GREENE – The Village of Greene had a new mayor last week. At least for one day. Thirteen-year-old Kelly Mulderig, a seventh grader from Greene Middle School, assumed the role of Mayor for the Day after being selected for the honor at the 22nd Annual Community Halloween Dance.
The village’s actual mayor, Marcia Miller, challenged Greene’s sixth through twelfth graders to fill up her Explorer with cans of food during this year’s dance. Miller promised that if they were successful, one lucky dance-goer would be granted the opportunity to be Mayor for a Day. The students did indeed rise to the occasion, contributing more than 260 food items. A drawing determined that Mulderig would get the chance to spend the day, Nov. 18, with Miller.
At approximately 8 a.m. on the chosen day, Mulderig took “office.” If she thought her day of duty would be a walk in the park, she was mistaken.
Miller did have a few fun perks planned for the honorary mayor, but she had plenty of work for her as well. That included opening the morning mail, handling a few mayoral phone calls, touring the village and even making a decision or two.
The middle schooler’s temporary term started with a tour of the village offices at 49 Genessee St. Miller showed her a map of Greene, outlining the village’s original one mile square footprint and the industrial area along the Chenango River that was annexed several years ago.
“We share a lot of services,” said Miller, explaining the cooperative relationship between the two municipalities.
Mulderig had a chance to page through old, minute books, including the one from the year she was born.
“I love looking through the old records,” said Miller. The mayor consulted these archives when she was researched the village’s date of incorporation.
The village seal, which is kept in a large walk-in safe with other valuable items and documents, shows the village was originally incorporated in 1842 and then re-incorporated in 1886.
Miller said she has never found an entry that explains the re-incorporation, but the village’s attorney believes that state law changed around that time making the step necessary.
Back in her tiny office, Miller pulled out the Village Code book. The thick manual is the result of three years’ work by the village board of trustees to consolidate the municipality’s laws in one indexed volume, she explained. Miller, who was a trustee for 18 years prior to being elected mayor in 2007, was involved with the project.
Mulderig asked Miller if a law truly did exist that made eating peanuts while walking backwards during a concert illegal.
“We have never found it,” said Miller. She said the village gets several inquiries a year about the old law. “I’m sure it was [a law] at some point.”
Putting down the code book, the mayors turned their attention to the day’s correspondence. One letter was from an out of state driver contesting a ticket received within the village limits.
The mayor may jokingly refer to the complaints as “love letters,” but she takes each one seriously and always follows up personally.
“There’s always another side of the story,” Miller explained. “We’ll need to call and meet with Chief Dutcher about this.”
The village police department was once located behind the village office, but having outgrown that space, has now moved across town. The department currently operates out of the Greene Community Services building at 29 Chenango St.
“Greene Community Services has been very accommodating,” said Miller. Not only have the property owners renovated the office space, but they also constructed a garage to house the department’s patrol vehicles. The facility also serves as a substation for the New York State Police. Three troopers are based out of the office.
The visit to the police station was the highlight of Mulderig’s day. After a quick tour, she sat down with Police Chief Steve Dutcher to discuss the allegations made in the letter.
Dutcher explained the electronic ticketing process used by the department and reviewed the ticket in question along with his notes about the incident. After asking a few questions Mulderig (and Miller) were satisfied that there had been a second side to the story. As the case will be going to trial early next year, they decided an acknowledgment of the complaint was all they could offer at the present time.
