Fort Edward Democratic Committee

03/30/2026

Our FEDC Email for 3/30/26:

Dear All,

We have many new possible Fort Edward Democratic Committee members receiving this email.

I want to thank everyone for assisting in the gathering of signatures and/or signing petitions for our candidates. The forms have been submitted and scrubbed. We are making a difference!

As I canvassed Districts 2 and 5 and talked with our fellow Democrats, one sentiment was often repeated: The feeling of being isolated in a very Republican community. On this note, I need to express something fundamental: YOU ARE NOT ALONE! We, as a committee of concerned and supportive Democrats are here. We are strong and getting stronger. We are organizing and growing. Count on us! Count on each other!

I also want to thank everyone for coming out to the Slickfin Brewery on St. Patrick's Day. We had an excellent turnout to hear Ben Bramlage (from the Fort Stops PFAS committee) and State Historian Devin Lander (running for State Senate District 43). We will be having more guests at future meetings; however, at our next gathering on May 5th @ 6:00 pm in the Town Courtroom, we will be focusing on the following:

1. Caucus for Town Supervisor (go Tim Fisher!)
2. Planning our summer softball event
3. Electing and placing new and returning committee members
4. Gearing up for the County Fair
5. Organizing and preparing for the state primary and November elections

Ruth is thinking about an Earth Day (April 22nd) Route 4 clean-up facilitated by our committee. I love this idea. Please, stay tuned for more information.

I will follow up within the next week with a list of any upcoming political events.

Lastly (and importantly!), Ben Bramlage shared an update about The Fort Stops PFAS committee's efforts (below). Please consider signing the appeal letter and petition: https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/fort-edward-ny-code-determination-support?source=web_share_api&utm_source=web_share_api&share=fd8d6018-4a21-4d9f-9921-9cb57bae9b0d

I'm here,
Brian P. Katz, FEDC Chair

From Ben:

We are encouraging people who split their time between local and non-local addresses to use their local zip code when signing the petition.

To summarize what we also discussed yesterday, the ZBA meeting last week was essentially a "first appearance" where the appeal was officially entered into record and the Board laid out the anticipated process moving forward. There will be a public hearing on April 14 with witness testimony and public comments. The Board is also accepting written public comments in advance although we intend to enter those questions/comments verbally during the hearing to the greatest extent possible. We are still waiting for at least 1 significant FOIL response from DEC so I'm not sure how that will impact the timeline of the hearing and subsequent decisions from the Board.

We are going to try to keep comments very concise and focused to match what the chairperson wants...to address only the legal issue(s) at hand and not have this become a larger referendum on ESMI, PFAS, the RD&D etc which is why we have decided to do a Change.org petition and present that to the ZBA at the hearing. This provides an avenue for people to be engaged and support the ZBA without having to be at the hearing and helps keep questions/comments on track at the hearing.

Attached is a flyer with a link to the appeal letter and the petition, please feel free to share and distribute it however you see appropriate. We greatly appreciate your help and support on this. Feel free to contact me anytime with any questions, comments or concerns.

Best,
Ben

The original permit specifying that the facility will process petroleum soil was issued more than 30 years ago. We agree with the CEO that this does not reflect the full scope of ESMI/Clean Earth's current business. Therefore, it is logical that the company needs to either apply for a new permi...

03/18/2026

I wanted to share the note I posted on my personal account, Brian P. Katz, to help draw attention to our committee and our place:

I’m sharing our new Fort Edward Democratic Committee page again because I’m trying to reach as many people as possible.

Now, you may be from Los Angeles or New York City and wonder, “Why do I need to join a Facebook group for a rural town I’ve never heard of?” Good question. I was born, raised, and spent most of my life in New York City and lived in Los Angeles for five years... and I have a personal response rooted in my now deep, deep connection to Fort Edward, NY:

Despite being a barely identifiable spot on the map, Fort Edward is a vitally important place in American history. America became America in part because of this area. Hey, you watched all 12 hours of Ken Burns' "The American Revolution." Our town was the strategic hinge of the Hudson/Champlain corridor that both sides fought to control during the Revolutionary War. General Burgoyne’s disastrous 1777 campaign through our town ended at Saratoga -- the turning point that brought France into the war and thus securing American independence. Here, in Fort Edward, we live this history every day… and yet the centers of power have forgotten we exist.

As local Committee chair, I fight for Democratic voters ignored by their representatives. I believe in our Democratic principles with every ounce of my being, yet we remain invisible to those in power. Take my primary cause as an example: Rural communities have absorbed the environmental burdens of modern life while urban centers reap the economic benefits. In Fort Edward it’s a combination of landfills, waste treatment plants, industrial runoff, and planned solar farms taking a toll on our wellbeing. When small towns push back against “big city” politics, it isn’t unfounded. Our needs -- healthcare, clean water, clean air -- align directly with Democratic solutions.

We are not “others.” We ARE American history, alive and well.
I have lived in places far and wide. I now make my home in this beautiful spot on the map, among kind and generous people of all ideologies. And one thing I know: Place is more important than Party.

Still, we owe our country, our state, our county, our town, and our village a Democratic Party worth believing in. And I believe that starts at the local level.

Join me. Join us.

https://www.facebook.com/share/1DZoAhJH9u/?mibextid=wwXIfr

The Fort Edward Democratic Committee (FEDC) represents and supports Democrats in the town and village of Fort Edward, NY.

03/18/2026

Here are some pics from our gathering yesterday at Slickfin Brewery. Thanks again to our brilliant guests, D43 Senate Candidate Devin Lander, and Ben Bramlage from The Fort Stops PFAS group. We are grateful and supportive.

03/15/2026

Dear All,

1. Our next committee meeting is this coming Tuesday (3/17) at Slickfin Brewery @ 6:00 PM. A representative from The Fort Stops PFAS team will be coming to talk to us; and State Senate candidate Devin Lander will be stopping by for a pint. I'll be making a large pot of corned beef, cabbage, and potatoes; so, if you're up for a taste of this Irish-American tradition, bring your appetite.

2. I encourage you to join our page. I will, of course, always send notices via email... but our page also functions as a place for all our pertinent information.

3. Fort Edward came in second on Trivia Night... losing to a team featuring our State Historian, Devin Lander. Now, obviously, you might be thinking what I playfully (loudly) expressed when I found out: "Not fair!" Still, the night's theme was Revolutionary and Presidential history... and we held our own! Overall, the night was a success and we had so, so much fun.

4. Including our guests, our agenda for Tuesday will focus on the following:
A. Filling in vacant seats on our committee
B. Discussing the possibility of town autonomy when endorsing candidates
C. Planning the softball game
D. Caucus for Town Supervisor
F. Update on town petitions for candidates

I can't wait to see you all on St. Patrick's Day.

If you have any other agenda items, please send them to Ruth and me.

All my best,
Brian

03/12/2026

Each day brings another case against Trump and his Republicans. Every gutting, every attack, every deception, every pillaging is a worldwide cry for Democrats to reclaim our country and guide Americans toward dignity, solidarity, compassion, and renewal. We must inspire our base and vote as if the idea of America still exists in Trump's chaos. Because it does… in our protests, in our new candidates (like Devin Lander), in acts of kindness, and in our numbers.

03/10/2026

Thanks to Aimee, here are the minutes from our last meeting:

MINUTES OF THE FORT EDWARD DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE MEETING & CAUCUS HELD ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2026, AT TOWN HALL COMMENCING AT 6:00 P.M.

The caucus was opened at 6:00pm

Pledge of Allegiance

PRESENT: Chairman Brian Katz, Vice Chairwoman Ruth Shippee, Caitlin Mahoney, Jeff Curtis, Mindy Suprenant, Maria Rosenblum, Dave Cutler, Gail Cushing, Bruce Cushing, Nasrene Haj, Steve Davie and Aimee Ives

The following notice of the caucus was published at Fort Edward Town Hall, Washington County Board of Elections, Town of Fort Edward website, Village of Fort Edward website and The Post Star:

January 13, 2026


TOWN OF FORT EDWARD
DEMOCRATIC PARTY CAUCUS

The Democratic Party Caucus for the Village of Fort Edward will be held at the Fort Edward Town Hall located at 118 Broadway Fort Edward, NY 12828 on Monday, January 27, 2026 at 6:00pm

The purpose of the caucus is to nominate candidates for the following offices:

- Village Trustee – 4 Year Term

Only enrolled democrats are entitled to vote at the caucus, and no write-in or floor nominations will be accepted at the caucus.

Those wishing to seek any of the above offices should submit a letter of intent to the Chairman Brian Katz.

The letter must be postmarked no later than January 23, 2026.

By order of the Town of Fort Edward
Democratic Committee, Stephen Davie, Chairman


MOTION by Ruth Shippee, Seconded by Maria Rosenblum to appoint Brian Katz Chairman of the caucus ALL AYES

- Oath administered

MOTION by Ruth Shippee, seconded by Steve Davie to appoint Aimee Ives secretary of the caucus ALL AYES

- Oath administered

No Election Inspectors are required for a caucus

We received 1 letter of intent from David Cutler

One vote was cast for each of the following candidates:

David Cutler – Village Trustee

MOTION by Ruth Shippee, seconded by Maria Rosenblum to close the caucus at 6:20pm ALL AYES

REGULAR MEETING

Chairman Katz called the regular meeting to order at 6:20pm

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: MOTION by Steve Davie, seconded by Ruth Shippee to approve the minutes of the Democratic Committee meeting held 11/21/2025 ALL AYES

MOTION by Brian Katz, seconded by Maria Rosenblum to appoint Ruth Shippee 2nd Vice-Chairperson of the Fort Edward Democratic Committee ALL AYES

Brian Katz: We have 2 leading candidates for the Democratic nomination for Congressional District 21; Dylan Hewitt of South Glens Falls and Blake Gendebien of Ogdensburg.

Steve Davie: We have a NOP running as well.

Brian Katz: We need to think about a Meet a Democrat Event to explain what makes us vital and also where we stand.

Nasrene Haj: Do you try to support one candidate more even though both are Democrats or do you just want a Democrat in the seat? More of a value question.

Ruth Shippee: My opinion would be to support both candidates.

Brian Katz: We lack a central hub to get this information out and I am proposing an online presence such as Blue Sky. If we have a page, it will have to be updated often to keep in interesting.

Maria Rosenblum: I think it should be a page with links to all other platforms.

Nasrene Haj: Sounds like the goal is transparency, I found all my information about Fort Edward on Facebook.

Maria Rosenblum: The goal is to try and reach the younger Democrats.

Caitlin Mahoney: We could have a QR code as well.

Nasrene Haj: A blog can be helpful for this as well.

MOTION by Brian Katz, seconded by Maria Rosenblum to work on an internet presence for the Committee ALL AYES

Brian Katz: It’s hard to find a Democratic Committee meeting without elected officials present.

Steve Davie: I prefer non-elected people to be on the Committee, to expect them to be an active committee member is a lot for a busy person.

Brian Katz: The softball game could be Democrat sponsored; it doesn’t have to be a fundraiser. Need to pick a date.

Maria Rosenblum: February 14, 2026, is the last day to register to vote in the June Primary. Many younger people register no party affiliation and can’t vote in the Primary.

- Circulation of Petitions runs from 2/24-04/02


Next Meeting: March 17, 2026 at 6:00pm – Slickfin


ADJOURNMENT:

MOTION by Maria Rosenblum, Seconded by Ruth Shippee to adjourn the meeting at 7:00pm ALL AYES

Dated: February 12, 2026​​​_________________________________

03/09/2026

At last night's Trivia Battle of the Towns, Fort Edward came in second. We missed out on first place by two points. But our team is strong, smart, and cohesive. We'll win next year!

03/08/2026

B.S. Alert! MAGA doesn't want you to vote so they're spreading disinformation to demoralize and discourage us. I'm petitioning for Democratic candidates in Washington Co., NY, and one REAL concern keeps coming up: Is Trump going to cancel federal elections due to war? The answer is NO! That would require a Constitutional Amendment. NOT GONNA HAPPEN! Don’t fall for this scam. Let their lies be your fuel. Sign petitions, support our candidates, and vote like our lives depend on it because they do. 239 days to go.

03/04/2026

Our next committee meeting is at Slickfin Brewery on St. Patrick's Day, March 17 @ 6:00 PM. A representative from The Fort Stops PFAS team will be coming to talk to us; and State Senate candidate Devin Lander will be stopping by for a pint. We may have another guest or two; so, stay tuned.

If you have any agenda items for our next meeting, please send them to Ruth and me.

02/23/2026

At yesterday’s Washington County Democratic Committee meeting, our entire local slate of Democratic candidates ran unopposed and was formally endorsed: Carrie Woerner for Assembly District 113 and Devin Lander for Senate District 43. As you know, several candidates are seeking the nomination in New York’s 21st Congressional District. Two attended to present their case to the committee: Blake Gendebien and Dylan Hewitt. Following their presentations, the committee voted to endorse Blake Gendebien.

02/23/2026

Just a quick announcement: Senate district 43 candidate, Devin Lander, will be joining us on March 17th for our FEDC meeting.

Common Sense. Real Leadership. A Voice for Our Communities.

02/21/2026

The Washington County Democratic Committee meeting is tomorrow, 2/22 @ 1 PM at the Washington County Board of Elections, 1153 Burgoyne Ave. Ft. Edward, NY 12828. Join us!