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Wallkill Valley Times, Wednesday, July 3, 2019
Montgomery spending race also close
By LAURA FITZGERALD
[email protected]
Republican primary candidates Brian Maher and
Rodney Winchell spent more than $25,000 and received
more than $38,000 in contributions for the Town of
Montgomery Supervisor primary races.
Maher won the Republican and Independence
nomination and Winchell won the Conservative line.
Friends of Brian Maher spent $12,873 and received
$18,925 in contributions, with a $147 starting balance,
according to New York State Board of Elections financial
disclosure reports. That leaves an ending balance of
$6,199, as of the 11-day pre-primary report.
Friends of Rod Winchell spent $12,620 and received
$19,260, with an $11,736 starting balance, according to
New York State Board of Elections financial disclosure
reports. That leaves an ending balance of $18,374, as of
the 11-day pre-primary report.
The financial disclosure forms revealed differences in
the candidates’ sources of funding.
The vast majority of Winchell’s contributions were
from local contributors in the Town of Montgomery and
surrounding communities, while Maher received more
donations from non-local sources.
Winchell received only three donations from out
of state. He received a $450 donation from Operating
Engineers Local, based in Springfield, NJ; a $500 donation
from Ironworkers Political Action Committee (PAC),
based in Washington, DC, and a $200 donation from
Alastair Winchell in Florida.
Maher also received the majority of his donations from
local contributors, but he received some donations from
New York City and out of state. Most notably, Maher
received a donation from Jeffrey Gural in New York City
for $4,000. He also received small contributions of $240 or
less from individuals in Washington, DC; Waterbury, CT;
Lake Ariel, PA; Staten Island, NY; and Omaha, NE.
Maher received more support from political
organizations than Winchell, while Winchell received a
sizable portion of his contributions from business and
labor organizations.
Maher received support from Committee to Elect
Brescia, Committee to Re-Elect Bill Larkin, Citizens
for Green, Citizens for Joseph Minuta, Friends of Kyle
Roddey and O’Donnell for Congress, totaling $3,625.
Winchell received support from Committee to Elect
Brescia and Brescia for Mayor for a combined $300.
While Winchell did not receive many contributions
from political organizations, he received contributions
from 29 partnerships, corporations, unions and corporate
PACS, totaling $12,465.
In comparison, Maher received only $2,205 from 10
corporations and partnerships.
P olice B lotter
TOWN OF SHAWANGUNK
Valarie King, 51, of Wallkill, was charged on June
4 with aggravated unlicensed operations 3rd and
suspended registration. She was released to appear in
town court on July 15.
Jonathan Wieczorek, 29, of Pine Bush was charged
on June 12 with a DWI and a DWI with a BAC greater
than .08 percent. He was released to appear in town
court on June 15.
Kevin Brennan, 40, of Pearl River, was arrested
on June 17 on a bench warrant for two counts of
harassment 2nd. He was arrainged at town court and
released.
Solar projects win approval
Continued from page 1
Two of these projects were recently approved in the
Town of Montgomery.
Cypress Creek, a two-megawatt system at St. Andrews
Rd in Walden, was approved at a planning board meeting
on June 24. The 7.4 acres of panels included in the project
will power between 300 and 500 homes in the Central
Hudson district.
Anne Waling, Zoning and Outreach Coordinator for
Cypress Creek, said the St. Andrews Road project is
slated for construction in 2020, and clearing will begin
this fall.
Waling said Cypress Creek will use a pollinating mix
of groundcover under the panels, a common practice
for solar farms. The mix provides a habitat for insects
essential to agriculture.
Matrix Solar was approved on June 10 for a five-
megawatt project along Maple Avenue and NYS Rte. 17K.
Providing power for the Central Hudson district, the
project will contain about 22 acres of panels.
Project attorney John Cappello said the construction
for the Matrix Solar project will begin this fall and will be
operational in early 2020.
The Crawford Planning Board approved two solar
projects by Cypress Creek at a meeting on June 26.
Svenski Solar is a two-megawatt project with 20 acres
of panels on Route 17K, near Collabar Road. The project
has the capacity to power between 400 and 500 homes in
the Orange and Rockland Utility district.
The Dubois solar project is a two-megawatt facility
with approximately 15 acres of panels on Dubois Road,
off Route 52. It also has the capacity to power between 400
and 500 homes in the NYSEG district.
Both projects include a one two-megawatt battery
facility.
Both projects have a 40-year lifespan, at the end of
which the project may be decommissioned.
Project Associate Charles Grady Mecay said
construction on the Dubois project will begin within
the month and construction for the Svenski project will
begin next spring.
Primary election
Continued from page 1
Independence line.
“I’ll hold the Conservative line,” Winchell said.
“Changes to the Republican committee seats look great!
I love Montgomery and America!”
Maybrook Mayor Dennis Leahy (D) will also run for
supervisor in November. He said he will run on the
merits of his experience and record in the village.
Leahy has served as Maybrook’s mayor for the past 11
years, where he has spearheaded village infrastructure,
obtained a new senior center, government center, sewer
treatment plant and sidewalks. About 90 percent of the
village sewer lines have been relined.
Leahy said he will focus on the issues of infrastructure
and economic development.
“I feel like I’m going into the town like I went into the
village, there was neglected infrastructure and you have
to start at ground zero and build it up again,” Leahy said.
As for the town board, Ron Feller and incumbent Mark
Hoyt won the Republican primary for town council,
pushing Republican Dwight Warrington out of the race.
Feller and Hoyt will face off against Conservative Joe
Keenan and Democrats Susan Cockburn and Kristen
Brown for the two seats on town board.
Hoyt said his strategy going forward is to continue
to do his job as town board member to the best of his
ability.
“I’m very pleased with the results of the election and
I’m looking forward to having an opportunity to serve
the residents of the town of Montgomery along with the
Republican party,” Hoyt said.
Feller will focus on the creation of a youth programs,
a Parks and Recreation Department for the maintenance
of town parks and trails for his campaign and the
establishment of budgetary procedures such as monthly
budget reviews with department heads and variation
reports. Feller was the former Parks and Recreation
Director from 2015 to 2017. He also served on the town
board from 2008 to 2011 and served as deputy supervisor
from 2011 to 2012.
Keenan said going forward he will continue to listen
to constituents and promote himself as an independent
candidate free from party loyalty. The most important
issues to him are smart development, open and honest
government, fiscal responsibility, and updates to the
master plan. He served as chairman of the original Town
of Montgomery Board of Ethics and currently serves on
the resurrected ethics board.
For her campaign, Brown will focus on smart growth,
updates in the zoning code, town infrastructure, parks
and recreation and volunteer organization participation.
She operates the fifth-generation Historic Brown Family
Farm on Browns Road with her husband and two
children.
Cockburn will focus on acquiring grants and funding
to preserve town parks and cultural aspect, updates to the
comprehensive plan, and smart economic development.
She also called for debates between supervisor and board
candidates. She served as the town supervisor from 2004
to 2008 and is currently on the Town of Montgomery
Historic Preservation Commission.