We are proud to announce that Town Board Member Joyce Becker has been nominated as Bethlehem's choice for the Albany County Democratic Committee's 2022 Women of Distinction!

This award was established many years ago to recognize strong, vital women of distinction in Albany County. The party will recognize and honor the efforts of the many amazing women that have built and continue to build this party and our community.  

Please join us in honoring Joyce's distinguished and ongoing career in public service, commitment to the Town of Bethlehem, and role as a Democratic leader in our town.

This year, the 2022 Albany County Democrats Women of Distinction Event will be an evening at the theater at Capital Rep on March 31, 2022.  We will have a private showing of "The True" (https://capitalrep.org/event/the-true-2/) The cost of the event will be $100 for a ticket to the reception and show with the show beginning at 7:30pm.  Prior to the show beginning we will honor all of our honorees for all that they have given back and a special presentation of the "Noonan Award."

More About "The True"
Buckle up for Sharr White’s political drama about the blunt, profane, decades-long defender of Albany’s Democratic Party machine Dorothea “Polly” Noonan. Politics is personal for Noonan, especially now that her hero, “mayor for life” Erastus Corning II, is battling for party control while at the same time fighting the fiercest primary challenge of his life.

If you’d like to see the detailed results from the Albany County Board of Elections, you can do so here.

​Thanks for your continued support.

​BETHLEHEM — The Bethlehem Republican Committee has come under fire after a reform plan posted to its website included a proposal to ban affordable housing in the town.

Twice a year for almost the past 10 years, members of the Bethlehem Democratic Committee have dedicated a few weekend hours to something even more gross than asking people for donations: picking up trash.

It's all part of the BDC's commitment to community service and, in this case, keeping our streets clean. The 3-mile stretch of New York State Route 32 between Elsmere Avenue and U.S. Route 9W is kept clean as part of a sponsorship program known as "Adopt-A-Highway."

According to the New York State Department of Transportation, the program was formalized in 1990, and now more than 2,400 highway "adoptions" are in place that cover over 5,000 miles of state highway roadsides.

The BDC is honored to be responsible for playing one small part in keeping our community clean.

If you might want to help us out at the next cleanup (or even if you just like the neon vests), we encourage you to contact Community Service Chair and County Legislator Matt Miller ​mmiller@bethlehemdems.org.

Town Supervisor David VanLuven had this to say about the great work Highway Superintendent Marc Dorsey is doing alongside the Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee:

"There are now “see me” flags at the Kenwood Ave crosswalk in Slingerlands (by the rail trail parking lot). Our Highway Dept put these out in in partnership with the Town’s Bicycle & Pedestrian Committee. The approach has worked well in other places, as the more visible pedestrians are, the more frequently drivers stop for them.

During our daily driving, it’s easy to forget how many crosswalks and pedestrians we have in Bethlehem. Let’s all try to be more courteous and stop when someone is trying to cross."

Read More on the Subject from the Times Union.

For Immediate Release                                                                            Contact: Joanne Cunningham, Chair
February 17, 2021                                                                 Bethlehem Democratic Committee 518-810-3538

The leadership of the Bethlehem Democratic Committee (BDC) announced its 2021 slate of Democratic candidates for Bethlehem town offices. The candidates were endorsed with great enthusiasm at the quarterly meeting of the BDC held on February 11, 2021. The endorsed slate of candidates include:

David VanLuven, Bethlehem Town Supervisor (incumbent)
Marc Dorsey, Bethlehem Highway Superintendent (incumbent)
Maureen Cunningham, Bethlehem Town Board (incumbent)
David DeCancio, Bethlehem Town Board 
Andrew Kirby, Bethlehem Town Justice (incumbent)
Nanci Moquin, Bethlehem Town Clerk (incumbent)

Town Justice Andrew Kirby, endorsed to seek his third term stated, "It has been an honor for the past seven years to serve as a Bethlehem Town Justice. During the past year, our court faced and continues to face challenges with COVID-19 restrictions and with implementing sweeping changes to New York State criminal justice laws. I am proud of the entire court staff for working through this difficult period with such professionalism and efficiency. I look forward to continuing my service to my town and its citizens as I seek re-election."

Marc Dorsey, endorsed for a second term as Bethlehem’s Highway Superintendent stated, “I am honored to seek reelection with a terrific slate of candidates. This year has been enormously challenging for the Highway Department and I am so proud of our team. With 10% fewer staff and no access to usual seasonal workers, we successfully managed the largest leaf and brush load our town has experienced, a significant October storm that took down trees and caused major damage and the fourth largest snowstorm in Bethlehem’s history. I am looking forward to continuing to serve Bethlehem’s residents.” 

Town Board Member Maureen Cunningham, endorsed for a second term, stated, “I am so proud of the many positive strides forward we have made in recent years, from expanding parklands and installing clean energy infrastructure to updating our comprehensive plan and prioritizing diversity and racial justice. I am grateful for the support of the BDC and look forward to expanding these successes to make our community a more just, healthy and safe place for all.”

Nanci Moquin, endorsed for her seventh term as Bethlehem’s Town Clerk, stated, “I am proud of the work that my team and I have done to ensure that our office has been available and actively serving the community during the pandemic. We have managed to continue our vital work of records management and fulfilling our duties of providing licenses and records to town residents. I am particularly proud that our flexible service model has enabled 100 residents of Bethlehem to obtain marriage licenses over the past year (in the safe setting of the town office parking lot), despite COVID. We proudly serve our town’s residents, no matter what.”

David VanLuven, seeking his third term as Bethlehem’s Town Supervisor stated, “This has been a challenging year and I’m impressed and proud of the COVID-inspired innovation and resilience of our town government, and I’m proud to have been part of it as we’ve adapted to keep delivering services during the pandemic and economic collapse. I look forward to building on a robust and successful track record during my tenure – we have continued Bethlehem’s excellent services, built new parks, protected farmland, and are engaged in vigorous planning for future growth. I am pleased to be running with a slate of candidates who share my commitment to Bethlehem.”

​END