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Speed, Andrews, Cropper re-elected
Village Board members ready to take on challenges
By John Mason
PHILMONT — Philmont returned three incumbents to office in an uncontested election Wednesday. Mayor Clarence “Skip” Speed and Trustees Robin Andrews and Doug Cropper all enjoyed the luck of the Irish in voting that was delayed 24 hours to avoid conflict with St. Patrick’s Day festivities.
Andrews, the newest member of the Village Board, was Wednesday’s highest votegetter, garnering 59 votes out of 63 that were cast. She’s a Citizens Party member. Cropper, a member of the Village Party, was next with 53, followed closely by Speed, a People’s Party member, at 52. Steven Goldberg received the lone write-in vote.
There are 856 registered voters in Philmont; the 7 percent turnout reflects the foregone conclusion of the results. All results are unofficial pending routine recanvassing.
Speed said he hoped the election was uncontested because citizens appreciate the good work the Village Board is doing, and not just because of apathy.
“I think the whole board is doing a great job,” he said. “I’m happy we’re together again for two years. We get a lot of work done, nobody argues. It’s still up and down a little, but 99 percent of the time [we’re together].”
The big accomplishment of 2008 was getting the Community Center on Lake Drive finished, the mayor said. The center is getting more and more use everyday, he said, including a meeting from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday about the issue dominating all else in the village these days, the fate of Pine Haven Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.
Speed said he will also be attending the Ghent Town Board meeting Thursday, hoping to see that board adopt a resolution opposing the move or closure of Pine Haven. Closure of the center would cost Philmont $60,000 in water and sewer revenues alone.
As for the water and sewer systems, “everything is fine,” he said. The sewer system is at half-capacity, and the Summit Heights developer put in a new well to update the water supply, as well as a firefighters’ well at the top of the hill that provides more than enough fire protection, said the mayor.
The development sites are all done and waiting for an uptick in the economy to bring a few more homebuyers.
But the village’s economy is very strong, the mayor said: “It doesn’t look like we’ll have to raise taxes, or, if so, ever so slightly. All my departments are doing great. Everything is so smooth, it’s scary.”
Speed, who owns Speed’s Garage in Mellenville, said three storefronts are being overhauled in hopes of attracting some new businesses.
The village’s two biggest employers are Pine Haven and Novapak. While Village Board members fight to keep Pine Haven within their boundaries, Speed said Novapak is going strong. Recent layoffs were not out of weakness, but automation, as the company updated its machinery and had a surplus of labor.
Consolidated Highway Improvement Program funding means the village will be able to do some needed roadwork, he said.
Andrews, a consultant to magazine publishers, said not having anyone else on the ballot was a vote of confidence, and attributed it to the board’s ability to work together.
In her first term, she was happy with several of the board’s accomplishments. One was buying the village green, a public space that can now be improved. Another was her work on trails in the 30 acres the village obtained from the Summit Heights developer.
Andrews was also pleased with the effort she was able to contribute by working with the Philmont Volunteer Fire Company during the ice storm. Now much of her effort is going into working on the Pine Haven issue: She’s a member of a county subcommittee weighing the various options for the center.
Cropper, who teaches at Taconic Hills, praised Speed’s work as mayor.
“He does a good job for the village,” he said. “I don’t know anyone who goes to more meetings for the village than he does.”
Cropper was happiest with the work he’s done at Forest Lake, helping to keep it open most of the time for recreation for village residents.
“The citizens have been great,” he said. “I’ve been able to get them up there to clean up stuff that’s been there 40 years. Tom Costa took a truck up to remove garbage. I’m proud we can now have another nice place for people to go for recreation.”
It’s probably four times as big as Summit Lake, he said, which is also taking up a lot of the village’s efforts.
For the future, Cropper is focused on the Pine Haven issue and investigating the possibility of a new garage for the Public Works Department; the current one, he said, is in disrepair.
To reach reporter John Mason, call 518-828-1616, ext. 2272, or e-mail jmason@registerstar.com.
By John Mason
PHILMONT — Philmont returned three incumbents to office in an uncontested election Wednesday. Mayor Clarence “Skip” Speed and Trustees Robin Andrews and Doug Cropper all enjoyed the luck of the Irish in voting that was delayed 24 hours to avoid conflict with St. Patrick’s Day festivities.
Andrews, the newest member of the Village Board, was Wednesday’s highest votegetter, garnering 59 votes out of 63 that were cast. She’s a Citizens Party member. Cropper, a member of the Village Party, was next with 53, followed closely by Speed, a People’s Party member, at 52. Steven Goldberg received the lone write-in vote.
There are 856 registered voters in Philmont; the 7 percent turnout reflects the foregone conclusion of the results. All results are unofficial pending routine recanvassing.
Speed said he hoped the election was uncontested because citizens appreciate the good work the Village Board is doing, and not just because of apathy.
“I think the whole board is doing a great job,” he said. “I’m happy we’re together again for two years. We get a lot of work done, nobody argues. It’s still up and down a little, but 99 percent of the time [we’re together].”
The big accomplishment of 2008 was getting the Community Center on Lake Drive finished, the mayor said. The center is getting more and more use everyday, he said, including a meeting from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday about the issue dominating all else in the village these days, the fate of Pine Haven Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.
Speed said he will also be attending the Ghent Town Board meeting Thursday, hoping to see that board adopt a resolution opposing the move or closure of Pine Haven. Closure of the center would cost Philmont $60,000 in water and sewer revenues alone.
As for the water and sewer systems, “everything is fine,” he said. The sewer system is at half-capacity, and the Summit Heights developer put in a new well to update the water supply, as well as a firefighters’ well at the top of the hill that provides more than enough fire protection, said the mayor.
The development sites are all done and waiting for an uptick in the economy to bring a few more homebuyers.
But the village’s economy is very strong, the mayor said: “It doesn’t look like we’ll have to raise taxes, or, if so, ever so slightly. All my departments are doing great. Everything is so smooth, it’s scary.”
Speed, who owns Speed’s Garage in Mellenville, said three storefronts are being overhauled in hopes of attracting some new businesses.
The village’s two biggest employers are Pine Haven and Novapak. While Village Board members fight to keep Pine Haven within their boundaries, Speed said Novapak is going strong. Recent layoffs were not out of weakness, but automation, as the company updated its machinery and had a surplus of labor.
Consolidated Highway Improvement Program funding means the village will be able to do some needed roadwork, he said.
Andrews, a consultant to magazine publishers, said not having anyone else on the ballot was a vote of confidence, and attributed it to the board’s ability to work together.
In her first term, she was happy with several of the board’s accomplishments. One was buying the village green, a public space that can now be improved. Another was her work on trails in the 30 acres the village obtained from the Summit Heights developer.
Andrews was also pleased with the effort she was able to contribute by working with the Philmont Volunteer Fire Company during the ice storm. Now much of her effort is going into working on the Pine Haven issue: She’s a member of a county subcommittee weighing the various options for the center.
Cropper, who teaches at Taconic Hills, praised Speed’s work as mayor.
“He does a good job for the village,” he said. “I don’t know anyone who goes to more meetings for the village than he does.”
Cropper was happiest with the work he’s done at Forest Lake, helping to keep it open most of the time for recreation for village residents.
“The citizens have been great,” he said. “I’ve been able to get them up there to clean up stuff that’s been there 40 years. Tom Costa took a truck up to remove garbage. I’m proud we can now have another nice place for people to go for recreation.”
It’s probably four times as big as Summit Lake, he said, which is also taking up a lot of the village’s efforts.
For the future, Cropper is focused on the Pine Haven issue and investigating the possibility of a new garage for the Public Works Department; the current one, he said, is in disrepair.
To reach reporter John Mason, call 518-828-1616, ext. 2272, or e-mail jmason@registerstar.com.
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