxation without representation; long live freedom. From time to time, the tree of liberty must be refreshed with the blood of patriots and tyrants.

School
What are the idiots at BOCES thinking? The next school year starts before Labor Day. This isn't Vermont, and I wonder if there are any other schools starting so early. My family has a tradition of the week before Labor Day being the last vacation of the summer. All the plans have been made and money spent. My children won't be starting school that week. Maybe a boycott from the parents would send a message for the following years.

Parking
There seems to be a lot of unhappy people about the parking at Plattsburgh International Airport. How can the county charge for parking? Unlike Burlington International Airport, Plattsburgh has no major airline, no parking garage and no real destinations. If Plattsburgh would get a major airline with real destinations, they would be able to surpass 100,000 passengers instead of 44,000 passengers per year and then look at the option of charging for parking — example first two weeks free, anything longer charge a weekly fee for parking.

Cards
We all know smoking is bad for anyone's health. I am a bit annoyed, though, when I try to sit at the Food Court for a meal and anti-smoking ads are put on the tables we eat at. Not cards or notes, literally pasted upon the tables. Where are all the advertisements plastered in our hall of fast food against heart disease? It's times like these I feel bad for the smokers who get shunned by the morbidly obese that were the reason for the change to bigger chairs in the Food Court back around 2004.

Stupid
For the person that thought the city garden was Plattsburgh's stupidest idea: Have you forgotten about the roundabout debacle? Or that really nice parking lot near the Naked Turtle that serves no use?

Meowy
To the person that wrote in about the missing cat in Rouses Point — "Meowy". If you're such an animal lover, why would it bother you that these people drove up and down the streets looking for their beloved cat? Did you pay for the gas or the ads in the paper? I was one of the people who looked on a daily basis for their cat. I felt very sorry for them but thankfully it ended happily. More people should be so responsible as the Parkers. Shame on you!

Signs
Downtown has greatly improved cosmetically over the last several years. Given that there is much more pedestrian traffic, it would make sense that every crosswalk be noted with the same large yellow signs that you see on Rugar Street in the SUNY area. Drivers really pay attention and slow down on Rugar Street due to the large signs. Downtown crosswalks are marked by tiny, barely visible signs, if any at all and some are hidden by tree overgrowth. It is very dangerous downtown.

Patients
What ever happened to patient confidentiality at CVPH? I was a patient there last week. I got there at noon, and I never got a room after being admitted in until 2:30 a.m. After two hours of being in the ER, I was put in the hall where I stayed until they got me a room. There was no confidentiality at all. The wait is terrible. There should be some way of getting better service than that.

Truck
Do I have to answer to every training class, cellar pump out, mutual-aid call and so forth that I am driving the fire truck and not running lights and sirens? Are you going to question a department that drapes their fire trucks in black and gives their members one final ride or do you think that it's a waste of money and they should be using a hearse? Being a volunteer for 10-plus years, I will be riding a fire truck when I get married and when I die.

ER
In regards to HIPPA in the ER at CVPH, it is somewhat more excusable than at the Cancer Center. After all, the ER is for emergencies, and in an emergency situation, protocol cannot always be followed because of space limitations, etc. However, there is no reason for there not to be a little privacy at the Cancer Center. The same is true for semi-private rooms ... there is no privacy at all with only a curtain drawn. Visitors and patients can overhear everything being said by the doctor and nurses. Visitors should be asked to step out when the doctor arrives.

Lawns
I can't understand why people think it's OK to leave trash, lawn debris and other junk, like broken-down swingsets, piled up on their lawn. If it's been there for weeks, it means the trash collector isn't taking it, so get rid of it yourself. Some of us take pride in our homes and neighborhoods and leaving piles of junk out on your lawn is not only lazy, it's also disrespectful to people who like to live in nice neighborhoods. Grow up, learn to take care of your home and don't treat your lawn like a landfill.

Sprinklers
To the person whose house is on the Spellman Road: I drove by at 6:30 a.m. and your automatic sprinklers were watering your lawn. Do you live in the basement? Have you looked out the window recently? You're not in Arizona. One would think with the quantity of rain we've received lately, you wouldn't need to waste water when Mother Nature is providing us with more than enough.

Mission
As a member of the community, I wanted to remind everyone at Mountain Lake Services of your mission: to enrich the lives of people with intellectual disabilities, their families and our communities. The people you support are human beings, just like you and me, and deserve rights, choices and respect. That is the purpose of being in a residential setting instead of institutions. It saddens me to think of how some of the residents are treated. They are valued members of the community. Please focus on the happiness of the people you support.