A fund in the name of a former New York state senator is being announced next week.
The Senator Stephen M. Saland Legacy Fund to benefit nonprofit organizations providing public services to residents of Dutchess and Columbia counties will be announced at the dinner in Poughkeepsie next week. All proceeds from the dinner and donations honoring Saland will go to the Legacy Fund, which will be administered by the Community Foundation of Dutchess County. The dinner at the Grandview in Poughkeepsie Thursday evening is to celebrate former Senator Saland’s 32-year career as a public servant representing Dutchess and Columbia. Saland, a Republican, lost his 2012 re-election bid to Democrat Terry Gipson in a race that saw Republican votes go to a Conservative Party challenger, who campaigned against Saland's 2011 vote in favor of same-sex marriage.