Greenwood Lake voters will elect two trustees and a new mayor

Greenwood Lake — There will be a new mayor and two new trustees after the March 20 election in Greenwood Lake, with two slates of candidates running for the three slots. Frank Conti and Barbara Moore are competing for the mayor’s position, with incumbent Mayor Bill Morris not seeking reelection. • The men who would be mayor Conti, who has lived in the village for 15 years, ran two years ago for mayor, losing by 14 votes. He has served on the Planning Board, as its chairman from 1997 to 2001. He was also the co-chairman of the Greenwood Lake Recreation Committee, president of the village’s Chamber of Commerce and a Lions Club member. Moore has been a trustee for four years—from 2001-2003 and from 2005 to the present. She is a member of the Warwick Partnership for a quality Community, a board member of the Warwick Valley Chamber of Commerce and chairman of the Waterfront Park Visioning Committee. Conti said the village is facing some critical issues, namely water, drainage and the downtown area. He said the only way to get things done is to get involved. “PDR (Purchase of Development Rights) money is being spent to purchase land that was on the tax role,” said Conti, a commercial construction manager. “We are at a critical juncture. We have to make sure the Planning Board has the right tools. We had a good plan when I was on the Planning Board. We worked greatly on that.” Moore touts her accomplishments on the board. She organized the summer concert series and the East Arm Rowing Regatta. She has secured grant funding of $300,000 for village drainage, road improvement, Lion’s Field, Department of Public Works and the waterfront park projects. “I have lived and breathed being on the board for the last two years,” said Moore, a financial advisor. “I see what the potential is in the village. I see what can happen. People drive through Greenwood Lake and don’t stop. We have a beautiful waterfront park. Now we have to create the rest of Main Street. We need to embrace the rest of the community.” Moore has aligned herself with Philip Widmer and David Sheffield, two candidates for trustee.They face John Maceda and Ann Marie Van Doran Sabarese, who back Frank Conti for mayor. • Philip Widmer Widmer is running for office for the first time. It was his love for the village that got him into it. “I want to make sure it is around for my children and grandchildren,” said Widmer. His work with the Greenwood Lake Revitalization Committee made him want to get more involved. “I do my homework,” said Widmer, a lighting designer for Disney/ABC in New York City. “My priorities include protecting Greenwood Lake—the lake itself—from pollution and maintaining it. Also, I’m concerned with the village infrastructure. The water plant must be taken care of right away. We also have to look at the infrastructure.” • David Sheffield Sheffield, too, is a first-time candidate. Like Widmer, Sheffield’s concerns include lake maintenance, infrastructure and road maintenance. “Nobody is drinking the water in the village,” said Sheffield, a retired science teacher who taught in the Bronx. “We are carting it home from the A&P. That gets tiresome.” The water treatment plant is being dealt with because of Barbara Moore, according to Sheffield, but no one has dealt with the distribution system yet. Road maintenance, he said, has been spotty. “We have to stop with the fire-fighting mentality,” he said. “We have to come up with a maintenance plan and do it.” He also wants to acquire grant money for downtown revitalization projects. “There is $300 million available for that from New York State,” he said. Sheffield wants to see a full-time building inspector in the village, not a part-timer. “That will pay for itself,” he added. • John Maceda and Ann Marie Van Doran Sabarese “Frank Conti is our man for mayor,” said Maceda. “He’s a working class man. He understands.” Sabarese served two years on the Village Board but was defeated two years ago in her reelection bid. Maceda is new to politics. Both are long-time residents of Greenwood Lake. Maceda moved to Greenwood Lake when he was 2; Sabarese was 14 when she moved here permanently with her family, but had been coming to the lake all of her life. Maceda and Sabarese both said they are afraid residents will be overtaxed if they do not win the March 20 election. “Our opponents are talking about privatizing our water and combining our DPW and police departments with the town’s,” said Sabarese. “I want what is best for my village. It is nice that your kids walk down the street and the police know them by name. They respond quicker than an ambulance.” While she admits the police budget is the biggest cost to villagers costing more than $900,000, they bring in over $300,000 in tickets and fines, according to Sabarese. “You have to look at the whole picture,” she said. “I want to keep our police department here, intact.” Maceda agrees. “Response time will be affected,” he said. “Greenwood Lake police respond in no time at all. That’s important to a community.” Maceda is also concerned with the downtown area. The village, he said, makes it hard for someone to start a business. He wants that to change. “People want to start a business here but there are too many laws keeping them from starting,” he said. “Years ago, all the stores were full. Now it seems they make it hard for people to open a business and get it going. I want to change the laws, making it easier to open a business.” Maceda and Sabarese say they are representative of the working class people of Greenwood Lake. “People don’t realize what Greenwood Lake was and how far it has come,” said Sabarese, most of whose large family still lives in the village. “We are middle income people. We don’t need McMansions on the lake. We can’t afford to take anything more off the tax rolls.” “We just want to be fair to the working people,” concluded Maceda. • Election time and place The village election is scheduled for March 20, from noon to 9 p.m., at the senior center on Windemere Avenue.