Exercise Your Right To Vote
by Bea Peterson
The candidates for election in Hoosick Falls on Wednesday, March 18, are a shoo-in. They are all Progressive Party candidates, and they are running unopposed. The Taxpayer Party did not put up a slate this year. That is no reason not to go to the polls. Outgoing Mayor Laura Reynolds has stated time and again how important the Board is and how much of their time each and every member gives to the job. It is certainly low paying. Often it is a thankless job. Mayor and Trustees do it because they love their community, their neighbors, their Village. Fewer people volunteer these days than years ago. Those who do volunteer should be appreciated. The voters of Hoosick Falls can show their support for their elected officials by going to the polls and giving them a vote of confidence. The polls in the Wards will be open on Wednesday from noon until 9 pm.
Members of the Board not up for election this year are Ann Bornt and Robert Downing of the Taxpayer Party and Michael Hickey, Progressive Party.
Mayor
Hoosick Falls’ next Mayor, Matthew Monahan, 28, was appointed to the Hoosick Falls Village Board in 2007 to replace the late Tom Barton. Last year he was elected to serve the final year of Barton’s term. He currently serves as Deputy Mayor. Monahan is a Hoosick Falls native. He graduated from St. Mary’s Academy and LaSalle Institute. In 2003 he graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology. Monahan lives at 16 Barton Ave. and works in Saratoga.
Trustees
Trustee Paul Haynes, Jr. was appointed to the Board in August 2004. He replaced Brian Dooley who resigned that July. He completed Dooley’s term and declined to run in 2006. In 2008 Robert Becker resigned and Mayor Reynolds asked Haynes to serve again. He completed Becker’s term and agreed to run for the seat this time.
Haynes, 41, is a lifelong resident of Hoosick Falls. So is his wife Mary and both of their parents. The couple live on High Street with their two year old twin daughters. Haynes is a Siena graduate and is comptroller for Interface Solutions.
Trustee Riccardo (Ric) DiDonato, 47, and his wife Suzanne live at 25 Abbott St. with their sons Matthew, Andrew and Alex. This is DiDonato’s third term on the Board. He holds a BFA from Syracuse University in Advertising Design and is a Senior Educational Designer for Research Foundation of NY.
John (Ersel) Hickey, 66, retired from Saint-Gobain eight months ago. He worked for the company for nearly 30 years. He has been driving a school bus for 27 years and continues to do so. He has always been interested in Village politics, and, now that he has more free time, he would like to serve on the Board. He will be serving with his son Trustee Michael Hickey. Ersel and his wife Sue live at 12 McCaffrey St. They have three children, Jeffrey, Katie and Michael and five grandchildren.