Veterans to Present Legislative Forum

The Putnam County Veterans Task Force will hold their 2nd Annual Veterans Legislative Forum from 9 a.m. until noon in the Bureau of Emergency Services auditorium in Carmel on Saturday, Nov. 15.

The Task Force is committed to providing information, referrals, and access assistance to related systems of care for veterans and their families within their home community. Resource information will be available at the forum.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for our veterans and their families not only to speak to their elected representatives about their concerns, their ideas, their problems, but to obtain updated resource information,” said County Executive MaryEllen Odell who will be among those officials in attendance.

Joining Odell will be federal, state and other local elected officials or their representatives. Among those invited to attend are U. S. Senators Charles Schumer, Kirsten Gillibrand, Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, State Senators Greg Ball and Terry Gipson, Assemblywoman Sandy Galef, Assemblyman Steve Katz, Putnam’s Commissioner of Health Dr. Allen Beals, Legislative Chairman Carl Albano and Commissioner of Mental Health/Social Services Michael Piazza, Jr. Serving as moderator for the event will be Putnam County Legislator Sam Oliverio.

“This was a popular and well attended event last year. It’s not often we get a large number of officials together at one time so it is an opportunity that our veterans and their family members should take advantage of,” said Putnam’s Department of Veterans Services Director Karl Rohde.

Anyone wishing to speak should register by contacting Rohde at (845) 808-1620, ext. 46019 or email him at karl.rohde@putnsamcountyny.gov. Attendees will have the opportunity to address their officials between the hours of 9:30 and 11 a.m. after which the officials will have time to respond.

The Bureau of Emergency Services auditorium is located on the Donald B. Smith Government Campus, 112 Old Route 6, Carmel, NY 10512.