Hello all! I know I've been out of touch, and soon need to schedule to have yet more surgery but I do plan to try to get to the Wednesday meeting (Nov. 9th) as it looks like a lot of the issues everyone has been following will be discussed.

I also wanted to share a long chat that I had with a candidate for Supervisor, Cynthia Young whom some of you may know as she lives in the forest too. I heard various things about Cynthia from neighbors, but when she walked up to my door and talked with me, I formed my own opinion and liked what I heard. She didn't back down when I strongly suggested my opinions and she agreed for the most part, and talked me over to her way of thinking on one or two points. I found this article from the Saratogian, also by a Malta local, and I agree with her assessment. We really need someone strong in the Supervisor position. Paul has not shown the ability to stand up to the few bullies we have on the town council. See what you think, I personally think it's worth giving her a chance, anyone else has a different view please share. It's never too late to change your mind or your vote!

I recently overheard a colleague say that town politics are unimportant and that he never spends any time learning about his town officials, much less vote for them. I was amazed by the total inaccuracy of that statement. Decisions that are made at the town level directly affect residents.

Case in point: Recent decisions made in the town of Malta. Over the last several years, our town has seen several major changes and, as residents are now learning, these changes have directly impacted not only our town, but our way of life. Now, more than ever, it is important for Malta town residents to get out and learn more about the people who are making the decisions.

I have gotten to know several of the candidates that are running for office in Malta and I have decided to fully endorse Cynthia Young for town supervisor. Cynthia and her husband Doug have raised three children in Malta so she understands the importance of maintaining the quality of life that we all expected when we moved or remained in Malta. However, Cynthia is realistic in her ideas about how to do that. While her opponent continues to recite the same old mantra of wanting to keep Malta a small town, Cynthia realizes that it is going to take strong leadership and a supervisor who is truly in touch with the residents to achieve any goal of maintaining the small-town feel of Malta.

In a time when we are all feeling the pinch of budget constraints, I do not want my town supervisor exhibiting a lack of fiscal restraint. Over Mr. Sausville’s time in office, our town has paid for numerous and needless studies which have cost our town thousands of dollars. In my opinion, anytime Supervisor Sausville did not want to make a tough decision (especially in an election year) or did not like the answer he received from experts, he went about ordering expensive studies. This happened with the master plan and also with the fire study report, just to name a few.

We need a supervisor who is fiscally responsible and understands the value of making hard decisions. Cynthia Young does not believe in ordering costly studies when simple negotiations, hard decisions and discussions could accomplish the same goal more expediently and without cutting into our budget.

I believe that Cynthia is the right person for the job. She has volunteered on a number of boards and town committees including the Malta Youth Commission, Malta Rotary and the Ballston Spa Education Foundation. Her commitment to this community is obvious.

I have personally had the pleasure of serving with Cynthia on the Ballston Spa Education Foundation board, so I can speak from experience when I say that she is no pushover. She is a straight shooter who tells it like it is — the good and the bad. That’s what we need here in Malta.

I don’t know about you, but I am sick of politicians telling you what they think you want to hear. Cynthia won’t do that. She will tell you the truth and, equally important, will be open about it. No more closed door discussions or, worse yet, town decisions made at political barbecues.

I truly believe that if given the opportunity to act as town supervisor she will not let the residents of Malta down. I am voting for Cynthia Young for supervisor of the town of Malta and I hope that you do too.

Cheryl L. Sovern

Malta

I read something related to Young not liking Ellsworth Commons and agreeing with other about it not being what we need - but more or less saying we need to move on and go with the master plan.

Sausville doesn't like Ellsworth Common and is trying to fight back to make sure we don't go down the path again.

Ellsworth Common's is extremely densely packed and severely infringes on the neighborhood behind it ...you should see the dusk to dawn lights on the building from MayApple - hideous ...shines right into 3-4 house.

Sausville doesn't like the downtown plan and neither do i ...Young wants to go with it.
I am voting for Paul.

http://www.timesunion.com/loca...ndidates-2237828.php

".....Sausville has called Ellsworth Commons "one of the dumb things we've done," even though it complied with the town's zoning when the developers proposed the project. Amendments have since reduced the height limit for buildings from 54 to 45 feet in Malta's downtown.

Sausville prefers two-story buildings and used construction at Route 9 and Bayberry Drive as an example. It will house 20,000 square feet of office space.

Young agreed Ellsworth Commons is too big, but said the time for debate is past.

"It's here and it's in all our best interest to make it successful," she said......"

I like that Sausville admits this is not a good thing and wants to head in another direction where as Young just wants to accept it.

and no ....I am not Sausville .....Klotz and JP have both met me.

We knew you had a thing for Mr. Klotz, did you meet late at night in the dark. I understand your talk was about getting you that supervisor job. Be careful about the people you hang around, do to the fact other people will judge you by association to others.

I think its great that the issues are so clear this year. While it is indeed refreshingly honest for a politician to admit that he made a dumb mistake its important to understand how he would correct this "dumb mistake". Since Mr Sausville was part of the group that envisioned Ellsworth Commons I would think he would have a better plan for the future than saying "we won't make that mistake again". Whether it is a mistake or not - its here and its 4 stories high. Its not going anywhere and it sits right in front of where I live. At this point it is here and I want it to be successful. I am extrememely worried that if we continue down the wishy washy path it will sit empty. I want the sidewalks to go someplace so I can walk around town without walking on Rt 9.

I think its very easy for a politician to say lets go back to the town the way it was. People like that and its hard to argue that Malta wasn't a wonderful place before all of the growth. But lets remember how long the current board has been in power. All of this happened on their watch.

Whether you agree with Cynthia Young or not she speaks honestly and forthrightly and says things we don't always like to hear. But I understand her view for the future and appreciate her realism.

I guess I will kicked out of the UNHOLY fanclub.
Maggie

Have any of you been to town board meetings? If you haven't, please go Wed. Watch him stumble around and agree with everyone. Yes, If you talk to him in person he will agree with you till you turn blue,he had me convinced early on. But Paul does not have any controll over what is approved. If I'm not mistaken he's been there all along while Ellsworth was being planned and plans were being changed. How much did he do then to stop it? It's still there, and it's plan has changed at least three times that I know of since it started. A vote for him is a vote for no change in the way the council runs our board. Until more people get off their blogs and go to meetings, see how these people work, there will be no change. So sit back and enjoy more of the same.

Pauly Boy you lost by 3 votes. Me and my wife did not vote for you, kind of cool the system works, go for the recount though. Better luck next time, your not a people person.

You still lost by a field goal, still watching.

Wow, I wonder if that number will change. What about absentee ballots? It doesn't get much closer than that!

Cynthia got our two votes too. I hope the absentee ballot does not make the change. Cynthia is definitely a people person and she put in the leg work. She deserves this win!

3 votes - Holy Moly! Of course, now the absentee votes will need to be counted and I assure you there will be a recount....

I know for a fact Cynthia won in districts 6 and 8. That's Luther Forest my friends! (= As for absentee ballots, there are 140... And yes Kathie, there will be a recount!

Very exciting!

3 Votes! Now I can definitely tell someone every vote counts. I was pretty sick today but managed to make it into the polls just in case.

At the local level like this, votes are extremely important!

I'll wait until I see it on the Saratoga county board of elections web site until I believe it.

Right now with 50% in, Paul is up by 113 votes.

What do the polls show for town councilman.

With 100% now, it still has Paul leading by 60 votes

quote:

Originally posted by TechNomad:
What do the polls show for town councilman.

12 of 12 (100%) machines reporting (12 total districts)

Paul J Sausville 1,377
Cynthia C Young1,317

Peter Klotz 1,430
Tara Thomas 1,348
Ryan M Gregoire 1,157
Carol P Henry 1,124