Rotarians select Ben Winstanley as Warwick 2011-12 Citizen of the Year

WARWICK — Ben Winstanley, a former Greenwood Lake mayor, an Orange County legislator for 16 years and designer of the Orange County Veterans Cemetery Monument, has been selected Warwick’s 2011-12 Citizen of the Year. Winstanley will be honored during an Oct 15 banquet at the Warwick Country Club, sponsored by the Warwick Valley Rotary Club. Winstanley considers the Veterans Cemetery Monument on Craigville Road in Goshen “the pride and joy of my political and creative career.” Additional community involvement includes 12 years as volunteer firefighter with a term as president of the Greenwood Lake Fire Department; member of Greenwood Lake American Legion; past director of Greenwood Lake Youth Commission, member of Greenwood Lake’s Lions Club and past president of the Warwick Valley Rotary Club He was a member of the Greenwood Lake Village Board from 1971 to 1981, including serving as mayor of Greenwood Lake from 1978 to 1981. Winstanley represented the 10th Legislative District (Town of Warwick and the Villages of Greenwood Lake and Warwick) in the Orange County Legislature for 16 years, where he was chairman of Ways and Means Committee for two years; chair of Health and Mental Health Committee for five years and Community Development chairman for four years. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1951 to 1955. An outstanding baseball player, Winstanley was scouted and offered a tryout by the New York Giants. During his career as a graphic artist, Winstanley headed the art department for the combined Brooklyn and New York City Sears Art Department and later owned his own advertising agency. He was television anchor for Warwick’s local nightly news broadcast for five years. Event co-chairs Leo Kaytes and Stan Martin said they were pleased with the quality of nominations and excited about the selection of Ben Winstanley as Warwick’s Citizen of the Year. “Winstanley fits perfectly with our desire to find volunteers who have demonstrated a commitment to community service over an extended period of time,” said Kaytes. In 2008 Warwick Rotarians revived the Citizen of the Year program run by local Jaycees from 1968 through 1999. A plaque honoring all winners hangs in the Warwick Town Hall.