Maurice Hinchey, the long-time Saugerties resident, assemblyman and congressman who died last November, was honored today with the passage of a bill to name the Saugerties Post Office for him. The news was presented in a release from senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, and U.S. Rep. John Faso.
“Having this bill signed into law is a tremendous milestone and privilege for our family. Maurice would be humbled to have the Saugerties Post Office named in his honor and we’re incredibly excited that Senator Schumer, Senator Gillibrand and Congressman Faso have been able to make that happen,” said Ilene Marder Hinchey and Michelle Hinchey for the Hinchey family. “We thank them sincerely, from the bottom of our hearts, for turning this dream into a reality. We look forward to celebrating this for generations to come.”
“Congressman Maurice Hinchey or ‘Mighty Moe,’ as I used to call him, deserves this honor for his determination, endless energy, rare legislative skills, and his unwavering commitment to his constituents,” said Schumer. “During his 38 years of public service, Hinchey was a truly special figure in the Hudson Valley and Southern Tier, and was passionately devoted to a just society, the environment and to preserving the region’s magnificent open and wild spaces. This designation is a fitting tribute to this hometown hero who relentlessly fought to represent the citizens of the very community he cherished so greatly in the House of Representatives.”
“Congressman Maurice Hinchey devoted his career to serving the Saugerties and Ulster County communities,” said Gillibrand. “He spent years fighting for issues that would help improve the lives of New Yorkers, becoming a leading advocate for our veterans and for the environment. I am very pleased that this bill to honor Congressman Hinchey’s memory in the community that he represented has been signed into law.”
“Naming Congressman Hinchey’s hometown post office after him is an enduring recognition of his lifelong commitment to public service and the people of Upstate New York,” said Congressman Faso. “I am glad that after months of work from New York delegation members in both chambers of Congress and on both sides of the aisle that this bill has been signed into law.”
Hinchey retired from Congress at the end of his term in January 2013; he had served 20 years in the U.S. House of Representatives and 18 in the state Assembly. Once hailed as the “environmental con-science of New York State” by Gov. Mario Cuomo, the progressive was the first Democrat from Ulster County to be elected to the state legislature since 1912.
The post office is located at 111 Market St., Saugerties.
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