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SEPTEMBER 2023 Newsletter |
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Dear Friends,
The role of the Democratic Committee is to get Democrats into office. That task is so much easier when you have solid candidates. We are so proud to share with you some of the Democratic candidates for the local elections throughout Schoharie County.
Running for office are people like:
-Bob Montione of Schoharie, who has been a soccer coach and a member of the Scho-Wright ambulance squad -Rae Teeter of Wright, who is a music teacher and the choir director of the Schoharie Valley Singers -Jennifer Stinson, who is one of the founders of the Summit Neighbors and -Brian Lavine, who is a retired CRHS teacher.
The Democrats running for office have already been serving your community, and they still want to do more! You can help them with your vote.
We know that we have an uphill battle in Schoharie County. We are outnumbered, and that is not going to change anytime soon. But, what we can do, is put forth candidates that we are proud of and proud to campaign for. Scroll down to meet some people who will inspire you to get to the polls.
We are going to need your help soon, but for today, let’s be happy about how many strong candidates we have.
In Solidarity, Theresa SCDC Chair |
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MEET SOME OF OUR CANDIDATES: COBLESKILL, SCHOHARIE, WRIGHT, SUMMIT, CONESVILLE |
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BRIAN LAVINE, Incumbent Candidate for Cobleskill Town Board On the Board since 2018, living in Cobleskill since 1978, taught Earth Science until retirement in 2017, coached boys and girls volleyball (still coaching girls). Goals: work to increase the tax base, support community improvements and reduce carbon footprint without compromising on beloved rural atmosphere. Work well in partnership, enjoy good relationships across differing perspectives, a logical problem solver, good listener. Deeply committed to a bright future in Cobleskill. |
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BOB MONTIONE, Candidate for Schoharie Town Council Residing in the Town of Schoharie for 35 years, raising children, volunteering with Scho-Wright Ambulance, and 18 years with Save Our Schoharie, SYStem soccer coach. Environmental Scientist focusing on cleaning up pollutants from lakes, waterways and wetlands. Committed to supporting businesses and agro-based economy that enhances our beautiful small town community and rural open spaces. As part of the Council, updating the Master Plan and Land Use Law will be one primary focus, using expert advice and community input to keep our community welcoming and vibrant for years to come. |
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JEAN BURTON, Candidate for Town of Wright Board Wright’s rural atmosphere and community of gifted, hardworking and talented residents are its treasures. Jean Burton, a long time resident, hopes to work on behalf of town residents. She has an ingrained passion to serve. Jean was a Town of Wright Board member for 4 years, on the Board of Assessment Review for 10 years, a member of the Gallupville House Association for 8 years, and the Scho-Wright ambulance service for 9 years. Jean has been attending town board meetings for 14 years.
Jean Burton will bring wisdom and even-handedness to the board, especially approaching budget and tax decisions. The comprehensive plan reflects the residents’ vision for our town and Jean sees this as a road map for land use issues. She admits that she doesn’t have all the answers, but she is willing to wrestle with facts and seek a future pathway on behalf of the community. |
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RAE JEAN TEETER, Candidate for Town of Wright Board Rae Jean Teeter believes in the strength of our community and the richness of its history. She wants to preserve both by working for sustainable development that encourages the kinds of commerce that respects and enriches our agricultural history and honors the rights of residents. It is important that board decisions enable the use and enjoyment of this land in harmony with the wishes of its residents. Common sense stewardship of tax dollars is a priority for Rae Jean. She would work to provide for the needs and goals of the community through proactive budgeting, honest and informed discussion, and use of available federal and state grants in addition to local tax dollars.
Teeter believes the 2017 Comprehensive Plan lays out a clear vision for the town and its goals. It is the duty of the board to implement these goals, particularly the revision of the existing site plan and subdivision laws. She believes the board needs a balance of voices that are invested, engaged, and informed. She has taken the time to get involved by twice serving on the ZBA, going to board meetings, educating herself on the issues, and providing input. She has lived in Wright since 2008, and is Director of Music at the Helderberg Reformed Church, the Artistic Director of the Schoharie Valley Singers, and a teacher at the College of St. Rose, Albany. |
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JUSTIN BEHAN, Candidate, Town of Wright Clerk Justin believes that a meaningful life can be lived through exploration, making connections, and taking chances. Becoming town clerk gives him a chance to channel his broad set of skills into helping the people of Wright.
Since 2005, Justin has fostered community through the Rensselaerville Food Coop (treasurer, president), The Schoharie County Beverage Trail (founder, member), The Middleburgh Area Business Association (president), and The Schoharie Valley Association (member). This work has honed Justin’s ability to build consensus, manage budgets, organize events, and make tough decisions.
Justin lives with his partner, Tracy, their daughter, Aven, two cats, and an overly-needy German shepherd named Star. When the two of them first moved to Cotton Hill Road 18 years ago, Justin spent the majority of his time building their timber frame house and working as an audio engineer. After this, he discovered a passion for brewing beer and founded Green Wolf Brewing Co. & Public House in Middleburgh. For the last nine years, Green Wolf has become a focal point for community events, music, and tourism. It’s a place for friends and family (and even dogs) to relax and enjoy each other’s company.
As Green Wolf has grown and roles have shifted, Justin believes this is the time for him to run for public office. His experience and skills give him what he needs to be an effective town clerk, and he looks forward to serving his neighbors. |
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JENNIFER STINSON, Candidate for Summit Town Council Jennifer Stinson has been a resident of the Town of Summit for over 30 years. An avid gardener, knitter, and dog lover, Jen raised her daughter with her husband Wayne, while also running a local business. She began to engage in her surrounding community 4 years ago by joining Summit Neighbors, a local nonprofit group. Their goal has been to bring back the beautiful qualities of the Summit community that brought her here in the first place. Those qualities seemed to have gotten lost over the years. This involvement led Jen to Summit Town meetings, often as a representative of Summit Neighbors. Through this work, Jen realized quickly that the change that she hoped to bring couldn’t come to fruition without good relations and help from our town government. Jen has since engaged with other local groups such as Summit and Schoharie County Democratic Committees, Summit Fire Support Services, and the Summit Community Center. In this way, Jen has expanded her volunteer time in helping with the efforts of improving her hometown of Summit. Jen is determined to continue this work on behalf of the town’s residents, and with your vote, she can bring these efforts to the next level to set the town on a more positive path. Jen has a vision and desire to continue to grow her roots here in Summit. You can find her in action at many local events. She is always happy to listen to what you also see for our future. |
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CONESVILLE: TAKING IT ON! David Merwin, Sr. for Supervisor, Steve Young & Ken Lewon for Town Council, Carrie Sutton for Town Clerk, Martha Young for Tax Collector! |
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David Merwin, Sr. was born in West Conesville in the big house on the corner of Bull Hill and 990V. He graduated from Gilboa-Conesville Central School. Prior to graduation he enlisted in the USMC and is a proud veteran. Merwin is on the ballot for Town of Conesville supervisor. He served as tax assessor for two years when assessors were elected, a thing of the past. Many of you knew him as the town highway superintendent for ten years. |
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Steve Young is running for town council. Steve was born and raised in Conesville and is the owner of Platterkill Mine. He is an excavator who has spent his professional life working in road construction and building septic systems. Steve’s focus has always been to provide excellent service to his customers and to the town. He served as town highway superintendent from January 1, 2010 - December 31, 2011, during Hurricane Irene. It is his interest in, and love for, the town of Conesville that helped him decide to run for town council. Steve is currently president of the Manorkill Cemetery Association. |
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Ken Lewon, a candidate for town council, has been a property taxpayer here in Conesville since 2005 and full time resident since 2017. As a New York State CPA with over 40 years of experience in business, including auditing and tax preparation, he believes he is uniquely qualified to help oversee our town's affairs. Ken greatly appreciates the independent and self-sufficient mindset of our great townspeople, many of whom he has met over the years. If elected he will listen and learn about issues facing our town and see what can be done to improve things and encourage growth in tourism and commerce. |
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Carrie Sutton is running for Conesville town clerk, a position she currently holds and performs very well. Carrie is a native of Conesville who served as a United States Navy cryptologist. Besides her role as town clerk, Carrie is the mother of two children and also works as a mental health counselor. Carrie loves her community and has strong ties to the land and the people who live here. She is a founding member of the Conesville Historical Society and is involved in many town activities. |
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Martha Young is running for Town of Conesville tax collector. A lifetime NY State resident, Martha moved to Conesville in 2017 from Long Island after 23 years of dedication as a civil servant for the Nassau County Police Department. Martha found this lovely area of the Catskill Mountains to be just what she was looking for. Her appreciation of nature and the community she has found in Conesville makes this the happiest place she has called home. Martha has much to offer the town of Conesville as tax collector. She has a strong work ethic, a friendly demeanor and strong ties to the community. She hopes to put her willingness to help others to use as the town tax collector. |
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LOOK FOR MORE CANDIDATES IN OCTOBER'S NEWSLETTER! Technical Tip: CANVASSING FOR LOCAL DEMOCRATS is a GREAT WAY to meet your neighbors and practice democratic values by listening and sharing ideas! KEEP YOUR EYE ON OUR FB PAGE TO SIGN UP FOR CANVASSING EVENTS! |
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The Cohesion of Local Government By Timothy Knight, SCDC Middleburgh rep, Acting Mayor, Village of Middleburgh
There are two parts of local government. The first is the public facing part that includes the monthly board meeting, locals going into village hall to pay their quarterly sewer bills and those events that do or do not get reported by the local newspaper. The second part is the routine, behind the scenes, pull up your sleeves and get to work component of governing that is rarely thought about. In order for local government to work effectively on behalf of its constituents, both parts have to move in cohesion.
What do I mean by that?
I am a very big believer in efficiency. Inasmuch as board meetings should be operated on a “get in, get it done, and get out,” basis, constituent concerns should be addressed in a timely manner in concert with municipal staff. This is the part that everyone seems to forget about: the staff are the most important people in local government; politicians come second.
Municipal employees are the people who have the ability to identify the validity of constituent concerns, how to allocate public resources to address valid problems, and then to follow through to get issues resolved. Sure, the issue at play might require a board vote or additional steps like a grant application, but that doesn’t happen without staffer buy-in. This is one of the reasons why I do not tolerate any public or board disrespect directed towards my staff in the Village of Middleburgh. A demoralized, disrespected workforce will lose both its drive and commitment to the community. If everything they do is always wrong, then nothing will ever be right.
Here is my advice to every candidate who is seeking elected office this November: if you receive the public’s trust to serve as supervisor or mayor, councilman or trustee, clerk or justice; your first job is to build a relationship with municipal staff. They are the glue that will get things done in your town. And then once the wheels of government are moving cohesively between politicians and staff, the rest will fall into place. |
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TELL STEFANIK WHAT YOU THINK: C-R Schools Announce Free Meals Program. Republicans Vow to Take It Away. By Greg Bucking, SCDC Jefferson rep
As the new school year begins, the Cobleskill-Richmondville School District has announced that this year, it has “been approved to participate in the Community Eligibility Provision which allows all students to eat one breakfast and one lunch each day at no charge.” The CEP is a program that the US Department of Agriculture uses to help school districts in low-income areas. This development is a win-win for parents and students, providing free, nutritious meals for all students without the need for burdensome applications or fees. It also removes the unfortunate shaming that happens when some children get certain meals while others don’t and the inevitable questions arise about why.
As they have on so many other issues from Obamacare protections and expanded coverage to basic personal freedoms like the right to control your own reproductive decisions, Republicans are vowing to take away a benefit that Americans have enjoyed for a long time. In its recently released budget plan, the Republican Study Committee (which includes over 75% of Congressional Republicans) states: “The RSC Budget would also institute reforms to school lunch subsidies to ensure that they go to needy families by eliminating the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) from the School Lunch Program.” This is the exact program that the Cobleskill-Richmondville School District is using to provide free meals to students. Their budget also proposes cuts to Social Security and Medicare. What these three programs have in common is their universality, being available to everyone regardless of income, which strengthens their popular appeal and simplifies the process of getting benefits distributed. Democrats strongly support these vital benefits and are prepared to protect them from Republican efforts to weaken or eliminate them.
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UPCOMING TOWN HAPPENINGS: CHECK THIS LINK TO THE CALENDAR FOR YOUR TOWN & VILLAGE BOARD AND COUNCIL MEETINGS EVERY MONTH September 11, 7:00 pm Middleburgh Democrats at the Middleburgh library. Wish to thank all who helped and supported our BBQ. Our candidates will need lawns for their signs. Chris Andrew and Stephen Spretnjak for town council. Paul Schultz for town justice. If anyone would like any or all of their signs for their lawn, they can call Jim Buzon at 518 827-6643. Our meetings are open to everyone and we respect suggestions and new ideas. You need to be a registered Democrat and a resident of the town to vote on any issue. September 22, 6pm GILBOA Candidate forum in Gilboa at the Highway Building, 990V. All local candidates have been invited. All Gilboa registered voters are welcome. September 27, 5-7 PM SCHOHARIE BOB MONTIONE MEET & GREET at Wayward Lane Brewing, 255 Ward Lane, Schoharie. Come meet the Democrat running for Town Council! |
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CONNECT & FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA SCDC Website - to get involved, with links to all our social media Schoharie County Democratic Committee on FB - for issues, events, inspiration @SchoharieDems on Twitter for breaking news and commentary schohariecountydems on Instagram Your likes and comments are inspiring! |
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Chairwoman: Theresa Heary- info@schohariedemocrats.org SCDC Committees: |