The Riverhead Town GOP has agreed to have its Town Council and Supervisor candidates attend just one Meet the Candidates forum this fall, hosted by the Greater Calverton and Wading River Civic Associations on Oct. 16.
The Greater Jamesport and Heart of Riverhead Civic Associations have decided to go ahead with their candidate forums without them.
Pictured Above: The Sept. 30 Greater Jamesport Civic Association Meet the Candidates night will be held at the Jamesport Meeting House.
Members of the Greater Jamesport Civic Association, which had been planning to hold a Meet the Candidates forum with all the candidates as well, had been informed Sept. 6 that the Republicans will not attend their forum. They voted this weekend to hold the forum Sept. 30 regardless of whether the Republicans attend.
At the Greater Jamesport Civic Association’s monthly meeting Sept. 20, “members voted unanimously to proceed with the event – with or without the incumbent candidates,” according to an announcement from the Civic Association Sunday evening, Sept. 21. “All candidates for Riverhead Town Supervisor and Riverhead Town Board were invited and are welcome to participate.”
The Civic Association added that its President, Laura Jens-Smith, a former Democratic Town Supervisor and current Riverhead Town Democratic Committee chair, was not present at the meeting.
“The Greater Jamesport Civic Association is a non-partisan organization that does not endorse candidates,” according to the Civic Association’s statement. “The organization has hosted meet the candidates events for the past several decades. The Civic Association began planning the Sept. 30 candidate forum in May and secured commitments to participate from Democratic candidates Jerry Halpin, Mark Woolley and Kevin Shea more than two months ago.”
The Jamesport Civic Association said Riverhead Republican Committee Chairwoman Tammy Robinkoff replied to a certified letter inviting the candidates to the forum by saying they “will be having one debate at a neutral location with a neutral moderator, the information will be forthcoming.”
The Jamesport Civic Association said the Heart of Riverhead and Greater Calverton Civic Associations were cc’d on the email.
Ms. Robinkoff told The Beacon on Monday that “the Republican candidates have agreed to one Meet the Candidates event being held by the Greater Calverton and Wading River Civics on Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. at the Riley Avenue Elementary School. We look forward to the event.”
The school is located at 374 Riley Avenue in Calverton.
Greater Calverton Civic Association President Toqui Terchun said Monday evening that she had received a phone call from Ms. Robinkoff confirming Republican candidates’ attendance Monday, after the Jamesport Civic Association’s press release was sent to media outlets Sunday evening.
She said that, in the past, debates organized by the Calverton and Wading River civic groups had focused more on townwide issues than issues specific to their hamlets, which may have played a role in the Republicans’ deciding to participate.
“What I’d really like to see is more opportunities for voters to hear from candidates,” she said. “I think the candidates will miss out on opportunity to speak on the same night as their opponents” at the other forums.
“A single event will not provide the opportunity for voters to hear competing candidates address the critical issues affecting their local communities, as well as those facing the town as a whole,” said Greater Jamesport Civic Association Vice President Steve Green in the Greater Jamesport Civic Association’s announcement. “We are offering all the candidates an opportunity to come to a neutral location, where I will moderate a balanced question and answer session. We urge Tim Hubbard, Bob Kern and Ken Rothwell to participate so that the voters in our community may hear first-hand, the positions of all the candidates for Town Supervisor and Town Board. The doors to our Sept.30 event will be open to all and we will welcome their participation.”
The Greater Jamesport Civic Association Meet the Candidates event will be held at the Jamesport Meeting House at 1590 Main Rd. in Jamesport, on Tuesday, Sept. 30 at 7 p.m.
The Heart of Riverhead Civic Association is also planning to hold a candidate forum on Saturday, Oct. 4 at 10:30 a.m. at the Riverhead Free Library at 330 Court Street.
“We are disappointed that the Republican candidates are unwilling to participate,” said Heart of Riverhead Civic Association President Cindy Clifford Monday evening. “As these events were planned throughout the township and at varying times. Our intention was to include anyone interested in learning more about the candidates. Unfortunately, this certainly points to their disinterest in serving the community.”
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