The Times Herald Record from Middletown, New York • Page 20

MMHtoy, January 10, 177 THE TIMES HERALD RECORD Edward Schlott of Wallkill, a retired New York City detective, looks at a sign he erected alongside Rt. 208. The sign is part of a campaign to protest high taxes in the area. Record photo by Ruth Bonapace Wallkill man gives a sign of protest and the cost of legal notices in local papers making public the names of truants Dwight C. Aller.

superintendent of the Wallkill School District, said not paying school taxes would pile on another 10 per cent penalty to the county penalty. Meanwhile, it would not have a serious affect on either schools or government, they said. "It doesn't hurt us in the least The county pays us (for unpaid taxes)," Aller said "It's the wrong way to approach either school or county taxes. It's a no-win situation and I advise strongly against it," he said "I just can't see how it can work," Reynolds said. He said the county in such a bind could borrow the money at a low interest and maybe even make a profit.

"They get a good rate, probably about 5 per cent, and they could end up getting maybe 6 per cent after the penalties," he said County legislator Victor McCord, D-8, of Gardiner, was slightly more optimistic "I know him (Schlott) quite well, and I understand their problem with taxes. They are elderly," he said McCord suggested that if Schlott's campaign became popular, "it might call the state legislature's attention to the fact that laws have to be changed." Besides forcing the municipalities to reckon with smaller revenues, Schlott said his aims include reformation of state laws to limit the amount of property that can be designated tax-exempt While many taxpayers throughout the state have become mail-order ministers to qualify for religious tax exemptions as a form of protest, Schlott is convinced that his way is more equitable "If they get exemptions, that throws it (the tax burden) right to us." he said fat he says is eating a large chunk of local taxes. The older sign on his property is part of a law-and-order campaign Schlott began more than six years ago. during the height of campus unrest In a manila folder, Schlott keeps memorabilia of those days These include petitions with almost 400 signatures gathered in theShawangunk area demanding an end to sit-ins, bombings, arsonists and- other rousers. He also had a color comic section of a newspaper featuring Dick -Tracy promoting "law and order first, a slogan Schlott used in his campaign, and a letter of thanks from the cartoon's artist, Chester Gould, who received a complimentary law-and- order bumper sticker Schlott had made.

Schlott said he plans again to make bumper stickers for his new cause and will take up the issue with the public at the March Shawangunk Homeowner's Association meeting in Pine Bush "The idea is to pay the penalty on taxes and hold out on the tax money If I put the money in the bank the bank will give me interest," Schlott said An advocate always of law and order first, Schlott said he is not promoting tax evasion He said the taxes should be paid, but paid every other year "If they (legislators and other officials) don't get the money they can't spend it. and they'll have to learn how to cut back They just spend money like drunken sailors when it doesn't belong to them." Schlott said But officials in Ulster County are skeptical, at best, about Schlott's plan Jack Reynolds, director of the county Real Property Tax Service Agency, said persons who do not pay their county taxes for an entire year will end up paying in the second year, not only the two years' taxes, but a 10 per cent penalty for the year plus a 5 per cent collection fee By RUTH BONAPACE Walden Bureau Chief WALLKILL Motorists driving north along Rt. 208 during the past few years may have noticed a weathered black and white sign reading "Law and Order" near the Rt. 300 intersection Nre Recently, a new sign has appeared shortly past the old one In hand-painted scarlet letters against a white wooden board it stands starkly a field proclaiming, "Pay No Taxes What does this mean, "Law and Order Pay No Taxes'" a motorist might ask Is it the work of a new underground fringe group0 Hardly The Wallkill painter urging the public to fight for tougher law-ami-order legislation and to withhold local taxes is retired New York City Detective Edward Schlott, now comfortably, but not quietly, retired to a small real estate business run from his home near the highly conspicuous signs "There's no chance of taxes ever going down anymore They are giving everybody exemptions," said Schlott, who promises not only more flamboyant signs throughout the area, but matching bumper stickers to spread his message The 74-year-old Schlott said his latest campaign is designed to spur a temporary boycott of school, town and county taxes Under his plan, persons would refuse to pay their taxes for one year, putting the tax money in the bank to gain interest to help offset the penalties imposed for delinquent taxes If enough people do this, Schlott says, the school district and local governments will be forced to reckon with a smaller budget cutting the administrative After nine years, a son's memory still lives Europe, or someplace except to his death "I've always felt the Army killed Philip. "He wanted to go some other place, but I kept saying 'Since you're in, do your "Duty!" Pausing a minute, she added, "Duty.

I wonder what that means? It doesn't help much through the long days and nights." With a sad smile, she said: "When Phil came home a hero, dead, people said 'I'll do whatever I can for I remember telling them 'I'll need you in 9 or 10 "The day is now, but there's almost no one. People forget heroes other By CHRIS FARLEKAS Features Editor CENTRAL VALLEY When the telegram came nine years ago. it was like a giant hammer slammed into Aurora Ru-minski's guts That's the way the news of her oldest son's death hit her He was killed in Dak To, Vietnam, on Jan 7. 1968 Phil Ruminski wasn't "a common On the anniversary of his death, Mrs. Ruminski talked about him, his promise and what the years have been like without him.

She looked at a picture taken just before he went to the prom at nearby Monroe-Woodbury High School. Phil is a white tux. He's got his arm around his mother, bugging her. Both are looking straight into the camera, grinning broadly. "We could talk about anything.

Sex, girls, whatever, there was never anything he couldn't say "Some parents find it hard to talk to their sons I'm glad that never happened here I would feel even worse if he had died and there were things not spoken between us. "Phil was a good person He had a nice disposition and a beautiful smile "He liked classical music. That's a big difference from the other children. "He was artistic. He didn't leave just his paintings, he left words." She quietly walked through the two-story home, pointing out watercolors and paintings her son created.

Just before going into the Army, there was an exhibit of his work at a Fifth Avenue gallery. Times critic John Canaday wrote that Phil's work bad enough promise that he could one day "be a major American artist" She took out a canvas with a lighthouse and a roaring sea "That was his first painting He loved painting the sea, the birds There was something in him that was a navigator between places He always felt at home out there Phil began painting when he was 11. The family lived in Brooklyn then Phil was hit by a crippling attack of rheumatic fever For 18 months, he was confined to the hospital bed That's when he started. Mrs Ruminski said proudly that the finest art student graduating from Monroe-Woodbury each June wins the Philip Ruminski Award Townspeople raise the money for this annual award. Words that Phil wrote in letters and a green diary are a consolation to her "The life of a man is an arrow's flight out of darkness into light, then out of light into darkness again Perhaps to pleasure Perhaps to pain.

"Mountains high and still Up here a quiet, peaceful place. Samples of God's palace." During the last two weeks of his life, he made several entries into the journal "Back home, the snow is falling and it's a beautiful tune of year But the seasons here are beautiful too. Will someday paint many pictures of the jungle. Unbelievably beautiful. It fascinates and thrills me "Vietnam means land of the free.

Oh, well." "Another day just like any other day. I wonder what will become of me in the next 10 years. What lies ahead'' Sometimes I get afraid, very much so. Sometimes I hate the world. But I still find beauty in people, and a deep pride in them A smile can make the day for me "But sometimes here, that isn't enough." "Well, one year gone by and it seems like such a long time to be away from civilian life I guess I've cursed the government a thousand times, but it never did any good.

So, here's your son in a beautiful, tropical paradise." "When I get home, I'll begin a new chapter in my life. When I'm old and a famous artist, these will be my war years. I'll even write a book about them On the day he was killed, he scrawled these words in the journal, he was going on patrol and wanted to say to the "enemy" that he knew they were people just like him "If I could talk to them, I'd say I am you and you are me and what have we done to each other''" The mother reads those words often. She said she still hasn't puzzled through everything they mean. "There's going to be another war.

I just know it Either in the Middle East or with Russia. We keep sticking our nose in everyone else's business and this country goes to pot. "Another war and more mothers will cry Someplace, sometime we have to say no. "Vietnam wasn't worth Phil's life. It was a war that killed a lot of people.

It made thousands and thousands of orphans. "It was all politics and money. The rich got rich. The poor got poorer. "I think all the men who defected, who refused to go, should be given amnesty.

"I wish Phil had gone to Canada or Aurora Ruminski hove to toy no' N.vv,riuiHLHIVE.c.