WESTERLO—The big job of the Westerlo Town Board in 2005 was setting up a water district in the hamlet of Westerlo. The largest portion of town board meetings was taken up by discussions of the details of the project.

Work began early in the summer on a project that connects and updates two old, privately-owned water systems. The new system will be a public water district.

In 2001, Westerlo received a grant through the State Drinking Water Revolving Fund for $1.2 million plus a $425,000 interest-free, 30-year loan to pay for the water district.

One of the most complex parts of the project was securing a grant from the governor’s office to aid poorer residents with the cost of hooking into the system.
"Our goal is none of the low-income families need to take any money out of pocket," said town attorney Aline Galgay, who did much of the work applying for the grant along with Councilman R. Gregory Zeh.

In October, the town board announced that it had received the $82,000 Small Cities grant. Eligibility starts at an annual income of $35,550 for a one-person household.

Election

The local election in Westerlo in 2005 was notable because one candidate, Zeh, ran for town board, holding the nominations of the Republican and Democratic parties.
"I look at my position on the local level as being non-partisan," Zeh said. "I’m just interested in serving my community."

When he learned of his dual nominations from The Enterprise, Zeh said, "Excellent. I guess everybody thinks I’m doing a good job."
Zeh, an accountant for the Gollub Corporation, was unanimously appointed to the town board in March after the death of Councilman Clifton "Sonny" Richardson. Richardson was the first Republican on the town board in over 70 years. His four-year term would have been up at the end of the year. Democrats outnumber Republicans in Westerlo, three to one.

Zeh was enrolled as a Republican at the time of his appointment.

In the November election for two seats on the town board, Zeh received the most votes, with 767, followed by incumbent Democrat Edward Rash, who works in public relations for Hannay Reels, with 534. Republican Party Chairman Charles Faul, a computer consultant, lost, with only 264 votes.

Faul said he wasn’t surprised at the results. Republicans have always had trouble getting elected in Westerlo, he said. Richardson won four years ago because he was well-known and well-liked by almost everyone in town, Faul said.
"I haven’t been in town as long as some of these guys," he said. "I think, generally speaking, I’m heartened I had some support."

In the only other Westerlo election, incumbent Democrat Alan Bauder ran unopposed for town justice.

Remembering Sonny

Richardson died on Jan. 7. He was 75.

He was a third-generation well-driller. He and his brother, Milton, were partners in a business started by their grandfather in 1908, C. Richardson & Sons Well Drilling.

Richardson came to politics late in life, running for town office at the age of 71 on the platform of helping small businesses.
"He was an excellent councilman," said long-time Westerlo Supervisor Richard Rapp. "He wanted to do what he thought was right for the people. He was a good man. He will be sorely missed."

Zoning proposal

In 2006, the town board may be taking a look at its zoning ordinance.

At the last meeting of the year, in December, Councilman Rash distributed a series of proposals for changes to local laws. Rash supports the town’s creating a comprehensive land-use plan, and intends his proposals to address pressing zoning and planning issues until that plan is made, especially since more and more people are moving away from the suburbs and cities.
"I thought that this would be best to act as a stopgap," Rash said.

Among other things, Rash calls for changes in Westerlo’s minimum lot size, from three to five acres for a single-family home, and from five to seven acres for a two-family home. Also, he proposes, subdivisions are not to exceed more than 10 units in any stage of their development.

If passed, Rash’s proposals could affect future development projects similar to Emerald Meadows, which came before the planning board in December.

In the northeast corner of town, Properties of New York is asking for a subdivision to turn 161 acres of old farmland into lots for 14 new homes. Some of the project’s neighbors don’t think the land is suitable.
"I just want to see responsible development and that proposal is not responsible development," said Paul Baitsholts, a lifetime Hilltowner who, with his wife, Helene Goldberger, owns over 400 acres just across the town line in Berne and Rensselaerville.

The developers counter that the subdivision is well within the rules of the town’s zoning ordinance.
"We don’t think it’s an aggressive subdivision by any stretch of the imagination," said engineer Elliot Fischman.

Trafficking on eBay

In May, Noreen Pettalino, of Westerlo, pleaded guilty to trafficking stolen goods.

She admitted to conspiring with a truck driver for nearly a year to sell stolen Eddie Bauer merchandise over the Internet auction site, eBay, according to documents from the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York.

According to her plea, Pettalino met a driver for Eddie Bauer in May of 2002 and agreed to sell boxes of merchandise he stole from stores, including one in Colonie. The total value of the stolen goods Pettalino sold was $77,761.48 retail, and $19,919.41 wholesale, the plea says.

A spokesman for eBay told The Enterprise the company cooperates with all police investigations and employs a Fraud Investigation Team made up of former law enforcement members.
Though eBay is often used by thieves, the spokesman, Hani Durzy said, "Usually, you read about them in a the context of them getting busted."

Meals for seniors

The Senior Citizens Meals Program, a program of Helderberg Senior Services, Inc., was invigorated in March as it received $11,000 in donations from three different sources. Hannay Reels Inc. gave $5,000, Bank of Greene County gave $1,000, and Bill Gossman, a former Westerlo resident and the son of a program participant, gave $5,000.

Cutbacks in county funding and the rising price of food are beginning to hurt the program, which costs about $75,000 per year, said Senior Services chairman James Croote.
"It’s nice. There’s a lot of camaraderie and so on," said Gossman’s father, Elting, a Westerlo resident, of the meals. "I like to get out and about and that does it."

Helderberg Senior Services recommends a donation of $3.75 per meal for those who can afford it and newcomers should call ahead, Croote said. The Enterprise runs the daily menu each week.
"They’re getting a great meal for only $3.75," Croote said.