By Dan Hust
SULLIVAN COUNTY — March 20, 2001 – Four of Sullivan County’s six incorporated villages are holding their annual elections today, but, as usual, voters have limited choices.
Except in special cases, Monticello only holds an election on even years, and Woodridge holds theirs in the summer.
For the four others – Liberty, Wurtsboro, Bloomingburg and Jeffersonville – polls will be open from noon to 9 p.m. at the respective village offices.
Liberty and Wurtsboro, however, are the only villages with actual races.
In Wurtsboro, incumbent Mayor John Klein, a Republican, is not looking to keep his position, instead opting to run against incumbent board member Gail Sprague, a Democrat, for a two-year stint on the village board. Running for Klein’s two-year position are Republican board member Linda Lothrop and former Democratic mayor Bob Whitehead.
In Liberty, incumbent Mayor Kevin Mullen, a Democrat, is up against Republican Ed Pankonin, who owns and operates the Pankonin Agency insurance company in the village. The mayor’s position runs for two years. Also, two two-year trustee seats are up for grabs. Incumbent Luis Alvarez, a Democrat, is looking to keep his position, but Republicans Thomas Sprague and Thomas Caskey are also in the running, as is write-in candidate William “Rube” Smith. (According to Village Clerk Judy Zurawski, Smith, a Democrat, did not make it onto the Democratic ticket due to a technical difficulty.) The top two vote-getters will be the new trustees.
In Bloomingburg, Clifford Teich is running unopposed for the two-year village board seat held by Cheryl Hultslander, who is not seeking re-election.
In Jeffersonville, Mayor Susan Hemmer and trustees Tim Mullally and Kerry Jo Nebzydoski are running unopposed in their re-election bids for their two-year seats.
For more information, call the following village clerks:
• Wurtsboro: Christina Quick, 888-2522
• Liberty: Judy Zurawski, 292-2253
• Bloomingburg: Susan Berentsen, 733-1400
• Jeffersonville: Louise Gorr, 482-4275.