New York Kathy Hochul was in Syracuse on Sunday (September 25), and she kicked off the local election season by leading the Westcott Street Cultural Fair parade. Before the parade began she stopped to chat with WNA Board members Sam Gruber, Andrea Buckvold and Kim McCoy who were holding the WNA banner. We didn’t know it before, but we know it now, that Governor Hochul used to live in the Westcott Neighborhood, all the way at the top of Westmoreland Avenue. It is good to have friends in high places.
Gov. Kathy Hochul and Congressional candidate Francis Conole chat with WNA -co-president Sam Gruber and Board members Andrea Buckvold and Kim McCoy (out of frame).
Hochul is an alumna of Syracuse University’s College of Arts and Sciences and Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, where she graduated in 1980. At some point in her student years she told WNA board members that she lived at the very top of Westmoreland Avenue. There wasn’t time to inquire which house.
The Governor was accompanied by a gaggle of local elected officials and wanna-be elected officials. Mayor Ben Walsh, State Senator Rachel May, State Assemblywoman Pam Hunter, County Legislator Linda Ervin, and Syracuse 5th District Common Councilor Jimmy Monto, were all present, as well aspired congressional candidate Francis Conole (Democrat) and aspiring assembly candidate Dominick Ciciarelli (Republican) and many others.
State Senator Rachel May visits the WNA table at the Fair, with WNA Board members Lynne Odell and Charles Tremper