The article below was published in Ulster County Press, July 2007 ……………………………………………………………………………………………..
Um, whose word was that again?
Dear Town of Rochester governing officials: Now that the truth about Porn-gate is finally out, here’s a friendly piece of advice. Before ever again questioning the integrity of the Ulster County Press, Blue Stone Press or any other Hudson Valley media outlet, edit yourself.
Although we in journalism absolutely encourage transparency and hold ourselves up for scrutiny — after all, our word and our integrity is what our business is based on — you have a lot to do to rejoin the rest of the general public in holding us accountable. Why? Because you yourselves were unsuccessful in performing the kind of due diligence you not only expect from us, but would be screaming your heads off if we failed to do so. You didn’t check your sources. Forget about double-checking and triple-checking. You just didn’t check, period. And now you’ve lost your own credibility. You lost it when the sordid little details emerged in small claims court last week about the night you tried to shame a local woman. You remember that night in January, right? When a few of you put your little heads and small minds together and came up with that plan to keep Manuela Mihailescu off your Historic Preservation Commission?
Alex Miller, Pam Duke, Tony Spano, Francis Gray. SHAME ON YOU!
Let us refresh your, and the general public’s memory. To save time, here’s the Reader’s Digest version. Republican Mihailescu wants a seat on Historic Preservation Commission from a town board dominated by Democrats. You invite her back for a second “interview,” at which time you confront her with accusations that she runs a pornographic Web site. Mihailescu asks for proof and you show her photos from the site so graphic that Larry Flynt would blush. Mihailescu runs out, embarassed, and gets into an accident in the parking lot.
Problem: The site isn’t hers. Fast forward five months later to now. In small claims court, Mihailescu is suing the town for about a thousand bucks in damages — why it isn’t more we have no idea, but that’s the vindictive bone in us talking. Town Supervisor Pam Duke, town attorney Rod Futerfas and two town board members, Francis Gray and Ron Santosky, were called as witnesses. And finally, because they were compelled to do so by a judge and could no longer hide behind the erroneous “the interview was held in executive session” excuse, we got the story we were supposed to get five months ago.
Apparently, “a reputable person” — your words, people, not ours — came to Gray and fellow board member Alex Miller with the information that Mihailescu was some sort of Web dominatrix. On the witness stand, Duke, Gray and Futerfas all said they did not personally duplicate the Web search for Mihailescu’s porn link because they trusted the source of the information. Futerfas testified that he asked Miller and Gray if the results were verifiable. ”They said yes. I took their word on that,” Futerfas said.
OK, let’s backtrack right there because that’s the important part. Nobody tried to verify what the “reputable person” told them. Everybody took the word of the “reputable person” because they trusted the source of the information. All we can say is… huh? The supervisor, board members and the attorney — all of whom are supposed to be the caretakers of town business — didn’t try to independently check the information from the “reputable person?”
Let’s say you were checking your e-mail or looking up scores on espn.com one night. You mean to tell us it didn’t dawn on one of you to think, “Hmmm. Maybe I should punch in that URL address that Mr. “Reputable Person” gave to us about Manuela and see if it’s right.” Wow. Well, with that kind of fact-checking, we’d like to sell the town some land we own. No need to check it out or anything. Trust us. Good piece of property. Oh, and Mr. Futerfas, if we ever get in trouble, we’d like you to represent us. We swear we didn’t do it. Just take our word for it and, you know, let’s leave it at that.
Folks, please don’t call the offices of any local media outlet to complain about coverage. Your conduct in this episode means you have a long way to go to regain the same footing as the rest of the public. You don’t deserve to call in to say coverage was one-sided, or have your minions write letters to the editor bemoaning that “the whole story hasn’t been told.” The whole story wasn’t told because you never checked out these rumors, and then you tried to suppress what happened behind the false claim of executive session. This isn’t a victory for the media, mind you. This isn’t a case of being vindicated. This is about the truth finally coming out. Hold us to high standards, yes. That’s what we in the media want. But don’t hold us to a standard or an ideal that you yourselves don’t practice.
We moved to Kerhonkson in 2001. The huge rent increase for our Fifth Avenue office was the main motivation, but our love for antiques and country auctions played a role too. No wonder we built and opened the Old Brick House antique store in 2007.
Tell us about your family?
I was born in Communist Romania, where I could not wear even once the cross I had since my baptism. Based on an anonymous accusation, my father was arrested in the middle of the night when I was 9 years old. To honor my Dad being a political prisoner I keep my maiden name – Mihailescu – in his memory. Both my parents were doctors and both passed away in their 60s. I got the love for photography from my father, who taught me and my sister how to develop photos in a dark room built in the attic of our Bucharest home.
I emigrated to the United States in 1980 and I was granted political asylum; the same year I and Jon Dogar-Marinesco – Romania’s top cartoonist when leaving the country in 1978 – got married. We met while staging a play at Children’s Theater in Bucharest. We were blessed with an incredible love story while working together as business partners for almost 50 years.
What did or do you do for a living?
My first job in America was as a typesetter and I witnessed in eight years the evolution and disappearance of typesetting machines. In 1987, as a student at Baruch College/CUNY, I won the First Prize Award in the Philip Morris Marketing/Communication competition. In 1988, after getting an MBA in Marketing/Advertising, I joined Point Blank Inc., an advertising agency Jon had previously founded and which specialized in travel advertising. Among our clients were the National Tourist Offices of Malta, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, cruise lines and airlines. After September 11, 2001 international travel took a severe beating, so we had to close Point Blank. Since 2007 we enjoyed selling antiques at the Old Brick House until Covid hit… We aim to re-open the shop this summer.
You have been a Councilwoman, involved in the Town of Rochester in a variety of ways, can you elaborate on that?
During my years as Councilwoman (from January 2008 till December 2011) I loved most being the Town Board Liaison to the Youth Commission and to the Historic Preservation Commission. I believe I’ve made a difference in those roles.
I wanted to give a voice to the Youth Commission, so I participated to all meetings (like no other Councilperson before), joined the kids for celebrations and field trips, recorded everything by taking photos that could be seen on my old blog BeingManuela.com. I enjoyed working extremely well with Carol Dennin, the Director of the Recreation Department at that time, who asked me to promise that after the end of my term as Councilwoman I would become a member of the Youth Commission. I kept my promise and this is why I continue to be involved for 17 years now with the recently re-named Senior and Youth Recreation Commission (as member, Secretary for a number of years, and also as Vice Chair starting this year).
The Historic Preservation Commission was in charge of creating the town’s Veterans Park. My husband Jon Dogar-Marinesco, a member of the HPC, designed the park and supervised its completion; this fact is unknown and I hope it would be brought to light this year, when, on Memorial Day, we mark 15 years from the groundbreaking of the Veterans Park. Getting the Veterans Park done constituted a serious, long struggle and all volunteers working on the project deserve recognition.
My dream as Liaison to these commissions was to have the two of them work together. This collaboration didn’t happen during the years I was a Town Board member but it’s done at the present time, when a great “trio” of wonder women (Ashley Sweeney and Bethany Dennin, as Director and Assistant Director of the Recreation Department plus Kate Gundberg, Town Clerk and Town Historian) joined forces to create amazing town events, like Heritage Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, paint classes, wreath-creating workshops, etc., all offering me great photo opportunities! Readers of Blue Stone Press probably recall seeing my photos published, thank you…
You were just named official town photographer, talk about that?
In January 2024, before the Town Board’s organizational meeting, then Councilwoman, now Town Supervisor Erin Enouen asked me if I agree to be named official town photographer as a sign of appreciation for participating to town events, for recording and documenting them. This made me really happy and of course I agreed. This January I was reappointed to the same position; the announcement is now visible on the town’s new website, launched on January 28th.
Regarding photography — I was always fascinated by capturing the authenticity of different moments. While working at the Children’s Theater in Bucharest I was going to most rehearsals to discover what happens behind the scenes. I love being around people and recording our town’s wonderful events.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
Well… I take photos and more photos, wherever I go, at town and also church events; I’m simply a “photo maniac.” I post photos on some websites according to their themes, do some gardening, watch movies – an old passion, as I was a theater/film critic in native Romania – and tennis matches, a newer passion.
To the Editor: Years ago our long time Town Historian Alice Schoonmaker (who passed away on September 30, 2020) showed me how she clipped from Blue Stone Press a letter to the editor I wrote; this proved to me how important each such contribution is to the history of our town…
The Heritage Day on October 2, 2021, organized under the creative and energetic leadership of Kate Gundberg, our new Town Historian, included — among a dizzying diversity of activities — a most emotional candlelight vigil at the town Museum in memory of Alice Schoonmaker and Richard Rider. So… it would be unconceivable not to write something now.
Actually, it is difficult to express in words how wonderful, exciting and “different” from previous years the whole day was; as “a picture is worth a thousand words,” I’ve tried to capture many activities in my photos (selections posted on Facebook — “Town of Rochester Youth & Community Center” page). I didn’t know where to go first and I missed some of them. But I loved everything I saw or experienced — pie tasting, face painting, woodfired pizza-making, antique cars and old gramophones, quilt show, walking tour of the Train Depot, people enjoying music and dancing on Main Street Accord, the shuttle to the parking area with a friendly driver, the new Historic District sign, and, of course, the fireworks at the end of the day. The town was, in a way, un-recognizable.
I have to convey my sincerest congratulations for the way Heritage Day was planned and organized. A huge BRAVO to Kate Gundberg, Town Clerk and Town Historian, plus Recreation Department’s Director Ashley Sweeney and Assistant Director Bethany Dennin for their energy, dedication, organizational skills, determination and hard work to make this extra-ordinary Heritage Day happen.
As a member of the Recreation Commission, I’d like to add special thanks and congratulations to Deborah Martin for her idea and organization of the amazing quilt show at the Community Center (with featured quilter Viola Lampman being present). We didn’t have such a true accomplishment in a long, long time…
Bravo to every single person involved in all Heritage Day activities, including also road closings, security, fire department, vendors, food, donations, etc. I’m pretty sure this was the best Heritage Day so far, as next year it’s going to be even better. Congratulations again! Our beloved and well respected Alice Schoonmaker should be smiling…
Manuela Michailescu Kerhonkson Recreation Commission member
Letter published in Blue Stone Press, October 15, 2021 issue, page 19
With the terribly sad news of the passing of our neighbor not yet sinking in, it’s hard to express what I feel. During the years, I wrote a few letters about Ron, out of respect and admiration for his character, for the way he was treating the people in town. He was Town of Rochester Councilman for three terms, a total of 12 years dedicated to serving the people who loved him back.
Although neighbors for almost two years and frequently in touch because of our old cars, we had no idea that Ron was a member of the town board. In 2003, when attending our first Caucus, matching a candidate’s profile on a flyer with a gentleman in a business suit in the room, we realized that “our“ Ron was running for re-election! He never told us about his position, didn’t mention to us the Caucus or asked us to vote for him. Do you know of another candidate like this? I don’t!
Still fresh in my mind the standing ovation Ron got, as Councilman, at the Accord Firehouse, when a controversial measure was on the agenda and he represented the people’s point of view. When Carl Chipman, Tavi Cilenti and I started our term on the Town Board, Ron gave us advice on how to stay close to the people and how to save money for the town.
If one would search for the perfect neighbor, that should be Ron. Always there for you when you needed help, never expecting something in return. Just help, straight from the heart, with a bonus: his shining blue eyes and his warm smile.
He rarely needed our help, so we just loved him. From a vacation in Wisconsin we brought him a photo of a historic car covered in blue porcelain tiles; he pinned this image on his shop’s billboard, and seeing it there for many, many years made me happy. I saw him for the last time this past winter. It snowed a lot and I went next door to see if somebody can help with plowing. There he was, same blue eyes, same warm smile, the essence of a good man.
If not for the terrible pandemic crisis, his passing would have brought many of town’s people together, all coming to pay respect to this special man, Ron Santosky. We love you Ron and we’ll always miss you! May you rest in peace…
Manuela Michailescu
Rochester
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As published in Blue Stone Press — May 15, 2020 issue (page 18)
As the author of the Letter to the Editor published in December 2018, I was pleased to read that “Resident formally challenges RVSD Dec. 11 bond vote” (in the Feb. 1, 2019 issue of BSP). I totally agree with Troy Dunn asking “What legal procedure did the RVCSD employ to ensure the voters casting ballots on Dec. 11, 2018 were qualified voters?”
This is the key issue as there was NO identification whatsoever and NO way to link any “poll registration” signature to a “ballot.”
The affidavit signed by Debra Barbiani, district clerk of the Rondout Valley Board of Education and Dr. Joseph Morgan, the new superintendent of schools at Rondout Valley, contains false statements, and this is beyond disturbing. For a NEW superintendent to tell us, district voters who did vote here for years, that this vote was “substantially the same process that has been used over the last 13 years” is simply adding insult to injury!
The explanation of having used in the past both rolls and “poll registration” is forced and convoluted. Troy Dunn is right stating that “the rolls were used in the past 13 years” and the proofs he provided from people who prepared the rolls are more than believable. I can personally confirm that they are right. With two spellings of my last name and two addresses for a number of years, I do recall specific instances when my identity and residency were checked against the rolls before I was allowed to vote.
To claim that “people were often taken aback by the need to show identification” is absurd and outrageous; comparing the school votes with political elections makes no sense — we are identified via past signatures on the rolls for political elections!
All voters I’ve talked to after last December’s school vote were shocked by the lack of rolls and lack of identification exactly because it was the first time when we experienced that!
The fact that for the December 11, 2018 vote the Rondout Valley had “rolls” provided (according to Ulster County Board of Elections commissioner Tom Turco) but did NOT use them makes us even more suspicious. My feeling is that this was planned this way to make sure the vote would pass. I mentioned in my first letter the “determination” to pass this project as it was, with no plan B.
Finding “hard to believe that 43 people” would have been not qualified voters, Superintendent Morgan insults our intelligence. He completely ignores the not so far-fetched scenario where ANY number of ballots were replaced, as needed.
An investigation to discover if all 1,327 voters were qualified will bring some peace of mind and end suspicions.
The answers provided so far by RVCSD are unacceptable; their statements are most disturbing.
Manuela Michailescu
Kerhonkson
As published in the February 15, 2019 issue of Blue Stone Press (page 14)
The Blue Stone Press pictorial A year in pictures, looking back on 2018 included three of my photos featuring moments from our town’s events and activities…
Summer program field trip to the Museum Village in Monroe, NY…
As published in the Shawangunk Journal, January 3, 2019, page 2
To the Editor:
The School District seemed determined to pass this approximately 62 million budget no matter what (no plan B was presented except “we’ll put the project back up for another vote,” an answer given during the Q&A meeting on November 8, 2018).
I’ve learned of Board of Elections people not being aware of this vote, unusually scheduled in the middle of the holiday season, on December 11. The School District did its best to bury – under the many details of needed repairs – the most important information, regarding the “stadium,” that “new artificial turf football field with lights” to “host events” and “generate revenue.”
After 17 years of voting in the area, I cannot recall any instance when there were NO LISTS of voters’ names and addresses, and NO IDENTIFICATION was required of those coming to vote. In other words, anybody willing was able to vote, and to be included in the total number of 1,327 voters. The result was 685-Yes and 642-No.
In less than 12 hours after the vote closed I’ve heard that the 62 million Capital Project passed! Who checked 1,327 ballots in the middle of the night? How were the voters matched with the addresses? How was the validity of the votes checked? Who supervised the counting of ballots?
As NO CONNECTION can be made between the sheet of paper considered “ballot” and the voter, how can we be sure that “No” votes were not replaced with “Yes” votes?
Shame on the RVCSD for making a mockery of the voting.
As published in Blue Stone Press, December 21, 2018 issue, page 15
To the Editor:
Thanks to the coverage in Blue Stone Press – November 16, 2018 issue, page 12, “RV school district hosts public Q&A for capital budget proposal” – it became clear to those who could not attend that public meeting held on November 8, that:
— there was no hard copy of the proposal available upon request before that meeting;
— there was no itemization in the proposal (readily available at that time);
— the school district seemed determined to pass this budget no matter what (no plan B was presented and the answer to the question regarding the proposal not passing was “we’ll put the project back up for another vote”).
Most residents were not aware of this vote, unusually scheduled for December 11, in the middle of the holiday season. The school district did its best to burry in its mailer, under the many details of needed repairs, the most important information, regarding the “stadium” – a new artificial turf multi-purpose field lighted for night games, hosting events and generating revenue.
And now about the real problem…
After 17 years of voting in the area, I cannot recall any instance when there were NO LISTS of voters’ names and addresses, and NO IDENTIFICATION of those coming to vote. I definitely remember that I was identified in the past when voting at the school; I had to present a photo ID or proof of residency, and the signature was also matched with the one on record.
Now, it looked like anybody was able to vote and be included in the total number of 1,327 voters. The result was very close, 685-Yes and 642-No.
How was the validity of the votes checked? How were the voters’ names matched with the addresses declared? Answers are needed because, even if the Board of Education adopted a legal voting alternative, it did not feel right to me and many of those who voted!
The opportunity for fraud is obvious as NO CONNECTION can be made between a sheet of paper considered “ballot” and the voter; how can voters be sure that “No” votes were not replaced with “Yes” votes?
In my opinion, RVCSD made a mockery of the voting and lost people’s trust in the school voting process.
Letter to Editor published in Blue Stone Press, September 1, 2017.
Thanks to Blue Stone Press, which – in the August 4 and 18 issues – published photos capturing moments from our program, the readers had a glimpse at the richness of Rochester’s summer program this year.
I’ve said it before and I’m going to say it again… It’s hard to find the appropriate superlatives for our summer program; the town’s Recreation/Youth Department creates a well-structured, balanced, diverse, full of fun affordable program that keeps improving each and every year!
Being a counselor for all 21 field trips (3 weekly for the duration of the program) I better understood the planning effort this summer program required and the challenges – mainly caused by the unpredictable weather – we had to face.
Going to water parks, beaches, pools and fun centers, walking in Albany and across the Rosendale Trestle, visiting museums, the Planetarium and the Ellenville Library, picking blueberries and corn, rides and petting animals at a local farm and at the Ulster County Fair, bowling, hiking, skyrides, ice and roller skating – everything included offered so much enjoyment.
We’ve been fortunate to have again the exceptional MaryAnne Gates, our long-time summer program expert, at the helm of our 2017 program; I find it almost impossible to describe in words what I believe she deserves as appreciation for coordinating this program…
I feel that the exciting weeks of the summer program can make a difference in children’s lives; in return, the kids enrich our lives. It’s such a rare, challenging but mutually rewarding experience; we hope we can continue to do this for years to come!
Never give up! 