Healy Road to face repairs
At their brief business meeting Monday, June 17, the Village of Nelsonville Board of Trustees paid tribute to Anthony “Ande” Merante for his 13 years of service to the community as village trustee.
In a letter read by Village Clerk Pauline Minners, Merante was noted for his “excellent leadership and selfless dedication” and contributions as a member of the Nelsonville Zoning Board of Appeals, the Nelsonville Planning Board, the Board of Ethics and the Sesquicentennial Committee. “Merante was unique in his sensitivity to doing what was best for the entire community,” the letter went on to say.
Merante’s acknowledgement was met with a round of applause from the audience. “We were able to do things larger communities couldn’t do because we’re small,” he said. “I’ve pointed out proudly to other politicians I’ve met that we haven’t encumbered a lot of debt. … We’ve been able to get things done.”
On the appointment of a new trustee, Minners told The Paper Mayor Corless will conduct interviews to determine who will take over Merante’s position, and that it will most likely be a member of the board. A candidate must be a resident of Nelsonville in order to run for office.
During the regular meeting, Mayor Tom Corless pressed the issue of repairs necessary to Healy Road, where a rotted tree entangled with electrical wire currently poses a threat. “We need to consider what drainage repairs need to be done and what we can afford,” he said.
The article should have pointed out that Ande is stepping down from the Board only because he is moving out of the Village, but will continue to live in Philipstown. Although I don’t live in Nelsonville, I know how hard Ande worked as Trustee and how committed he is to the village. I also have experienced firsthand his dedication to the town of Philipstown as chair of the planning board and in other capacities. We are lucky to still have him in Philipstown!