Chatham Dems and ICNY share goals
Chatham Dem and newly elected Town Board member Angus Eaton addresses the gathering.
The Chatham Dems and Indivisible Columbia NY (ICNY) cohosted a gathering last week at the Society of New Concord to celebrate the election of Democrats Angus Eaton and John Wapner to the Chatham Town Board, and the election of Democrats to several county offices, most notably the newly elected District Attorney for Columbia County, Chris Liberati Conant, who is the first Democrat to win that seat in many terms.
Along with refreshments and conversation, the assembled group was welcomed by Alan Gelb, of ICNY, and Cindy Bobseine, of the Chatham Democrats. The group heard from several speakers about the importance of registering voters and getting out the vote as a final push to elect our candidates this year, which is a long-time focus for both ICNY and the Chatham Dems.
The group also heard from Brenda Adams, Canaan Supervisor and County Board of Supervisors member. She described the recent work of the County BOS on housing initiatives and funding for climate policy, along with the need to plan for the county’s future in other arenas in the coming year.
NYS Assembly Member Didi Barrett spoke about her work in the NYS legislature to represent the singular needs of the Hudson Valley, relative to more urban and rural regions of the state. She recently secured $1,500,000 in funding for Columbia County Habitat for Humanity to create more affordable homes for first-time homeowners, with another $1,500,000 allocated to Dutchess County-based Hudson River Housing for the development of affordable rental units. She noted that the development of new affordable housing is challenging here, due to “the smaller scale of our communities, local zoning restrictions, inadequate water and sewer infrastructure, workforce shortages, and the rising cost of construction.”
Other members of ICNY who have spearheaded initiatives in the past year and other local activists were lauded at the meeting, with a general consensus that the work of local people can and will make the difference in moving forward Democratic priorities. Check out ICNY and Chatham Dems Facebook pages for more information on how you can get involved.
