Candidates for the Democratic Party nomination for Assembly in the 103rd Ulster-Dutchess district will face off — more or less — in two separate debates within a few days, beginning Friday, June 7.

I say more or less because there will be two distinctly different forums for incumbent Sarahana Shrestha and challenger Gabi Madden.

The first, on Friday from 8-9 a.m. on the Me and Mario radio call-in show is meant to place both candidates in the same room sitting next to each other, cheek and jowl. Madden eagerly accepted within hours, as one would expect of a challenger. We’re waiting on Shrestha.

The Freeman format is virtual, with candidates participating separately from off-site locations. To some it might sound like the depths of the pandemic when nobody got within bad breath of each other. Both candidates have committed. Scheduled for the early afternoon of June 11, the program will not be streamed live according to the daily. Posting on the paper’s website is planned for “early afternoon.”

Me and Mario is live. Callers can participate during the debate. It is also streamed live on Vimeo.com. Here’s the link: https://vimeo.com/user173056939

If past is prologue, and not to discourage Shrestha’s participation, I think we could wind up with one hand clapping on the 7th.

Over the course of her 17 months in office, Mario and Me has repeatedly invited Shrestha, as Kingston’s representative in the state Assembly, to participate in a live exchange with us on our bi-weekly program on WGHQ-FM, 920. She has yet to respond.

Two years ago, when she was the challenger against seemingly imbedded incumbent Kevin Cahill, there was no response to us from her camp for a face-to face. We had no intention of penalizing a candidate because his opponent refused an invitation to debate. Cahill got the hour to himself, though without the usual softballs served up in one-on-one interviews by media these days. The same rule applies this year.

While Shrestha is considering her options, she might ponder this: Our last live debate between Kingston mayoral candidates Steve Noble and Scott Denny attracted almost 2,200 listeners/viewers. With Madden gaining traction as the June 25 primary approaches, the incumbent may need some of those votes.

Mario and I are looking forward to a vigorous exchange — live! — between these Assembly candidates, one of whom almost certainly will prevail in the November elections.

This is but a footnote, but I wonder if there isn’t something in the DSA (Democratic Socialists of America) DNA that dictates that their candidates, like Shrestha, avoid live fire from media at all costs.

I refer here to former county legislator and DSA man Phil Erner’s upset 2021 victory over decades-long incumbent Dave Donaldson in their primary in Kingston’s 6th District.

Mario and Me thought we had confirmed the appearance of both candidates until Erner phoned me the night before to withdraw. He claimed he would not appear with an opponent who had lied and insulted him. He was referring to a Donaldson flyer that had hit homes that day that compared the incumbent’s 28-year record, with several terms as legislature chairman, to Erner’s, which, like most challengers, was long on philosophy but short on accomplishments.

Beg and cajole as I might, Erner was adamant. He did not appear. Like Cahill, Donaldson lost. Erner, unlike Shrestha, did not stand for re-election.

Maybe there’s a political lesson here: Go with what works. But ducking debates with one’s opponent does not serve the public interest.

Speaking of Debates …

Most people know after reading my stuff all these years, that I focus on local affairs. But I couldn’t resist watching coverage of recently completed Trump trial in New York City. And it wasn’t just the lurid testimony by the porn actress. Some of the other stuff was worse.

With 34 indictments on the table, I thought the jury would split the baby: nail Trump for maybe half, acquit him on the rest. Frankly, I was surprised when they threw the book at him: guilty on all counts.

How the U.S. Supreme Court deals with all this, if it chooses to act at all, is unknown.

But in my military mind (as we used to say in the service) there will be one definite result of the New York trial: Biden will not debate a “convicted felon.”

New Trail in the Mix

Besides being radio co-hosts, Mario Catalano and I walk four or five times a week for about three miles around the city and its environs, including rail trails. While it doesn’t show on me, it’s good, healthy exercise and we meet all kinds of walkers with their dogs. We also met a 94-year-old man shuffling along with braces on both legs. “Keep going, boys!” he called out to us as we passed him. There’s a real sense of camaraderie on the trail.

Last week, we tackled the newly, not quite officially opened extension of the Hurley rail trail along the Esopus Creek to Kingston, ending just behind Best Western off Washington Avenue. It’s quite a nature walk. We saw ponds, nesting snapping turtles, snakes, a blue heron, signs of deer and other critters. The single lane of fresh blacktop left plenty of room for walkers and bikers.

Alas, we missed the next day’s official grand opening, carefully contrived to afford “ribbon-cutter in chief” Jen Metzger another photo-op for news-starved media. There in the daily the next day was a large photo of the county executive standing behind her portable podium dedicating the new trail in the middle of the newly minted walkway with her entourage.

Now that it’s official, we’ll be sure to add that trail to our regular schedule.

I’ll confess to being skeptical about this rail/trail program, mostly because of the way former executive Mike Hein rode roughshod over railroad interests. I was wrong. The trails we walk are busy and obviously appreciated. And the railroad is thriving.