To the Editor:

I am writing this as a two-part letter.

First of all, I wish to congratulate the Berne-Knox-Westerlo School Board and Superintendent Dr. Timothy Mundell on a well-presented remembrance of five fallen Hilltown veterans, two of whose families received their high school diplomas.

Also there to honor, respect, and remember our fallen heroes were County Executive Dan McCoy , State Senator George Amedore, a representative for Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara, County Legislator Travis Stevens, a representative for Legislator Chris Smith, Westerlo Supervisor Dick Rapp, Westerlo councilpersons Amie Burnside and Tony Sherman, Berne Highway Superintendent Randy Bashwinger, Knox Superintendent Vasilios Leftkaditis, and many proud Hilltown residents.

After proclamations and road-naming honors were read for these five deceased soldiers, I noticed as a resident of Knox the absence of the Knox Town Board members — only the town superintendent was there.

This brings on the second part of this letter.

As this meeting and awards ceremony were announced at least twice to the Knox Town Board in order to honor, respect, and remember two of the town’s residents (I believe you may be able to read this in the minutes of the town board meetings), I expected at least a couple of the members to attend this ceremony and forget for one night the childlike bickering to join their superintendent at this ceremony.

Many years ago, we were taught to respect and honor people in different positions of both government and personal positions. Unfortunately with the petty and childlike political battles going on in the recent past in Knox and the neglect to honor our deceased veterans, I have lost respect for the current councilpersons in Knox.

With this in mind, I must and am honored to put in and ask others to put in their support for the write-in election of the candidate Ken Saddlemire for Knox town councilman.

There needs to be a change in the way the town is being allowed to run and it is my belief that, by the election of Mr. Saddlemire to the town board, this would be a start in the right direction.

Ed Ackroyd

Knox