I love the outdoors. I cannot remember not feeling this way. Rather than sit and wonder, I would love to stand in a wild field of brambles and wait for a pheasant to alight; to look across a hillside of virgin timber and imagine that the whole country once looked this way; to sit silently for hours and wait for that first movement of a squirrel who finally realizes I am going to be there for a while and won’t be of any harm; to come over a rise or around a corner of a narrow trail and freeze in place as I am confronted by a calf moose, knowing that “mom” probably isn’t too far away; to be so far away from civilization that the only din I hear is from a waterfall across the valley.
Although I often use various modes of transportation to near these experiences, they always seem to happen while I am walking. The sloshing through mud or shuffling over leaves or tramping on snow provides for a satisfaction of achievement that is lost when you’re sitting down behind a window. You just don’t get the same impact while you are driving your car, motoring in a bus, or riding in a train. You might be able to view them, but at 15, 30, or 65 miles per hour, you never really get to FEEL them.
And so, when I saw a recent article appear online from About.com written by Lauren Himiak (http://usparks.about.com/b/2009/10/28/npca-disagrees-with-legislation-for-north-cascades.htm), I was curious. Apparently, a Bill (H.R. 2806) had been passed by the House and sent on to the Senate, even after the Department of Interior and it’s National Park Service, to whom the funding would be provided, said “No thanks.” From what I can understand, it calls for the repositioning and reconstruction of nearly ten miles of isolated roadway. When I say isolated, I do mean isolated. This road is located in the North Cascades National Park in Washington State and can only be reached by boat or plane. This stretch of road along the Stehekin River has twice been wiped out by flooding in the past 15 years; and was not replaced after the last episode in 2003. And, what makes this project even more perplexing is that there are no camps, no homes, no buildings whatsoever along this road. It is a dead end.
In fact, since the last Management Plan in 1993, the only motorized vehicle that has been allowed along its length has been a shuttle bus that was operated by the NPS. It was then, and continues to be, open to hikers, horses, and cyclists. But, no cars.
Now comes the biggest issue. In order for this roadway to be “repositioned”, it will require an Environmental Impact Study to be completed. Initial cost estimate - $500,000 – five hundred thousand dollars. Time to complete the study – 3-4 YEARS! Initial estimate to complete the work 1.5- 2 million dollars ($2,000,000). Annual upkeep – Your guess is as good as mine.
And why did the House pass this bill? Excellent question. Apparently, the Honorable Representative Hastings felt it was important that the guidelines laid out in that same Management Plan of 1993 be met in the strictest fashion; that everyone has the opportunity to experience the public lands that are our National Parks.
So, Representative Hastings, why don’t we construct a road to the top of Mt. McKinley. I’m sure the young, elderly, and disabled would love to experience that, too. It might increase the traffic there, which would likely assist the economy of that region, too.
There comes a time when money should not chase ideals, and this is one of those times. This roadway was built alongside a fast flowing river; one that accepts a large amount of springtime runoff from the Cascade Mountains. Normal and expected water action takes place along its shoreline and slopes; erosion, movement, replacement. To say that the road should be moved away from the Stehekin River is an admirable one. But, how far is far enough. An active river could easily outmaneuver whatever border you may wish to apply to it.
If creating access to the Cascade Mountains is your goal, then that is already in place. The fact that the road is now nothing more than a trail could very well be the reason that there has been an increase of visitors. Being able to traverse a distance of 10 miles alongside a flowing river using an old roadway base is much more desired than bushwhacking your way through.
And, finally, the fact that this area is truly isolated; that no tourist can drive a vehicle onto this roadway from any other public highway should tell you enough of what its value truly is to the American people.
Like the tenet that is in place here in New York State that applies to our great STATE park system; Forever Wild, Mr. Hastings. Forever Wild.
28 October 2009
23 October 2009
Monte Cassino
This is a re-print of a paper written by me in 1967 when I was in 6th grade.
I have written this paper to show the reader that this was an important battle of World War II. It might have been a turning point for the Germans because they had lost many battles before that. I do hope that the reader will enjoy this story.
Before Anzio, which was a beachhead, the Germans had to try to stop the Allies' advancement toward Rome. They turned to a monastery with the name of Monte Cassino. This monastery is [still] located between Naples and Rome on the Rapido River. To the Germans, it was an excellent military position with it's rocky and steep hillside. The monastery was 350 meters (383 yards) higher than the village. The distance between them was about 1500 yards (1372 meters) and there were many hills in between. The Germans soon had it under control. They fortified it with huge guns.
The first (Allied) objective was to try to cross the Rapido. It took at least a couple of weeks of preparation. Soon, all was in readiness. They used rubber boast or rafts to get across the river. On their way to it, many boats were hit by heavy artillery. Few boats and men were left when they reached the Rapido. The few who got across it dug into the rocky hillside. They stayed until they were killed by either lead or hunger.
The next attempts were made by the 141st and 143rd. The 141st was assigned south of Saint Angelo. That division was successful with the help of a smokescreen. The 143rd, who were attacking north of Saint Angelo were unsuccessful. They had crossed the river but were driven back across by heavy mortar and machine gun fire, those who could swim.
Soon after this bloody battle, the American's ammunition was running out and they could not radio for help because [their] radio had been knocked out in a mortar bombardment. By 4 o'clock that afternoon, it was all over. The 36th, which was a combination of the 141st and 143rd, had lost 2681 men, 875 of which were missing. The 36th, a great fighting force, had been reduced to a regiment.
Next, the Second New Zealand Corps tried its hand at tackling the Rapido. General Alexander explains, "It was clear that the Second New Zealand Corps (SNZC) would be obliged, not merely to debough through a gateway flung open for them, but to capture the gate themselves." The SNZC were made up of the 2nd New Zealand and the 4th Indian Divisions. [They would] later join up with the 78th British and the 1st US Armored Division. All these men combined kept going despite being cold and on half rations.
More fresh troops were sent in and their welcome [was] a heavy artillery bombardment.
Finally, the Allied commanders, who were using this as a last resort, decided to bomb the monastery. They did warn the Germans. Leaflets were dropped to the ground saying,
On 2 February 1944, a force of B-17 Flying Fortresses and 112 Mediums dropped 576 tons of explosives on the village [of Monte Cassino] and Monastery Hill.
Instead of surrendering, the Grermans kept fighting because they had the advantage of being camoflaged under the rubble. Now, it was a game of hide-and-seek.
The Allied Command again agreed on a bombing. There were twice as many B-17's and Mediums. They dropped 1400 tons of explosives.
The result was only a shaking of the already-knocked-down Monastery. After the bombing, the Allies tried again, and again were wiped out.
In May of 1944, a Polish brigade, under [the command of] General Anders, swept fearlessly through the town, charged forward under heavy fire, and captured Monte Cassino.
After they captured it, the Allies (what was left of them) went on, and ... met the soldiers who came from Anzio. [They] went on to liberate the Eternal City.
This, the battle of Monte Cassino, may be summed up in a paragraph Fred Majdalany: " Cassino, so costly in human life and suffering, and thus deprived at the last of full victory, that could have made it worthwhile, was in the end little more than a victory of the human spirit; elegy for the common soldier; a memorial to the definitive horror of war and the curiously perverse paradoxical nobility of battle."
Monte Cassino
Introduction
I have written this paper to show the reader that this was an important battle of World War II. It might have been a turning point for the Germans because they had lost many battles before that. I do hope that the reader will enjoy this story.
Monte Cassino
Before Anzio, which was a beachhead, the Germans had to try to stop the Allies' advancement toward Rome. They turned to a monastery with the name of Monte Cassino. This monastery is [still] located between Naples and Rome on the Rapido River. To the Germans, it was an excellent military position with it's rocky and steep hillside. The monastery was 350 meters (383 yards) higher than the village. The distance between them was about 1500 yards (1372 meters) and there were many hills in between. The Germans soon had it under control. They fortified it with huge guns.
The first (Allied) objective was to try to cross the Rapido. It took at least a couple of weeks of preparation. Soon, all was in readiness. They used rubber boast or rafts to get across the river. On their way to it, many boats were hit by heavy artillery. Few boats and men were left when they reached the Rapido. The few who got across it dug into the rocky hillside. They stayed until they were killed by either lead or hunger.
The next attempts were made by the 141st and 143rd. The 141st was assigned south of Saint Angelo. That division was successful with the help of a smokescreen. The 143rd, who were attacking north of Saint Angelo were unsuccessful. They had crossed the river but were driven back across by heavy mortar and machine gun fire, those who could swim.
Soon after this bloody battle, the American's ammunition was running out and they could not radio for help because [their] radio had been knocked out in a mortar bombardment. By 4 o'clock that afternoon, it was all over. The 36th, which was a combination of the 141st and 143rd, had lost 2681 men, 875 of which were missing. The 36th, a great fighting force, had been reduced to a regiment.
Next, the Second New Zealand Corps tried its hand at tackling the Rapido. General Alexander explains, "It was clear that the Second New Zealand Corps (SNZC) would be obliged, not merely to debough through a gateway flung open for them, but to capture the gate themselves." The SNZC were made up of the 2nd New Zealand and the 4th Indian Divisions. [They would] later join up with the 78th British and the 1st US Armored Division. All these men combined kept going despite being cold and on half rations.
More fresh troops were sent in and their welcome [was] a heavy artillery bombardment.
Finally, the Allied commanders, who were using this as a last resort, decided to bomb the monastery. They did warn the Germans. Leaflets were dropped to the ground saying,
"We have until now been careful to avoid bombardment of Monte Cassino. The Germans have taken advantage of this. The battle is now closing more and more around the sacred precincts. Against our will, we are no obliged to direct our weapons against the monastery itself, We warn you so that you may save yourselves. Leave the monastery at once. This warning is urgent. It is given for your own good."
On 2 February 1944, a force of B-17 Flying Fortresses and 112 Mediums dropped 576 tons of explosives on the village [of Monte Cassino] and Monastery Hill.
Instead of surrendering, the Grermans kept fighting because they had the advantage of being camoflaged under the rubble. Now, it was a game of hide-and-seek.
The Allied Command again agreed on a bombing. There were twice as many B-17's and Mediums. They dropped 1400 tons of explosives.
The result was only a shaking of the already-knocked-down Monastery. After the bombing, the Allies tried again, and again were wiped out.
In May of 1944, a Polish brigade, under [the command of] General Anders, swept fearlessly through the town, charged forward under heavy fire, and captured Monte Cassino.
After they captured it, the Allies (what was left of them) went on, and ... met the soldiers who came from Anzio. [They] went on to liberate the Eternal City.
This, the battle of Monte Cassino, may be summed up in a paragraph Fred Majdalany: " Cassino, so costly in human life and suffering, and thus deprived at the last of full victory, that could have made it worthwhile, was in the end little more than a victory of the human spirit; elegy for the common soldier; a memorial to the definitive horror of war and the curiously perverse paradoxical nobility of battle."
Bibliography
- Battle of Cassino, The Fred Majdalany, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1957
- Men of Valor, Earl Schenck Miers, Rand McNally & Company, 1965
- Story of the Second World War, The, Katherine Savage, Henry Z. Walch, Inc., 1958
- Story of World War II, The, Robert Lechie, Random House, 1964
- Interview, Boleslaw A. Bobrowski, May 1967
21 October 2009
Gypsy's Under the Skyway
I attended the Erie Harbor Development DGEIS hearing last night at the Albright-Knox. At first, it appeared that there would be moderate amount of interest, but as the time drew closer, the auditorium went to SRO.
The guidelines for speaking were laid out; anyone wishing to address the hearing would have to fill out a request. Alloted time for speaking was set at 4 minutes and 8 minutes, depending on the population of the group you were representing, if any.
The "Corporate" speakers did a nice job of presenting what had already taken place in the process; environmental, built, and unbuilt.
Then came time for the "public" to speak.
We were already heading into the second hour when the FIFTH politician was introduced. I left the proceedings. The announced number of people who had requested to speak was "60". If each one was allotted their minimum time, that meant the meeting was to continue for at least another 4 HOURS! And the first 4 speakers had already extended this by their combined 35 minutes. ("I would like to thank everyone for their work. I will now name them all.......".)
Didn't these people have more than enough opportunity to speak "on the record" regarding this project already? We didn't come to here to watch them pat each other on the back. Well, at least I didn't. I wanted to hear some "man-on-the-street" input on this project. I wanted to hear what some others might have to say about the different size projects that were still being considered.
I especially wanted to hear what, as Sam Hoyt called the residents of Marine Drive Apartments, his "1000 neighbors" had to say about this invasion. I call it an invasion because for too long, this group of "residents" has, in total seclusion, called that the area south of Exchange Street and west of Main Street theirs; a private island fortress where only they can live. You and I are allowed to visit the Marina and the Naval Park, but when the sun goes down, we have to leave.
I can only imagine......
("Yes, you can park on the streets, but don't think about entering our "reserved" lot. And, for that matter, now that the Aud is gone, and all the construction is done, we are going to get the City to permanently put up "No Standing Any Time" signs all along Commercial Street and Perry Boulevard. That way, you'll have to park in one of those lots far away from us.")
And, then when the Honorable Mr. Hoyt talked about the residents wanting the speed limit lowered on "their" street, I thought to myself, "Hey, Sam! Have you ever even tried to go over 20 miles per hour on Marine Drive? With all the twists and turns and cars "legally" parked part way into the street, there's no way you can go 30. Why not put in some speed bumps while you're at it."
Where is it possible, in this day and age, for you to rent a two-bedroom apartment, on the waterfront, with private parking, for less than $400.00 per month. YUP! $392.50! OH, but you can't make more than $53,600 for a "family composition" of 4. And, if there's only one of you, and you want a one-bedroom apartment, that'll only be $305 per month. C'MON! REALLY?
Back in the day, I had reason to go into some of those apartments. They don't even compare to any of the other BMHA towers in this city. All the security doors work. The hallways are lit, the elevators don't smell, and there's no graffiti on the walls. I think most of these residents gotta "know" somebody; they're the family, friends, neighbors, supporters (wink-wink, nod-nod) of every person who has ever held a political office or patronage job in the City/County in the last 50 years. They'll all deny it, of course. You KNOW that they got those apartments like everyone else; they put their names on the list and waited their turn. (Excuse me while I throw up.)
So, when it comes to this project, the residents of Marine Drive Apartments want the least amount of additional disruption they can get their political friends to provide. NIMBY! Nothing built close to the water. Nothing taller than a chain-link fence. Nothing closer than what was there before. (Of course, you mean the old Lehigh Valley train station, right?) Wouldn't we all love to have a two-block buffer of nothing but open, flat, cleaned out land around our homes? Where we can see the intruders coming before they get close........
I can imagine hearing them say......
"You can't put that parking ramp there. Why, it'll ruin the view I have of Exchange and Terrace."
"If you put that there, I'll have to put up with cars coming and going all day long. Not like it is now, where those people come and park in the morning and then, thank God, they leave at night."
"Putting that building right there will mean that I'll have to share. I don't want to share. My son/daughter told me that I wouldn't have to, if I aggreed to leave the house and move down here."
"RV's. RV's! The next thing you know, there'll be Gypsy's moving in under the Skyway!"
The guidelines for speaking were laid out; anyone wishing to address the hearing would have to fill out a request. Alloted time for speaking was set at 4 minutes and 8 minutes, depending on the population of the group you were representing, if any.
The "Corporate" speakers did a nice job of presenting what had already taken place in the process; environmental, built, and unbuilt.
Then came time for the "public" to speak.
We were already heading into the second hour when the FIFTH politician was introduced. I left the proceedings. The announced number of people who had requested to speak was "60". If each one was allotted their minimum time, that meant the meeting was to continue for at least another 4 HOURS! And the first 4 speakers had already extended this by their combined 35 minutes. ("I would like to thank everyone for their work. I will now name them all.......".)
Didn't these people have more than enough opportunity to speak "on the record" regarding this project already? We didn't come to here to watch them pat each other on the back. Well, at least I didn't. I wanted to hear some "man-on-the-street" input on this project. I wanted to hear what some others might have to say about the different size projects that were still being considered.
I especially wanted to hear what, as Sam Hoyt called the residents of Marine Drive Apartments, his "1000 neighbors" had to say about this invasion. I call it an invasion because for too long, this group of "residents" has, in total seclusion, called that the area south of Exchange Street and west of Main Street theirs; a private island fortress where only they can live. You and I are allowed to visit the Marina and the Naval Park, but when the sun goes down, we have to leave.
I can only imagine......
("Yes, you can park on the streets, but don't think about entering our "reserved" lot. And, for that matter, now that the Aud is gone, and all the construction is done, we are going to get the City to permanently put up "No Standing Any Time" signs all along Commercial Street and Perry Boulevard. That way, you'll have to park in one of those lots far away from us.")
And, then when the Honorable Mr. Hoyt talked about the residents wanting the speed limit lowered on "their" street, I thought to myself, "Hey, Sam! Have you ever even tried to go over 20 miles per hour on Marine Drive? With all the twists and turns and cars "legally" parked part way into the street, there's no way you can go 30. Why not put in some speed bumps while you're at it."
Where is it possible, in this day and age, for you to rent a two-bedroom apartment, on the waterfront, with private parking, for less than $400.00 per month. YUP! $392.50! OH, but you can't make more than $53,600 for a "family composition" of 4. And, if there's only one of you, and you want a one-bedroom apartment, that'll only be $305 per month. C'MON! REALLY?
Back in the day, I had reason to go into some of those apartments. They don't even compare to any of the other BMHA towers in this city. All the security doors work. The hallways are lit, the elevators don't smell, and there's no graffiti on the walls. I think most of these residents gotta "know" somebody; they're the family, friends, neighbors, supporters (wink-wink, nod-nod) of every person who has ever held a political office or patronage job in the City/County in the last 50 years. They'll all deny it, of course. You KNOW that they got those apartments like everyone else; they put their names on the list and waited their turn. (Excuse me while I throw up.)
So, when it comes to this project, the residents of Marine Drive Apartments want the least amount of additional disruption they can get their political friends to provide. NIMBY! Nothing built close to the water. Nothing taller than a chain-link fence. Nothing closer than what was there before. (Of course, you mean the old Lehigh Valley train station, right?) Wouldn't we all love to have a two-block buffer of nothing but open, flat, cleaned out land around our homes? Where we can see the intruders coming before they get close........
I can imagine hearing them say......
"You can't put that parking ramp there. Why, it'll ruin the view I have of Exchange and Terrace."
"If you put that there, I'll have to put up with cars coming and going all day long. Not like it is now, where those people come and park in the morning and then, thank God, they leave at night."
"Putting that building right there will mean that I'll have to share. I don't want to share. My son/daughter told me that I wouldn't have to, if I aggreed to leave the house and move down here."
"RV's. RV's! The next thing you know, there'll be Gypsy's moving in under the Skyway!"
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