Opinion: No Choice But to Re-Elect Gene Milone

Simply put: there is no other logical choice for Schoharie residents other than incumbent Supervisor Gene Milone. Since his election  two years ago, Mr. Milone has consistently stood on his principles with complete disregard for party identification or whatever status quo existed on the county board prior to his arrival, instead focusing on the needs and welfare of Schoharie County's residents as a whole.

Mr. Milone, who initiated the Fitzmaurice Report by his motion almost twenty-one months ago, has fought what can only be considered a Goliath sized campaign in not only seeing the report through to its inevitable conclusion but also in its complete and damning release - with the end result being Personnel Director Cassandra Ethington's suspension and the discovery of several supervisors working in collusion with her to assist her takeover of the county Health Department.

After weeks of personal indecision on whether to endorse in the Town of Schoharie, due its contentious nature and the poisonous details of the report's release, we simply could not sit on the sidelines after putting together the final piece of this entire puzzle which pointed towards former Schoharie Supervisor Martin Shrederis as being among a conspiracy of supervisors that worked in coordination with Cassandra Ethington's reign of terror. 

As such, the Schoharie News would like to endorse Mr. Milone's re-election bid and encourage every voter in Schoharie to hold their ballot high for the incumbent's principled, honest leadership in the fight to reform Schoharie County politics, regardless of its political costs to himself... And to remember the words of his opponent in our interview published last week that "amount of money [spent on the report] is a waste," and that the report is nothing more then a "witch hunt."

Opinion: Keep Earl Supervisor

There is but one logical choice in the Town of Esperance's contentious campaign between incumbent Supervisor Earl Van Wormer and Village of Esperance Mayor Steve Miller - and that is undoubtedly to "Keep Earl Supervisor," as hundreds of signs proclaim across the small town's roadsides.

Mr. Van Wormer, who was first elected to the position in 1993, has successfully accomplished the dramatic reduction of energy costs for county government and the acquisition of millions of dollars for Esperance projects through state grants, including his town's unique position as the only non-village in the county to receive funds in Governor Cuomo's recently announced $12 million package.

Although no longer serving as Board of Supervisors Chairman, a position he held for almost ten years in a time where county government worked effectively and without widespread controversy, Mr. Van Wormer continues to bring a sense of compromise and passion to his work on the board despite tensions reaching an all time high among the other supervisors.

Mr. Van Wormer's twenty years of service might be a good enough reason for some to pull the level for his opponent on Tuesday, but the way we see is that Earl still has a lot to contribute to both the town and county governments and that we cannot afford to lose a cool headed, independent statesmen in this time of political upheaval.

As such, the Schoharie News would like to endorse Mr. Van Wormer in Tuesday's election and hope he continues to play a pivotal role in shaping county politics for years to come.

Opinion: Both Desmond and Travis Fine Choice for Sheriff

The Schoharie News brought our readers three informative and wide-ranging interviews with each of next week's candidates for county sheriff back in September, with the end result being a better understanding of where each candidate stands and one very unsure editor of a then small news project.

 

All three offered strong first impressions and came off as knowledgeable in the field of their collective expertise. Sheriff Desmond and Chief Travis particularly impressed me, while Deputy Ethington had a certain charm about him.

 

However, in the end, the office of sheriff is one of the more honorable positions in local government. It carries a distinct job description that ultimately could lead to its occupants harm or even death, as occurred in this county when Sheriff Henry Steadman was murdered by a prisoner who concealed his revolver in 1930, and because of this the individual we put in charge of it must be of the highest caliber. With great power comes great responsibility and as such the decision must not be made lightly.

 

Which is why the Schoharie News is proud to endorse both incumbent Tony Desmond and Chief Larry Travis for Sheriff in next Tuesday's election.

 

We honestly believe that after months of consideration and learning about both men, that either would effectively serve the citizens of Schoharie Count atop our law enforcement apparatus: Sheriff Desmond holds a loyalty and passion for the men and women who work under him that speaks volumes, while no one could touch the respect and admiration that Chief Travis has for enforcing the law.

 

Both men understand the threat that illegal drug use poses to our residents and have effectively waged an offensive on their particular drug of expertise. The result of which has been the removal of drugs and thugs from Schoharie County's communities, with the Sheriff's department combating marijuana and Cobleskill police cracking down on heroin use.

 

Obviously it is impossible to vote for both candidates and only one can win next Tuesday. That decision is ultimately up to a majority (or in this case, likely a plurality) of voters who make their choice at the ballot box and our only advisement is that they take the time to consider both viable candidates and reach a conclusion without allowing outside forces, or fringe candidates, to cloud their judgment.

 

Oh, and as for the unsure editor, his vote next Tuesday is still yet to be determined.



Travis Picks up SUNY Cobleskill University Police Support

Cobleskill Police Chief Larry Travis, the Democratic nominee in this fall's Sheriff race in Schoharie County, has had a busy week thus far: announcing/releasing a new design for his yard signs that are dotting county roadsides and the endorsement of his campaign by the University Police Department of SUNY Cobleskill:

With election day just 26 more days away, Chief Travis and his opponents still have a lot of work to come out on top of the polls, but one this is for sure - all three of them are energized and heading towards the final stretch at full speed.