Town of Webb Justice Patrick Venetz has announced that he will be seeking re-election in November.
He has served in the post for the past 12 years.
Venetz, a former Philadel-phia police officer, and his wife Nancy moved here from the Philadelphia suburbs 23 years ago, when they bought the 19th Green Motel in Thendara.
“Not long after we moved here I got my private investigator’s license, which I kept for a while. Then I decided to run for Town Justice when Sam Herman retired,” Venetz said.
His experience as Town Justice has been rewarding, he said, and the cases he hears frequently share similarities.
“But you have to look at them as individual cases. I try to treat everyone fairly and be consistent, and I’m very proud of the fact that I’m very consistent. That makes the job a whole lot easier,” he said.
After undergoing successful open heart surgery recently to repair two valves, there have been rumors that Venetz would not run again for Town Justice.
“But I am running,” he said. “I was sick for a couple of months but I always made sure that the work got done. I was in contact with the court clerk, even when I was in the hospital.”
Venetz said he feels great now and he is golfing a couple times a week and walking again.
“There has also been a lot of emphasis that I am not from here—that I’m from somewhere else, but Old Forge is my home and I care what happens to the community and the people in the community. Once I lose my passion for it then I’ll quit on my own and I won’t rerun,” he said.
“For the most part that’s why I’m running again. I think I’ve done a great job over the last 12 years and I’m going to continue to do it the way I have been.”
Venetz and his wife Nancy have two sons who were born and raised here.
Casey is currently in the U.S. Marines and Patrick, a senior at the Town of Webb School who will graduate in June, plans to attend Norwich University to study Criminal Justice.
“This is my home and I’m going to retire here,” Venetz said. “And I hope that people think that I’ve done a good job and will re-elect me in November.”
So far one other candidate, Jack Graham of Old Forge, has announced that he intends to seek the justice position currently held by Justice Venetz.
