Lexington Passes Bingo Law

By Michael Ryan

LEXINGTON - Nobody shouted “heck no” when the town of Lexington held a public hearing on a proposed law permitting Bingo.

Government officials, at a meeting last week, conducted the hearing in order to allow, or not, playing the game as a local fundraiser.

The issue arose recently when the non-profit Community Hall, based in the hamlet of West Kill, wished to generate operational revenue.

It was discovered the good old days of just setting up a few Bingo cards, plopping a token on “G-28” and letting ‘er rip are long gone.

“We found out we can’t do that because it is considered gaming by New York State,” says town clerk Charlotte Jaeger. “You need a permit.”

No one objected to the legislation which will henceforth be on the books, although the moment is lost for the purposes of the fundraiser.

Community Hall organizers, instead, ended up doing a Trivia Night, fiscally helping keep the place alive and well and reminiscently bustling.

“I remember when they had square-dancing in there,” Jaeger says. “I would swing my Aunt Betty around so fast, it was a good thing I never let her go. She'd flown out the window.”

There were no reports of anyone becoming airborne at Trivia Night and the town is now on the right side of the law for any ensuing opportunity to partake in the numerical game of chance.

Henceforth in Lexington, “it shall be lawful for any authorized organization, as defined in § 476 of the General Municipal Law, upon obtaining the required license from the town clerk, to conduct the game of Bingo,” declares the new legislation. The permit is $18.75 per occasion.

“Any game of Bingo conducted within the town,” the legislation states, “may be operated by authorized organizations on the first day of the week, commonly known as Sunday,” as well as non-Sabbath days.

Bingo, or a similar game, dates back to the mid-16th Century and Italy, spreading to Germany and used as a teaching tool for children.

A gentleman named Hugh Ward is credited for creating and standardizing the modern version at carnivals, also writing the rule book.

In another matter, council members held their annual reorganization meeting, making all the designations and appointments needed to governmentally function, as follows:

—Michael Barcone (deputy town supervisor), Charlotte Jaeger (secretary to the supervisor), Tal Rappleyea (town attorney);

Michelle Brainard (bookkeeper); Christine Dwon and Maureen Anshanslin (deputy town clerks), Mary Palazzolo (town historian)

Christine Dwon (deputy historian); Carl Giangrande (code enforcement and zoning officer), Adam Lamberg (short term rental enforcement officer and planning board secretary);

Paul Dwon (disaster coordinator); Liza Dwon (health officer), Bruce Feml (dog control officer), Andrea Searcy (inventory clerk),

Charlotte Jaeger (registrar of vital statistics, records management officer and webmaster); Kim McGalliard (zoning board secretary).

Liaison committees to the town council are as follows:

—Highway (town highway superintendent Kevin Simmons and councilman Bradley Jenkins), Building (town councilman William Pushman, code enforcement officer Carl Giangrande and William Decker);

Monthly Audit (councilwoman Rose Petrella-Wilson and councilman Jenkins), Clerk Audit (town supervisor JoEllen Schermerhorn and councilman Jenkins);

Ethics (town clerk Charlotte Jaeger, councilwoman Petrella Wilson and resident John Berger), Memorial Bricks (Mary Palazzolo);

Planning Board (Jennifer Cawein, Beverly Resnik-Dezan, Nancy Orr, Casey Scieszka and Taris Charysyn);

Patriots Day (Mary Palazzolo and Christine Dwon), Negotiations (councilmen Michael Barcone and Jenkins);

Emergency (town supervisor Schermerhorn, Paul Dwon and roads chief Simmons), Schoharie Watershed Advisory/ Recreation and Habitat Committee (Lynn Byrne and Resnik-Dezan);

Board of Assessment Review (Ron Lipton, Susan Falke, Schuyler Minew), Policy Review (town supervisor Schermerhorn, councilman Barcone);

Zoning Board (Ron Lipton, Nancy Wyncoop Bower, Brian Wilson, Christina Siess and Richard Drao).

In a final matter, a respectful Moment of Silence was held for citizens who recently passed away; Joyce Constable Steiner, Dr. Elena Suditu, James Gardner, Jeanne Thompson Soule, Gerald Lawrence, Arthur Rood and Robert Mead.