GARDINER – Gardiner’s Democratic committee hosted, Sunday, the first of many town hall meetings this spring that are designed to inform residents of the party’s work on the state, county and federal levels of government.
“It’s part of our effort to communicate better with our constituents,” said Tom Kruglinski, chairman of Gardiner’s Democratic committee. “What we hear from people is that they don’t know what their elected officials are doing.”
Republicans dominated the town until about 15 years ago. But now registered 1,800-1,900 Democrats outnumber about 900 Republicans by a two-to-one margin. About 800 voters in the town are unaffiliated.
The meetings are being conducted Sunday afternoons in April, May and June, and Sunday’s guests were town residents Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan and Tracey Bartels, chairwoman of the Ulster County Legislature.
“I think these meetings will be crucial,” said Bartels.” The idea of being able to directly connect versus the newspaper or one-on-one through phone calls, which happens all the time, just to be able to bring it to the broader message, and also to be open to answers questions from the public at large.”
One Saturday meeting, May 7 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., is scheduled to feature Congressman Antonio Delgado, a Democrat representing the 19th Congressional District.
More than month later, Sunday, June 12, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., Assemblyman Kevin Cahill, state Senator Michelle Hinchey, and Ulster County Sheriff Juan Figueroa, all endorsed by the Democrats, are scheduled to appear. Governor Kathy Hochul has also been invited to appear with county Democrats on this Sunday.
Bill Egan attended Sunday’s meeting, and he’s concerned about growth and infrastructure and other matters such as the expansion of Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park Camp-Resort at Lazy River in the town.
“Yogi Bear wants to expand, and the town has absolutely done nothing to curb the development down there or the noise,” he said. “There are a lot of plans for Gardiner, growth. Growth is fine, but let’s look at the infrastructure first. They are not doing anything around here to support the growth, the water, the highways, the traffic. These are issues that need to be addressed.”
