Bert, who said his best quality as supervisor was “to keep people talking to each other,” wasn’t bitter about the caucus outcome. “I think the town rightfully wanted a clean sweep” (except for Rozzelle), he said. “This was a good chance for some new people.”
Indications were that Leifeld’s long welcome was wearing out, in any case. Four years ago, he polled 909 votes on the Democratic line, defeating Republican nominee Vince Barringer by 201 votes. Two years ago, Leifeld tallied 679 votes on the Democratic line, defeating Republican candidate Cindy Johansen by just 29 votes.
Leifeld, after what he called “a tough winter” healthwise, has no plans to join the ranks of snowbirds. He’ll be around if Rozzelle needs help with what he called “administration.”
For sure, a mountain party is planned for the man who gave half his life to his hometown.
In Saugerties
Sawyers are eagerly anticipating the rematch between incumbent Republican Kelly Myers and former Democratic (backed) supervisor Greg Helsmoortel. Myers, a village board member at the time, had a rather easy time of it with the then-six-term non-enrolled incumbent, winning by around 500 votes two years ago. The difference seemed to be her Independence Party endorsement, without which the race was a virtual dead heat.
This year, Helsmoortel, after joining that party, has Indy backing. Indy Chairman Len Bernardo considered Myers the cat’s meow in 2011, but no more.
Exactly why he switched horses is something of a mystery. Myers, a bit too confrontational for her own good, was certainly “independent,” a quality the Indies say they stand for. Other than that, nobody’s quite sure exactly what this party stands for, other than electing people to office. In Saugerties, every town board member carries its endorsement.
Meanwhile, the Conservative Party, a perennial power in Saugerties before the Indies showed up a few years ago, could decide the supervisor’s race. If the Cons go for Helsmoortel, it’s over. If not, we may be counting ballots for two weeks after the election.
City bits
Combative Kingston Mayor Shayne Gallo has appointed former primary foe Hayes Clement to a city economic development board. It’s a good move, giving the impression that the grudge-holding chief executive has turned a new leaf. Being Gallo, he couldn’t resist poking the Common Council in the eye for playing partisan politics, using his newly acquired munificence as an example of the righteous path. Hey, by his standards, he’s making progress. Let’s see whether long-time mayoral irritant Tom Hoffay, the majority leader, rises to the bait.
Hayes Clement. (Photo by Dan Barton)
It’s interesting that the railroad bridge over Greenkill Avenue needs replacement after only 60 years in service. (The Freeman said 70, which must have come as a shock to those born in 1952, the year the bridge opened to rail traffic.) Graphic photos showed advanced deterioration. The span looks something like the rust-encrusted vehicular bridge over the Rondout Creek at Wurts Street.
Elsewhere, the Walkway Over the Hudson bridge at Poughkeepsie, opened in 1889, was found to be in solid condition when engineers inspected it prior to the Walkway reconstruction.
Is there a lesson here? Yes. Regular maintenance.
This time it’s not the city’s fault, though Kingston taxpayers could be on the hook for a reported $165,000 of the projected $3.3 million federally funded replacement.
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