Candidates nominated for the 2009 Election
Town Supervisor:	Ric Dietrich
Town Clerk:	Pamela Goddard
Town Board:	Katherine Halton Dylan Race
Highway Superintendent:	Carl Seamon
Click on any name, or any picture to learn about that candidate.

Town Supervisor - Ric Dietrich
Any questions for Ric?

I have lived in Danby for 31 years, and have shepherded three children through the Ithaca City school system. The first year I moved here, I joined the Danby Volunteer Fire Department and helped Danby Rescue become a reality. I remained part of that organization for 12 years, eventually serving as Co-Chief.

I have also been a member of the Danby Community Council, the Planning Board, and have been the Town's representative to the County Youth Bureau. I'm currently serving as the treasurer of the County Recreation Partnership Board, and am a member of both the Council of Governments and the County Emergency Planning Board—and serve as the liason between them. I have run the youth programs in all of the Tompkins County school districts; in my work with the Newfield and Ithaca districts, I got to know many families through their children.

I have served as Town Supervisor for 10 years. I was involved in developing the present Town Highway Barns, fought against the relocation of the County's landfill to Danby, and successfully prevented the spraying of Michigan Hollow Swamp with pesticides. I also supported the expansion of cable television service in Danby. I am in my second summer of hiring Danby youth to construct trails around Jennings Pond.

As Supervisor, I have managed to keep our Town debt free. I have supported alternative energy, writing grants to fund the conversion of the Highway and Town Hall to alternative energy, and seeking funding for the highway salt shed. In the last two years, I have been heavily involved in converting the Town to electronic banking, and trying to bring high speed Internet service to all of Danby (see Ithaca Journal article, 8/5/09).

I was among the first in the county to see the potential impacts of Marcellus Shale gas drilling, and to speak out to ensure that we protect our irreplaceable ground water resources. I am also heavily involved in the effort to make sure that local municipalities are doing all they can to prepare for a potential flu pandemic.

I am committed to bringing all all these issues, along with land use planning, the aquifer study, the newly formed Danby Trails Commission, and others, to a successful conclusion. As your town's Supervisor, I will provide continuity, stability, and the ability to mediate between the many diverse opinions that shape our town.

Any questions for Ric?

Town Clerk - Pamela Goddard
Any questions for Pamela?

This letter is to introduce myself and to let you know more about me and why I'm running for public office. It's important that you know my background and why I have been asked by the Danby Democrats to run for the position of Town Clerk (to reach across party lines, several candidates will also appear on the Danby Stewards line of the election ballot).

Danby is my home and I have deep roots in this community. I've lived on King Road in Danby for 20 years. My husband (Danby, 33 years) and I have recently purchased a property where we hope to build a new home. We're here to stay.

I've been involved with Danby Community Council, and help to produce the Danby Concert Series. I took part in the Hamlet Planning process last winter, and am involved in publicizing the development of the Danby Community Park. I'm active with the Tompkins County historians group. As an election inspector for several years, I've probably met most of the voters in the Danby Hamlet.

I'm strongly in favor of an open and collaborative government. To me, this means that government records should be prepared promptly and in clear language. The various parts of Town Government must work well together, and should encourage participation by an informed public.

The Town Clerk is in a unique position to accomplish these goals. The clerk's office is an administrative position, not a policy-making one. As clerk, it would be my job to ensure that Town laws, meeting minutes, and other pertinent information are made available to the public in a timely manner. It would also be my job to support the work of other government officials. The paperwork for laws must be filed properly, agreements involving the Town must be prepared and signed on time, and the day-to-day transactions with citizens (taxes, permits, etc.) must be completed promptly and accurately. The Town Clerk must be approachable, in order to schedule and publicize events and meetings in the Town Hall.

It hasn't always worked that way in the Clerk's office. Cooperation is a key word for me and I will work closely and openly with the Town Board and all the Town's other Boards and Committees, and with everyone doing business in Danby.

The Town Clerk's office houses the Town's official history, and my extensive work as a local historian—ten years as an archivist and educator at the Tioga County Historical Society—has given me excellent experience and qualification for the work.

As a journalist writing for regional newspapers and magazines, I take good notes of meetings and conversations and compile clear and cohesive reports. I have an eye for financial detail and keep a balanced checkbook. Most importantly, for a Town Clerk in these modern times, I am comfortable with computers, databases, and using the Internet.

I will be a welcoming presence in the Town Hall, both for new residents and for those whose families have been in this town for generations. I am a team player, interested in building community, and I'm ready to do my part to help bring Danby through challenges and into the future.

Any questions for Pamela?

Town Board - Katherine Halton
Any questions for Katherine?

My name is Katherine Halton and I have lived in Danby for 28 years. I am a retired nurse and am still involved in nursing as a volunteer at the Ithaca Free Clinic. My husband, Bill, is a retired high school math teacher and has lived in this area for 48 years.

Bill and I have both been volunteering at the Danby Food Pantry this past year, and think it is a really valuable effort. I spin and knit and sell my products locally. I have two sheep and two pigmy goats, as well as 4 chickens and a dog. We have large vegetable and fruit gardens, and raise a good amount of the food that we eat.

I am running for the Danby Town Board because I think that there are some very serious issues confronting the Town of Danby in the next few years, and I'd like to be part of the people who work on them. The first issue is the Marcellus Shale gas drilling that is coming soon to our area. I have been attending forums and workshops on this issue for over a year, and have tried to learn as much as I can about the effects of gas drilling on the future of Danby. In addition to the financial benefits of gas drilling income for individuals, there are many dangers posed by this kind of development, and I'd like to work on making sure we protect our town's resources as much as possible. It is crucial that our water supplies not be contaminated by this new drilling process.

Also, as a retired nurse, I am very concerned with the threat of a pandemic, and with emergency preparedness in general. In 2002 I took several Red Cross courses to do with emergency preparedness, shelter operations, etc., and did a year's worth of talks to local seniors' groups about preparedness (including the Danby Seniors). It was fun, and it really made me aware of the work that still needs to be done in communities.

To a great extent, I feel alienated by national politics, and have been recently dismayed by the events in the NY State legislature. I attend the Danby Town Board meetings and believe that at a local level there are many things that can be done to improve the lives of people in our community. More importantly, I believe local government can help bring people together to work in positive ways to solve problems that face them in our rapidly changing times.

Any questions for Katherine?

Town Board - Dylan Race
Any questions for Dylan?

Hello Neighbors!

My name is Dylan Race and I am running for the Danby Town Board. I'd like to tell you a little about myself, how I feel about Danby, and why I'd like to serve on the board.

My family and I have lived in Danby for two and half years. I own and operate a small stringed-instrument shop from our home, making violins and repairing others. My oldest son just started kindergarten at South Hill Elementary this fall, while my youngest is finding the dog a fair substitute for his absent brother and the perks of being the only kid at home. My wife, in addition to tending to our youngest, works in the violin shop as the bookkeeper and as the manager of a yoga studio.

My wife and I are also gardeners, aspiring to grow much of what we eat. We love Danby and I look forward to the days when I can take my grandchildren swimming in Jennings Pond. In other words, we are here to stay. We love it for its space, its natural beauty, and its wonderful neighbors.

My interest in local politics was recently sparked when a large parcel of land near my home was auctioned off. Two lessons were learned from watching this process. First, the auctioneer made clear that the land could be subdivided into as many as 42 building lots. I found this disturbing, as I pictured some massive subdivision going up next door.

The second lesson I learned came from my neighbors. A group had gotten together in hopes of buying the land as a cooperative in order to prevent its potential over-development. Seeing that act of community unity really inspired me to become more involved. As a member of the Town Board, I hope to help our town find the compromise between unchecked development and stagnation from no development. There is a course that we can find to healthy, productive and sustainable development that improves not only our town, but also the lives of all of us who live here.

Gas leasing and drilling is here in Danby. This is an issue for every one of us as the means proposed by the gas company for getting to the gas underneath (fracking) is dubious at best and life-threatening at worst. We need diligent people to advocate for the town with the same passion as the gas companies have for making profits, regardless of the long term cost to health and environment.

I am running as a Democrat and on the Danby Stewards ticket. I consider myself to be politically independent and I believe that my open-mindedness will be a great asset to me when I'm on the board. I look forward to working for you and alongside you in guiding our town in a thoughtful and positive direction. Thanks for your time and remember to vote on November 3!

Any questions for Dylan?

Highway Superintendent - Carl Seamon
Any questions for Carl?

My name is Carl Seamon and I am running for my 2nd term as Highway Superintendent. I have lived in West Danby for 65 years, and I have worked in the Town of Danby Highway Department since 1986. I held the position of Deputy Superintendent for 10 years.

Currently, I am a member of the Pirates Club and the American Legion. I am also the Deputy Water Commissioner for the West Danby Water District.

I am running for Highway Superintendent again to continue to improve all of our roadways, so all citizens have a safe and memorable ride.

Any questions for Carl?