The following excerpt of an
article written by Klaus Gaebel, is reprinted from
The Saugerties Post Star, 03-06-08 Eagle's View A View Around Town Saugerties Post Star , March 6,
2008 Last week the Saugerties Times published a
letter-to-the-editor from someone referring to herself
simply as Aunt Bea from Vandalia, Ohio, even though their
policy (which is published in their letters section) states
that all letters must be signed. What motivated the paper
to disregard a standard newspaper policy? Aunt Bea claims she wanted to move to Saugerties with her
daughter and the daughter’s four young children. While
on a recent visit to Saugerties, she said she attended a
school board meeting, became discouraged over board actions,
and then changed her mind about moving. I’m not making this up – that’s what she
wrote. Aunt Bea also claims she has a sister here in Saugerties.
My guess is that Aunt Bea also has a current or former
Saugerties school board member as a relative who
doesn’t have the courage to write his own letters and
sign them. So he’s having his Aunt Bea, imaginary or
not, do his dirty work. She also goes into a bit of a rant about my February 21st
column. My column came out on Thursday (in mailboxes on Friday)
and the letter writer said she was sent a copy from
Saugerties (to Ohio). She then apparently wrote and
submitted her letter in time to meet the Saugerties Times
Tuesday February 25th noon deadline. Someone’s temper
must have been flaring to move Aunt Bea into action that
quickly. For a moment I mistook the letter writer for fictional
Mayberry character Aunt Bee of the old Andy Griffith show.
Don’t be surprised if we soon see a letter in the
Saugerties Times signed by Mayberry’s Uncle Barney
Fife, the bumbling deputy who was easily duped and
scammed.