DVE-News/TV Reporters interview the Mayor of Middletown

By DVE-News/TV Reporters
MILFORD — On Thursday, May 10, we had the pleasure of interviewing Mayor Joseph DeStefano of Middletown, N.Y.
We asked the mayor if he ever had to make tough choices. He said that it is hard when someone gives you an idea to make the city better and I disagree and have to say no. He added that it can ruin personal relationships with people.
His favorite memory of being mayor was when he was first elected. It was a close race and he won by 16 votes!
We asked him who his hero is and he told us it was Barack Obama because of all the challenges he overcame.
In his spare time, he likes to spend time with his family, and with his grandson. He had just gotten back from Disney. We found out that his favorite baseball team is the Yankees. He used to play sports.
When asked how long he’s been mayor, he said he was elected in 1973 and then re-elected in 1989. He was an accountant before that and also worked at a restaurant.
His favorite part of his job is walking around town and checking the progress of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative of Middletown. He finds that the Revitalization project is his biggest achievement as mayor.
He loves to check in on the people of Middletown to see what they are in need of. To be mayor, you need to love to talk with the people.
We asked him how long he plans on being mayor. He was just re-elected and plans to do one more four-year term after this one.
When asked where he sees Middletown in ten years, he sees Middletown with more people and many more bike trails.
By DVE-News/TV Reporters Teizu Jones, Rainna Carr, Caterina Catizone, and Keegan Johnson.