Saugerties deserves the best
Being the previous secretary to longtime and well-liked Highway Superintendent Alfonse Ferrara for over 12 years, I know what it takes to be a good highway superintendent. We are fortunate to have the opportunity to vote and elect someone who has the qualifications necessary to make our Highway Department the pride of Saugerties.
Ray Mayone is the man for this position. He will bring over 30 years of experience, skill, integrity, and customer satisfaction to this department. Through his extensive experience with road and sewer development, equipment ranging from big to small, maintenance and repair, budgeting large projects, strong work ethic and interpersonal skills, which are crucial to the growth, success and safety of the Highway Department. If you recall, Ray created the biggest development in Saugerties history, Bishops Gate, which has helped our town’s tax base tremendously, while bringing many families to live and raise families right here in our town. Speaking of family, Ray is a wonderful dedicated loving family man, who has been active in the community for many, many years. Yes, Ray and his lovely wife Carol Ann love their horses, and he has given countless free wagon rides for many years throughout the town out of the goodness of his heart and for no other reason.
The Highway Department needs to have a superintendent once again who respects the workers and who will earn the respect back. When employee morale is at an all-time low, leadership is to be earned and not taken. Leadership means being honest and having integrity every day, all year long! Having a strong set of morals to live by personally and professionally every day! Ray knows how to treat people with dignity and respect. He has the skills to connect with the workers.
Furthermore, with his knowledge of heavy highway construction and how to run a successful business, this is a win/win for us, the taxpayers. Ray has the experience to bring the Highway Department back to what is once was under previous leadership. Ray has the qualifications, experience and professional demeanor to fix the Highway Department and fix our roads, we don’t deserve less, nor should we settle for less than that! As Ray states, there are no Republican or Democrat potholes, that’s exactly how longtime Superintendent Alfonse Ferrara viewed the Highway Department years ago…and that’s why we had town roads to be proud of!
It is a pleasure and honor to endorse someone so qualified for the position of Highway Superintendent. Do our town this favor and elect Ray Mayone to be our next Highway Superintendent because we deserve the best!
Michele Haines
Saugerties
The future of development
In a front page piece in the Oct. 17 Saugerties Times, Will Dendis describes Bishop’s Gate as an “elegant 165-lot subdivision, widely considered one of the biggest regional development projects in the last 20 years.” I think we might consider what similar projects will look like in the future.
Outstanding rural residential projects include Reston, Virginia; Greenbelt, Maryand; Radburn, New Jersey; and Heritage Village, Connecticut. In the future I hope that projects built in Saugerties will indeed receive awards for outstanding contributions. They will conserve wetlands, woodlands for hiking and wildlife, streams for fishing, ponds for swimming and boating, fields for sports, picnicking and flying kites, trails for hiking, horseback riding, trail biking and cross country skiing and paths for safe and fun walking, biking and jogging. These forward looking projects will link to each other and form a continuous recreation network, just as our pave roads form a linked automobile, truck, bicycle and pedestrian net work.
I notice that Mr. Mayone wants to pave Clark Van Vlierden Road. The original gravel road has been paved three times since I bought a house on it in 1983. It certainly doesn’t need another three-inch layer of asphalt which makes the road more unsafe due to severe edge drop-offs.
Our roads should be built for everyone’s convenience and safety, not just to keep asphalt contractors busy. More paving leads to higher taxes to pay for it, a burden we should not place unnecessarily on taxpayers. Our roads are our only community lifelines. They expose us to the beauty around us and link us to our neighbors, jobs, schools, services and shopping. They must be protected from unneeded construction.
Barry Benepe
Saugerties
Mayone will improve Highway Department
I encourage Saugerties voters to elect Ray Mayone for town of Saugerties highway superintendent.
Many letters have been sent attesting to Ray’s character, experience and ability to serve in that office. Ray seeks this position, not for the title, but he seeks it with a specific plan to make our highway department the best in Ulster County.
Ray will do his best to visit job sites everyday to talk to employees to develop teamwork and to avoid complaints that the Highway Department employees are not working. Ray’s endorsement by his former employees is testament to his leadership ability to create a good working environment.
Ray will establish a multi-year schedule for road maintenance and publicize it to create public awareness. Taxpayers will then know when certain roads are scheduled for repair, including their own, and will have the opportunity to give input on priority.
Ray will schedule equipment replacement so that the town will not have to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars for equipment in one year.
Ray will submit honest annual budgets and avoid unjustified surpluses for political purposes. Taxpayer money is best in their pockets rather than in government surpluses.
My family and I have known Ray Mayone since he was a youngster. Since his youth, Ray has had a very strong work ethic and commitment to his obligations. His commitment to community service is demonstrated by his many years of service to the Glasco Fire Department as both a volunteer fireman and as a worker for their monthly breakfasts and other special events. For many years, Ray has donated and driven his trucks in the Fourth of July parades. He has also provided residents and their children with horse wagon rides for holidays and special events in the town and village.
Ray Mayone is a devoted family man who raised two respectful, responsible, hard-working sons. He has operated a successful construction business for 30 years.
For these reasons, I urge the residents of Saugerties to vote for Ray Mayone for town of Saugerties highway superintendent.
Elect Ray on election day.
Constance M. Catalinotto
Saugerties
Join the family! 
