To the Editor:
I grew up in the village of Cazenovia, down Route 20 about 90-plus miles from here.

It’s a charming place with great, supportive people, like we have here in Altamont. They have a lake but we have a greater view (the escarpment for one)!

But they have one thing we do not have — yet.

The village ambulance there accepts donations of walkers, canes, wheelchairs, crutches, clean potty chairs — a variety of items that are available for locals to use for free!

I, personally, have had temporary need of a walker a couple times and had to hobble out to purchase such. Just imagine how much easier it might have been to access our local ambulance squad at some roughly arranged time to sign out an item?

Cazenovia does not charge a penny, nor do they mandate an item be returned — it is just a free-wheeling honor system where they offer donated items for free off a simple list and hope such are returned when the need is over.

They even have the occasional hospital bed!

In Cazenovia, the ambulance squad building has a balcony in the vehicle bay used to store items. Their staff is available much of each day to accept and disburse items — as time allows (emergencies and necessary routine takes precedence, of course).

And this program has induced people to get interested and get trained too — a win-win for the village.

I only mention it now as a hint or suggestion.

If not for Altamont, perhaps some in the Hilltowns might want to think about how having a small local inventory like this to help those in need., Neighbors helping neighbors. It sure beats throwing these unused items away.

Sam Crosby

Altamont