Chain, Siarkowski vie to complete unfinished Gloversville council term

PHOTOGRAPHER: Jim McGuire

If Democratic incumbent Jean Chain is to keep her 6th Ward Common Council seat, she must defeat Republican Wrandy L. Siarkowski — the candidate the council majority passed over in February when it appointed Chain to a vacancy.

Chain was one of five residents of the ward who applied for the appointment after Councilman Ray Hindes Jr., a Democrat, resigned in January.

Chain, a single mother with two children, is vice president of the Kingsboro School PTA. A former staffer at Durasol Systems of Middletown, she moved to Gloversville seven years ago and until her appointment was a frequent contributor to the city message board under the name Candlelady.

Chain, commenting after her appointment, said she is committed to non-partisan representation of her ward and the city. “I don’t think politics should have any place on the local level,” she said.

Chain said in February the most pressing issue in the city is addressing blight and attracting new business to build the tax base.

Siarkowski is a graduate of Gloversville High School and attended Fulton-Montgomery Community College.

He is a past president and vice president of the Kingsboro PTA and a past president of the Gloversville Middle School PTA. He served as an officer in the High School PTSA chapter and was secretary and treasurer of the Central Council PTA.

Among his honors, Siarkowski is a member of the Gloversville School District Hall of Fame and a recipient of the PTA Lifetime Membership Award.

Siarkowski, who said he was motivated to run by the economic decline of the city, said the city must “get its spending in check. Raising taxes every year will do nothing but discourage families from staying here,” he said.

Siarkowski said he will also give serious consideration to proposals to consolidate services with other communities and the county.

The winner of this election will serve the final year on Hindes’ term. To win a full, four-year term the victor will have to run again next year.