Retired Ellenville Central School District teacher Patricia Steinhoff, a member of one of Ellenville's oldest and best known families, the Crafts, has been chosen by Jeff Kaplan to take Theresa Hyatt's place as Ellenville Village Trustee now that Hyatt has been elected back to the town board. Steinhoff will take her position on the village board starting December 1, a seat she wasn't entirely sure about taking when Kaplan first suggested it.

“I was asked by Jeffery Kaplan a few months ago if I would be interested in taking Theresa's place if she were to get elected to the town, and I said I'd think about it, and if that happens, I'd discuss it with him,” says Steinhoff, who was looking to enjoy a little downtime since her recent retirement from teaching after 34 years.

“And then I was with my husband vacationing in Arizona and I got a call from Jeffery asking me if I would do it, and I said I would.”

Despite her lack of experience, Steinhoff plans to get educated on how to do the job right, reading through all the material the village has provided her and having already met with Village Manager Elliott Auerbach to discuss the position. “I don't plan on just going to meetings two times a month and saying, 'Okay, what's going on?'”

Steinhoff isn't a total stranger to politics, having served time as union president at Ellenville Central School District. Also helping her hit the ground running when she starts her stint on the board is her knowledge of her fellow board-members, having worked with Ray Younger while she ran a summer recreation program, knowing Ephrain Lopez from his work at the school, and having had Francisco Oliveras as a student in her class.

Steinhoff, an Ellenville High School graduate, was a student with both Kaplan and Village Manager Auerbach, graduating with both of them in the class of 1970. She also has more recently worked with both of their wives who are teachers at the school.

As for what goals she has for her tenure in the position, Steinhoff says it's still a bit too early to tell, but that she is committed to helping to find a way to help businesses grow in not just Ellenville, but all of Wawarsing as well.

“I'm interested in seeing that happen,” says Steinhoff. “I think that we are moving in that way, but we have a long way to go.”

As for whether or not she's in favor of Wal-Mart, Steinhoff believes that she is “interested in things coming into the village and the town that will benefit people,” and that such a business in the immediate area would help local residents cope with the rising costs of gas, allowing many of them to stay closer to home in order to get more of their essentials, “without having to drive thirty miles in any direction.”

Overall, Steinhoff says she is committed to doing her new job right. She's looking forward to this new job, which she says is a “challenge,” continuing, “I believe that I'm a lifelong learner and educator, and I feel like I can move in this direction now.”

Because this will be her first foray into holding a governmental position, Steinhoff is remaining cautious about her intentions for future positions. Asked whether she plans to run for reelection after her one-year term is up, Steinhoff wants to “wait and see.”

“When I take a job I do it 110 percent, so I just want to see what the commitment of time is, because I plan on doing the job like that,” she says, saying that after this year, she'll see what the future holds for her burgeoning political career.

COMMENTS about this article (40)