Councilperson Palladino, Representing Ward 5: The Journey Begins
A week and a half ago, on the first of January, I stood in front of a crowd at the Harding Mazzotti Arena’s Heritage Hall in Glens Falls, New York and recited the oath of office for the first time. With my husband holding the Holy Bible, my right hand resting on top, and my parents standing behind me, I pledged a vow to the city and state as a member of the Glens Falls Common Council, representing Ward Five. As I discussed two months ago, the journey to my first election was filled with surprises, learning experiences, and creative endeavors, and the ceremony ushered the beginning of this new journey over the next four years.
But I want to recollect the moments leading up to my first speech as councilperson on this fateful day. Earlier that morning, I had breakfast with my parents, husband, and my mother’s friend, Brian, at Spot Coffee. The usual breakfast spots in downtown were closed for the holiday, like Kru Coffee and Kitch-A-Vibe, so the baristas at Spot Coffee were hectically preparing orders for the morning crowd when we arrived. While my dad and I were waiting in the queue, I recognized Steve Thurston, the now-appointed Special Assistant to Mayor Palmer, ordering a coffee before heading to the Harding Mazzotti Arena. He helped provide a historical synopsis of Ed Bartholomew’s passing in 2020 and the introduction of Jeff Flagg to bring the South Street revitalization to fruition when I explained to my father about the transformation in downtown.
Michael slid two tables together by the window as we all reconnected, talking about our New Year’s Eve festivities and the upcoming ceremony. My mother and Brian enjoyed an early evening at the Queensbury Hotel, dancing into the night, while my father, Michael, and I watched the Calgary Flames crush the Philadelphia Flyers during an evening hockey game together at our home. They had arrived to Glens Falls from their homes in New Jersey last evening, excited about the ceremony the following day. Drinking some dark roast coffee and dressed in a suit with an Eagle pin, my emotions were riddled with nervous excitement and trepidation, but I utilized my toolbox gleamed from mindfulness meditation practices to calm the nerves.
An hour into breakfast, I glanced at my watch, noticing that it was quarter to twelve, so we gathered are belongings to begin the treacherous walk down Glen Street toward the Harding Mazzotti Arena. The weather that morning was frigidly cold, having snowed the night before. With the sidewalks and streets still covered with ice, it was a slow march around Centennial Circle and down the slope toward the arena. When we turned toward the entrance, we saw a large amount of people in line for the Harlem Globetrotters event. They were embarking on their 100-year tour. The exhibition basketball team was founded in 1926, and I felt pride that the organizers chose Glens Falls as the first stop on the journey to celebrate an incredible legacy of entertainment.
Before descending the stairs to Heritage Hall, we peeked into the stadium to glimpse the pre-game festivities for the Harlem Globetrotters. The arena floor, usually featuring an ice rink for the local hockey team, was sporting a basketball court. The Harding Mazzotti Arena, previously named the Civic Center, was built in 1979, designed by Donald McNeice of Crandell Associates. It has hosted a variety of events throughout the years, including hockey games, concerts, graduation ceremonies, and more. Walking into Heritage Hall, I remembered the experience at the Glens Falls Brewfest in 2022 with my family, sampling dozens of craft beers from local breweries. The Glens Falls Brewfest started in 2010 to support local organizations, like the Feeder Canal Alliance, and shine a light on the growing craft beverage companies in the area. There next event this year will take place at the Queensbury Hotel.
Before the ceremony began, it was a whirlwind of discussions with local dignitaries, business leaders, civil servants, and residents. I thoroughly enjoyed introducing my husband and parents to some of the amazing people that make our city special. As the time got closer to the start, Megan Nolin and Emily McNeal, the Glens Falls City Clerk and Deputy Clerk, made sure we all knew where to sit prior to the induction and oath of office. I was positioned near the end of the row of seats, between Ward Four representative, Ben Lapham, and Father Scott VanDerveer of St. Mary’s Church, who was speaking during the invocation after the oaths of office. When Father Scott sat down, I told him about my experience at the recent Christmas Mass that Michael and I attended, promising to send him a link to my post describing my religious upbringing and reintroduction into the Catholic church.
Michael Mender opened the ceremony, exuding immense praise on this historic day, as the voters in Glens Falls elected the first woman as Mayor. Mr. Mender had been a key part of the city as an assistant to Mayor Jack Diamond and leading the Recreation commission at the time. His speech divulged the accomplishments in the city over the past couple decades, from the Centennial Circle development in the early 2000’s, expansion of the Crandall Library, and many more, as well as the impressive pedigree of Mayor Diana Palmer. I made a mental note to pull out my notebook when we were seated at the table after the induction ceremony, knowing that there were more exciting things to learn throughout the event.
As the Honorable Gary C. Hobbs, the City Court Judge, called Mayor Palmer and the rest of the Council to the podium for the induction, I sat with tears and a smile, remembering the year of exploration and growth that had permeated this past year. I deeply appreciated the addendum that Mary Gooden recited when she changed her title from “Councilperson-At-Large” to “Councilwoman-At-Large”. In 2020, she became the first African American woman to be elected to represent Ward 5 on the Common Council, and she has accomplished so much for the section of the city that has seen an exponential amount of growth in the past fifteen years. I am proud to sit across from her on the Common Council, ensuring that Ward 5 continues to thrive.
After Ben Lapham finished his induction, I nervously walked toward the podium and grabbed the Bible, handing it to my husband, Michael Biele, with my parents standing behind me. As I repeated Judge Hobbs words into the microphone with my right hand on the Bible, I felt an incredible honor to represent my neighbors in Ward Five. As the first openly gay councilperson of the historic city of Glens Falls, I will ensure that everyone is included and welcome in our city. Cam Cardinale and the Lower Adirondack Pride over the past four years have been instrumental in advocating for LGBTQIA+ community, and I will ensure that their efforts will continue to shine bright in the new year.
Before sitting down at the main table, I kissed my husband and hugged my parents, recognizing my immense amount of gratitude. Moments later, Diana Palmer introduced Father Scott VanDerveer to the podium in order to lead everyone in a non-domination prayer. I appreciated his openness for those not affiliated with the Catholic Church by noting that the audience should “rest in this beautiful vibration of this united community.” The promise of American values enshrined in the Constitution protects everyone’s right to freedom from and of religion, but the simple act of silence and reflection is important. Once the moment of silence ended, four young people from the Glens Falls High School joined together to sing Million Dreams from the musical The Greatest Showman. I recognized one of the singers from the Prom musical that Michael and I attended last April, reminiscing about the incredible performances from the cast. As the students beautifully recited the lyrics to the song, I silently reflected that it embodies important notions that our internal ambitions can shape reality, something that is relevant during today’s ceremony.
Following the interlude, Mayor Palmer introduced four more students from the Glens Falls High School, who each read an essay with actionable items for how to build a community where our young people can thrive into the future. Each essay was cultivated from surveys by the students, and each student eloquently read them with passion and understanding. As I listened, I fervently scribbled notes and vowed to strive to bring their goals into reality over the next four years. When the students finished, Diana Palmer and the rest of the Common Council stepped up to the podium to offer their own voices. Each person offered a different perspective from their experience and hopes for the future. I appreciated that my position on the Council allowed me to sit and listen to the words from each member of the Common Council.
From Diana Palmer’s historical perspective of three other pioneering local women in politics, Mary Gooden’s urge for constituent input on city decisions, Bob Landry’s memories of the Adirondack Red Wings Calder Cup championships in the 1980s, Dan Rice’s hopes for continued growth of the Glens Falls East End, and Ben Lapham imploring the importance of following the city charter to inspire civic trust, I felt honored to be a part of this new team leading Glens Falls into the future.
When Ben returned to his seat, I nervously walked toward the podium, and without opening a page, I begin to speak in front of the packed room. I had not practiced my speech, but the words had been written down over the past year. I spoke about first moving into Glens Falls in 2017 and my work over the years with the Friends of Crandall Library, who orchestrates book sale fundraisers four times a year. Without skipping a beat, I slyly mentioned that the next book sale was on January 30th for those that want to support their local library to the laughter of the audience. After acknowledging my gratitude with my parents and husband, I talked about the cleanup work that I have done over the past year on the Feeder Canal, thanks to the inspiration instilled from my mom’s friend, Brian. Brian is an avid kayaker and environmental steward, ensuring that he collects a full bag of trash from riverbeds whenever he sets sail on the water.
I talked about my excitement with joining Mayor Palmer and the rest of the Common Council over the year four years, including divulging the myriads of accomplishments in Ward Five by Mary Gooden from the past four years. She has had an incredible impact on revitalizing the recreational parks and trails, like the new Pruyn’s Path, Water Street pedestrian bridge, and Murray Street Pavilion I chatted with her after the ceremony to learn about the next steps needed to bring the plans for Haviland’s Cove to fruition over the coming years. In my speech, I also acknowledged my opponent, Bob Curtis, noting that it was a pleasure to be on the ballot with him. He had thirty-seven years of experience in the city, as a City Clerk, Mayor’s Assistant, and Chair of City Redistricting Committee, culminating in an impressive lifetime of public service. I finished my speech talking about the explosive growth in housing developments over the past fifteen years and stating my excitement for being a part of the next era of the city.
The rest of the event revolved around voting on resolutions to create a new position of Director of Planning and Zoning, install William “Chip” McTiernan as the Mayor’s Office Coordinator, Stephen Thurston as Chief of Staff, and other mayoral appointments. It also solidified the city’s official paper of record and day of the week for bi-monthly Common Council meetings. While we ultimately did not change the historical precedent of utilizing the Post-Star as the official paper of record, I regretted not voicing my thoughts on stage about changing it to another local paper, The Chronicle. Mayor Palmer did tell me later on that the Post-Star’s near-daily circulation, rather than Chronicle’s weekly papers, would have made promoting city meetings strategically difficult. And with Stephen Thurston’s prior connections with the Post-Star, the paper could rekindle itself into a beacon of local journalism and keep our residents informed about new developments and meetings.
After the meeting and ceremony was adjourned, everyone celebrated, shaking hands and excitedly discussed plans for the future of Glens Falls. Diana Palmer had organized an after-party celebration at a nearby restaurant, Morgan and Company. As I walked with my husband and family from the arena to the restaurant, I felt a certain lightness in my footsteps, knowing that this journey has only just begun. Turning past the Glens Falls bus station up ahead, we saw the gorgeous façade of the restaurant. Built in 1891 and originally owned by William McEchron, the historic house has changed hands over the years, and it is now a successful restaurant named Morgan & Company. Chefs and current co-owners Rebecca Newell-Butters and Steve Butters have been operating this award-winning establishment since 2014. Michael and I have had dozens of delightfully scrumptious evening dinners over the years, and I was happy that Diana Palmer chose them to celebrate the occasion.
By the time we got home in the late afternoon, Michael and I were thoroughly exhausted and fell into a deep sleep before waking up the next morning to begin the new year, both of us as civil servants. While I am just starting my journey as an elected city official, Michael has been a part of the Warren County Department of Social Services for over ten years. His knowledge and expertise into the role of county government has inspired me, along with the advice from Ben Lapham and Deputy County Clerk Linda Morgan, to begin this new journey to help the residents of our city. All of us on the Common Council will make sure Glens Falls remains a beacon of hope for all! Thanks for voting, and I will see you around town.
