2022 LIBRARY TRUSTEE CANDIDATE STATEMENTS


IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER (BY LAST NAME)


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Statement from CARL SANDLER BERKOWITZ:

"CARL SANDLER BERKOWITZ has lived in Orange County for more than
forty-two years, with his wife, Linda Emanuel. They have two sons, Drew
and Jeremy. Drew has a Masters of Library and Information Science
degree and served his internship at Thrall Library. He is now the Outreach
Librarian for the Paterson (N.J.) public library. Jeremy is an Assistant
Professor of Political Science at Prairie View A & M University in Texas.

Carl, who has recently retired, sold used and out-of-print scholarly books to
university libraries and professors around the world. He earned a BA in
Classics from Tufts University and an MA in Classics from Johns Hopkins
University.

Carl is a charter member of the Friends of Middletown Thrall Library and
has served as its President. Deeply involved in the campaign to build a new
library building, he often served as the "voice" of the Friends at Middletown
School Board meetings. He was the original organizer and manager of the
Friends of Middletown Thrall Library Book Store.

One of the leaders in the long struggle to bring library service to the twelve
thousand residents of the Town of Wallkill who were outside the old Thrall
Public Library district, Carl was elected as one of the original Trustees of
the newly enlarged Thrall special district library in 2001. Reelected five
times, he has served four terms as President of the Board of Trustees."


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Statement from SHELLEY MILBURN:

"I am Shelley Milburn, and I began my career at Thrall Library on
Orchard Street on April 9, 1973. My position has been the
secretary to the Director. February 13, 1995, marked the opening
of the new Middletown Thrall Library. I retired from Middletown
Thrall Library in June 2022, after 49 years of public service. I look
forward to applying my extensive experience and insights to the
library and the community. Thank you."

 
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Statement from EVELYN ORTEGA

"My name is Evelyn Ortega. I have lived in Middletown for over 30 years. I
have always been an active member in the community. I have worked in the
Children’s department at Thrall Library organizing reading programs; I have
always valued improving programs much needed for our families in the
community at the Thrall library. I also work with the Latino Democratic
Committee of Orange County in various communities in Orange County.
Thank You."


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Statement from SUSAN WYMAN

"Let me introduce myself. I’m Susan Hommel Wyman and I have lived in
Middletown my entire life. In fact, I am a fourth generation
Middletowner. I’ve been married to Gary for forty-three years, have
two children and four grandsons. For thirty-three years I owned and
operated Susie’s Daycare in Middletown. When I retired, I took onthe
position of the Building Administrator for the United Presbyterian
Church in Middletown and held that position for seven years before
becoming the church’s thrift shop manager.

My volunteer work has included serving as secretary of the Middletown
Citywide Neighborhood Watch Association for four years, an elder of
my church for nine years, and I now sit on the Board of Directors for the
Hillside Cemetery Corporation in Middletown.

I come froma family of book people: my mother, Alberta Hommel, was
a librarian at Thrall in the 60’s and then became the head librarian of all
the elementary schools in Middletown. My sister also has a library
degree, and my uncle wrote well-received children’s books.

The library and reading has been an important part of my life. Books
are not just entertainment; they have the power to educate, inspire
and transform."

 
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