It’s in attempting to contain the fallout to the previous administration that the mayor begins to approach thin ice. The inference that the practices under scrutiny — high-ranking officials filling out their own time sheets which were routinely approved by overseers for retirement purposes was limited to the last few years but no further back than the 10-year administration of former mayor Jim Sottile — is questionable. “Cultures of entitlement,” as Gallo put it, take decades, maybe generations, to settle in, probably going back to the Frank Koenig era in the ’70s.
To his credit, Gallo, who may go down in history as the first mayoral whistle-blower, has taken an important first step, apparently in the recognition that cultures of entitlement can all too easily evolve into cultures of corruption.
Believe it or not, there is a happy note here. Sitting among the 50 or so spectators at the mayor’s press conference — most of them either off-duty firefighters or retirees — were former chief Reinhardt and his wife, Cindy, a department dispatcher. Lamenting the sad state of affairs, Mrs. Reinhardt quickly brightened and exclaimed, “Well, at least I’ll be sleeping with the chief again!”
Here and there
A birthday fund-raiser for legislature Chairwoman Terry Bernardo will be held atKingston’s Hillside Manor from 5-7 p.m. on Feb. 28. Tickets are $46 each, in honor of her 46th birthday. Fortunately for donors, she’s not turning 80.
Politicians being a curious species, there has been some speculation as to where these funds will go: to the committee to elect Republican legislators, to thecountyGOP, whatever. Candid to a fault at times, Bernardo explained, “It’s for my campaign, that’s what it’s for. I have campaign expenses, you know.” And some people thought husband Len Bernardo financed all her campaigns.
Bernardo also took some pains to disavow intentions of running for Congress this year. “They haven’t even drawn the lines yet,” she said, indicating at least passing interest.
County Exec Hein is expected to focus on economic development at theKingstonarea chamber of commerce monthly breakfast inKingstonnext Thursday. It should be a fairly short speech, given the local economy in these parts. I haven’t kept exact count, but it seems lately like more jobs are leaving than coming in.
Congrats to DA Holley Carnright for finally making it into the Saugerties Sports Hall of Fame. Carnright, 60, quarterback for the ‘69-‘70 Sawyers, credits his involvement in youth sports with his daughters for the nomination. The installation dinner will be held May 5 at the Glasco firehouse.
Mystery women
It only took about 200 years for less-than-progressive Ulster Countyvoters to elect the first woman to the county legislature. In the mid-1970s, Alice Tipp and Mary McMickle, Saugerties Republicans and rivals, took credit for being first (by hours).
In January, former legislator Susan Zimet organized a reunion of all female legislators in celebration of the first — Terry Bernardo — to be elected chairwoman. Fifteen of the 25 living legislators showed up for the photo shoot at legislative chambers. Former legislator Laura Petit of Port Ewen attended the session, but sat in the audience.
