Post office to be named for Hinchey next week
The Saugerties Post Office will be formally dedicated on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, to the memory of the late U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey, the U.S. Postal Service has announced.
Hinchey, who lived most of his life in Saugerties, died last November at age 79 after battling a rare neurological disorder. He served in the House of Representatives from 1993 until his retirement at the end of 2012. He served in the state Assembly from 1975 to 1992.
Congress approved legislation in July to name the Saugerties Post Office for Hinchey, it was signed into law by President Donald Trump soon after.
The legislation was sponsored by U.S. Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and U.S. Rep. John Faso, R-Kinderhook.
The scheduled 45-minute ceremony, to begin at 11 a.m., will take place at the post office, 111 Market St., and will feature the unveil-
ing of a plaque dedicating the facility to the memory of Hinchey.
Among those expected to attend the event, according to a press release issued by the Postal Service, are: Richard Conte, district manager for the Postal Service; state Assemblyman Kevin Cahill, D-Kingston; Faso; village of Saugerties Mayor Michael Murphy; town Supervisor Fred Costello Jr.; Dan Ahouse, Hinchey’s former chief of staff; and Hinchey family members Michelle Hinchey, a daughter, Ilene Hinchey, his widow, Josef Hinchey, a son, Reese and Debra Hinchey, a son and daughter-in-law, and Mike and MaryAnn Hinchey, a brother and sister-in-law, among others.
In a statement issued on behalf of the family after the law was signed, Ilene and Michelle Hinchey called the post office naming “a tremendous milestone and privilege for our family.”
“Maurice would be humbled to have the Saugerties Post Office named in his honor, and we’re incredibly excited that Senator Schumer, Senator Gillibrand and Congressman Faso have been able to make that happen,” the statement said. “We thank them sincerely, from the bottom of
our hearts, for turning this dream into a reality. We look forward to celebrating this for generations to come.”
Maurice Hinchey was perhaps best known for being an unflinching advocate for the environment, including through his support of the Clean Air Act and protecting the Hudson River.
Hinchey, who served in the U.S. Navy from 1956 to 1959, also was a strong supporter of military veterans.
The Catskill Interpretive Center in Mount Tremper is named for him, and he is buried on the grounds of the Route 28 facility. A walkway along the Roundout Creek in the city of Kingston also is named for Hinchey.