Glens Falls Chronicle Serving the Glens Falls/Lake George region; Warren, Washington and northern Saratoga counties since 1980
By Cathy DeDe, Chronicle Managing Editor
When Lake George Village voters go to the polls on March 21, they will be electing two new trustees as well as a new mayor.
Current trustee Ray Perry is running for mayor, with Bob Blais stepping down after 52 years. Trustee John Earl is also not seeking re-election.
Declared trustee candidates are Jose Filomeno, Randy Powell and Alyson Miller.
Jose Filomeno, 43, the managing partner of the Lake George Beach Club, moved to Lake George in 2016 to run the then-newly purchased and refurbished venue.
His priorities?
“First and foremost is the Lake.” Mr. Filomeno says. “Second is the infrastructure that supports the Village and the Lake.”
“My issue is sustainablity. I look at the village as a business, and our business is the lake. Without Lake George, we are just a town named George. We need to preserve and protect the Lake. All that rolls into infrastructure, roadways, water and waste treatment, planning for 20 years from now.”
“A really large portion of the Village is commercial. We have a great synergy between residents and commercial properties” which also keeps taxes down.
“Really, this is for my children,” Mr. Filomeno says, citing his daughter in kindergarten and a son who will enter pre-school next year. “We have 14 to 15 more years with our kids in school here. I want to be involved, as a resident and as a businessman.
Mr. Filomeno said he grew up in Albany and graduated from Christian Brothers Academy. “I loved my opportunities growing up, but, Lake George! I never knew. Our kids are now second generation here and that’s so cool.”
We have this one area, between Exits 21 and 22 on the highway, and between those two exits, this is our personal Mayberry.
Randy Powell, 52, currently Commander of the Lake George American Legion, identifies himself as “a Lake George resident for my whole life, 25 years in the Village.”
He’s been commander for five years of the Lake George American Legion Post.
He says he decided to run for Trustee after last year’s dissolution movement, the study and subsequent vote over whether to dissolve the Village and be taken over as part of the Town of Lake George (which proved unsuccessful).
“I signed that petition,” Mr. Powell says now. “I was given false information that it was only to force the Village to do research, and then my wife and I, we find out no, the petition was to get rid of the Village. I was really mad.”
“I’m running because I never want that to happen again. Lake George Village is very special. I couldn’t fathom not having the Village, and if I can help with that, I’m all in.”
“I’m a regular guy that’s gonna run for trustee to help my neighbors, to learn and to communicate with people.”
He said he’s a friend and neighbor of Ray Perry, who is running for mayor.
“I am learning more by walking and talking to people, and from Ray.”
He adds, “Mayor Blais is a friend of mine. One of my first jobs was at 14 years old, working for him at Fun World Arcade. He told me to go to everyone’s house, even if you have enough signatures, because you get to meet the people.”
What he brings to voters, he says, “Honesty is first, integrity, I’m a down to earth person. I’ve never been in an office, being open to any ideas, to communicate with residents and hear what their concerns and like are and work with that.
Alyson Miller, 32, a physical therapist at Saratoga Hospital, has lived in the village for two years with her husband, Lake George native Ryan Miller.
Ms. Miller’s hometown is Sherrill, in central New York, which had a high profile as the onetime home of the Oneida silverware factory.
“It was a nice place to grow up,” Ms. Miller says. “Lake George Village has that same kind of feel for me.”
“My platform is making the town as beautiful as the lake. It is already a great place. I want to make the village even a better place, especially for the residents who live hear all year.”
“I like to be an active member in my community,” she says. “I like to take care of people.”
Talking to people while seeking petition signatures, Ms. Miller said, “No one has come up with tons of issues they’re concerned about: People, visitors driving too quickly on the back streets. There’s a big homeless cat problem here.”
“Part of our responsibility is to make sure we protect the late, that we’re not polluting it, making more green space around the lake, less runoff.
“I want to become a representative for the Village residents. There’s tourism and the businesses, but I want to represent — how do they feel as residents. It’s important we enjoy and love the place where we live.”
Copyright © 2023 Lone Oak Publishing Co., Inc. All Rights Reserved
