Dan Hust | Democrat Rich Sandler

Sandler resigns

By Dan Hust
CALLICOON — Sullivan West’s longtime school board president, Rich Sandler, has tendered his resignation.
Sandler told his fellow board members Thursday evening that he is taking a position with a condo development in western New York State and will thus be unable to continue what is now an 11-year run on the board.
Sandler served two years on the former Delaware Valley school board, then was elected to join the new Sullivan West board when DV merged with Jeffersonville-Youngsville and Narrowsburg 10 years ago.
He twice served as president – including currently serving as such – and oversaw some of the toughest years of the newborn district’s life.
“It was a long and arduous process,” he acknowledged on Friday, “but I think we’re seeing the fruits of progress.”
Indeed, the district is no longer regularly making the news for scandals but for the peaceful and proactive cooperation of its board and administration. While it still occasionally wrestles with the aftereffects of the once-troubled merger, Sandler said the board is a pleasure to serve on these days.
“Nobody is not looking forward to Thursday night [board meetings] anymore,” he happily remarked.
But come June, he won’t be there to participate any longer – and he said he’ll miss it greatly.
“I really enjoyed my time on the board, and I didn’t want to give it up,” he lamented.
Sandler, who is also the general manager of the Villa Roma Resort in his 22-year hometown of Callicoon, didn’t know he had landed the new job until after the board and budget vote. Therefore, the school board will have to choose between holding a special election or appointing a replacement to serve the remainder of his term.