Sherwood Martinelli is the author of the vast majority of the articles you enjoy on these pages daily. 
However, today I would like to step in to tell you a story about my dad, Harry Schulman. Most Mountaindale neighbors would remember my mom, Bessie Schulman, better because she lit up every room she entered. My dad was more of the strong, silent type who never swore, and would only drink a single cold beer after mowing our lawn on a hot summer day. No vices that I knew of. Then, one day, he surprised me by telling me that as a young man he had been a heavy smoker. Like 2 packs a day heavy. The interesting part of the story was how he told me that he had suddenly quit, “cold turkey” as they say. My dad said he just woke up one day and told himself, “I’m not going to smoke today. I don’t know about tomorrow, but I’m not going to have a cigarette today.” He then proceeded to do that every day. As far as I know he never smoked again for the rest of his nearly 80 years.
My late mother-in-law,
Bobbie Schmitt had been a smoker, too. I remember one year when she had the flu in November and felt too sick to smoke. Then the next day was the Great American Smokeout and that motivated her to try to go the whole 24 hours without a cigarette and that worked. She was also able to quit smoking! I bring this up because next month we have the Great American Smokeout on Thursday, November 17th, which just happens to have been Harry Schulman’s birthday. He passed away in 1995. I invite all of you to honor his memory by making the same decision to challenge yourself to not smoking on his birthday this year.
However, today I would like to step in to tell you a story about my dad, Harry Schulman. Most Mountaindale neighbors would remember my mom, Bessie Schulman, better because she lit up every room she entered. My dad was more of the strong, silent type who never swore, and would only drink a single cold beer after mowing our lawn on a hot summer day. No vices that I knew of. Then, one day, he surprised me by telling me that as a young man he had been a heavy smoker. Like 2 packs a day heavy. The interesting part of the story was how he told me that he had suddenly quit, “cold turkey” as they say. My dad said he just woke up one day and told himself, “I’m not going to smoke today. I don’t know about tomorrow, but I’m not going to have a cigarette today.” He then proceeded to do that every day. As far as I know he never smoked again for the rest of his nearly 80 years.My late mother-in-law,
Bobbie Schmitt had been a smoker, too. I remember one year when she had the flu in November and felt too sick to smoke. Then the next day was the Great American Smokeout and that motivated her to try to go the whole 24 hours without a cigarette and that worked. She was also able to quit smoking! I bring this up because next month we have the Great American Smokeout on Thursday, November 17th, which just happens to have been Harry Schulman’s birthday. He passed away in 1995. I invite all of you to honor his memory by making the same decision to challenge yourself to not smoking on his birthday this year. If you and I are both lucky, you might make the same choice on November 18th as well. You won’t
have to go it alone. I’ll be rooting for you! There is also the American Cancer Society Quit For Life® Program which is a telephone-based coaching and Web-based learning support service to help people quit smoking. I have also engaged our local Girl Scout community by creating a “Be Smart, Don’t Start” Program to be held a week before the Smokeout. It will involve youth from the Towns of Fallsburg, Thompson and Mamakating. I was inspired to do this after attending a meeting of the Sullivan County Tobacco Free Coalition on Tuesday. One of the facts they mentioned is that if you can prevent a kid from starting to smoke until they are 18, they are far less likely to EVER start. That’s huge! You don’t have to suffer quitting an addiction that you never started. The 
Coalition strongly encourages stimulating policy changes; such as creating more Smoke Free Zones, especially on playgrounds and the like; and also sees the need to reduce the pro-tobacco impressions young children are bombarded with at convenience stores & gas stations. Please feel free to contact me directly for more on this at 845-434-4747.
have to go it alone. I’ll be rooting for you! There is also the American Cancer Society Quit For Life® Program which is a telephone-based coaching and Web-based learning support service to help people quit smoking. I have also engaged our local Girl Scout community by creating a “Be Smart, Don’t Start” Program to be held a week before the Smokeout. It will involve youth from the Towns of Fallsburg, Thompson and Mamakating. I was inspired to do this after attending a meeting of the Sullivan County Tobacco Free Coalition on Tuesday. One of the facts they mentioned is that if you can prevent a kid from starting to smoke until they are 18, they are far less likely to EVER start. That’s huge! You don’t have to suffer quitting an addiction that you never started. The 
Coalition strongly encourages stimulating policy changes; such as creating more Smoke Free Zones, especially on playgrounds and the like; and also sees the need to reduce the pro-tobacco impressions young children are bombarded with at convenience stores & gas stations. Please feel free to contact me directly for more on this at 845-434-4747.Thank you & Good Luck!
Barb Schmitt
A touching tribute to your father's memory.
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