Webster letter to PCNR & Community of 08-21-00

       The Iron Curtain at Butterfield:

       A new plan by the "Trustees" of our charitable trust to allow a
       company called Savoy to build an assisted living facility at our
       former Butterfield Hospital and purchase it later appears to be
       the latest clever device to sell outright our gift from Julia
       Butterfield and have the $1,000,000 proceeds going the Hudson
       Valley Health Center, (HVHC) with little advantage to our
       community.  I think Julia would be horrified at what has happened
       to her gift to the community.

       Last week at an unpublished meeting behind locked doors at
       Butterfield library, the boards of the two Villages'
       administration talked about going into "executive session" to
       prevent the general public from finding out how the hospital
       "Trustees" were applying influence over our elected officials in
       secrecy.

       Remember how our "Trustees" and HVHC promised to "save
       Butterfield" with "a loan of up to $500,000" and to disclose the
       financial status for the prior two years?  While a mere ten
       dollar bill would have legally consumated that deal HVHC got our
       then un-mortgaged property worth millions and $1,500,000 in
       accounts receivables. HVAC and our "Trustees" then closed our
       Hospital, dissambled it, and left our community with virtually an
       empty building for eight years.  Do you still want to "trust"
       them now?

       And did the "...up to $500,000" go instead to pay off the Vassar
       lawsuit against Butterfield (Dutchess Co. #1990-4958)? This
       lawsuit was kept secret from the public and the Attorney
       General's Office for 2 1/2 years? Did the "Trustees" use that
       $500,000 to pay off that lawsuit settlement because our
       "Trustees" would not even appear for oral depositions to defend
       our Trust?  In that lawsuit, former Butterfield administrator
       Thomas Dee swore under oath in those court papers about the
       Butterfield Trustees:

       "They interfered with Butterfield's efforts to collect bills by
       instructing administration [Vassar] not to pursue collection
       efforts against friends and/or acquaintances of certain members
       of the Board.  They failed to recruit and/or elect competent
       board members."

       How can the community rely on anything these "Trustees" have said
       in the past or now?  Readers, do not fall prey to this latest
       scam!   Demand a full accounting and public disclosure about what
       has happened to our Charitable Trust before ANY further change in
       status is approved by the Attorney Generals' Office.

       The community must demand from the Attorney General a totally new
       slate of "Trustees" to be appointed, and I suggest the mayors of
       the two Villages and the Town Supervisor to be automatically
       sitting Board positons so the community will have some voting
       power and the ability to ask at public meetings what is happening
       with our "Trust".

       This week I will be sending additional documentation to the
       Attorney General's Office as requested, as well as to the Town &
       Village offices for public viewing.

       Demand answers! Speak out NOW!

       Scott Webster, Cold Spring