To the Editor:

I would like to comment on letters to the editor featured in the Feb. 18, 2021 and March 11, 2021 editions of The Altamont Enterprise & Albany County Post by Berne Town Clerk Anita C. Clayton.

My first comment concerns Anita’s Feb. 18 letter titled “I will not denounce current administration and am sadly resigning as town clerk,” which was a real eye-opener as to what is happening in the town of Berne. Many Berne residents were surprised and saddened to learn that Anita will not seek re-election as town clerk and frankly, shocked at her stated reasons for not seeking reelection.

After reading her letter in The Altamont Enterprise, we learned the demeaning details and appalling treatment of her by the Berne Democratic Committee. Who could blame her for not seeking re-election and associating with them?

I urge every voter in the town of Berne to reread Anita’s Feb. 18, 2021 letter, then clip it from page 6 and staple it to the month of November on their 2021 calendar. Come voting time, Anita’s compelling and powerful letter will be an excellent reminder of how a wonderful dedicated public servant was treated by Democrats. Speak loudly with your vote!

My second comment concerns the “upside” of Anita’s March 11, 2021 letter titled “Town clerks compiled lists for vaccine shots.” Anita’s letter was very moving and relates her once-in-a-lifetime excitement, joy, and satisfaction of participating in an important and historic life-saving group effort assisting Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple, his staff, other town clerks, emergency medical technicians and numerous volunteers to distribute COVID-19 vaccines to hundreds of Hilltown residents.

As we have been told, the shelf life of COVID-19 vaccines is limited and speed and coordination imperative in setting up clinics and qualified personnel to have vaccines timely distributed and administered. So, hats off and kudos to Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple and his staff for reaching out to knowledgeable Hilltown town clerks like Anita, and volunteers like Karen Stark, Alice Gibbs, EMTs and numerous others who worked as a team to make this enormous effort a huge success.

Sadly, the “downside” of Anita’s letter relates to the ugliness of partisan politics, which puts a damper on such worthwhile events. Anita’s detailed letter relates how, when she returned home after a busy Sunday, she was told of Facebook posts by Barbara Crosier, wife of Democratic Party Chairman Kevin Crosier, and others, questioning the validity of the vaccination clinics and that a formal complaint had been made and an independent group asked to oversee the distribution of the vaccine!

Incredulously the thoughtless Facebook posts accused Mrs. Clayton of scheduling only Republican voters for vaccines! Such insensitive fatuous partisan posts went over like a lead balloon with Anita. I can only imagine how Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple, his staff, town clerks, EMTs and other volunteers who gave their time and expertise to this event felt when they learned of these Facebook posts. 

I wholeheartedly agree with Anita: Those who would spread acrimony by exploiting the unfortunate death of a town resident and deride an important vaccine event to score political points are despicable. We should stand up and defend our town from those who are trying to hurt it.

As an aside and speaking of Facebook posts, a friend emailed me a screenshot of Kevin Crosier’s Facebook post about my March 4, 2021 letter to the editor [“The Switzkill Farm property is a white elephant”]. Crosier stated in his post that former State Supreme Court Justice Thomas Spargo writes my letters — and I just sign them.

Sorry to disappoint you, Kevin, but you are wrong. I write my own letters. I would not know Mr. Spargo if he were sitting across a table from me at Maple on the Lake.  

Once again, readers, get out those clippers, clip Anita’s letter on page 5 of the March 11, 2021 edition and staple it to the month of November on your 2021 calendar. Stand up with Anita and speak loudly with your vote!

Robert J. Motschmann III

Berne