Two Cornwall Dems Among New Leaders of Orange County Democrats

After the primary in every “even” year, Democrats in Orange County “reorganize” by electing new leadership.  At the convention in Wallkill on September 25, 2018, Orange County Democratic Committee members elected the following leadership team, including Virginia Scott and Jon Chase of Cornwall:

• Chair: Brett Broge, Esq., of Blooming Grove

• First Vice-Chair: Christine Stage, Esq., of Warwick

• Vice Chairs:

  • Virginia Scott, of Cornwall

  • Terri Blancato-Horton, of Town of Newburgh

  • Willa Freiband, of Woodbury

  • Faheem Haider, of Montgomery

  • Bryan Luna, of City of Newburgh

  • Efrain Serrano, of Monroe

• Secretary: Louise Vandemark, of Deerpark

• Treasurer: John Galu, of Middletown

• Ass’t Treas.: Patricia McMillan, of Warwick

• Sgt at Arms: Jonathan Chase, Esq., of Cornwall

The new leadership team will be working on a couple major new goals, including upgrading OCDC’s data and communications capabilities and working on a platform statement of issues for which the Democratic Party stands in Orange County.  Ginny Scott, a Cornwall native and teacher in Washingtonville, has been an active member of the Cornwall Democratic Committee since January 2017, and ran a vigorous race for Orange County Legislature District 12 last year.  Jon Chase is a local attorney who has been doing pro bono voting rights work in multiple states since 2004, has been active in the Cornwall and Orange County Democratic Committees since 2007,was CDC’s Secretary from 2008-14 and has been its Chair since 2014.

Commenting on the county officers from Cornwall, CDC Chair Jon Chase noted, “It’s both recognition and reflection of the new dynamism in the Cornwall Democratic Committee that two of its members have been elected to the leadership of the OCDC.  As our elections two weeks ago showed so dramatically, Democrats in Orange County are back in a big way, and it’s because our party stands for the values we all hold, not for the greed, bigotry and inhumanity which we too often see in today’s politics.”

Democrats Unite for Tax Protest

When it was found that the Republican controlled Town of New Windsor government had called for a 9.7% increase in property taxes, local Democratic committees stepped up to the plate. 

The Cornwall Democrats joined with our brothers and sisters of the New Windsor Democratic Committee to call attention to this outrage. Rallies were held in front of New Windsor Town Hall on 20 and November 3.    

The Town eventually rolled back the increase. 

October 2018: Cornwall Dems in the Community

Cleaning Up History

Five local Democrats removed trash, weeds and debris from a Washington's headquarters site on a September Sunday at dawn. The River Road site in New Windsor was the scene of the Washington/Hamilton argument dramatized in "Meet Me Inside" from Hamilton the Musical.

Cleaning Your Streets

In July, 17 volunteers joined the Cornwall Democratic Committee’s first annual street cleanup. The group retrieved approximately 30 pounds of litter along Idlewild Creek / Canterbury Brook and Continental Avenue.

A Head Start

For the first time in recent memory, the Cornwall Democratic Committee this year awarded a scholarship. Charles Hurley, a CCHS graduating senior with aspirations for hospitality management, received the new award based on volunteer activities, academic history, and a clear-eyed focus on career ambitions. The $500 award was announced at the high school.  

Floating for Liberty

This year’s Democratic Committee July 4 float celebrated the Statue of Liberty, with a home-made replica torch and banners proclaiming Emma Lazarus’s famous call: Bring me your tired, your poor / your huddled masses yearning to be free!

October 23, 2018: Campaigns ready for final push

Watch for a man on bicycle peddling through your neighborhood. It might be Democratic Assembly candidate and avid cyclist Mark Rettig knocking on doors in his effort to meet as many voters in the 99th Assembly District as he can before Election Day. Matt says it’s a quicker way to get around the district that includes Chester and Wawayanda as well as Cornwall and neighboring New Windsor along with Stony Point in Rockland County and five other Orange County towns.

Meanwhile you’ll find Assemblyman and State Senate candidate James Skoufis knocking on doors too, minus the bike.

Both candidates are making the rounds of Meet & Greets, public forums and any other opportunity to meet voters.

Walk into the shared headquarters in the Price Chopper plaza, right next to Brett's True Value, and you’ll find it buzzing with activity. David and Tyler will offer a warm greeting and offer you a chance to volunteer or pick up some lawn signs and buttons. If it’s Tuesday evening it must be Phone Banking for Matt. 

Most evenings and every weekend you’ll see – and hopefully join – the groups of enthusiastic supporters getting their turf assignments for the day’s canvass or making phone calls. 

When you stop in say hello to Justyn, Callie, Brittany and Sean. Unless they’re out canvassing too.

The best way to keep up with the fast pace of the campaigns is to like and follow the Facebook pages of each campaign: www.facebook.com/RettigForAssembly/  and www.facebook.com/JamesSkoufis/ . 

To volunteer you can reach out to Amy Bandolik, Volunteer Coordinator or Michael Kochler, Phone Bank Coordinator. They’d love to hear from you! 

VOTE FOR CHANGE VOTE DEMOCRATIC

September 2018: An update from Rettig for Assembly

By Justyn T.

It's been a great month for the Matt Rettig campaign. Our volunteers have knocked on thousands doors and made even more phone calls, including 700 calls on Tuesday night alone. We have direct mail hitting close to twice a week and our opponent is making strategic mis-steps left and right. From Colin Schmitt's callous decision to accept thousands of dollars in campaign funds from Verla International, a corporation whose recklessness led to hundreds of injuries and a man's death, to the Town of New Windsor's proposal to raise taxes by almost 10%, our campaign is holding our opponent's feet to the fire for every mistake he makes. It all boils down to a simple statement: Matt Rettig has the message he needs to win. Voters support Matt's message, we need to make sure those voters turn out.

 This is not the time to take our foot off the gas. We need to mobilize every single one of our supporters to go door-to-door, make phone calls, send letters, drive voters to the polls, everything that can get our voters into the polling place on November 6th. It's time for all hands on deck, the Matt Rettig campaign is going into Election Day strong and we need each of you to be a part of it.

September 2018: Cornwall Democrats Get Fired Up

On SaturdaySeptember 15, 2018 the Cornwall Democratic Committee held its Second Annual Fired Up fundraiser. Wood-fired artisinal pizzas, amazing desserts, live music, a silent auction, raffles and inspiring speeches drew a crowd of ninty-nine democrats and their friends from all parties to a beautiful Mountain Road location.

CDC Chairman Jon Chase opened the ceremonies and introduced Assemblymember and senate candidate James Skoufis and Matt Rettig, candiate for the 99th Assembly District. CDC member AmyBandolik and Young Democrat Callie Noland rallied the enthusiastic crowd.

In an auspicious coincidence the event was attended by 99 guests – 99 is the assembly district that James currently holds and Matt is running for. It’s critical that we keep the seat in Democratic hands.

A Word from our Chairman

By Jon Chase, CDC Chairman
We represent the Democratic Party in the Town of Cornwall.  Our members are chosen every two years by Democratic voters in Cornwall’s 14 Election Districts, and we represent those voters on the Orange County Democratic Committee, in addition to facilitating Democratic Party functions in our Town.  

• Some of the things we do include:

• assisting residents with voter registration;

• petitioning to get our candidates for public office on the ballot; 

• recruiting, assisting and serving as Election Inspectors for our Party; 

• recruiting, training and serving as Democratic poll-watchers on Election Day; 

• assisting our Party’s candidates in communicating with our voters; and

• assisting our voters in communicating with candidates and elected officials.

WE ARE ADVOCATES FOR GOOD GOVERNMENT.  We believe that includes being watchdogs over our tax dollars, guardians of community resources and our environment, stewards of historical traditions and assets, and promoters of our local economy.

WE ARE PROUD OF the work our candidates have done since their election in 2015 and 2017 to restore the Sands-Ring homestead, to enact needed zoning controls for the undeveloped land in Cornwall, to update the Town’s Comprehensive Plan, to update and invest in the Town’s sewage-treatment facility, and generally to protect Cornwall’s traditions, values and environment, while doing it all openly and transparently and always considering the cost to the taxpayers.

YOU CAN HELP OUR WORK BY :

• liking our “Cornwall Democratic Committee” Facebook page;

• adding your email address to our distribution list;

• making a donation to the “Cornwall Democratic Committee”;

• attending our meetings and sharing your ideas;

• working on some of our many party projects and events;

• supporting our candidates; and

• VOTING IN EVERY ELECTION!

THANKS FOR YOUR INTEREST!  WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU TO MAKE CORNWALL AND ORANGE COUNTY EVEN BETTER!

Democratically yours,
Your Cornwall Democratic Committee

September 2018: Skoufis and Rettig Rally for Child Victims Act

Who is the Republican-controlled Senate Protecting?

On Thursday, August 30, 2018, Assemblyman and state senate candidate James Skoufis, assembly candidate Mark Rettig, Orange County Legislator and former republican senate candidate Mike Anagnostakis, survivor Gary Greenberg and area activists held a rally in Cornwall’s Donahue Park for The Child Victims Act. The bill would extend the statute of limitations for criminal charges and civil suits against perpetrators of childhood sexual abuse. Currently survivors have until their 23rd birthday to report such abuse. The bill, passed by large bi-partisan majorities in the New York State Assembly during the last two sessions, would allow criminal prosecution until the survivor is 28 and civil cases until the age of 50.

Many survivors of these heinous acts are not able, for reasons that may include fear of reprisal, humiliation and trauma, to talk about it let alone report it to the authorities for years after. 

For reasons that are not as clear the Republican-controlled state senate has killed the bill without ever bringing it to the floor for a vote. James Skoufis and Matt Rettig vow to continue to fight for the Child Victims Act in January should they win seats in the Senate and Assembly, respectively.

September 2018: The Wave We’ve Been Waiting For

By Callie Noland

At most democratic fundraisers, events, and, let’s face it, elections, young people are worryingly scarce. But no longer- The Young Democrats of Cornwall are here, and we plan to take President Obama’s advice to “show up, dive in, and stay at it.”

We will be meeting regularly to discuss ways that young people in Cornwall can learn about our systems of government, engage with our representatives, organize around issues that matter to us, and support candidates who will carry our interests forward.

Our group will focus on empowerment through engagement. We will create an environment where people can come to learn, and to find out what can be done- whether that be writing letters to representatives, creating a petition, organizing an event, or volunteering.

Get ready folks. The Youth are coming.

July 2018: Stream Cleanup Scheduled for July 21

The Cornwall Democratic Committee will coordinate a volunteer stream cleanup of Idlewild Creek (also known as Canterbury Brook) on the morning of July 21 at 8am.  

“Keeping trash out of our waterways helps keep Cornwall beautiful,” said Jonathan Chase, Committee Chair. “It also keeps litter from washing down into the Hudson River, where it can interfere with our record-setting striped bass fishing!” 

The Committee has put out a call for volunteers for this non-partisan service event. The crew will assemble beside the brook at Chadeayne Circle and Main Street, and proceed upstream alongside the Storm King Golf Club, bagging litter for pickup by the Town of Cornwall. Tools and bags will be provided, but the Committee encourages volunteers to bring their own equipment if desired, such as work gloves, dust masks, safety glasses, and rakes.

“We are grateful to the Town for teaming up to remove and safely dispose of the refuse we collect,” said Virginia Scott, who is coordinating the cleanup. “This is a great opportunity for environmentally-minded kids and anyone who wants to show Cornwall at its best.”