Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Gordon to announce candidacy

TROY - Lansingburgh resident and community advocate, Jim Gordon will be announcing his candidacy for the soon-to-be-vacant District 1 seat on the City Council Thursday morning. He is expected to face off against Democratic candidate Kevin McGrath for the seat in November.

From a press release on the announcement:
"An organizer of the North Lansingburgh Neighborhood Watch and chairman of the Uncle Sam Parade Committee, Jim’s primary interest in seeking this position is to help keep Lansingburgh a family‐friendly place to live, work, and play. He aims to achieve this by strengthening the
many positive aspects of the community, while identifying the root causes for quality of life issues and eradicating them. He expects to work collaboratively with people of diverse opinions and ideas to forge consensus on the difficult and debatable issues that will face the city. Jim looks upon this office as an opportunity to continue his commitment to community service.

Jim is a life‐long resident of Troy and with his wife, Melissa, owns a home in Lansingburgh. Jim received a degree in Business Management from Delhi College. Now 29 years old, Jim works for Schrader and Company,Inc., a residential remodeling and cabinetmaking firm, as Director of the Business and Public divisions. Just as Jim continues to contribute to his community, he does so for the industry in‐which he earns his living. Jim has served on several board‐of‐directors for local business and trade associations. Jim has over 10 years experience working for small‐businesses in the residential and commercial construction industry. As a proven leader, Jim’s experience and his unwavering approach will prove to be vital in the coming years in Lansingburgh.

Understanding how to successfully identify and leverage future investment in residential and commercial economical development, within today’s 'new' economy, will be vital to the continued stability of Lansingburgh and the city of Troy."

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Fleming is running for Legislature

A retired Troy firefighter is running for a District 1 seat on the county Legislature.
Mark Fleming joined the Troy Fire Department in 1977, was promoted to lieutenant in 1984, captain in 1986 and battalion chief in 1996. He retired in 2006.
“I proudly served the City of Troy for over 29 years in the Fire Department and believe my wide experience during those years has provided me with insight into the many issues related to public safety,” said the Democrat. “I advocate a pro-active approach — seeking to anticipate problems before they arise rather than reacting after the fact. I’m eager to work with others on both the short-term and long-term planning that will keep our citizens safer.”
Fleming has coached basketball for the Sacred Heart CYO team and held adult leadership position in Cub Scout Pack 15 and Boy Scout Troup 520. He is also an active member of Sacred Heart Parish.
He is a 1973 Troy High graduate and attended Hudson Valley Community College. He and his wife reside in Troy and have two sons.
District 1 includes the City of Troy. There are six representatives on the Legislature and all candidates run at large with the six receiving the highest number of votes getting elected.
— James V. Franco

Friday, May 22, 2009

North Greenbush GOP picks a slate

By Dave Canfield
The Record
NORTH GREENBUSH — The town Republican Committee recently announced its November election slate.
According to committee Chairman Greg DeJulio, the party has chosen again to endorse incumbent town Supervisor Mark Evers, a registered Conservative, who is seeking a third two-year term.
“He’s worked to restore the contingency fund in the town. He’s proposed budgets with no tax increase,” DeJulio listed among the highlights of Evers’s tenure as supervisor.
On the remainder of the Town Board, where the four-year seats of Ernest Kern and Alan Michaels are up this year, Republicans are endorsing Kelly Hoffman, a member of the town’s Zoning Board of Appeals and the Wynantskill school board, as well as Joe Bott, a small businessman with Bott Brothers Electric, Inc. and a lifelong town resident.
For town justice, the GOP has chosen two “crackerjack attorneys,” DeJulio said: Kathryn Dell, a one-time Democrat who ran for district attorney against Ken Bruno but is now a registered Conservative, and Stephanie Piel, who was appointed to the judge seat by the Town Board Thursday but must run for a full term in November.
Dell, an attorney with Dell & Kolakowski, will vie for the spot held for the last 25 years by Raymond Elliott III, who has announced his intention to run again. Piel, who works for the Hinman Straub firm, is expected to face former town attorney Joshua Sabo in an effort to hold on to her seat.
Republicans have not made endorsements for the positions of town clerk or highway supervisor, which are currently held by Democrats Kathryn Connolly and Mark Premo, respectively. DeJulio said a town clerk endorsement is possible in the future, but no interested candidates for highway supervisor approached the committee.
“No one approached us interested in highway supervisor,” he said. “We didn’t go recruit. We had people come to us.”
Three candidates each were interviewed for the town board and town justice slots, while two were conducted for supervisor, he said. The other interested person for supervisor was Councilman Al Spain, a Democrat.
In a town where political fighting and cross-endorsements are common, DeJulio said he hopes the town’s politics become less hyper-partisan — a situation he blamed on members of both parties.
“That’s been plaguing the town for the past six or seven years,” he said. “We interviewed people from all political parties, and we went with the best candidates we saw.”
“I feel very good,” DeJulio added. “I think we’ll do very well this November.”
Town Democrats have yet to officially endorse their candidates. Their endorsement process is more complicated than that of the GOP: candidates are chosen by committee but then must be voted on in a caucus vote, usually in August, when the picks become official.
Beyond Sabo, Elliott and Premo, the Democratic Committee has yet to select which candidates it will send to a caucus vote.
Dave Canfield can be reached at 270-1290 or by e-mail at dcanfield@troyrecord.com

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Monday, May 18, 2009

Smith endorses Gillibrand

Newly appointed Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand got the endorsement of a top state Democrat in her re-election bid next year.
Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith threw his support behind Gillibrand as at least four other New York Democrats are eyeballing a primary.
“Throughout her career, Kirsten Gillibrand has exhibited the kind of leadership that has yielded results for the people of New York,” Smith said. “Senator Gillibrand understands that the hard-working men and women of this state deserve tax relief, quality and affordable health care and every chance to receive the best educational opportunities for their children.”
Meanwhile, It’s been reported that U.S. Rep. Steve Israel will soon announce his intention to challenge Gillibrand. Other’s who’ve expressed an interest include U.S. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, a staunch control advocate from Long Island, U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney, of Manhattan, and Scott Stringer, a former assemblyman and Manhattan borough president.
“I am honored to have Majority Leader Smith's endorsement, and I'm grateful for his leadership. Malcolm and I share a strong commitment to turning this economy around and creating well paying jobs all across New York State,” said Gillibrand. “Malcolm has also been an effective leader in guiding Democratic victories across the state and I look forward to working together with him to grow our Democratic majority in the state Senate.”
Gillibrand was appointed by Gov. Dave Paterson to fill a seat vacated when Sen. Hillary Clinton was picked as secretary of state by President Barack Obama. Almost immediately she came under attack as being a pro-gun conservative.

Friday, May 8, 2009

McGrath is running for Troy City Council

Kevin McGrath will announce he is running for the Troy City Council in District 1, which includes most of Lansingburgh, on Monday
According to the press release, McGrath also will unveil initiatives to restore “The Burgh” back to the family friendly neighborhoods and vibrant residential community it once was renowned for throughout the Capital District.
The announcement will take place at 112th Street Park, which in the 1970’s was named “Ed Mugger McGrath Field” as a tribute to the memory of Kevin’s father, Ed McGrath, for his extensive involvement in the Lansingburgh Community.
McGrath’s announcement continues the family’s long tradition of commitment to community, following in the footsteps of his three brothers: Eddy, former two-term Troy City Councilman, District 1; Patrick, former city and county judge and current State Supreme Court Justice 3rd District; and Mickey, a former physician in the Capital District.
A potential candidate for the Republicans is community activist Jim Gordon.
The seat is vacant because Mark Wojcik is serving his fourth and final term on the council.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

M'Ville GOP picks their slate

MECHANICVILLE – The city’s GOP this week determined their slate for the fall elections.
The candidates include: Daniel Mark Pickett for mayor, Michelle
Duell for the Commissioner of Finance, Kevin Roberts for the Commissioner of Public Safety, and Michael Coleman for the Commissioner of Public Works.
The Republican Party also endorsed incumbents Judge Joseph Sheehan for city judge and District Attorney Jim Murphy for re-election.
Pickett, whose family has a long history in the city, said being mayor is a job that he has wanted his whole life.
"It’s something I’ve wanted to do since I was a little kid," said the Adirondack Community College graduate who went on to work at various radio stations in the Capital District. Most recently, he’s a 27-year veteran of Momentive Performance Materials, formerly General Electric, in Waterford. He has two children and a long-term girlfriend.
Pickett does not consider himself a politician. "I hope I am hired by the residents, not elected. And, if I don’t do a good job, they can always fire me, but I hope it does not come to that," he said.
"We need to come together more as a community and I think we can inspire people to do good things," Pickett added.
The only candidate who did not get a unanimous vote from the city’s 12-member GOP committee was Coleman since there was confusion about whether he resided in the city limits. A business owner and vocal opponent to the current city administration, Coleman said he owned property in Mechanicville and he is a fre¬quent attendant at the city public meetings.
With a 10-2 vote from the committee, Coleman said he is a pro¬ponent of open government and has constantly accused the city council of having illegal executive sessions where the public are not allowed to view or participate in the officials’ discussions.
"That is my biggest pet peeve," he said.
Duelle, who is finishing a bachelor’s degree in finances from the University of Phoenix online, has worked at the Mechanicville
District Public Library for a decade.
"I’m very dedicated to the city and care about our citi¬zens. I want to use my knowledge in finances to help the city," she said.
Roberts, originally of Green Island, is a Hudson Valley Community College graduate. He is a flight paramedic for Lifenet of New York. He is married with two children.
"I want to be involved. We need an emergency plan for disasters since we do not have one. I would love to help with that," he said.
Each of the positions has a four-year term.
--Danielle Sanzone

Friday, May 1, 2009

Candidates for Troy Board of Education announced

TROY — Four candidates will vie for three vacancies on the Board of Education later this month.

Incumbents Jason Schofield and Michael Pollack will be joined by Mary Marro-Giroux and newcomer Martha Walsh on the ballot to fill the board positions in the Enlarged City School District of Troy.

The candidates, who will face off in a district election on May 19, were announced Thursday after collecting at least 100 signatures from qualified voters throughout the city.

Read the rest of the story here.

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