Sam Raudins reports for Columbia-Greene Media that two candidates hope to win a seat on the Catskill Village Board in a special election on July 6. The seat has been vacant since the January resignation of former Village President Vincent Seeley. Republican Jeff Holliday and Democrat Michelle Williams are running to fill the position until March 2022. Seeley stepped down from the board following a four-month unannounced absence, forcing the board to reorganize. Trustee Peter Grasse Jr. was appointed village president in April. The Catskill Village Board currently consists of two Republicans and two Democrats. Republican Holliday is a lifelong Catskill resident and enjoyed a 30-year career as a New York state trooper before retiring in June 2020, according to the Catskill Republican Club. He graduated from Catskill High School in 1983 and from Columbia-Greene Community College in 1985. Holliday is also a local umpire, basketball coach, and softball coach. Democrat Williams is a local business owner who founded Mermaid Cafe and Bittersweet Ice Cream Shop, according to the Catskill Democratic Committee. She created the Stone Soup Project during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide free food to families in need. Williams was born in Catskill and attended St. Patrick’s Academy and Catskill Central High School. Grasse said he is looking forward to the addition of a new member. “I’m actually looking forward to it because we’re very busy around here and having that fifth person would definitely be a plus,” he said. Village Vice President Joseph Kozloski said it is important to fill the seat in order to have enough members to conduct business. Polls are open for voting in the village of Catskill from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.