By Liz Schevtchuk Armstrong
Cold Spring’s upcoming election pits current Mayor Seth J. Gallagher against his comeback-seeking predecessor, Anthony C. Phillips, and leaves Trustees Bruce D. Campbell and J. Ralph Falloon and local resident Catharine J. Square each vying for one of two available trustee slots. For the second time in two years Gallagher and Phillips will face off for the honor of being Cold Spring’s chief executive. This time, though, Gallagher is the incumbent and Phillips the challenger, reversing their positions. In 2009, Phillips sought his 9th, two-year term, only to be defeated, 420 votes to 479, by Gallagher, then a trustee first elected to the Village Board in 2006.
In the 2011 race, Gallagher is running as the Community Party candidate, Phillips for the Action Party, Campbell as the Camp-Bell Party favorite, Falloon as the Progressive Party choice, and Square on the Moderate ticket. They all filed their candidate petitions, official entries into the race, by 5 p.m. on Tuesday. However, Gallagher beat the others out of the electoral door, launching his campaign on Jan. 21 with a speech and outdoor rally. (See Gallagher Declares Candidacy for Reelection, Jan. 25.) Campaign statements have been requested from the other candidates.
Born in Cold Spring, Phillips served in the U.S. Marines for four years, worked in the building-construction field before retirement, and has been involved various community groups, including Pop Warner Football and Cold Spring Fire Company Number 1, in addition to holding the office of mayor for many years.
Campbell served as a trustee from 2002 to 2006 and on the Haldane Central School District Board of Education from 2006 until 2009, when he returned to the Village Board as a trustee. His background includes more than 35 years as an employee of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and lifelong residency in Cold Spring.
Falloon, a professional firefighter in Stamford, Conn., served as both a chief and president of the Cold Spring Fire Company, which he joined in 1986, the same year he graduated from Haldane. A former Cold Spring assistant building inspector and fire inspector and lifelong resident, he seeks his second term as a Cold Spring trustee.
Square joined the Cold Spring Special Board for a Comprehensive Plan-Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan in March 2009 and became a member of the Cold Spring Area Chamber of Commerce board last December.
Village elections take place on the third Tuesday of March, though in 2009 they occurred on Wednesday, March 18, because the third Tuesday, the 17th, was St. Patrick’s Day. This year’s election falls on another historically notable date — March 15, also known as the Ides of March.
Do you know the story about chicken little? (The sky is falling, The sky is falling) yea that one. It never fell. Nor did the village of Cold Spring fall when Phillips was voted out. I think Phillips and his pal’s were sure the town could not function with out him.It’s Functioning fine!
I spoke with some people who’s name’s i will not say and most if not all tell me Gallagher let’s each Department do there thing with out breathing down there back’s like other Mayors in the past years.That is why myself and 13 of my family member’s will be voting for Mayor Gallagher. Go BC.
Outstanding point! Not only have things NOT fallen apart under Mayor Gallagher — they’ve gotten BETTER. When Mayor Gallagher took office, our village had a $127,000 deficit. Now we have a $120,000 surplus. He’s found new revenue sources and is taking the burden off the taxpayer. Sidewalks all over the village are fixed after years of disrepair (some of the worst ones were on the blocks around Haldane — I saw many a kid trip and fall on those cracked and broken walkways). We finally control access to our own reservoirs. Work is underway to fix our water main and give our firefighters the pressure they need to fight big fires (a 2002 study recommended this, but nothing was done — until Mayor Gallagher took action).
Mayor Gallagher likes working with people; he reached out to Town Supervisor Richard Shea and Town Highway Department Supervisor Roger Chirico and signed a shared services agreement — the first in our village history!
I also have friends who I won’t name who say how Mayor Gallagher doesn’t micromanage the village departments.
The sky isn’t falling. It’s gotten clearer and brighter.
I often see Seth out there in the trenches shoveling ice off Village sidewalks, and doing what needs to be done when there is an emergency. He spends the time to do what needs to be done, whether it’s fiscal management or responding to the hassles of the day to day.
I’m impressed by how much time he is able to devote to getting the job done. Good on you Seth, and I for one totally support another term (or two!).
I also support the great job that Trustees Campbell and Falloon have been doing. Smart, sane leadership that is needed in our Village!
The mud slinging has started. But is it mud or lies? Please don’t belive any boat club bull. I heard one of the lies flying around about a trustee having a run in with the law and having it squashed. I know who started this rumor. Phillips is doing what he has always done. He tells a lie to certain people at the boat club and other hang around spots. The people he tells will run with it and before you know it enough people hear it and then it must be true. The story I am telling is true. The horse’s mouth is a Judge and he heard Phillips tell the lie. The lie about the trustee if were true could not have been squashed.
Well judging from the article in the New Yorker magazine, this seems to be more about an election of Dar Williams vs. Roger Ailes, PCNR vs. Philipstown.info, “carpetbager” vs. native – rather than former Mayor vs. current.
Just my opinion.
Stop the presses! Who is that on the cover of this week’s PCNR? Could it be Dar Williams?
Perhaps this village isn’t as divided as you would like us to think.
Aaron,
I’m sure Dar is quite proud. I hear she’s being interviewed on Sean Hannity next week.
*disclaimer for John Plummer, t’was a joke*
Could the PCNR get a bigger picture of Phillips? Where is Gallaghers’ spread? PCNR has always been bias towards Phillips. Years ago I was writing a story about the police and phillips. The day before the story was in the PCNR I got a call from Phillips asking me how come I did not come to him with my problem. Then he told me I hear you have a story going in the paper tomorrow.I said how do you know about that his reply was, dont’s worry about it. Obviously he was told by someone at the PCNR. Bias yes. Right no. PCNR is a RAG paper.