They say that if you want to stay out of trouble, avoid talking about religion or politics. Since the local churches do not have small signs cluttering up every available foot of the roadside, I don't have much to say about religion. That leaves politics as the topic of the day, and in order to squelch the protestations of my critics who often remind me that I should only be writing about sports in an article that is titled, SporTalk, I will "handicap" (horse racing jargon) the local elections. It might be splitting hairs, but I offer that the use of the word handicap keeps me in the realm of sports, even though we all know that is a stretch. This remains, however, one man's opinion, so everyone just relax and enjoy the banter.

Let's start with the Town of Wawarsing Supervisor's spot, which pits incumbent Ed Jennings against Lenny Distel (I am intentionally leaving political party affiliation out of this article because I have always believed in voting for who I felt was the best candidate). Both these guys bring a wealth of political experience to the table, having served on the town and county levels. Both gentlemen are nice enough individuals. However, it seems as though the last several supervisors have failed to affect positive change in our dying little town and I feel it is time to try something new, so I give the nod to Distel.

Next up is the Town Council race. This contest has four candidates vying for two council positions. The candidates are Richard "Doc" Craft, Dan Johnson, Steve Bradley, and incumbent John Gavaris. Dan Johnson is a nice enough fellow, but I think we need some more experience right now. Gavaris, for all his talk about doing the right thing for the people, actually only represents himself — a product of thinking he is simply smarter than everyone. So that leaves "Doc" Craft, who probably loves the Town of Wawarsing, its history and its people, more than anyone, and Steve Bradley, who is probably involved (quietly, behind the scenes, and productively) in more activities that benefit the Town of Wawarsing than anyone else. Adding Craft and Bradley to the returning council members would give us a town board that can best work together in spite of party politics.

The candidates for Highway Superintendent are incumbent Gil Davis and challenger Tony Paes. I have to be honest with you. It simply does not matter who the highway supervisor is because the real reason we have the absolute best highway department in three counties is the job being done by the outstanding men and women who work for the town highway department. These folks have been outstanding since the venerable Gussie Hull was the highway supervisor and they remain the best to this day. So vote for who you want here because when the first huge snowfall hits the area, our roads will be in great shape regardless of who is the highway supervisor.

The candidates for Town of Wawarsing collector of taxes are Robin Andersen and Tom Stack. Nobody likes paying taxes. Vote your conscience. Because no matter who wins, we're still going to pay taxes.

Town clerk candidates are Sue Cummings and Roxanne Shamro. Cummings has served many years as an Ulster County legislator. Shamro has been the deputy town clerk for 16 years. Cummings ads tout the importance of experience, and I agree. That's why Shamro is the choice here. I have never had a bad experience in the Wawarsing Town Clerk's office. Replacing longtime clerk Jane Eck will be no easy task. But if experience is as important as Cummings claims, then Shamro gets the nod.

Let's jump over to the Village of Ellenville elections where three candidates are competing for two spots as village trustees. Incumbents Efrain Lopez and Patricia Steinhoff are being challenged by Sue Nibe. No disrespect intended to Sue Nibe, but Efrain Lopez wears his pride on his sleeve when it comes to the Village of Ellenville. Lopez loves the village and is a great representative for the people. He has earned another term. If I was in trouble — no matter what trouble I was in, I would want Patty Steinhoff on my side. Steinhoff, better than anyone, can fix a situation. As the Ellenville Teacher's Association President, Steinhoff even made the Board of Education do the right thing once in a while, and that is no easy task. Steinhoff became a village trustee and brought some semblance of order to the village despite the antics of our current mayor and former village manager, and that is no easy task. Go Lopez and Steinhoff here.

On the county level, five candidates are competing for four spots as District 1 legislator. T.J. Briggs, Joe Stoeckeler, Mary Sheeley, Terry Bernardo, and Manuela Mihailescu are running. I can't think of a county legislator that has gone to Kingston and demanded that Ellenville and Wawarsing be treated with the respect due the second largest town in the county. The county has treated our area as a stepchild for years. So pick any four. It really doesn't matter.

Also on the county level is the race for County Justice. Candidates Deborah Schneer and Don Williams both bring a wealth of experience but I like the fact that Williams has worked in the district attorney's office for about 30 years. I have also spoken to Williams in the past about crime in and around Wawarsing and he was always receptive to concerns. Vote Williams here.

There you have it, folks. Pretty soon the election will be here. Make sure you exercise your right to vote. Good luck to all the candidates. And right after the election is over — could you pleeease take down all those damn signs?