GUILDERLAND — Guilderland has a new deputy in town, a new deputy police chief that is.

Lieutenant Carol Lawlor, who has been with the Guilderland police for 27 years, was appointed to the newly-created position of deputy police chief last Tuesday during the town’s annual reorganizational meeting.

To much applause, Lawlor was introduced by Guilderland Police Chief James Murley and sworn in by Anthony Cardona, presiding justice of the Appellate Division, Third Department.
Murley introduced Lawlor as a loyal and trusted friend and said her promotion was "well earned, well deserved and a job well done." When The Enterprise asked earlier about Lawlor’s new position, Murley called her a "very competent and confident administrator" and said she was highly qualified for all of the positions she has held with the Guilderland Police Department.
"It’s been long overdue; she’s been basically doing the job already," said Murley, referring to why he pushed the town board to create the position. When asked if Lawlor was being groomed for his job, Murley said that he has absolutely no plans for retirement. The police chief also said that he is not loosening his reigns so much as allowing someone else to take on more responsibility and help manage the department more efficiently.
"I know Carol won’t let the new position go to her head," Murley said during her introduction as he spoke of her dedication to the department.

After the warm introduction Lawlor walked to the center of the room but there was still one minor detail that remained before she could be sworn in; the town board had to vote on her appointment. After a unanimous decision was quickly handed down, Cardona administered the oath of office followed by a roar of applause.

Lawlor thanked Murley and her family, friends, and colleagues as well as the town board that appointed her.

The Meeting

The Guilderland Town Hall was filled with various town officials, members of the police department and their families as well as Guilderland residents. Also there to witness and show their support for the ceremonial swearing in procession were some well-known Albany County Democrats.

The Guilderland Democrats had made a clean sweep in the November elections — a first in the town’s two-century history. Those in attendance included Congressman Michael McNulty, former Green Island Mayor Jack McNulty, Assemblyman Jack McEnemy, Albany County Executive Michael Breslin, and Albany County District Attorney David Soares.

The village of Altamont showed its support as well with the presence of Altamont Mayor James Gaughan and Public Safety Commissioner Anthony Salerno.

Judge Cardona opened the meeting by saying he was proud to have had the honor of presiding over the ceremony since 1999. He extended his congratulations to all of the newly-elected officials and went on to describe the importance of tradition and ceremony to the entire community.

The town officers were the first to be sworn in, starting with Kenneth Runion as Town Supervisor. The other elected officers to be sworn in with their friends and families by their sides were council members Patricia Slavick, an incumbent; Paul Pastore, a newcomer; incumbent Town Clerk Rosemary Centi; incumbent Receiver of Taxes Jean Cataldo; and newcomer Denise Randall, town justice.

The board went on to make appointments and re-appointments for various town offices as well as making several authorizations and designations — all of which were unanimously passed. Among them, the Altamont Enterprise and the Guilderland Spotlight were again designated to be the town’s official newspapers.
Ending the meeting, Runion once again offered the Board’s congratulations to all of Guilderland’s officials, calling them the "backbone of the community." Before adjourning the meeting, Runion gave a final special congratulations and a full endorsement of his support for the new deputy police chief, Carol Lawlor.

Guilderland Appointments

Other appointments, authorizations, designations and approvals made by the Guilderland Town Board on Jan. 3 include:

— Richard Sherwood as town attorney;

— Stephen Feeney as chair of the planning board for 2006;

— Linda Clark as assistant town attorney and counsel to the planning board;

— Lindsay Childs as a planning board member (to fill the unexpired term of Linda Clark);

— Thomas Robert as a planning board member;

— Bryan Clenehan as an assistant town attorney and counsel to the town court;

— Peter Barber as a zoning board of appeals member (to fill the unexpired term of Bryan Clenehan);

— Sharon Cupoli as a zoning board of appeals member;

— James Sumner as a zoning board of appeals member;

— Janet Thayer as an assistant town attorney and counsel to the zoning board of appeals;

— John Wemple Jr. as a member and chair of the environmental conservation advisory council member for the year;

— Herber Hennings, Stuart Reese, Stephen D. Wixted, Kim Jones, Lillie McNulty, as Environmental Advisory Council members;

— Gene Theriault as chair of the ethics board for the year 2006;

— James Shahda as chair of the Guilderland Industrial Development Agency;

— William Young, James Lozano, and James Runko as Guilderland Industrial Development Agency members and the firm of Hodgkin & Fuss, Joseph Scott of counsel as attorney to the IDA;

— Donald Csaposs as chair of the Economic Advisory Council;

— John Decatur, Peter Sparano, James Schanz, Henry Klein, and Gary Robinson as Economic Advisory Council members and remaining members of council to consist of the chair of planning board, zoning board, conservation council and the IDA;

— Thomas Remmert as zoning board alternate and liason to emergency services;

— Dr. Don Doynow as medical director, for emergency medical services;

— Alice Begley as historian;

— Jean Cataldo as registrar of vital statistics and Cindy Wadach as deputy;

— Joseph Muia as special counsel on Water and Sewer matters;

— Dennis Feeney as assistant town attorney for litigation and labor matters;

— John M. Wemple, Mark McNulty, Abe Palma and Bruce O’ Connor as part-time court attendants;

— First National Bank of Scotia, First Niagara Bank, Citizens Bank, J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, and M & T Bank as official depositories;

— Boswell Engineering, Delaware Engineering, Barton and Loguidice, Clough Harbour, and Spectra Engineering to serve as town designated engineers;

— Kenneth Runion as affirmative action officer and emergency response officer.