The Times Herald-Record reports that Bethel councilman Richard Crumley died unexpectedly on Sunday, May 27 at the age of 69.
The paper spoke with town supervisor Dan Sturm, who said the town board will decide soon whether to appoint a replacement for the remainder of Crumley's term.
Crumley will be missed on the town board:
Supervisor Dan Sturm said he considered Crumley a good friend, remembering the Army veteran and passionate amateur racecar driver for his blunt, straight-talking ways.
“I am deeply saddened by it,” Sturm said. “We were very close on the board.”
Bethel's town board has been embroiled in some tough issues recently. Earlier this month, a lawsuit was filed against the town by Roy Howard and Jeryl Abramson, owners of Yasgur's Farm, who claim that they were slandered by Crumley and Sturm during a dispute with the town over the couple's use of their land to host outdoor events.
In April, Crumley, a longtime Republican, surprised his four fellow town board members by voting along with them to ban gas drilling under the town's zoning law:
It had appeared that at least four of the board members would vote in favor, but it was uncertain if councilmember Richard Crumley would support the measure. He did, he said, because, among other reasons, he did not believe the drilling companies would have adequate oversight from state and federal agencies.
