Editor, The Ocean Star:
Politics is not a world I was drawn to, but public
service is an obligation I was raised to hold in highest
regard, an obligation I have no right to refuse
when asked. But to be honest I would have refused
if Chris and Jack’s passion for our town wasn’t so
infectious, and when Bill came aboard, not only
was I swept up in the tide, I wanted to row faster.
Serving the community has been time consuming,
demanding, and frustrating, but I respect
the responsibility and I’ve been fortunate to learn from the example
of men whose earnestness and integrity is palpable to anyone who has
met them. Chris, Jack, and Bill don’t have a public façade, they aren’t
guarded or disingenuous, and they don’t leave you wondering about
ulterior motives or agendas. They told me early on to treat the town
the way you treat your family, to protect the town the way you protect
your family.
The street I grew up on wasn’t part of a neighborhood, so I spent
as much time as I could in my friend George’s neighborhood. It
seemed like every house had kids and there was always something
happening. I never called anyone to play; I went to the fields and if
no one was there it wouldn’t be long till someone was. Brian Welch
grew up in that neighborhood and he’ll be first to tell you how special
it was.
When my second son was on the way and my wife and I were
looking for a place to settle and raise our family, Brian’s neighborhood
was the ideal I compared every town to. Ask him and I bet he’ll say
the same.
I can’t believe we both came to Point Pleasant, but why not? The
Boro is really just one giant neighborhood and I can’t think of anything
it doesn’t have to offer. Brian and I aren’t the only ones to figure
this out, 5 out of 7 homes here have school age children, and the
challenges of our town are just the same as any young family. How do
we stretch every dollar as far as possible and still get the quality we
value?
Local politics are not about party. They’re about families and
neighbors. They’re about electing people who want the same things
you want, and most importantly who will dedicate themselves to
working for you and your family. Chris Leitner has proven how hard
he will work for our town and he’s done it without theatrics or grandstanding.
He shows up and does the work without running to the
paper to sing his own praises. He’s here to work every day, not just on
meeting nights to repeat the same reports month after month for
committees that never meet. And when there’s a problem he’s working
on solutions instead of waiting for others to do the work so he
can throw stones and cry foul.
Despite years of acrimony and contentious Councils, Chris is driven
by our common bonds when others have tried to divide and pit us
against each other.
I’m proud of what’s been accomplished this past year. I’m grateful
to Jack McHugh for his graceful dedication. And I’m eager to work
with Chris Leitner and Brian Welch representing the families and
residents of Point Pleasant.
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