Last Sunday, the Marlborough community and state elected officials gathered at the Falcon Music Club to honor former Supervisor Al Lanzetta and Councilman Howard Baker.

State Senator. James Skoufis pointed out that this event was being held on Earth Day Weekend, “and we all want to leave the planet a little bit cleaner and better than when we found it. Those of us in public service, who take this job seriously, our mission is similar; we want to leave the community we represent in a better place than when we found it and without question Al and Howard have done that for the Town of Marlborough. They have poured their hearts and their souls, sweat equity or whatever you want to characterize it as, into making this community a better place during their tenure, whether it’s the Route 9W corridor, the waterfront, the comprehensive plan, the list is very, very long. They have left this town in much better shape than when they found it.”

Skoufis presented Al and Howard with NYS Senate Proclamations, “as a very small token of my thanks and congratulations to you all. It has been a privilege to work with both of you gentlemen and I look forward to our continued friendship and partnership.”

Assemblyman Jonathan Jacobson said Marlborough has been very lucky to have had Lanzetta and Baker on the Town Board. He said some people go into politics to be loved and others because they want to accomplish things, “and these two individuals decided that we’re going to accomplish things. Maybe it isn’t always popular and maybe it’s going to be difficult to sell the project but they said no, we’re going to do the right thing. I think over time people have realized how they have done the right thing. These two gentlemen knew how to get it done and for that we should all be eternally grateful.”

Jacobson presented the two men with proclamations from the NYS Assembly in honor of their service to the Marlborough community.

Lanzetta said the event brought together all of the people, “that I enjoy being around. It’s great and a little overwhelming sometimes because you see a lot of people who were truly instrumental in all of your success. My wife, Cindy, after 40 years, has been behind me and supporting me and my family, all 18 of them.”

Lanzetta also thanked Jerry and Rosemary Wein for their perseverance in writing and obtaining grants for the town, to John and Cynthia Behan, of Behan Planning and Design, for their help in making Marlborough a better place to live and to engineer Dennis Larios who has been taking care of the upgrades to the sewer plants. He also thanked Dave Zambito, John Alonge, Jerry Cocozza, his secretary Tina Rosa and the town’s budget director Christine Wilklow, “who help with everything in town. They are the ones who do the heavy lifting.” He mourns the loss of Tony Falco, “who was a mentor to me. He was always a doer and I will always remember his support. I can’t say enough about Tony and how much I miss him and how much the community misses him.”

Lanzetta said the first few years on the Town Board were marred by conflict, “and I didn’t really enjoy it that much but I would say that in the last half of my tenure the board has been just great. We hardly disagreed on anything and we got things done. With a supportive board and people who are really committed to their community and not to politics, a lot of things could get done and that’s what we had in the last 6 years.”

Lanzetta said his legacy is the Milton Landing and pier, the TOMVAC building, sidewalks in town and the playground at the Cluett Shantz Park. He expects people will eventually forget who was involved in these projects, “but I will always remember the people in the community that helped me build certain things.”

Lanzetta said he has no regrets.

“I did the best I could and my legacy is my family and my community. I’ve had a good run, let’s put it that way,” he said. Howard Baker said he is very grateful for the kind words that were spoken about him and Lanzetta. He recalled the kindness that former Supervisor John Quimby showed to him when he was a boy.

“He was a guy that I looked up to and at some time they did a testimonial for him and at the time I thought what a nice honor to have those accomplishments and to be recognized by your community; that’s the best, so here it is, it happened to me.”

Baker appreciates the honor shown to him for his service on the Town Board.

“The main point is the people you meet along the way, it’s really been a great ride,” he said, adding that although he and Al will not run again for office, “We’re still involved with the Milton Landing and the Marlborough Nature Trail, so we’ll still be a force in town.”