Hometown: A Saga of Small Town Politics

By Gil Herkimer

Hometown was a small rural Upstate New York town, population about 3,000 to
4,000 people, 12,000 to 15,000 milk cows, and three creameries . The author, Gil Herkimer, like this books leading character, Bill Stevens, was born in the Hometown area composed of at least five or six upstate New York villages and towns , and lived there all of his early life there, except for the four years which he, too, had spent in the U. S. Navy during World War II.
The authors main purpose for writing this book is to encourage readers to help in the development of a strong two-party political system in areas wheres only a one-party rule as it was in Hometown during the early 1960's.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jun 21, 2013
• ISBN: 9781481753005

Gil Herkimer

Born and reared near New York’s Mohawk Valley, Gil Herkimer traveled extensively throughout the United States and overseas as a corporate executive, management consultant, university professor, and textbook author. Upon retirement as professor emeritus he returned to his first loves---traveling, beach combing, promoting jazz, and studying history. He proudly declares himself a native New Yorker, who lived in Southern California for nearly twenty years. He presently resides over looking beautiful Corpus Christi Bay in Texas with his car Nudge.

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© 2013 by Gil Herkimer. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 06/18/2013

ISBN: 978-1-4817-5304-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4817-5300-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013908912

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Preface

Cast of Principal Characters

Chapter One

The Stevens Family

Chapter Two

The Caucus

Chapter Three

The Show Down

Chapter Four

A Bite of History

Chapter Five

Love in Bloom

Chapter Six

Designing the Strategy

Chapter Seven

The Day After the Challenge

Chapter Eight

The Interlude

Chapter Nine

Dance with the clowns

Chapter Ten

The Other Side of the Fence

Chapter Eleven

The Hoyt Family

Chapter Twelve

The New Leaf of Life

Chapter Thirteen

The Big Election Day

New Chapter

Meanwhile Upon The Oxbow Road

Chapter Fourteen

Just the Right Kind of Day

Chapter Fifteen

The Loyal Opposition

Postscript

Preface

Hometown was a small rural ‘Upstate’ New York town, population about 3,000 to 4,000 people, 12,000 to 15,000 milk cows, and three creameries. The author, Gil Herkimer, like this book’s leading character, Bill Stevens, was born in the Hometown area composed of at least five or six upstate New York villages and towns, and lived there all of his early life there, except for the four years which he, too, had spent in the U. S. Navy during World War II.

Before World War II, Hometown was known as a black Republican town. Whenever a newcomer came into Hometown, and looked around for an African American, the newcomer would remark that he (she) had not seen any ‘colored’ person in the town. The residents would inform the newcomer(s) that Hometown is primarily populated by White Anglo-Saxon Protestants more familiarly known as ‘WASPs’. Simply speaking, there were virtually no blacks, no Jews, no Catholics, and very few, if any, foreigners or colored of any kind, just plain WASPs.

The author, Gil Herkimer, like this book’s leading character, Bill Stevens, had married during the year following his Navy discharge in 1946. He and his wife located in a city near a university located about one-hundred miles from Hometown. After graduation, he and his wife and their two children moved back to Hometown, where he became his father’s partner in a grocery supermarket, and he too, also became heavily involved with the local Chambers of Commerce, even helped to organize at least three other town’s Chambers of Commerce, even one in the neighboring state of Connecticut. Over a few years, his popularity and his business aptitude, soon attracted numerous offers from other local businesses and in neighboring areas, even in neighboring State of Connecticut.

The author, a.k.a. Dr. Allen G. Herkimer Jr., during the early 1960’s, he served as a member of the Duchess County Democrat Committee, and frequently, along with other committee county members spent many evenings long after one o’clock in the morning with their fellow committee member, Eleanor Roosevelt, in her library in the back of the Roosevelt family’s big home in Hyde Park.

As the late Rudyard Kipling in his memorable and famed poem, ‘If’, stated: If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, or walk with Kings-nor lose the common touch,"

This book’s author emphatically states and believes that Eleanor Roosevelt never, ever lost her common touch. She was a great lady, and an inspiration to all of those who believe in a strong two-party political system of local government.

The author’s main purpose for writing this book is to encourage readers to help in the development of a strong two-party political system in areas where’s only a one-party rule as it was in Hometown during the early 1960’s.

The author would like to express his gratitude from all of the encouragement that he received from the people involved in getting the Hometown into writing.

To Stacy Canon, his Check-In Coordinator who helped him a lot in finishing his manuscript. To his very dear friend Betty Bradley, who encouraged him in writing the book and serving as a proof reader and finally a computer genius, Richard Harrell for without them Hometown would have never been published.

Cast of Principal Characters

The William Bill Stevens Family

Bill Stevens: Father, Director of Advertising, Hometown Products, Inc.

Lea Stevens: Mother

Dottie Stevens: Oldest daughter

Terry Stevens: Oldest son

Joan Stevens: Youngest daughter

Johnnie Stevens: Youngest son

Dr. Casey Uncle Mandell

Hometown Chamber of Commerce

Tom Bishop, President

George Frick, Treasurer

Bill Johnson

Hometown Majority Party

Charlie Bacon, Chairperson & Owner Bacon’s Hardware

Robert Bacon, Charlie’s Elder son

Ted Modley, Bookkeeper and Cashier, Bacon’s Hardware

Hometown Principals

Richard Stanton, Mayor

Whit Jaeger. Editor, Hometown News

Mr. Cecil Gutch, Tax Assessor

Hometown Minority Party

Stanley Andrews, Chairperson

Ed Donahue, Fuel Oil Dealer

Diana Jefferson,

Neighboring Town’s Editor

Horace Greeley Jones, The County Journal

Other Local Characters

Frank Weekly, Proprietor, Hometown’s Colonial Inn

Jim Everett

Drapper Huntley

Oscar Swanson

George Becker, Retired

Chapter One

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The Stevens Family

T he main course of the Stevens’s evening dinner was finished, and Dottie, the eldest daughter, was taking the dirty dishes from the table while her father, Bill, and her eldest brother, Terry, were dishing out portions of ice cream.

Bird, beast, fish, or human? asked Lea, the matriarch of the Stevens family, as another round of the family’s ususal post dinner guessing game was started.

Human? started Joan, the blond haired ten year old daughter.

Yes, this is a human. confirmed her mother.

Is this human alive? asked Johnnie, the Stevens’ youngest son.

Yes, he’s alive! agreed their mother.

Is this human a man? asked Joan.

This human is a man, agreed their mother.

Is he on TV? asked their father.

No, he is not on TV answered their mother.

Does he work in Daddy’s factory?

No, he does not work in your father’s factory!

"Does he live in Hometown?’

No, he does not live in Hometown! Not now, anyway, added their mother.

Oh! I betcha I know who he is, said Joan smiling, and jumping up and down, and asking Is he a medical doctor?

Yes, he is a medical doctor! confirmed Lea.

Was he born in the United States of America? asked smiling the eldest daughter, Dottie.

No, he was not born in the U. S. of A. informed their mother.

Was this man born Russia?

No, he was not born in Russia!

Was he born in Germany? asked Johnnie.

Yes, he was born in Germany, confirmed Lea.

Does this family know this doctor? asked their father, Bill.

Is this doctor supposed to visit the family tonight? added a smiling Terry.

Yes, this doctor is supposed to visit our family tonight, affirmed their mother, that is if my husband and our sons don’t forget to pick him up at the train station tonight.

Is this man… doctor, also known to this family as ‘Uncle Casey’ even though he is not a real blood uncle.

Yes, yes, you’re all correct," declared the matriarch of the Stevens family.

The other day, started their father, I was talking with our Uncle Casey, and he told me that he was very seriously considering moving to Hometown for his permanent retirement, in fact, he told me that he has already made an arrangement with Mary and George White, and they’ve worked out an agreement that the Whites will take care of the housekeeping and meals, if Casey will give them the privilege of living in the house Casey is planning to buy, after Bill had taken a deep breath, he added that, "in fact, our friend, Dr. Casey Mandell, was offered a staff position in the Hometown General Hospital.

That’s wonderful news, exclaimed Lea, and rest of the Stevens family joined into the joyous news about their ‘Uncle Casey’s moving to and working in the Hometown General Hospital. Now, if you gentlemen will drive down to the train station, and bring back your Uncle Casey, while us girls scrape together a midnight snack for all of us."

But, Uncle Casey probably hasn’t had anything to eat tonight,! declared the youngest daughter, and he’s probably hungry!

But, we haven’t had our dessert, yelled the gentlemen as they passed through the door to the garage.

You’ve all had your share of ice cream, declared Dottie, as the males in the family slammed the screen door shut to the garage.

*     *     *

As the Steven daughters and their mother gathered in the farm-like kitchen, their mother announced, I’m glad that we had enough foresight to prepare early for tonight’s snack when their father and brothers return from the train station with our Uncle Casey.

And Dottie reminded us, said the smiling Joan, "that one of Uncle Casey’s cold weather desserts is a steaming hot casserole full of apple-pan doughty made with upstate-New York’s famous northern-spy apples.

Yes, added Joan, We must remember that Uncle Casey especially likes hot apple cider on these chilling nights.

But, you forgot, too, smiled their mother, "that Uncle Casey occasionally likes to add a jigger of dark Jamaican rum to his hot apple cider.

I remembered, grinned their older sister, Dottie, that Uncle Casey also likes hot-buttered rum on cold, cold winter nights, too.

The Steven women had about finished telling stories about their Uncle Casey, when they heard the family’s car being parked in the unheated family covered garage.

Uncle Casey’s here! chirped the youngest daughter in the Stevens family, as she jumped up and hugged her favorite Uncle.

*     *     *

There was much excitement and joy in the Stevens’ home after Uncle Casey arrived, and all were served the special apple-pan doughy together with the hot apple cider.

And sure enough, their mother was correct, when she reminded the children that Uncle Casey liked a jigger of dark Jamaican rum in his hot apple cider.

Bob, I’ve heard a lot about this new chess-table you’ve just constructed, said Uncle Casey, when are you going to show it to me?

It’s a beautiful table, proudly smiled Lea, I think that the red cedar and white pine go very nicely together, and those four inch squares of this wood really makes a very beautiful field on which to set up those large Florentine chessmen of yours, as Bob’s proud wife explained.

Enough, enough! exclaimed their guest, Now, when are you going to show me that fabulous chess table, and when am I permitted to play on this piece of art? quizzed their Uncle Casey.

Alright! alright! announced the family’s fancy carpenter, I’ll parade you all into the study, and give you all the formal showing of the Stevens family’s famous chess-table on one condition, that no one will play on the chess table before Casey and I have a chance tomorrow. Father Stevens stopped momentarily, and announced, Casey, I’ll invite you to a game of chess with me tomorrow evening, at just about ‘tea time.

The challenge is accepted, smiled Dr. Casey Mandell, as long as you don’t serve me tea.

*     *     *

The children were all settled down in their respective beds, and Uncle Casey was bunked down in his usual guest room located over the kitchen.

Sitting at the round kitchen table covered with the familiar red and white checkered table cloth, Bill and Lea took this opportunity to reminiscent about the day’s events, while sipping the luke-warm cider, and sampling some of the remnants of the apple casserole.

They agreed that life has been very good to them. They were blessed to live in such a wonderful rural community such as Hometown. They had four healthy and usually happy children, and Bill had a good advertising job, and they agreed that they were blessed to have such wonderful rural community as Hometown, in which to raise their off-spring.

Silently, each were evaluating their good fortune. They were not rich in money, but they were rich in family love. Something many individuals could not boast of, nor could they purchase with money. It had been the family tradition to have candles for the evening meal, all of the family agreed that candles presented a sorta restful and relaxed atmosphere to be together. The guessing game had, also, became a part of the evenings’s formalities during dinner. Their family was growing fast. Soon the birds would be flying from the nest.

The candle light reflected a certain brilliance in Lea’s eyes, as Bill sat there admiring his adorable wife, What a tolerant soul she is, he thought. "If I had to stay at home all day with these kids, I’d go crazy! Yet she comes out of her corner smiling every day. Somedays not as cheerful as the others, but she was always ready to give an extra kiss to assure everyone of them that she loved them. How she could absorb all the family’s trials and tribulations, he could not understand, but she did! and that’s what mattered!

How fortunate he was to have Lea as his partner and wife. She was a gem! And he loved her, very dearly!

*     *     *

On schedule, and on time Dr. Casey Mandell reminded Bill Stevens of his challenge to play a game of chess, which was to be played on the Stevens’ new chess table. After their initial greetings, the two men made a quick and polite entry into the library with its weather beatened, barn siding, and a handsome picture window view of Hometown’s mountainous view, the library had a field stone fireplace with a full-length log mantel stretching the width of the room.

The two friendly chess-foes sat in the two easy chairs facing each other over the conversation piece chess table with its handcrafted chessman standing ready to preform as their masters instructed them.

Casey quickly surveyed the window framed picturesque of his religious cathedral, the great out-of-doors. Before Casey was ready to start to play chess, he wanted to talk about his favorite subject—Nature.

As you know, Bill, I do not pretend to believe in any of the orthodox religions, right here in this library you’ve created one of the most gorgeous scenes, which Nature could ever create for you and us; the beauty of the landscape you have captured here is better than anything an artist can create with a paint brush. You’ve certainly captured one of Nature’s most beautiful views right here in your library. You’re to be congratulated. Now, that I have your beautiful painting off my chest, let’s get to our chess game!

I was wondering, my friend, when you were going to get off of your soap box, said Bill, and let us get down to the business at hand. In fact, you’ve been talking about beauty, and you haven’t even told me how beautiful this chess table is.

Embarrassed, Casey said, What you’ve been able do with your old weather beaten barn boards, and together with your carpentry skills, I must admit that I’m glad that I’m moving to Hometown, so I can visit you and your family more frequently than when I was living in New York City where I was near my work at Physicians and Surgeons (P&S) Hospital.

Before we get started with this chess game, would you care for a highball? Bill asked.

What a wonderful idea, said Casey, the usual bourbon ‘neat’!

"You know you’ve got me so I’ve been drinking bourbon occasionally, ‘only a ‘taste,’only a ‘taste’, as I’ve been told what Count Basie used to say.

I’ll be back in a one o’clock jump, smiled Bill, as he hurried back to the chess table, where the Florentine statues presented an artistic display of potential might. Directly before him was the white army, and opposite his troops stood