TO THE EDITOR: I endorse Jaime Douthat to be the Clinton County Surrogate Judge
The Surrogate Judge handles criminal cases and probate cases in Clinton County). Over the years, I have been appointed counsel in numerous appellate court criminal appeals. Jaime Douthat as the First Assistant District Attorney has represented the people of Clinton County in many of these appeals. My clients have won some of these appeals and the District Attorney has won some of these appeals.
In all of these appeals, regardless of the outcome, she has been very professional, very courteous, and very well prepared.
In my experience with her, Jaime Douthat has excellent legal writing skills, excellent advocacy skills, and a pleasant demeanor. She is very experienced in criminal law. She is smart and has a strong work ethic.
I have been a lawyer since 1981. I have appeared before many judges, some competent, some not so competent.
In my opinion, Jaime Douthat is a very good lawyer and will make a very good judge for Clinton County.
MARK SCHEIDEER
Plattsburgh
TO THE EDITOR: I’m writing this letter to encourage your readers to vote for Jaime Douthat for Clinton County Surrogate Judge on Election Day Nov. 3.
I have known Jaime for nearly two decades, and had the opportunity to work with her for several years when she was an Assistant District Attorney in my role as Town Justice in the Town of Plattsburgh.
I can attest that as assistant district attorney in my court, Jaime represented the people of Clinton County extremely well. She was always prepared, knew the law, and dealt with her cases with a very high degree of professionalism. An assistant district attorney is a difficult job, and Jaime polished her skills, always growing, always striving to represent the people of her county to the best of her ability.
The role of a county surrogate judge is demanding, impacting the lives of people daily, while guaranteeing a fair and impartial experience to everyone who must come to court. Jaime has the maturity, experience, intellect, and integrity to perform this task with distinction. As well as the good qualities she possesses in the legal profession, she also has the depth and caring of
personality to give her all in such a trusted position.
I was so pleased to see her enter the race for Clinton County Surrogate Court. Jaime will treat this position as a sacred trust, as the courts are the bedrock of our society.
She has my wholehearted support, and I hope you give her yours.
KEVIN M. PATNODE
Morrisonville
TO THE EDITOR: This man influenced two generations. He was, a history teacher, a guidance counselor, and taught us how to play tennis, but he was all about basketball.
Mr. Spierto ran the Saturday morning youth basketball program. He organized it and taught the game with incredible passion.
His competitive nature, stern glare, bombing around the court with sweat flying and dripping from his forehead, his Siena Basketball shirts (some college over near Buffalo he played for…that was the myth), he meant business. His contributions helped create two high school basketball titles in the 1970s.
That same passion carried into the classroom. A middle school history teacher who taught with the same fire from Saturday mornings. His old-school style, today, would be cancelled. In hindsight, it was something we needed and benefited from.
I’m pretty sure every class was told they were “a bunch of babies.”
After I went to college, though, I saw a different Mr. Spierto.
I was home during Christmas and down at the Towne House. To my surprise, Mr. Spierto was near the pool table.
The first thing that struck me was how this giant, intimidating figure from my childhood wasn’t tall. But the bigger surprise was his warmth.
He wanted to know how school was going. How I was getting along socially. How my sports were progressing. He was genuinely interested.
Why?
Because he cared.
Not just about me; all of us.
Beneath the stern looks, the discipline, the sweat flying around the court and the occasional stern rebukes, was a man who cared deeply about his students.
That is a real teacher.
Thank you, Mr. Spierto. Thank you for everything.
And when you called us a bunch of babies, we were babies, growing into men and women.
Thank you for helping us get there.
DOUGLAS R. FERRIS
Willsboro
TO THE EDITOR: The Chesterfield Town Board still has a vacancy following the resignation of Bill Mitchell, whose intellect, commitment, and gentle familiarity will be missed.
When asked about filling the vacancy, the supervisor said the board had decided to wait until November 2027. That would leave the position vacant for nearly a year and a half. Why? It certainly does not serve the best interests of the town.
With so much happening in Chesterfield, it is difficult to understand why the vacancy remains unfilled. Water issues at Butternut Pond, new low-income housing, the blight code, community events, the budget, staffing, and growing business interests all require the attention and energy of a full board. Four councilors have traditionally served Chesterfield, and there is good reason for that to continue.
Several residents at the meeting suggested following the customary approach for filling a vacancy by considering the candidate who received the highest number of votes among those who ran in the last election.
Ms. Zoanne Schnell campaigned vigorously, demonstrated her interest in Chesterfield, and appeared ready to serve its residents. As the next highest vote recipient she deserves to be asked if she is interested to serve. This would show respect for the voters and give Chesterfield another motivated member on its team.
If this strategy fails, then proceed to plan B, which would be to reach out to the other candidate who ran and then if that fails the board could publicly interview other interested persons.
The position needs to be filled to best serve the residents of Chesterfield.
WALTER CHMURA
Keeseville