Sullivan stand-out races

District Attorney and Town of Bethel are hot

By FRITZ MAYER

SULLIVAN COUNTY, NY — Perhaps the most visible election race in Sullivan County this year is the one for district attorney. Steve Lungen, the man who held the position for the past 28 years, is stepping down and, in the process, endorsed assistant district attorney Jim Farrell as the person best suited to fill his shoes. Farrell is running on the Republican line.

On the Democratic line is Glenn Kroll, a lawyer, former New York City school teacher and former judge. Kroll has been running what might be described as a flamboyant campaign that has been marked by a couple of controversial moves.

In early October, Kroll offered a reward of $10,000 of his own money for the person who killed 25-year-old Carl Williams in Monticello in late June. Kroll said the offer was not a publicity ploy, but was heartfelt because he had met Williams’ parents and friends and was moved by the grief he witnessed.

Lungen called it a bit of political theater and said it might actually harm the investigation by sparking false tips. Kroll countered that offering rewards is a time-tested technique used by law enforcement investigations across the country to help convict criminals.

Later in October, Kroll handed out bottles of vodka with his campaign sticker on them, playing on the connection between his name and that of Krol Vodka. Kroll said that he only produced 22 such bottles, which were handed out to a few close friends and supporters and, he noted, that alcohol had been served at various Farrell campaign events.

Farrell responded by saying that he was not giving away bottles of vodka and there is a difference. He said the incident raised questions about Kroll’s judgment. He added that a common thread that runs through many of the crimes that he has prosecuted over the years is drug and alcohol abuse; therefore, “when you’re running to be the top law enforcement official in the county it’s inappropriate to be handing out bottles of alcohol.”

The Bethel race

The race for supervisor in the Town of Bethel is a rematch between current supervisor Dan Sturm and former supervisor Harold Russell. Two years ago, development was one of the top issues in the town with Russell backing one-acre zoning for single-family homes in much of the town, and Sturm favoring larger lots. Ultimately, three-acre lots were settled on for homes in the agricultural district.

While development remains an important issue, it is overshadowed this election season by the dust up over the building of the controversial shul and community center. The building was erected without the necessary permits, and a court battle erupted over whether the building could be used this past summer.

In the wake of that battle, more than 200 members of a Hassidic community, many of whom stay in bungalow colonies in the summer, registered to vote in Bethel rather than in Brooklyn where they live most of the year.

The group Voters for Election Integrity, founded by lawmaker David Sager, is challenging many of the new registrations. At this time, it is unclear what impact, if any, the newly registered voters will have on the election, or if they will vote in a block against Sturm.

The other interesting element in the election is the split in the town’s Democratic Party that led to a nearly complete shakeup in the membership of the Democratic Committee. That has led to shifting alliances, and now numerous signs have sprouted that urge voters to vote for two candidates for the town board: Benjamin Friehling, who is running on the Democratic line, and Republican Richard Crumley.

Friehling said he believes the signs were made by voters who support both him and Crumley, but, Friehling claims, the sign makers did not ask for his opinion or input before placing them. He said he does not object to the signs because they draw support for his candidacy, and “that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it?”

Democrat Denise Frangipane, whose supporters are in large part responsible for the changes to the Democratic Party, is also running for one of the two contested seats on the board. She said the signs are irrelevant to her candidacy and her ongoing work with the board and the town.