Meet the Candidates
The primary election for Stone Harbor Borough Council is set for July 8, and three candidates are running for two council seats that have three-year terms: incumbent Frank Dallahan and two newcomers, Bob Bickford and Bernadette “Bunny” Parzych.
Frank Dallahan
Frank Dallahan has served on Stone Harbor Council for the past 2½ years. He is a member of the Utility Committee and the Natural Resources Committee, and chairs the Public Safety Committee.
Dallahan and his wife Kathy became permanent residents of Stone Harbor in 2009, residing in an original Stone Harbor cottage that was built in 1911 and purchased from Kathy’s mother in 1971. He earned a degree from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, and maintains a career of more than 40 years in the jewelry industry. During his career, Dallahan has worked with notable companies including Lenox China, Kurt Gutmann Jewelry, and MJSA (Manufacturing Jewelers and Suppliers of America), and the American Gem Society’s Diamond Grading Laboratory. After decades of traveling with each company, he eventually returned to the East Coast in 2009 and became owner, editor and co-publisher of The Retail Jeweler Magazine in 2009.
During his time serving on Stone Harbor Council, Dallahan has worked alongside fellow council members Josee Rich, Mantura Gallagher and Reese Moore in focusing on spending budgeted funds wisely. His goals for serving a second term include continuing to maintain budgeting and focusing on a consumer’s focus on taxes, providing planning for beach and bay conservation, and monitoring zoning regulations effectively.
“Stone Harbor is a rare jewel of a community. It is a beautiful island, and a safe, clean place where you can make valuable friendships,” he says. “The town’s small size is unique, and gives me the opportunity to work and focus on different areas, and help to keep Stone Harbor the special place that it is.”
Bob Bickford
After first vacationing in Stone Harbor as a teenager in 1965, Bob Bickford was hooked. He continued to return with his parents, later enjoying summer rentals with his wife and daughters before becoming a homeowner in 1989. Bickford graduated from Georgetown University with a degree in economics, and attended Fordham University Law School. He maintains a longtime career as a partner with the law firm of Kelley Drye & Warren, with a focus on commercial real estate. Over the course of his career, Bickford chaired the real estate practice group for 22 years, served on the firm’s executive committee for 24 years, and was named a Real Estate MVP by “Law 360” in 2016. During his time in Stone Harbor, he has been serving on the Planning Board since 2012 and enjoying time on the golf course and beaches.
Bickford’s goals for council include focusing on budgeting and keeping taxes at a manageable level, seeking opportunities to address environmental and climate-related challenges, and preserving the quality of life for generations to follow.
“Stone Harbor is a peaceful contrast to the time I spend in New York City, and provided a wonderful environment for my daughters as they grew up, enjoying the pleasures of time on the beach and working jobs at local favorites including Springer’s Ice Cream and the Fudge Kitchen,” he says. “I aim to consider the issues that confront council, and look forward to acting in the best interest of the Borough.”
Bernadette “Bunny” Parzych
Bunny Parzych and her husband, Ray, a current council member, have a deep history of involvement with the Borough of Stone Harbor, starting with becoming year-round residents in 1994. Ray has served on council for five years, and is stepping down, giving his wife the opportunity to step up and run for his open seat.
Over the years, Bunny Parzych has been a board member for the Stone Harbor Garden Club, King Lion of the Stone Harbor Lions Club, and supporter of the Women’s Civic Club and Chamber of Commerce. At
St. Paul Church, she was active in building Quinn Hall and was part of the merger team when St. Paul and Maris Stella parishes joined to form St. Brendan the Navigator Parish. Her interest in small-town government began more than 20 years ago, as a board member of the ROA (now Stone Harbor Property Owners Association), and her interest continues today as she is a member of the Zoning Board of Adjustment.
Along with Parzych’s extensive knowledge of the town, she highlights her platform for running for council, focusing on two main themes: preserving and enhancing the town’s tight zoning code, and controlling the budget. Parzych maintains the need to focus on zoning to provide for more open space, increasing the side-yard setbacks on oversized lots proportionately to that of the standard-sized lots. She is also vocal in the need to hire a full-time chief financial officer to advise council when it comes to capital budgeting and controlling taxes.
“I am a serious candidate for Borough Council with no agenda other than to help the Borough get back on track with the most important issues at hand,” she says. “Those issues include zoning and the increasing tax rate. I hear you, and I am with you.”
VOTE! Tuesday, June 8, 2021
Stone Harbor Fire House • 175 96th St., Stone Harbor • 6am-8pm
