As I See It

Richard Gerentine’s retirement is a loss to the county

By Craig McKinney
Posted 11/13/19

Senior Ulster County Legislator Richard Gerentine’s name was not on the ballot on Nov. 5. After serving 26 years in the legislature, including a time as its chairman, he is retiring from the …

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As I See It

Richard Gerentine’s retirement is a loss to the county

Posted

Senior Ulster County Legislator Richard Gerentine’s name was not on the ballot on Nov. 5. After serving 26 years in the legislature, including a time as its chairman, he is retiring from the legislature. What a loss. What a body of knowledge.

I first knew of Richard when he and Dan Martuscello were guards on the Malboro boy’s basketball team, which was coached by Ed Sagarese. They were playing in the new Marlboro High School with its super sized gym. Richard graduated from high school and then off to college.

In the early 1980s he ran for the town board and was elected as a councilman. Later he ran for and was elected supervisor. Richard was mature before his time. I learned before he entered kindergarten his father had died. Richard became the man of the house at an early age.

And that it has been for he and his wife, Domenica, as they had a family and raised two sons.

If I need sound and also non-political information about the county, I call Richard. He always has his feet on the ground. While a Republican, I have never heard him say a negative thing about a Democrat.

This is not political, but you will not find Richard on Facebook. This may be an indication that he is wise beyond his years.

Highland election results
Just six years ago the Republicans swept all town board elections in Lloyd, and on November 5 the Democrats, Supervisor elect Fred Pizzuto, and incumbent Democratic Councilmen Mike Guerriero and Joseph Mazzetti were reelected to four year terms. The elections were close. Pizzuto, a former Republican, defeated former Republican Councilman Jeff Paladino, 1,370 to 1,297.

In the councilman races Guerriero received 1,395, Mazzetti, 1,324, while Republcans John Fraino and Bud Walker got 1,296 and 1,151 respectively. A possible reason for the sweep was that the conservative party this year did not back the Republicans for the town board, but instead the Democrats. It was the conservatives voting for their nominee. It was as simple as that.

Republican Supervisor Paul Hansut chose not to seek reelection.

The town’s Republican candidates for the county legislature, Mary Beth Maio and Herb Litts won easily. Litts was unopposed and the conservatives did not oppose them. Instead they supported them. If Russell Gilmore, the Democrat candidate against Mrs. DeMaio, had received the conservative endorsement, he, rather than she, would be representing the town in Kingston in 2020. There may have been some town issues that bothered members of the local conservative party and its members did not oppose Fraino or Walker, who may have been at the wrong place at the wrong time. If they had received their support this story would have had a different ending to this saga.

Elsewhere in the county, the Democrats hung on, by a margin of one, to continue to control the county legislature, and easily won all county races except for district attorney were Republican Mike Kavanagh led David Clegg by three votes, 24,969 to 24,966, with over 2,000 absentee ballots to be counted.

Forever 21
For years I interviewed local high school seniors. One question I asked the girls was about their favorite stores they liked to shop in. So often they would say, “Forever 21.”

I was surprised recently to learn that this national chain may close most of its stores, and possibly all of them. The Wall Street Journal and New York Times business section seems to be ready to write their obituary. The Forever 21 story will be the subject of many doctorate theses. It will examine the chain’s problems from every angle.

I have never been in a Forever 21, but girls today may know why Forever 21’s sales have tumbled. One possible cause is Forever 21’s leadership was self isolated. I will be asking a female family member if she would be interested in studying what happened because her knowledge base might be ideal for the subject.

Battle for Danskammer
The plan to upgrade the Danskammer power plant in Roseton is being opposed by solar and wind proponents, renewables, because the natural gas which will be used to run it, is so dangerous, or so the renewable supporters say. I am waiting for every homeowner in Marlboro, who heats their home with natural gas, and every student, who attends Marlboro schools, which are heated by natural gas, to die tomorrow by the overreaction to using the most popular means to heat homes in the United States.

I use natural gas to heat my home and I am still alive and converting to natural gas was a great decision.

Governor Andrew Cuomo legislatively wants to convert the state to renewables. That is the goal. I follow upstate wind farm applications. Getting their approval is a nightmare. People do not want a wind farm near them. It is difficult to go into the wind farm business in New York State. Also there are no guarantees for solar farm applications. They have be near a grid. I have an idea of a location in New Paltz for one, but I am going to keep my idea to myself because a lot of the people, who live near this rural site may show up in mass to oppose it and then want to disown me. I thought everyone supports solar like I do.

I back the Danskammer upgrade. With the closing of Indian Point, which supplies half of New York City electricity, we will need electricity, and no way should we have to hope for a renewable pipe dream to get it.

DNA search for Gus
It was about 25 years ago in New Paltz, when a guy I will call Gus, was at his 25th college reunion, was talking to friends and they said, “You’ve never asked about your son!” Gus did not know he had a son.

At the time of his graduation his girlfriend skipped town and headed off to California-never to be seen again. She carried with her in her womb, little Gus. She had the baby and had no plans to share the rest of her life with Gus. He forgot about her until that 25th reunion. He found the former lady of his life, and a reunion was planned in New Paltz between Gus and Little Gus. Little Gus looked exactly like his father. They did not need a DNA test to establish the father-son connection.

Now through DNA tests you will find relatives you did not know you had. There are local families where the milkman visited. Now that baby’s siblings can find out, who the milkman was.

Doris Hennekens had a life to celebrate
When Doris Hennekens, age 90, died on November 6, Marlboro lost a saint. She and her husband, Bill, another saint, spread so much love throughout the community and throughout their family and extended family. The first person I called, Mici Polizzi Simonsky, was her goddaughter, and probably one of many. Mici said, “ Doris touched so many people.”

“She was bigger than life and loved life. She spent a lot of her time teaching religion classes to first Communicants and summer Bible school. She was recycling items into crafty items before recycling was in fashion. I chose her to be my adopted godmother and felt a real bond with her. I loved her so much. She and my mom shared so many good times and conversations.”

The Hennekens hosted an annual Fourth of July picnic where so many families came together to share a day of fun and food. My son has taken my stories of those picnics and has created his own version with an ever growing group of family friends. Just one way her legacy continues. In those days about 20 families became one. That is why her loss is affecting so many of my generation.