Larry H. Richardson, who has represented the Town of Cochecton, NY on the Upper Delaware Council (UDC) for the past 22 years, was unanimously elected on May 5 as chairperson for the balance of 2011. A vacancy in the position was created on March 21, when the Damascus Township Board of Supervisors voted to remove Dolores A. Keesler as its representative to the UDC.

Keesler, who had served as Damascus’s UDC representative since August 18, 2008, had been elected chairperson at the January 6, 2011 annual meeting. A nominating committee put forth Richardson as a candidate at the April 7 UDC meeting.

Richardson previously chaired the UDC in 1993 and 2001. He served as vice-chair in 1992 and as secretary-treasurer in 1990 and 2000. He has also been an elected member of the Cochecton town board since 1996, following eight years of service to the Cochecton Planning Board. The Ferndale native is employed at Yaun Company in Liberty. He and his wife, Peggy, have two children, Russell and Erin.

After accepting the gavel from UDC vice chair Nadia Rajsz, left, Richardson said, “We are challenged now more than ever with trying to oversee the continuing implementation of the River Management Plan and to also protect local property owners’ rights.” Visit www.upperdelawarecouncil.org.