Amanda Purcell is reporting in the Register-Star nearly 150 people from the 19th Congressional District protested outside the Fort Orange Club in Albany, Wed., Feb. 22. The protest took place on the street while a fundraiser for U.S. Rep. John Faso was underway inside the club. Many in the group said they came to protest Faso’s failure to host town hall meetings during the Congressional recess. "He is an elected official. He should meet with his constituents," Dominique Devito of Ghent said at the protest. "It doesn’t mean anything will be solved but I think people should be able to speak about what concerns them. And, if he’s got answers, he should speak to as many people as possible." Local chapters of Indivisible, Women’s March, MoveForward and others attended the rally. Faso's representative said in a statement that since Faso was sworn into office last month, and continuing through this week, he has met with dozens of constituents, healthcare and insurance industry leaders, spoken at public policy forums and participated in live call-in programs on both radio and television. "He is currently planning additional media appearances and a telephone town hall for hundreds of residents who have already signed up through our website (faso.house.gov)," the statement read. Patricia Doxsey is reporting in the Daily Freeman that more than 600 people have signed up to attend the unofficial John Faso town hall event Fri., Feb. 24, organized by Citizen Action of the Hudson Valley. The group invited Faso, but he is not expected to show. In his absence, a panel will discuss the Affordable Care Act, immigration reform and other issues. Because of the expected size of the crowd, the venue has been moved from Kingston Town Hall to the auditorium at George Washington Elementary School.