Shandaken, which has long liked to liken itself to the Wild West, at least in our coverage area, is entering its 2013 political season Thursday, August 8, when its Republican Party holds a caucus at the Glenbrook Park pavilion in the hamlet of Shandaken.
Under the new chairmanship of Al Peck, with help from county GOP representative John Horn, it appears that the party that currently holds a 3-2 majority will be again nominating incumbent supervisor Rob Stanley, for a third two year term this time. Board candidates mentioned include incumbent Jack Jordan, a former school superintendent seeking his second four-year term, and political newcomer Frank Stapleton of Big Indian. Both incumbent highway superintendent Eric Hofmeister, who won his last election as a Democrat, and former one-termer Keith Johnson, running in his third bid against Hofmeister, will be seeking the town’s top roads position. It was expected that both town justices, Republican Tom Crucet and Democrat Mike Miranda would win new terms unopoosed.
But that doesn’t mean the local rumor mill’s been quiet.
Much talk has come and gone in recent months that local grocer and former county legislator Al Higley, along with former town supervisor Bob Cross, Jr., might be vying against Stanley, or possibly for town council, come Thursday. Higley, whose son Alfie is currently on the town board, continues to complain about the pressures he’s been under from the town for alleged zoning infractions at his Hanover Farms roadside business on Route 28 in Mt. Tremper, while Cross has questioned most decisions made by the town board since he lost his party’s nomination six years ago.
“They’ve been making noise,” said one political insider in the party, asking not to be quoted by name. “But they’re always making noise.”
Dems caucus August 20
Democratic Party chairman Nick Alba, meanwhile, noted that his party would be holding its annual fundraising picnic in Glenbook Park this coming Sunday afternoon, August 11, and its own caucus on Tuesday, August 20, also at Glenbrook Park.
Alba said that Tim Malloy, a former councilman who declined to run for a second term two years ago, has offered to run again for his old seat, as has local realtor and businesswoman Faye Storms. Current Democratic councilwoman Doris Bartlett declined to run for another term this year.
For supervisor, Alba said, Stanley has offered to come before the caucus for cross-endorsement and has spoken with the party chairman and committee; no other candidates have stepped forward to date. Hofmeister, he added, was presumed to be the Democrat’s choice for highway super again, although he expected Johnson to again make a bid for the party’s favor. Pete DiModica was expected to seek another term as assessor with no opposition, along with Miranda and Crucet for town judges.
Alba added that in addition to county comptroller Elliott Auerbach and legislator John Parete making appearances, he had been told that Sean Eldridge, a potential candidate for Chris Gibson’s congressional district now moved to neighboring Olive, would also make an appearance.
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