The forecast for Hurricane Sandy is still uncertain, but here at Watershed Post HQ we're preparing for the worst: A storm that dumps as much rain on us as Tropical Storm Irene did just over a year ago. Rainfall like that, coupled with the healthy levels of water in our streams and reservoirs already, could cause serious flooding. 

In Delaware County, the chance to elect the county's highest judge only comes around once every ten years. (Just as cicadas burst from the ground every decade or so, so do county judicial candidates. Both spend their brief time in the sun making as much noise as possible.)

Delaware County is small enough to have only one county judge. It's a big position. If you get charged with a felony, need to settle an inheritance issue, or have a custody dispute, you're in the county judge's court.

For the last decade, Judge Carl F. Becker has occupied the job, presiding over a growing caseload of thousands of cases every year. Becker, who lives in Stamford, is running for a second term, and has been campaigning as a Republican with a record of establishing drug treatment court and handling complex cases in family court. Before becoming county judge, he spent 28 years working as an attorney in the Delaware County Department of Social Services, representing the county in family court cases.