By Kevin E. Foley
J. Ralph Falloon will be the next mayor of Cold Spring on March 19 when the first voter selects his name. There will no other choice. Falloon, currently a village trustee, is running unopposed, but not before a bit of comic opera played out this past week regarding a supposed opponent.
Last weekend, Barney Molloy, a resident better known to local politicians and the Putnam County News and Recorder (PCNR) than the village citizenry, announced to an email list of presumably interested recipients (the list was hidden from view) that he was in fact running for mayor primarily because he didn’t believe it made for good politics for someone to run unopposed. Forty-eight hours later, Molloy decided not to file his petition for a place on the ballot. He had indicated in his email that he had the necessary 50 signatures.
According to a story in the PCNR, Molloy, described as a ”seasoned operative,” withdrew from contention and threw his support behind Falloon after the two sat down for lunch to discuss mutual concerns.
Falloon, in an interview with The Paper, said he had welcomed the meeting with Molloy because it was an opportunity to discourage an opponent. “Now it’s a hurdle I don’t have to climb over,” he said with obvious relief in his voice.
Falloon said he spoke freely with Molloy to give him “a feeling of who I was and how I wanted to accomplish things. I think he found I had the right mindset about matters in the village and how to approach them,” said Falloon. He said he welcomed Molloy’s support as he would any village resident, but he dismissed the idea of a political agreement and said there had been no discussion of endorsement during the meeting. “He didn’t say why he changed his mind,” said Falloon. Molloy has not responded to email inquiries from The Paper.
Given his lifelong roots in the village and his service in the fire company, on the Village Board, and his work coordinating emergency services for the county, Falloon had a right to feel confident about his chances against almost any opponent. However, he said: “You can’t go into a race thinking you are the winner. This is a big weight off my shoulders. I can start now to work on my vision and goals instead of having a month of stress over the election. So it was worth it,” he said.
Falloon expressed understanding of how some people might suspect there was some kind of political accommodation involved, given the picture of him and Molloy exchanging a handshake in the PCNR. “If someone offers help, I’m going to take it.” As to any inference of deal making, Falloon laughed it off and listed “my mother, my wife and my kids” as the only people in a position to bargain with him in that way.
“I think my job as mayor will be to protect the interest of every single person in the village regardless of their views or backgrounds,” he said. Referring to the PCNR’s depiction of his welcomed support from Kathleen Foley (a member of the Historic District Review Board-and not related to this reporter) as upsetting to some members of the fire company (over arguments about the fire alarm siren in the past). Falloon said: “Kathleen works incredibly hard for the village. There is an incredibly important task at hand. We need everybody willing to pitch in to solve our issues.
“The village needs healing, not more division over differences. I hope to be able to accomplish that,” said Falloon.
With the filing of petitions closed as of Wednesday, Feb. 13, incumbent Bruce Campbell and challengers Mike Bowman and Stephanie Hawkins are the three candidates for the two open trustee seats.
Are you aware the PCNR would not even print a comment such as yours if it were directed at them? The publishers of that paper are fully responsible for all the nastiness that has arisen in Cold Spring over the past couple of years. I’ve owned a home in Cold Spring for 14 years and there was none of this nonsense prior to the Ailes’ purchase of the PCNR. And to think that for years I would read that paper under the former publisher and chuckle at the silly civic antics that were reported on (not fomented) in Putnam Valley. I never imagined that the last laugh would be on me. Most area residents are familiar with the content of both the PCNR and Philipstown.info, and we’re all free to choose what to read. I gave up my subscription to the PCNR last year after 13 years of absolutely loving that paper, and I miss it every week. But I refuse to pay money for the privilege of having my intelligence insulted on a weekly basis.
I too find the hostility directed at the PCNR and its publishers, Mr. and Mrs. Ailes, absolutely incredible. How is it possible that certain of the commentators in this venue feel that they have the right to silence those who disagree with them, or that they also have the right to dictate to a private publisher what they can or shouldn’t be allowed to print? I have never seen such gross intolerance expressed towards the opinions and political views of what some perceive as Republicans, Conservatives, Libertarians or anyone who is not of the same mindset as the default setting of the Village, whatever that is. I find it refreshing that Cold Spring has not one but two very comprehensive newspapers that serve the residents in so many ways. Freedom of the press and of expression are cornerstones of our liberty, and sunlight is the best disinfectant. Many thanks to the folks who provide these forums for readers of every political ideology.
Congratulations and many thanks to Ralph Falloon. I believe he’s the right person with the right motivation for the task at hand (a love of Cold Spring and a desire to give back to the community). I wish him the very best.
I am thrilled to have Ralph stepping up to the job as mayor, and I am grateful for his contributions in moving the village forward. I am confident that he will fulfill his promise to work for all of his constituents.
I hope that everyone in the community steps up and gives him the support he needs on election day and beyond. Each village resident has a responsibility to be well-informed and make positive contributions to the civic process, and not simply act as critics when things don’t go their way.
I’m not attacking residents because they hold a different opinion than me. I have no idea what opinion the former publisher of the PCNR had on anything, because he didn’t use the paper as a forum to push his personal agenda, he simply reported on what was happening in the area, as all good journalists do. If the Ailes ran the paper in the same professional and courteous manner (thus earning my respect), I would have no quarrel with them whatsoever. It’s not as if I hate Republicans, because the majority of my relatives, friends, and coworkers reside on that side of the political isle, and I love them all and respect their opinions, even if I disagree.
I am very grateful that Ralph is going to be our next Mayor. It appears to be an incredibly time-consuming job and a difficult one given all the land-use issues. From what I see, it is also very undercompensated, such that anyone stepping up to the plate is essentially a volunteer and would probably make more at McDonald’s on an hourly basis.
Thank you also to Seth for your years of service. We have a very very special place here in Cold Spring and very passionate people — let’s just keep remembering to be thankful for it.
Well, I explained once that I am not attacking people because they have different opinions from me, but it seems that wasn’t clear, so let me clarify it. I don’t hate Republicans. My father served as a Republican state representative many years ago. I have 48 beloved first cousins, most of whom are Republicans, many of whom are very politically active, including serving as Republicans in state and federal government as well as voices in conservative media. I spent a lovely Saturday evening in January at a party with my wife’s very conservative best friend and spouse. I have worked for over a decade in a small company run by and mostly staffed by very conservative people. I also agree with many of the stances taken by the PCNR, including the church bells (let ’em ring), Kenny’s donut shop (I’m sad to see it change, but I support Kenny), and the decision to allow demolition of Butterfield Hospital. So, your repeated claims about my motivation are way off base and insulting; hardly the positive attitude that you’re suggesting I need to assume. So who’s being hypocritical? My issue with the PCNR and the Ailes are as I stated: in my opinion, they are fully responsible for inciting the enmity that’s been floating around Cold Spring since they first became responsible for that paper. They have done a great deal of damage to this community, and the damage will continue to be done as long as they use the PCNR to promote their personal agenda rather than as a service to the community. It seems obvious to me you’re barking up the wrong tree. Perhaps a letter to the PCNR encouraging them to reject yellow journalism will do the trick (but don’t expect them to actually publish it).
Kevin your article is not 100 percent accurate and may cause confusion for voters. You state in the first paragraph: “J. Ralph Falloon will be the next mayor of Cold Spring on March 19 when the first voter selects his name. There will no other choice.” In every election there is an area for “writing in” a candidate. So to say Ralph WILL BE our next mayor is wrong. I fully support Ralph Falloon and even though he is uncontested on the ballot, he still needs votes to beat out any write-in names. If you don’t think this could happen talk to Bruce Campbell, when he was elected to the Haldane Board of Education it was strictly by write-in, his name was nowhere on the ballot.
As for the PCNR discussion, Roger Ailes runs the number one news station and Elizabeth Ailes runs the number one local paper, just saying.