Frank Rizzo | Democrat Jim Rodgers of Long Eddy signs in at the Town of Fremont Town Hall on Election Day. Though the voting machine experienced technical difficulties earlier that morning – forcing some voters to use paper ballots – it was soon fixed. Spending a long (6 a.m.-9 p.m. and beyond) day at the polling station were Election Inspectors Jennifer Mall and Chuck Papa of Callicoon Center, at table. Joan Papa of Callicoon Center and Steve Korba of Mileses were also part of the crew.

Schiff, Farrell win big

By Dan Hust
SULLIVAN COUNTY — Countywide, local elections featured few surprises, with the two contested races decided by wide margins.
But dig down to the township level, and Sullivan County’s voters had some surprising things to say.
The incumbent supervisors of Callicoon, Mamakating and Tusten were apparently knocked out of their posts, though Callicoon’s race remain close. (Absentee and affidavit ballots will be counted next week.)
Highland Supervisor Tina Palecek was expected to mount a write-in campaign, but it was not anticipated to be enough to overcome challenger Andy Boyar’s nearly 500 votes.
And Cochecton’s deputy supervisor, Larry Richardson – who has been serving in Supervisor Sal Indelicato’s stead due to health issues – lost the supervisor’s race by a large margin to fellow town board member Gary Maas.
New supervisors are also coming to Fallsburg, Lumberland and Rockland.
Incumbents kept virtually all of their positions in the towns of Bethel, Delaware, Fallsburg, Fremont and Neversink, whereas Town of Callicoon voters evidenced a deep split.
Callicoon Supervisor Linda Babicz is currently 23 votes behind challenger Tom Bose, and Highway Superintendent Dave Erlwein lost his job to Kris Scullion. However, 18 absentee ballots and an unknown number of affidavits have yet to be counted.
In Forestburgh, longtime Town Councilman Gene Raponi is one vote behind the second leading candidate to replace him on the town board, Susan Parks-Landis. With 16 absentee ballots yet to be counted, Raponi could be back as a councilman.
Incumbent Highland Councilman Don Rupp may have lost his seat (currently trailing Scott Hallock by a mere three votes, with eight absentees to be counted), while in Liberty Sean Hanofee made a triumphant return to politics via nearly 1,000 votes for his town board bid.
Total votes for Liberty incumbent Councilman Maurice Gerry, who only did a write-in campaign, are not yet known, but they’re not expected to overtake either Hanofee’s or Chris Austin’s tallies.
Lumberland’s only incumbent councilman running for re-election, Leigh Sherman, suffered a loss with a margin too great to make up, but longtime Thompson Councilman Bill Rieber’s loss could become a win after 108 absentee ballots are counted.
Other races too close to call include Bethel Councilperson (264 absentee ballots, many of them challenged), Cochecton Councilperson (22 absentees) and Mamakating Councilperson (19 absentees).
Voting machines broke down in Liberty and Fremont, forcing voters to use emergency ballots, but otherwise, the county’s elections inspectors encountered few issues.
Following are the unofficial results, courtesy of the Sullivan County Board of Elections:
Bold = unofficial winner
* = incumbent
R = Republican
D = Democrat
C = Conservative
I = Independence
WF = Working Families
PFB = People for Bethel
BB = Bethel Business
EC = Experience Counts
CS = Common Sense
FF = Forestburgh First
PC = People’s Choice
JFM = Jobs for Mamakating
RF = Rockland First
RK = Redneck
JL = Jody Line
NYS Supreme Court Third Judicial District
James Gilpatric (D,I,C) – 7,621
Jill Dunn (R) – 5,457
Sullivan County Sheriff
Michael Schiff* (R,I,C) – 11,579
Frank Armstrong (D,WF) – 5,517
Sullivan County District Attorney
James Farrell (R,I,C) – 11,891
Glenn Kroll (D,WF) – 5,243
Sullivan County Treasurer
Ira Cohen* (D,I,C) – 10,094
Proposition One
To allow six acres of Adirondack Forest Preserve land in St. Lawrence County be used for powerline construction, in exchange for 10 acres of equally-valued land to be used for forest preservation
Yes (local results only) – 4,571
No (local results only) – 3,578
Yes (statewide) – 823,736
No (statewide) – 406,663
Proposition Two
To allow state and local inmates to voluntarily work for nonprofits while incarcerated
Yes (local results only) – 5,776
No (local results only) – 2,510
Yes (statewide) – 824,048
No (statewide) – 396,929
TOWN OF BETHEL
Supervisor
Daniel Sturm* (D,C) – 743
Harold Russell (R,PFB) – 563
Clerk
Rita Sheehan* (R,C,PFB) – 798
Justice
Kevin Rhyne* (D,C) – 958
Councilperson (two seats open)
Richard Crumley* (R,C,PFB) – 773
Denise Frangipane* (D,C) – 716
Benjamin Friehling (D,BB) – 619
Highway Superintendent
Lynden Lilley* (D,C,EC) – 951
Lee Stackhouse (R,PFB) – 326
Tax Collector
Debra Holt-Gabriel* (D,C) – 819
Marion Madaffari (R,PFB) – 302
TOWN OF CALLICOON
Supervisor
Thomas Bose (R,I,C) – 551
Linda Babicz* (D) – 528
Justice
Edward McKenna* (R) – 597
Councilperson (two seats open)
Scott Gaebel (R,I,C) – 621
Charles Schadt* (D) – 620
Cindy Gieger (D,C) – 599
Highway Superintendent
Kristofer Scullion (R) – 533
David Erlwein* (D) – 504
Tax Collector
Maureen Schlott* (D) – 728
TOWN OF COCHECTON
Supervisor
Gary Maas (R,C) – 395
Larry Richardson (D) – 218
Clerk
Hollye Schulman* (D,C) – 409
Justice (two seats open)
Steven Sauer* (D) – 433
Craig Fine (D,C) – 300
Peter Pierce (R) – 264
Rosemary Barile (R,C) – 134
Councilperson (two seats open)
Edwin Grund* (R,C) – 356
Richard Schulman (D) – 288
Anna Story (D) – 282
Peter Grosser (R,C) – 209
Highway Superintendent
Brian DuBois* (D,C) – 312
James Crowley Jr. (R) – 277
Tax Collector
Eileen Hennessy* (D,C) – 428
TOWN OF DELAWARE
Supervisor
James Scheutzow* (D) – 402
Clerk/Tax Collector
Tess McBeath* (D,C) – 486
Councilperson (two seats open)
Matthew Hofer* (R) – 419
John Gain* (R) – 372
Councilperson
(to fill one vacant seat)
Harold Roeder* (R) – 385
Deborah Hornicek (D) – 213
Highway Superintendent
William Eschenberg* (R,C) – 480
Assessor (two seats open)
Linda Schwartz* (R,C) – 363
Virginia Andkjar (D) – 339
TOWN OF FALLSBURG
Supervisor
Steven Vegliante (D,I,C) – 1,234
Joseph Perrello Sr. (R,CS) – 956
Clerk
Donna Akerley* (D,I,C) – 1,530
Suellen Magnetico (R,CS) – 422
Councilperson (two seats open)
Nathan Steingart* (D,C) – 1,374
Michael Weiner* (D,C) – 1,355
Leonel Cortizo Sr. (R,CS) – 554
TOWN OF FORESTBURGH
Supervisor
James Galligan* (D,C) – 240
Clerk
Joanne Nagoda* (R,C) – 267
Justice
Maryjean Carroll* (D,C) – 261
Councilperson (two seats open)
William Sipos* (D,C) – 203
Susan Parks-Landis (R,C) – 187
Eugene Raponi* (D,FF) – 186
Anthony Griffin (R) – 157
Highway Superintendent
Dan Hogue Jr.* (D,C,FF) – 283
Joseph Ruggeri (R) – 107
Tax Collector
Margaret Abdoo* (D,FF) – 255
Olga Orisek (R,C) – 119
TOWN OF FREMONT
Supervisor
James Greier* (D,C) – 260
George Conklin III (R) – 166
Clerk
Paul Kellam* (D,C) – 299
Justice (two seats open)
Lori Bertsch-Brustman* (R) – 276
Daniel Wilcox* (R) – 265
Councilperson (two seats open)
Paul Brustman (R) – 296
John Niflot* (R) – 241
Philip Banuat (D) – 156
Highway Superintendent
Joe Niero* (D,C) – 302
Tax Collector
Deborah Forsblom* (R) – 332
TOWN OF HIGHLAND
Supervisor
Andrew Boyar (D,R) – 497
Clerk/Tax Collector
Doreen Hanson* (D,R,C) – 653
Justice
Kathryn Sweeney* (D,R,C) – 610
Councilperson (two seats open)
Amanda Scully (D,C) – 363
Scott Hallock (D) – 301
Donald Rupp* (R) – 298
Allan Schadt (D) – 294
Timothy Schadt (C) – 80
Highway Superintendent
Norman Sutherland* (R,C) – 476
Dan Schneider (D) – 282
TOWN OF LIBERTY
Justice
Harold Bauman* (D,I,C) – 1,123
Councilperson (two seats open)
Sean Hanofee (D,I,C) – 995
Chris Austin (R,I) – 934
Highway Superintendent
Timothy Pellam* (D,R,I,C) – 1,277
TOWN OF LUMBERLAND
Supervisor
Nadia Rajsz (D,WF) – 275
Faber Wilson (R,PC) – 207
Jay Shafer (C) – 192
Clerk
Virginia Horn* (R,C) – 446
Justice
Charles Fallon* (R,C) – 402
Councilperson (two seats open)
James Akt (R) – 334
William McKerrell (R) – 332
Gregory Bodnaruik (D) – 217
Leigh Sherman* (C) – 188
Van Krzywicki (D) – 169
Highway Superintendent
Charles Hallock* (R) – 406
Tax Collector
Phyllis Knapp* (R,C) – 439
TOWN OF MAMAKATING
Supervisor
Harold Baird (R,C,JFM) – 1,153
Robert Fiore* (D,I,WF) – 1,085
Justice
Marcelle Matthews* (D,R,I,C) – 1,913
Judith Young (WF) – 314
Councilperson (two seats open)
John Moul (R,I,C) – 1,222
Regina Saunders (R,C,JFB) – 1,050
Ron Weathers (D) – 1,023
Julius Greenberg (D) – 886
Nathan Berg (WF) – 66
Highway Superintendent
Richard Johnson Jr.* (R,C) – 1,265
Riley Platt (D,WF) – 1,106
TOWN OF NEVERSINK
Supervisor
Gregory Goldstein* (D,R,C) – 916
Clerk/Tax Collector
Lisa Garigliano* (D,R,C) – 901
Justice
Keith Zanetti* (D,R) – 867
Councilperson (two seats open)
Richard Coombe Jr.* (R,C) – 683
Georgianna Lepke (R,C) – 595
James Schulte (D) – 555
Highway Superintendent
Preston Kelly (D,R,C) – 976
TOWN OF ROCKLAND
Supervisor
Edward Weitmann (D,RF) – 683
Clerk/Tax Collector
Judy Newman* (D,RF) – 786
Susan Carlson (R,I,C) – 339
Justice
Peter Feinberg (D,RF) – 588
David Hoag (R) – 441
Councilperson (two seats open)
Robert Eggleton (D,RF) – 570
Eileen Mershon (D,RF) – 546
Patricia Yelle (R) – 443
Richard Devoe (R) – 309
Paul Decker (RK) – 80
Highway Superintendent
Theodore Hartling* (R,C) – 780
TOWN OF THOMPSON
Supervisor
Anthony Cellini* (D,R,I,C) – 2,185
Clerk
Marilee Calhoun* (D,R,C) – 2,088
Justice
Martin Miller* (D,C) – 1,670
Councilperson (two seats open)
Richard Sush (D,I) – 1,397
Sharon Jankiewicz* (R,I,C) – 1,388
William Rieber Jr.* (D,C) – 1,341
Jody Tedaldi (JL) – 545
Highway Superintendent
Richard Benjamin Jr.* (D,R,I,C) – 2,101
TOWN OF TUSTEN
Supervisor
Margaret Harrison (D) – 220
Bernard Johnson* (R) – 209
Clerk/Tax Collector
Kathleen Michell* (D,R) – 346
Justice (two seats open)
Thomas Nuttycombe* (R) – 327
Carmine Rufrano (D) – 250
Gary Amerbach (R) – 135
Councilperson (two seats open)
Eileen Falk* (D,C) – 289
Carol Ropke-Wingert* (R) – 208
Norman Meyer (D) – 175
Barbara Buckman (R) – 161
Highway Superintendent
George Kinch* (D,R,C) – 368