The annual membership meeting of the Standardbred Owners Association of New York, the representative body for the over 1,000 owners, trainers and drivers regularly competing at Yonkers Raceway, was held on Saturday, Dec. 4

.

At the meeting, it was announced that the following incumbent directors with expiring terms were unopposed and received additional three-year terms:

• Joseph Faraldo (owners category)
• Robert MacDougall (driver/trainer category
• Ray Schnittker (driver/trainer category)
• Chris Wittstruck (owner category)
• Peter Younger (driver/trainer category)

The current officers were all reelected to serve in their present capacities in 2011:

• Joseph A. Faraldo (President)
• Peter Venaglia (first Vice President)
• Irv Atherton (second Vice President)
• John Brennan (third Vice President)
• Irv Atherton (Treasurer)
• John Brennan (Secretary)

Additionally, the following Trustees of the Retirement and Welfare Fund were all re-elected to serve an additional term:

• Joseph A. Faraldo
• Irv Atherton
• John Brennan
• Henry Gargiulo
• Peter Venaglia
• Bob Barbiere, first Alternate
• Ray Schnittker, second Alternate

Peter Venaglia was appointed to chair the committee.

Many important agenda items were discussed, including strategies to be employed in dealing with track management’s perceived attempts to erode statutory benefits to the membership.

(Standardbred Owners Association of New York)