Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper

by Amy Gernon
Robert Jaeger – Town Supervisor (D,R,C,I)
Robert Jaeger is seeking a third term as Town Supervisor in Berlin. After serving in Vietnam, Jaeger graduated from the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan and had a long career as a commercial artist for various manufacturers of health care products, including S. S. White in Staten Island, Sterling Drug in East Greenbush and Becton Dickenson in Connecticut. Jaeger and his wife, Kathy, are both currently licensed brokers with Prudential real estate, and Jaeger also drives a school bus for the Berlin Central School District. Prior to serving as Town Supervisor, Jaeger served on the Town’s Zoning Board.
During his past two terms Jaeger has succeeded in bringing cellular phone service to the valley with the construction of the Verizon tower and a second contractor tower in still in the works in Cherry Plain. Building on the experience of the devastating ice storm, Jaeger was the first Town official to lead planning and response activities with the local fire and rescue squads during and after Tropical Storm Irene, in which all major local roads were closed and the Town lost seven culverts and two bridges. In July of this year, Jaeger finalized the Comprehensive Plan for the Town of Berlin, which seeks to maintain Berlin’s small town character while bringing jobs into the area. Jaeger is also looking into establishing windmill regulation and bringing clean energies into Berlin. As Town Supervisor, Jaeger would continue to “find the balance between living in the country and finding jobs.”
Bob Michaels – Town Council (R,C,I)
Bob Michaels is seeking his first term as a Town Councilman in Berlin. Michaels graduated from Berlin High School and has lived in the Town his whole life. He joined the United Auto Workers and retired after working for over 40 years as a machinist foreman and process planner/estimator at the Watervliet Arsenal. He is currently the Pastor of the Cherry Plain Community Church.
As a Town Councilman Michaels would like to work on expanding the opportunities for children and teenagers to participate in team-building exercises and recreation by expanding the Youth Council. He is also in favor of bringing businesses into Berlin and making the Town more appealing to tourists. “There used to be two restaurants in Town; now the only place to sit and eat is Stewart’s,” he said, adding that the community needs a local store for “last minute items.” Recalling the 50-acre gladioli fields that once made Berlin a destination for travelers, Michaels said, “There is always change anywhere you go. Either you improve or you go downhill.”
Tara Cinney Fisher – Town Council (R,C,I)
Tara Cinney (Fisher) is running for her first elected position on the Town Council in Berlin. Cinney was born and raised in Berlin, earned an associates degree in accounting from Hudson Valley Community College and has worked at Cowee’s, now Hoosick River Hardwoods LLC, for sixteen years, currently as the General Manager. Cinney serves as Chairperson for the Comprehensive Planning Committee, a position she has held since the beginning of the project. Additionally, Cinney has been appointed Deputy Town Supervisor, a position she currently holds.
“In the last 100 years this area has prospered by the fact of a small number of large businesses,” Cinney said. She intends to use her business experience of making do with a smaller staff and budget to better the government by reducing overhead costs and eliminating wasteful spending, as well as drawing new businesses into the Town to lower the tax base so the community has more time to be involved and spend money locally.
Dean Maxon – Town Council (D)
Dean Maxon is running for a position on the Town Council in Berlin. He had served on the Town Council from 1990-1994. During that time he was instrumental in establishing the recycling program in the Town, which, in addition to benefiting the environment, has saved the Town money by limiting the volume of waste sent to nearby landfills. Maxon has worked for the Town of Berlin Highway Department as an Assistant Supervisor and is currently a truck driver for Eagle Energy, a local family business. He also serves as the President of the Berlin High School Alumni Association and Vice President of the local soccer club where he has been involved for the past twenty years.
As a Town Councilman, Maxon would like to see taxes kept low by responsibly “looking at the bottom lines of all departments” to find savings without “stripping departments to the bare bones.” Maxon would like to see the Youth Commission expanded with better funding so the Town can provide more activities for young residents. The largest problem he now sees in the Town is the division of the communities. “I’d like the Town to be more unified,” Maxon said, referring to Cherry Plain and the north and south districts of Berlin. He is concerned that not all parts of the community have a voice in the decision making process of the Town. Additionally, Maxon would like to see new businesses develop locally. “In the 80s there were businesses all up and down the valley,” he said, and now the Town needs to find new incentives for bringing business back into the area.
Anne Maxon – Town Clerk (D,R)
Anne Maxon is seeking another term as the Town Clerk of Berlin, a position she has held for the past 29 years. Before that, Maxon served for six years as Deputy Town Clerk. Maxon also holds the position of General Manager at the Bank of America in Berlin, where she has worked for three decades. Maxon grew up in the Town and raised her own family in Berlin.
As Town Clerk, Maxon considers herself the “general information person,” storing many Town records in her basement office, where she also issues hunting, dog and marriage licenses, as well as birth and death certificates. Maxon keeps the minutes at all Town Board meetings. “I feel a very strong commitment to the Town. I want to do what’s best for residents, and I would love to see the Town progress toward the future,” Maxon said of her decades of service to Berlin.
John Winn – Town Council (R,C,I)
John Winn is seeking to complete the Town Council term previously held by Richard von Schilgen. Winn worked for the Town of Berlin Highway Department and is currently employed by the New York State Department of Transportation as a highway maintenance supervisor. He has lived in Berlin his entire life.
Winn is primarily concerned with bringing businesses to Berlin as a means of keeping property taxes low and diversifying the tax base. “I see a lot of houses for sale which doesn’t make me feel very good, whether it’s because people can’t afford their taxes or they are just trying to get out of the area,” Winn said. Small business like ski and bike shops or restaurants have the potential to invite travelers of Route 22 to stop in Berlin. “I’m running to give back to my town, I want to listen to what the townspeople want,” Winn said.
Joseph Rechen – Town Justice (D,R,C,I)
Joseph Rechen is seeking his second term as Town Justice in Berlin. Rechen was appointed to the position in April of 2007. After graduating from Bard College in 1976, Rechen worked in the financial services industry and for fifteen years represented the industry in Massachusetts and Vermont. He was impressed with the fairness of those courts and the ability of the judges to treat people with respect and dignity regardless of which side they were on. He has lived in Berlin for 25 years, has served as a volunteer firefighter for 37 years and is currently a certified National Incident Management Service training instructor.
As Town Justice, Rechen has successfully applied for approximately $25,000 in grants to upgrade and maintain the Town court system. As a rural judge, Rechen acknowledges the challenges of finding the resources to create meaningful and appropriate sentencing. “I strongly believe in the right of citizens regarding treatment received from law enforcement and understanding of charges and the legal process,” Rechen said.
Pamela De Shane – Town Tax Collector (D,R,C,I)
Pamela De Shane is seeking her 11th term as Town Tax Collector, a position she has held for 21 years. She has worked for the Berlin Central School District for 17 years as a typist and front desk monitor.
The property tax collector has the responsibility to provide all property owners with their tax bills, to make sure all escrow accounts are submitted to the correct mortgage companies while maintaining all Rensselaer County Laws on tax. “Dealing with over $1 million in three months is a lot of responsibility,” De Shane said of her position.
Chris Baretsky – Town Council (D)
Chris Baretsky has lived in Berlin for 32 years. He was born in Berlin and moved away with his parents, later moving back as an adult. He is concerned with the Town population dropping and having little to attract new homeowners back into the area. He believes it is important to develop incentives to bring new residents into the area in order to increase the tax base. He plans on exploring these options as a member of the Town Council.
Baretsky is also motivated to study the possibility of relocating the Town Hall to new premises, including if such a move is necessary and what facilities would be adequate. Additionally, Baretsky would like to open the Town Board to the community to work collectively with the Town. “If we have a plan to move forward in the future and work with the Town Board and lose the backyard politics, we can make collective decisions,” Baretsky said.
James Winn – Highway Superintendent (D,R,C,I)
James Winn has served as the Highway Superintendent for the Town of Berlin for 10 years. Winn helped save the Town tens of thousands of dollars on the bridge replacement on Southeast Hollow Road and on other projects in his time as Highway Superintendent, according to Anne Maxon, Town Clerk. Jim Winn could not be reached for comment.
Walter Allan Yerton – Town Assessor (D,R)
Walter Yerton currently holds the position of Town of Berlin Assessor. He could not be reached for comment.