Supervisor Tom Hynes honored as Democrat of the Year
Annual Dem dinner attracts colleagues and friends from both sides of the aisle
Service above self and "the public good" are themes that resonate throughout the evening
The mood was collegial and almost bi-partisan at the Annual Delaware County Democratic Dinner on Saturday evening, June 17. Honoring Tom Hynes as the "Frances Kip Democrat of the Year," the event drew friends and colleagues from across the county and the political spectrum. Congressman Maurice Hinchey was there personally to congratulate Tom, and both New York Senators Schumer and Clinton sent official praise. Closer to home, Tom was feted by his family, friends, and colleagues from the Town of Roxbury, which he has led for the past 22 years, and from county offices, where he also has garnered a a wide circle of admirers.
"There have been 22 years in which Tom could have been Democrat of the Year."The evening was emceed by Democratic County Chair (and fellow Roxburyian) Bill Buccheri, who has known Tom for so long that he can remember the night in 1984 when Tom was first elected Supervisor of Roxbury and Tom's son, Jerry, asked incredulously, "Dad won?" Since then, Congressional Rep. Maurice Hinchey said, "There have been 22 years in which Tom could have been Democrat of the Year." Sen. Schumer's commendation saluted Tom's "tireless efforts to improve the lives of those in his community," and Sen. Clinton applauded him for earning "the respect of Republicans as well as Democrats." In fact, Dennis McCabe from Attorney General Eliot Spitzer's office was duly impressed and thanked Tom "for bringing out so many Republicans, including the Republican County Chair!" State Democratic Party Chair Denny Farrell also sent his thanks for "being an inspiration to us all."
This is a man who lives by example, and who lives by his wordsThese sincere formalities were followed by the "real skinny," as Roxbury's Grantwriter Peg Ellsworth effusively described a colleague she thought should be named "Father and Grandfather of the Year," "Volunteer and Humanitarian of the Year," and most especially "Boss of the Year." Managing, or perhaps more aptly, giving rein to, a regular Town office staff that is now all women, Hynes was praised by Ellsworth for "recognizing the strengths" of each of his employees. Aside from navigating the "mood swings," Ellsworth noted that Hynes never nags about the work, but focuses instead on people and their progress: "It's always, 'How are you? How's this project going?' 'Are you OK?' "This is a man who lives by example, and who lives by his words," said Ellsworth, and quoted from an early 1900s description of Roxbury: "No other village in Delaware County has before it such a future of possibility and promise as the village of Roxbury." Ellsworth concluded by saying that Roxbury still holds every bit of that charm and potential, 100 years on, thanks in large part to Hynes.
Once Hynes took to the podium, it was a rare opportunity for everyone to hear him do something he never does: talk a little about himself. Few in attendance probably knew that Tom caught the political bug after his mother died and a kindly couple took him in, his "second mom" being an ardent Democrat who 'infected' her young, idealistic ward with the incurable disorder of democratic politics. Tom recalled travelling all the way from Schnectady to Schenevus to cast his first vote as a young man, for President-to-be Kennedy. And he said he took Kennedy's inaugural message, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country," as his talisman, as well as the Rotary motto, "Service Above Self."
Once he and his wife (his Schenevus sweetheart Mary Schmiedel) settled in Roxbury and bought Miller Funeral Home, the gentleman who sold it to them, Ray Miller, learned of Tom's political aspirations and bemoaned his chances of ever making a go of it. "You've got two strikes against you, you're a Democrat and a Catholic." And in fact, Councilman Hynes lost the first time he ran for supervisor, but has won handily in every election since, and he admits, "I would not have been elected supervisor for even two years without Republican support," noting that Republicans often outnumber Democrats in Roxbury three to one.
A good coach always thanks his team
You
can sit on the sidelines and complain or you can get out there on the firing
line and take your lumps. I've made a lot of friends and some enemies,
but that's life and you move on, and you try to help people. That's why
we were put here.Hynes commended his Town Clerk of many years, fellow Democrat
Diane Pickett, saying that the clerk's abilities are critical to the success
of any supervisor, and also thanked Pickett for being a friend. He also
commended the staff of Delaware County, saying that they worked hard and
were "the greatest
staff anywhere." And perhaps most surprisingly — for a job many
consider thankless —Tom admitted that "I've really enjoyed it." A
former Little League coach and dad to four boys, Hynes said, "You
can sit on the sidelines and complain or you can get out there on the firing
line and take your lumps. I've made a lot of friends and some enemies,
but that's life and you move on, and you try to help people. That's why
we were put here." In addition to acting as supervisor, Tom has held
leadership positions in virtually every civic and service organization
in Roxbury as well as serving on key committees on the Delaware County
Board of Supervisors.
Always a quiet and self-effacing man, Tom's wry, backhanded style of humor catches some people off-guard until they know him well. He is, after all, a funeral home director by profession, not a job description noted for stand-up comedy skills. He had quite a few audience members going as he described how he garnered the award this year. "Well, after I saw Marty [Donnelly] got Republican of the Year, I called Bill [Buccheri] and said I couldn't let him get all the headlines in the paper. So I asked Bill what I'd have to do to get Democrat of the Year, and he told me. And so I sent Bill the $10 check and everything was set." Tom received several standing ovations from the crowd — Republicans included.
Remembering County Clerk Cady
Another much admired Democratic political figure, Gary Cady, was remembered
at the event. Cady, a Delaware County Clerk who was widely heralded for
bringing greater efficiency and responsiveness to the county's bureaucracy,
died suddenly last year. He was memorialized by his long-time colleague
Sharon O'Dell, now acting County Clerk and running for the office in November.
O'Dell conjured up a funny, complex man, an extremely frugal public servant
who saved the county thousands of dollars while keeping whole convenience
stores in operation through his own purchase of scratch-off tickets.
"He would often come into the office on Monday morning with a yellow stickie stuck to his finger," O'Dell said, so he could remember to have staff follow up that very day on an inquiry someone had made. Cady never considered replacing clerks for political reasons when he was first elected, and garnered extraordinary loyalty in a staff that he encouraged to be as hands-on and knowledgable as possible — a quality that spared the county a disasterous transition when Cady died so suddenly. While Cady was very much a practical jokester in his own right, O'Dell remembers one time he was caught out himself, trying to stuff a blow up doll into a filing cabinet as the County Attorney headed to Cady's office on an unannounced visit (Cady succeeded somehow.) O'Dell, clearly emotional, finished by recalling a boss who signed "Who cares?" in his cards to employees, because they knew it was shorthand that he did, very much, and so did they.
The "service above self" theme continued as Dems gave an enthusiastic welcome to their Congressional candidate for the 20th Congressional District, Kirsten Gillibrand. Gillibrand noted how much Tom, the evening's honoree, reminded her of her own grandmother, Polly Noonan, a legendary figure in state politics who founded the state's first women's political group in Albany and proceeded to "activate" women into political life, including her own granddaughter. Gillibrand capped the evening for her audience, promising to bring more balance, ethical oversight, and accountability to Congress if elected. Visit www.gillibrand2006.com for details about the campaign.