Cobleskill Preps for Election Season

By Joshua Walther

COBLESKILL - The year has almost rounded around to November once again, meaning that some terms on the Cobleskill Town Board are coming to an end and voters will decide who will fill the upcoming seats.

The biggest position that is open this year is that of supervisor, who chairs the meetings of the Town Board and represents the Town in county meetings.

On the Republican side, incumbent Werner Hampel is running for re-election, who has been a resident since 1992.

After working in aviation for both the Navy and commercial airlines, Mr. Hampel retired and was elected to the role of supervisor, where he focused his efforts on Cobleskill’s growth.

“At the end of the day, it’s going to be growth that brings us new opportunities for our residents,” he stated, and noted that he has been involved in finding grants for the reservoir, Mickle Hollow Road, and Shad Point.

Further, on the county level, he held a crucial vote to bring broadband Internet access to every household in Schoharie County.

“I want to continue to work toward getting a good setup so that we can grow,” he concluded. “I work very hard to build consensus within the Board. The only way to get things done is to work together.”

Representing the Democrat vote for supervisor is Amy Kennedy, a New York native that came to instantly fall in love with Cobleskill.

After settling down here, her son now attends CRCS as a high school freshman, and she works part-time at the Studio for Art and Craft on Main Street.

In May of this year, Mrs. Kennedy ran to be a member on the CRCS Board, and although she was defeated, she pivoted with that same energy to introduce herself into Town politics.

“I have a lot of friends on both sides of the aisle, and I always believe in looking at things fairly,” she said. “If we have questions, we should be able to have them answered. We should have fair decisions made.”

Mrs. Kennedy also explained that she would try to bring the Town and Village Boards closer together, saying “There’s way too much division, and I think it’s healthy to have Cobleskill operating in unity.”

For the councilmen, two seats will be decided in November. Incumbents RJ Mallery and Linda Angell are running for re-election, with both representing the Republican party.

Mrs. Angell has called Cobleskill home for over fifty three years, first having been a graduate from SUNY Cobleskill, and her subsequent many years in business as a florist on Main Street.

With her long tenure as a proud resident, she’s also served on the Town Board on and off for twenty nine years, where she’s been a deputy supervisor through four different supervisors while fighting for the youth and for Town planning.

“Politics are my passion,” she stated. “If I can give back to the community in any way, because these people welcomed me in and shopped at my business, I’d be happy to do that.”

Similarly, Mr. Mallery has served as a long-time community member, where he first joined the Planning Board from 2008 to 2012 before transferring to the Town Board in 2013.

Since then, he has remained as a councilman, actively engaging in discussions surrounding economic growth and how to bring more work into Cobleskill while bolstering existing businesses, and he earned the title of deputy supervisor in 2022.

“What we really need is to get some jobs in Cobleskill, because that will push us further,” Mr. Mallery said. “I want the people who live in this area to be happy and be prosperous. We have to have opportunities, and we have to help our businesses.”

Conversely, the incumbents are facing opposition from Democrat and retired teacher Brian LaVine, who had taught Earth Science in the CRCS High School for thirty eight years and now serves as the coach for Varsity Volleyball.

He stated that once he retired in 2017, he was elected to the Town Board, then won his re-election for a second term. When he ran for his third term in 2024, he was defeated by one vote.

“As a long time teacher and coach, I have a lot of experience working with others and trying to solve problems,” Mr. LaVine said, going on to note that he would look out for bringing new businesses to the Town, addressing the growing housing needs, and “preserving the beauty of the valley.”

“This should be a great place for every family,” he said. “I’m hoping to be part of the solutions that keeps this area as a great place to live for all.”

More information in next week’s edition.