Hickey, Smith backed by Democrats in race for county Legislature

HOOSICK FALLS, N.Y. » The man credited with discovering the contamination of the public water supply in the village of Hoosick Falls is among two candidates endorsed by the Rensselaer County Democratic Committee in District 5 of the county Legislature.

In a news release Monday, the committee announced its endorsements of Michael Hickey of Hoosick Falls and Dennis Smith of North Petersburgh to represent District 5, which includes the towns of Berlin, Grafton, Hoosick, Petersburgh and Stephentown.

A lifelong resident of Hoosick Falls, a former Village Board member and an insurance underwriter, Hickey is credited with unearthing the presence of perfluorooctanoic acid, a reputed cance-causing substance, in the village water system two years ago. The discovery led to the creation of Healthy Hoosick Water, a nonprofit group whose aim was to take on corporate polluters. His efforts helped lead to state Senate Hearings, ongoing legal proceedings against the alleged polluters, Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics and Honeywell, and the installation of a permanent filtration system for municipal water.

Hickey was recognized for his efforts with the Environmental Protection Agency’s highest citizen honor, the Environmental Champion Award.

Hickey earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from Cazenovia College in 2001 and lives in Hoosick Falls his wife, Angela, and their 6-year-old son, Oliver. He said he aims to bring tourism dollars, senior and youth funding and economic development to the district.

Smith is also a lifelong local resident who is a member of the Petersburgh Town Board, which has had to deal with similar contamination issues in that town’s water system. Smith also served 17 years as a member of the town’s Board of Assessment Review.

Smith and his wife, Pamela, live in North Petersburgh with their daughter, Sara, and son, Aron, and own Kiddie-Carr Daycare/Preschool. Smith, a graduate of Hoosick Falls Central School who attended Rutgers University, was also a carpenter who owned Smith’s Construction with his brother for 25 years.

An active member of emergency services in Petersburgh, Smith said he will advocate for police and firefighters in the district.