Larry Eckhardt
Incumbent Supervisor
New York State continues to be one of the most expensive places in the United States to make a home, raise a family and conduct business. We must work together in educating our elected representatives and bureaucrats at the county, state and federal levels of government on how their mandates, hidden taxes and increased fees make it too costly to live in our rural towns in New York State.
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Secondly, there are many community activities throughout the year that enhance the spirit and sense of pride in our small town. These events are sponsored by organizations like the fire department, veterans, the library, Scouts, local churches, school groups or by local businesses or individuals. I believe we can all serve our community by volunteering, being supportive and committed to helping these wonderful events succeed.
Thank you for your support of my leadership efforts of the past. I will continue to serve to the best of my abilities.
– Larry Eckhardt
Aldie Goodermote
Incumbent Highway Superintendent
Aldie Goodermote is seeking re-election as Stephentown Highway Superintendent. He has served since being appointed as Highway Superintendent in October, 2008. He was elected to a full 2 year term in November, 2009, and was re-elected in 2011 and 2013. He is a lifelong resident of Stephentown and graduated from Berlin Central School. He worked for many years at Sykes Store and joined the Stephentown Highway Department in 1992. He has worked hard to bring honesty, integrity and accountability to the Highway Superintendent position. He has also continued to work full time as part of the highway crew, saving Stephentown the expense of a full salaried position.
Stephentown residents have seen a dramatic improvement in the quality and maintenance of our town roads since Aldie took over as Highway Superintendent. He has implemented a Fuel Management System that is shared with the Fire District, worked with the Town Board to establish a sustainable financial plan to regularly upgrade and maintain our town vehicles, and has established a designated fund to begin to address a long-standing problem with town-owned bridges.
Bill Jennings
Incumbent Town Council
Bill Jennings is seeking re-election as a member of the Stephentown Town Council, where he has served for the past five years. Bill has lived in Stephentown for the past 38 years. He is retired from RPI, after a 35-year career as Professor, Chair, Dean and Vice Provost. He has served as a Fire Commissioner, as a Member of the Board of Trustees and Treasurer for the Stephentown Memorial Library, and as President and Member of the Board of Trustees of the Stephentown Historical Society. He currently serves as a member of the Board of Trustees at Hudson Valley Community College. He also continues to serve as an EMT, Firefighter and Treasurer for the Stephentown Volunteer Fire Department.
As a member of the Town Council he has taken a lead role in the operations of the Transfer Station and has worked with the other members of the Town Board to place Stephentown on a firm financial basis. He also strongly supports the on-going development of a Master Plan for Stephentown and has helped lead the opposition to the Northeast Energy Direct natural gas pipeline. He remains committed to working in a bipartisan way to do what is in the best interests of Stephentown, and is dedicated to moving Stephentown forward.
Gerry Robinson
Candidate for Town Council
Gerry Robinson is seeking election to a four-year term on the Stephentown Town Council. He has lived in Stephentown for the past 12 years. He is a retired senior manager with broad experience in the planning, design and delivery of health and human services. He has served as President of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Pittsfield, and has been active in the on-going battle against the Northeast Energy Direct natural gas pipeline. He holds a Master’s Degree in Public Health (MPH), from Yale University and has also completed leadership training for Senior Executives at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Over the course of his career he has served as Executive Director of the Hartford Area Health Education Center, Inc., Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Public Policy Director of the Massachusetts Association of Mental Health, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Social Services, and Senior Solutions Manager for Unisys Corporation.
As a member of the Town Council he will focus on improving local service opportunities, protecting Stephentown’s unique rural environment, and increasing local jobs and amenities by encouraging economic development appropriate to the size, atmosphere, and well-being of our community.
Bob Parisi
Candidate Town Council
Bob Parisi relocated from Pittsfield MA to Stephentown in 1986 with his wife, Lorri. The Parisis raised their family here. Now, both of their adult children have made their homes in Stephentown and are growing their families in this town.
Stephentown is a beautiful town to live and grow families and businesses in, and to be a help to your neighbors in a peaceful setting. Bob works in Lenoxdale, MA as a blacktop plant operator, but appreciates his affordable, comfortable home to return to at the end of the day.
The freedoms and relatively safe environment we enjoy in this town are something to be protected. This is one thing Bob Parisi would like to see remain constant in this town. Bob would like to offer his services to Stephentown by sitting on the Town Council. He will offer a different viewpoint and meet more residents to help their voices be heard. Bob will not sit back quietly if a matter needs to be heard and improvements made.
Jason Guilbeault
Candidate for Town Council
Jason Guilbeault is a lifelong resident of Stephentown and has been an active member of the Stephentown and Hoags Corners Volunteer Fire Departments for nearly two decades. Upon graduation from the Berlin Central School District in 2000, Jason received his degree in Fire Protection Technology. He was subsequently employed in multiple roles in the emergency services capacity, including serving 19 months in Baghdad and Al Asad, Iraq as a combat firefighter in support of our troops. Upon his return home from Iraq in 2007, Jason built his home on Tinley Road in Stephentown where he currently resides with his wife Alysia, their son Thomas and their lovable boxer Roscoe.
As a lifelong resident of Stephentown who has recently started his family here, Jason has a vested interest in making sure his hometown thrives and its residents are well-served. He truly cares about each of his neighbors and seeks a position as a Board representative so he can ensure their needs and wishes are readily addressed. Jason’s work schedule affords him the flexibility to perform town business during normal business hours on most days as well as nights and weekends and he plans to be readily available and reachable to Town residents via social media and other means. Jason feels very strongly that, particularly given the advent of technology and social media, it is imperative for public representatives to maintain open lines of communication in order to learn and respond quickly to the needs of their constituencies and to relay information back to them in the most efficient manner possible. For more information on Jason’s campaign, please visit his Facebook page at “Elect Jason Guilbeault – Stephentown Town Council.”
Mary Grant
Candidate For Tax Collector
Mary Grant is seeking election as Tax Collector for the Town of Stephentown. Stephentown will be transitioning to a new Tax Collector after many dedicated years of service by Ruth Rieger. Mary has the experience, integrity and accountability to be successful in this important role and will work extremely hard to serve all the residents of Stephentown.
Mary was raised in nearby Cherry Plain and has lived in Stephentown since 1986 when she married Cyril Grant. She graduated from Berlin Central School in 1984 and has worked for the Berlin School District ever since. She began as an Account Clerk Typist and served as the treasurer for approximately 20 student groups and as the receptionist for the High School. She then served as the administrative assistant to the Principal and the School. In 2002, she was named Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent of Schools and Clerk for the Board of Education, positions that she still holds. The 31 years at BCS have given her experience in budget development, computer systems, state information reporting, and effectively dealing with the public. As Tax Collector she will set up an office at the Town Hall and establish specific public hours to conduct the business of tax collecting and reporting.[/private]