CANAAN–There are several contested races in the Town of Canaan this year, starting with the post of town supervisor, where Brenda Adams and Suzanne M. Pemrick are running for the two-year term. Ms. Adams is running on the Democratic Party line and Ms. Pemrick is on the Republican line.
For Town Council, incumbent Alan G. Miller is running on both the Democratic and Republican lines. Virginia A. Nightingale is running on the Democratic party line and Marlene O. Tuczinski is running on the Republican line. Voters will choose two people to sit on the board for four-year terms. The two with with the greatest number of votes will win the two open seats.
Current Town Justice Katherine E. Ambrosio is running for reelection on the Democratic and Republican lines for a four-year term and Town Justice Delena M. Schaefer is running for reelection on the Democratic line. Michael A. Dutcher is running on the Republican line. In that race, the two candidates with the most votes will win four-year terms.
Bernhard F. Meyer is running unopposed for reelection as Highway Superintendent on the Democratic and Republican ballot lines.
The Columbia Paper sent candidate profile questionnaires to the candidates for supervisor.
Brenda Adams
Ms. Adams, 67, a Democrat, is running for Town Supervisor on the Democratic Party ballot line. She is currently a Town Board member, who has served on the board for 14 years.
Ms. Adams attended University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She and her husband, John Adams, have a teenage son.
Ms. Adams is executive director/CEO of Columbia County Habitat for Humanity, a not-for-profit, affordable housing corporation. She has served on many local boards including as chairperson of Canaan Planning Board, chairperson of the Canaan 250 Committee, past president of Tannery Pond Concerts, and past board member of Columbia Land Conservancy and New Lebanon Library. Currently she serves on Connect Columbia Broadband Committee, as chair of Canaan Broadband Committee, member of the Adams Point Beach Association, and Town Board liaison to Berkshire Farm.
In her candidate profile Ms. Adams writes:
“The next Canaan supervisor should have a vision for the community and the experience and relationships required for a smooth transition of leadership.
“As Supervisor, I will: communicate effectively with town residents to ensure they know what’s happening in town; maintain low town taxes by providing efficient and cost-effective services; continue to build capital and reserve funds for local infrastructure improvements and highway equipment purchases; prepare to serve our aging population and their needs; serve with the county Board of Supervisors to review operations and budget for accountability, relevancy, and cost effectiveness.
“It’s been an honor to give back, along with many talented and resourceful neighbors, to the community we call home. As your supervisor, I want to be a steward of that legacy, ensuring that our local and county governments are making responsible choices for our community and our future.”
Suzanne Pemrick
Ms. Pemrick, a registered Republican, is running for supervisor on the Republican ballot line.
She has a PhD from the Department of Biological Sciences University of Cincinnati, an MS from University of Cincinnati, and a BA from the College of New Rochelle. She works in clinical research.
Ms. Pemrick has been a member of the Canaan Historical Society for 10 years, holding various positions on the board.
Her candidate statement reads:
“I fell in love with Canaan when I moved here more than 20 years ago; the rural surroundings and community gave me a sense of place that had been missing in other areas that I had lived in. Going door to door during the election revealed that the residents feel equality as strong as I do on our sense of place. I look forward to ensuring that the Canaan we have today will not be lost and I will accomplish that goal by maintaining our rural and financial character, strengthening our community ties to one another and supporting our volunteers.”
