Gibson Focuses on Education in New Ad

Attempting to capitalize on local parents anger toward common core education standards in public schools, Republican Congressman Chris Gibson's campaign released a new education themed ad Tuesday morning that touted the incumbent's stance of, "Common Sense... Not Common Core."

The ad (included below) features a local mom and Mr. Gibson's wife criticizing the recently implemented standardized testing methods, while touting the Congressman's local ties and opposition to common core in the House of Representatives.

Mr. Gibson's Democratic opponent, Sean Eldridge, has listed on his official website that if elected he would, "strengthen our schools by working to expand early childhood education, make college more affordable, reform high stakes-testing, and ensure that our students are trained for the new economy."

Lopez Faces Easy Path to Fifth Term in Assembly

With local political attention focused primarily on the 19th congressional district election between incumbent Republican Chris Gibson and Democratic challenger Sean Eldridge, Schoharie's adopted son, Assemblyman Peter Lopez, has flown mostly under the radar as he prepares for his own re-election bid.

Lopez, who had served on the Schoharie County Board of Supervisors and as Schoharie County Clerk before his election to the Assembly in 2006, is currently running for his fifth term in the state legislature. As of this publication, there have been no confirmed opponents to the Assemblyman's campaign. 

According to queries into the incumbent's re-election committee, Lopez 4 NY, on the New York State Board of Elections Campaign Finance Reports database, Lopez has amassed a formidable $23,175.32 campaign war chest, possibly discouraging potential challengers from entering the race. 

The Schoharie County Republican Committee is expected to endorse both Lopez and State Senator James Seward at the GOP's upcoming nominating caucus on Wednesday, June 4th at the county building. 

After first being elected to the Assembly with 58% of the vote over Siena Professor Scott Trees, Lopez has subsequently cruised to re-election his past three electoral campaigns; two of which he ran unopposed in and last he carried with nearly a two-thirds margin during a national election cycle.

Cobleskill-Richmondville Residents Overwhelmingly Approve School Budget

With over 70% of district residents in support, the proposed $37.5 million Cobleskill-Richmondville Central School budget was overwhelmingly approved by voters Tuesday afternoon. The budget, which will raise property school taxes by 2.36%, was passed 684-252. 

According to a news bulletin published on the school district's website, the proposed budget "retains all staff and current programming and opportunities for students but also adds additional part-time sixth grade teachers to eliminate some sixth grade study halls." 

Additionally, voters also approved the Community Library budget 683-252 and elected three unopposed candidates to the CRCS Board of Education, all of whom received six hundred plus votes in their successful campaigns. 

Middleburgh Voters Approve $20.4 Million School Budget

Middleburgh, New York - With almost eight hundred votes cast, residents of the Middleburgh Central School District came out strongly in support of adopting the proposed $20.4 million 2014-15 school budget Tuesday afternoon. The budget passed 451 to 338.

Dozens of faculty, residents, and students were present for the official results, which were delayed by technical difficulties in one of the two machines - the third consecutive year that particular console had malfunctioned in some aspect.

Board of Education candidate Ernest Kuehl, who was running unopposed for the board's lone seat up for election, received 546 votes. Five write-in votes were also cast for a variety of local residents. 

With the budget's adoption, district taxes are set to increase 2.51% in the upcoming fiscal year. 

County Residents Head to Polls to Decide School Budgets

Schoharie County residents will have the opportunity to vote in six local school board elections and decide the fate of several proposed budgets this afternoon into late evening. The following school by school rundown is a brief overview of each district and what voters are being asked to consider in their respective community.

Cobleskill-Richmondville (7am-9pm)

The CRCS Board of Education has proposed a $37,583,403 budget for the 2014-15 school year, which is a spending increase of $1,012,750 or 2.77% over the current fiscal year's budget and calls for a 2.36% hike in district taxes.

Three Board of Education candidates - Steven Philbrick, Susan Emerson Strasser and Bruce Tryon - are running unopposed for three seats.

Gilboa-Conesville (12pm-8pm)

The GCCS Board of Education has proposed a $10,112,980 budget for the 2014-15 school year, which is a spending increase of 2.43% over the current fiscal year's budget and calls for a 1.99% rise in the district's tax levy.

Two Board of Education candidates - Greg Woodcock and Peter Fox - are running unopposed for two seats.

Jefferson (12pm-8pm)

The JCS Board of Education has proposed a $6,299,149 budget for the 2014-15 school year, which is a spending increase of 3.26% over the current fiscal year's budget and calls for a 2.41% increase in district taxes. 

Two Board of Education candidates - David Lapinel and Laurel Bedford - are running unopposed for two seats.

Middleburgh (12pm-9pm)

The MCS Board of Education has proposed a $20,424,951 budget for the 2014-15 school year, which is a spending increase of 1.16% over the current fiscal year's budget and calls for a 2.51% hike in district taxes.

One Board of Education candidate - Ernest Kuehl - is running unopposed for the lone seat.

Schoharie (9am-9pm)

The SCS Board of Education has proposed a $21,677,470 budget for the 2014-15 school year, which is a spending increase of 3.13% over the current fiscal year's budget and calls for a 1.53% increase in district taxes.

Three Board of Education candidates - Maureen Bernhardt, Mark Quandt and James Bleau - are competing for two seats.

Sharon Springs (12pm-9pm)

The SSCS Board of Education has proposed a $8,885,268 budget for the 2014-15 school year, which is a spending increase of 0.7% over the current fiscal year's budget and calls for no increase in district taxes. 

Interested Coby-Rich School Board Candidates Have One Week to Submit Petitions

Local residents interested in running for one of three open seats on the Board of Education in the Cobleskill-Richmondville Central School district have one more week to pick up and submit a nominating petition to district officials. 

Petitions, which are due on Monday, April 21st at 5:00 pm, must receive twenty-five signatures from registered voters located within the vast school district that spans several villages and townships, and can be obtained from the district office during regular operating hours.

The open seats are currently occupied by Board of Education members Steven Philbrick, Russell Smith, and Bruce Tyron. District elections, propositions, and public consideration of the 2014-15 school budget will be held on Tuesday, May 20, from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm in both the Golding Middle School in Cobleskill and the Radez Elementary School in Richmondville.

More information can be found on the Cobleskill-Richmondville Central School website.  

Local Villages Elect New Trustees Amid Low Turnout

With turnout failing to reach fifty in either local community, a small number of residents in the Villages of Middleburgh and Richmondville came out Tuesday afternoon to vote in their respective municipality's unopposed trustee elections.

Village of Middleburgh

Lillian Bruno - 44

Sheryl Adams* - 43

Write-in votes - 1

Village of Richmondville

Milan Jackson* - 29

Stephen Shore - 26

Neither Village Board is expected to be significantly altered, as both political newcomers (Bruno, Shore) have already served their respective communities in various ways, while the incumbents (Adams, Jackson) were both appointed to fill vacancies by the existing board's before seeking the position in their own right.

*- Denotes incumbent

Middleburgh, Richmondville Set for Quiet Village Elections

Residents in the Villages of Middleburgh and Richmondville are expected to turn out in small numbers this afternoon, as their respective communities head to the polls to vote in a slew of uncontested Village Trustee elections. Citizens will have the opportunity to vote in both municipalities from noon until nine tonight.

Middleburgh

Two candidates are seeking two four year terms on the Middleburgh Village Board. Both seats are uncontested and their terms will expire in March 2018.

• Sheryl Adams is an incumbent Village Board member who was originally appointed to fill Mayor Matthew Avitabile's unexpired term in 2012 and was then subsequently elected in her own right last March. 
• Lillian Bruno has held no public office before, but she has represented the Village of Middleburgh on the NY Rising CRP Committee since the summer and is employed as a planner by Schoharie County. 

Richmondville

Two candidates are seeking two two year terms on the Richmondville Village Board. Both seats are uncontested and their terms will expire in March 2016. 

• Milan Jackson is an incumbent Village Trustee who was appointed to the position in September 2013 following a board member's resignation. 
• Stephen Shore has held no elected office to this point, but he has served as Chairman of the Village of Richmondville's Planning Board since 2011.

Two Seek Village Board in Richmondville

Milan Jackson and Stephen Shore, two residents in the Village of Richmondville, are seeking election to the municipality's Board of Trustees in next week's local races. Both are running unopposed for the two two year seats on the small community's governing body.

Neither candidate is new to local government, as Mr. Jackson was appointed to the Board of Trustees last September to fill a vacancy caused by Trustee Vincent Massarotti's resignation, while Mr. Young has served as Chairman of the Village Planning Board since 2011. 

The election will be held on Tuesday, March 18th from noon until nine at the Radez Elementary School on 319 Main Street. Citizens will also be heading to the polls in the Village of Middleburgh, where they too will have only two choices for two open seats on the ballot. 

National Attention on Gibson Race

The race between incumbent Congressman Chris Gibson and his likely opponent Sean Eldridge is already making waves. National columnist George Will penned a column last month in the Washington Post regarding the two candidates, especially the 27-year old Eldridge.

 An interesting column, Will discusses both candidates and focuses on the challenger:

Eldridge, 27, is married to Chris Hughes, 30, who bought the New Republic magazine — founded 100 years ago this year as a voice of progressivism — with a portion of the fortune he made as co-founder of Facebook. Eldridge, who wants to bring his own progressivism to Congress by beating Gibson, grew up in Ohio, graduated from Brown University, attended but did not graduate from Columbia Law School, founded a venture capital firm and went looking for a receptive congressional district outside New York City. The first one where he and his husband bought a residence turned out to be politically problematic, so they kept that residence and bought another (supplementing their Manhattan apartment) in the 19th District.