Perspectives is a space for voices from across The Overlook Region, featuring columns, commentary, and letters to the editor that spark conversation and deepen understanding of our communities. We welcome diverse viewpoints, thoughtful analysis, and engaged dialogue—because local news isn’t just about what happens, but what it means. For submissions and inquiries related to Perspectives, including columns, commentary, and letters to the editor, please reach out to letters@theoverlooknews.com.
Pope Leo Offers a Moral Rebuke to Trump
We are now 452 days into President Trump’s second term. As many Americans observed Easter or Passover this month, the president again chose vulgarity, menace, and spectacle. In remarks about the Iran war, he went so far as to warn that “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again.” He also…
Talkin’ the Walk: The Times They Are A-Changin’
So I’m walking down Route 212, from Bearsville into town. And, yes, I must have a death wish. But I do want to preserve a memory of it as it is before the Complete…
Letters: Community Resilience in Phoenicia
I moved here last February. I’m 72 and don’t own a car. Phoenicia ispretty quiet, except for tourists on the weekends. I have manyneighbors who have lived in the area a long time, or…
One Year In, The Overlook Deepens Its Roots in the Catskills
Exactly one year ago today, The Overlook began publishing weekly with a simple mission: to provide rigorous, community-rooted journalism to the Catskills. I’ve never been sentimental about birthdays, but this feels different. We launched…
A War Against Press Freedom
In recent weeks, it has become harder to ignore what is happening to American journalism. Reporters have been arrested while doing their jobs. The home of a Washington Post journalist was searched. Public-records requests—the…
2026: Hope Comes With Responsibility
Typically, when one year ends and another begins, we look back—cataloging disappointments, tallying progress and resolving to do better next time. There’s nothing wrong with that ritual. But this year, I want to try…
Letter: When Will We Learn?
The news that a second community school, Woodstock Elementary School, will now close at the end of the 2027-2028 school year is beginning to feel like a pattern. As if shutting down Phoenicia Elementary…
Letter: From Pumpkins to Pollution
I am writing in response to the article on the “giant pumpkin” on Route 212. Specifically in relation to microplastics. Although I understand the point of the article was human interest, not science, it seems a…
Letter: Resident Urges Voters to Reject “Bigger Bennett” Bond Proposal
To the Editor: The Onteora Board of Educationhas voted to close Woodstock School.I am pretty sure Woodstock School parentsdon’t think that is very cool. They talked of dismal outlooksand things that look so dire,DiNapoli…
Choosing Civility After the Fatal Shooting of Charlie Kirk
Where is America headed? It’s a question we all must confront amid the political violence shaking the very core of our country. Wednesday’s assasination of the conservative influencer Charlie Kirk lands like a shockwave…
From Epstein to the Catskills: A Pattern of Power and Abuse
While the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking drama continues to unfold on the national stage, local communities in the Catskills—from Saugerties to Woodstock to Earlton—are contending with their own troubling cases of sexual exploitation. Saugerties…
Reclaiming the Rattlesnake on Flag Day
I love flags. Betsy Ross designed one for our country but that is not the only one you might want to celebrate on Flag Day this Saturday, June 14. How about the yellow one…
Pride Marches Onward in the Catskills
Pride Month is here! May the freedom bells ring, and may our communities come together to celebrate the beauty and dazzling glow of diversity. June reminds us of the LGBTQ community’s history—of the progress…
A Glyph by Ed Sanders: Moments of Heartbreak Hotel
Ed Sanders is a poet, historian, and founding member of the Fugs. He and his wife Miriam, a writer and painter, have lived in Woodstock for 50 years. Ed chaired the committee that drafted…
An American Pope and the ‘Maverick’ Novel That Saw Him Coming
With the surprise election of Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as the first-ever American pope, the United States is witnessing what was long considered a historical impossibility. The ascension of an American bishop—so trusted by…
Beyond the Screen: New York’s School Policy Bans Phones, Not the Feed
Last week, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that New York will become the largest state in the country to adopt statewide restrictions on smartphone use during the school day. Under the new policy, included in…
America on the Brink
The easy thing for all of us to do is ignore what’s happening in the world around us. After all, there’s only so much control we have as individuals, right? Not exactly. Each of…
Protestors Speak Up for Democracy
As Trump’s second term unfolds, citizens in Saugerties and across the Overlook Region rally for democratic values, food security, and political courage.
Congressman Ryan Urges Action Amid Democracy Concerns
Addressing local leaders, Ryan calls for civic engagement and bipartisan solutions to national issues under Trump 2.0.
Local Health at Risk Amid Federal Cuts
Warning: Your health may be at great risk. We are being inundated with news these days coming out of Washington as the Trump administration—spearheaded by Elon Musk and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert…
Maher Balances GOP Agenda With Local Budget Wins
Make no mistake: Assemblymember Brian Maher (R-101) is a Republican and supports significant parts of former President Trump’s agenda. But when you look closely at his priorities in the New York State Assembly, it’s…
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