Support for Sennett
To the editor:
The Village of Skaneateles needs and deserves a mayor with experience, vision, and wisdom. In the current race for mayor, those prerequisites are fully met by Mary Sennett, currently a member of the village board.
Mary has extensive experience as a problem-solver in Skaneateles.
For example, we live on West Elizabeth Street, a very narrow street with a hill that blocked drivers’ views, pedestrians have, for years, been forced to walk in the street. The lack of pedestrian safety has bothered many of us for years.
Many of us on the street have pleaded, petitioned, and lobbied the mayor and village board for a sidewalk for many years. Some of our expressions of concern were ignored, others were politely acknowledged before being ignored.
It took Mary’s election to the village board to get action. She came to four neighborhood meetings, listening carefully and critically to our concerns. She wanted to know fully why a sidewalk was needed while simultaneously paying attention to equity issues.
Convinced of the urgency of the issue, she worked with another board member to learn how other New York State villages resolved such issues. Working from what they learned, they developed and passed a sidewalk initiative that not only benefitted West Elizabeth Street but will, over a very few years, assure the entire village of safe and constantly repaired sidewalks.
Her willingness to listen to constituents, her vision of action that would benefit far more citizens than just the West Elizabeth residents, and her wisdom in building consensus around a progressive project make her the sort of leader Skaneateles needs. We wholeheartedly recommend Mary Sennett as the next mayor of Skaneateles.
AMY F. ROLLERI & RON BUTCHART
SKANEATELES
Support for Evans
To the editor:
I am writing in support of Ed Evans’ candidacy for Skaneateles Village Board Trustee in the upcoming Village election. I have gotten to know Ed as a fellow Skaneateles Rotarian. Ed is actively involved in the community through Rotary, as a Foundation Trustee as well as always showing up to work on local service projects whether it be roadside clean up. cooking lunch for the Boy Scouts, “fluffing” garlands for village holiday decorations or loading up and delivering food to the food pantries.
Ed has a strong commitment to maintaining the integrity of the village and will work hard to protect the quality of life in Skaneateles. As a Finger Lakes native he appreciates the importance of preserving our lake and our village for future generations. Ed has over 40 years experience in the service industry including operations and human resource management and will bring those skills to village management. So, please don’t forget to vote on March 16 and please consider Ed Evans for this important role.
MARY GIROUX
SKANEATELES
My support for trustees
To the editor:
As the Village of Skaneateles’s future is determined by the leaders we select and the decisions they make, March 16’s mayoral and village trustee elections affect our lives more than the state and national elections which command so much attention. To that end, it is important for voters to be acquainted with the outstanding candidates. It is my pleasure to offer insights into the two announced candidates for village trustee, Edward Evans and Tara Lynn.
Ed Evans and his wife, Brenda, have perhaps made the ultimate endorsement of Skaneateles’s virtues: having lived in many cities on both U.S. coasts, Ed and Brenda not only chose to retire in Skaneateles, but they sold their home on Martha’s Vineyard to do so. Since moving here in 2017, Ed has embraced this community with the enthusiasm and passion he has demonstrated throughout his life. Ed’s involvement in and commitment to Skaneateles can be seen in his participation in our Rotary chapter and the other volunteer activities with which he’s involved, as well as our cherished summertime events such as the Antique Boat Show.
Ed’s background makes him well-qualified to become a steward for the quality of residential life in Skaneateles. Ed has spent his career at the top level of several global services corporations. His understanding of service delivery will aid him in ensuring quality operation of our Village utilities, fire and police protection.
Attesting to Ed’s character and integrity lends the greatest pleasure and ease in composing this letter. Having known Ed for 15 years, I can attest there’s no finer man. Having served on the board of Cornell University’s Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship with Ed, I can attest to his passion and skill in volunteering his time, as well as his delightful approach to collegial decision making and cooperation with fellow board members. Our families both trace their roots back to Ithaca, through Ed’s parents, Brenda’s parents and my father, where Ed, Brenda, and generations of their families have long been active members of that community.
Though Tara Lynn perhaps needs less of an introduction, she is my wonderful neighbor two houses away, and my family and I (and our other Academy Street neighbors) are all lucky to have Tara, Marty, and their fantastic kids among us. All residents of the Village of Skaneateles will be lucky to have Tara and Ed as trustees.
JOSHUA J. WELLS
SKANEATELES
Support for Mary Sennett
To the editor:
I am writing in support of Mary Sennett’s candidacy for mayor of Skaneateles. The election for all village residents will take place on March 16 and I encourage everyone to consider all of the responsibilities of the position, learn about the candidates and issues, and vote.
In my 14 years of service on the village board of trustees, I worked with four different mayors and many trustees, and Mary ranks as a star. Our community is fortunate that she is willing to run for this time consuming and often thankless job. She is caring, committed, hard-working, and takes time to study an issue before making up her mind. The mayor oversees a multi-million dollar annual budget as well as a large staff made up of both professional civil servants and the many volunteers who serve on our appointed boards. Mary’s service as both a current village trustee and a former elected town official will enable her to make a smooth transition to this important job.
It is important that the village officials work cooperatively with the town, the school district, the fire department, the chamber of commerce, and the many volunteer organizations whose hard work enhances the quality of life in our community. Mary has shown that she can and will work cooperatively to get things done. I am impressed that she has worked to recruit a new, younger generation of village residents who are willing to run for elected or appointed office and serve our community.
You can learn a lot about a person when you observe how s/he handles adversity. When Mary has had to face a challenging or disappointing situation, she has always responded with dignity, grit, and good will. She seeks solutions to problems and does not cast blame. When we have disagreed on the best way to handle a problem, I have always admired her thought process and dedication to finding a solution. While she is gracious, she is not a push-over and will stand her ground. She will be an effective and capable mayor of the village that we love. She is a founding member of Sustainable Skaneateles and is a long time member and advocate for the Skaneateles Lake Association.
Please mark your calendar and vote for Mary Sennett for mayor March 16. I also encourage a vote for trustee candidates Tara Lynn and Ed Evans. Our village will be well served with this team elected to the village board.
SUE JONES
SKANEATELES
Vote for Sennet, Evans and Lynn
To the editor:
Governing starts at the grassroots level. Electing the right people at the town or village level to represent the unique needs of a small community allows for meaningful initiatives, broad based input, and respectful dialogue; it means progress. It means the things that are important to our community get accomplished, and it ensures that the groundwork laid in the past is met with careful consideration of how to protect and grow the future of Skaneateles, and in turn, contribute to the growth of Central NY.
I am pleased to support Mary Sennett for mayor, and Ed Evans and Tara Lynn for board of trustees for the Village of Skaneateles.
Each of these individuals is extremely qualified by way of their professional backgrounds, local governance experience and volunteer commitment.
Ed Evans hails from the Central NY area and has broad corporate management experience, Mary has a deep understanding of town and village governance, and Tara was formerly the head of the Skaneateles Chamber of Commerce, providing her with a unique perspective on the needs of our community.
Yet they all have one very important trait in common. They care deeply about the quality of life for all residents of Skaneateles. They are dedicated to protecting that and to making certain that our community balances the need for growth and economic stability with the quality of “small town” life that makes Skaneateles so attractive to so many.
Mary, Ed and Tara have offered to serve our community and represent the interests of all Skaneateles residents. Your vote will allow them to do just that. I am confident they have both the vision and experience to ensure that our town remains a wonderful place to live. Please vote for Mary Sennett for mayor, and Ed Evans and Tara Lynn for board of trustees. I know I will.
JENNIFER YOUNG
SKANEATELES
Sennett for mayor
To the editor:
I’m writing to express my support for Mary Sennett in her campaign for mayor of the Village of Skaneateles. I have had the opportunity to serve with Mary on the village Bbard for the past two years, and during that time she has shown me that she is a collaborative board member and an open minded and thoughtful public servant.
During her tenure as a trustee, she has spearheaded the Skaneateles Pedestrian Study currently taking place between the village and the SMTC, which will help improve the safety of all who live in and visit the village. She also helped create the Skaneateles Watershed Municipal Partnership, which for the first time ever, brought together elected officials who represent every municipality on Skaneateles Lake, in a joint effort to protect our sacred water source.
I have enjoyed working with Mary on these and many other projects, and I would welcome the opportunity to serve with her as our mayor. I encourage village residents to consider voting for Mary Sennett on March 16.
KATHLEEN ZAPATA
TRUSTEE VILLAGE OF SKANEATELES
Village board candidates
To the editor:
What a slate! I don’t think anyone could dream up a more qualified group of potential officers for Skaneateles village government. The experience, expertise, and enthusiasm displayed by Mary Sennett, Tara Lynn and Ed Evans is way beyond good!
Mary Sennett has been one of the most effective officers ever to hold position in local government. Her fervent activism related to saving our lake is well known and appreciated by local residents (both village and town) and by many visitors as well. Her willingness to work with local merchants, the Skaneateles Lake Association, charitable organizations and nearby governmental agencies has been exemplary and saved tax payers plenty.
Tara Lynn, a lifelong resident of our community, was an outstanding director of our chamber of commerce for some years and has been active in many other local endeavors. She knows this village and she knows how to get things done.
Ed Evan is rather new to Skaneateles but not new to active participation in working with others for common goals. His business career has yielded great success and now affords him time to lend his skills to us. In his short time here he has been involved with Skaneateles Rotary and been very helpful with our Finger Lakes Chapter ACBS boat show. He’ll also be lucky to work with the aforementioned top notch ladies.
These three candidates deserve the opportunity to assume seats on our village board. Vote for Mary, Tara and Ed. We’ll all benefit by their election.
STEVE WHITE
SKANEATELES
Louder than words
To the editor:
I have always been a believer in actions speaking louder than words. There are many times in life when passion can take control of words. The combination of the two often don’t give an accurate reflection of intention; they can be polarizing, and off putting, causing us to stop listening to the idea that was trying to be expressed. I say this because this morning I saw the actions of a polarizing public figure in our community speaking louder than words.
Our recent winter weather brought countless people to the lake to enjoy the ice. Makeshift hockey rinks were shoveled off and so many of our cooped up children were able to enjoy some outside time with friends that they so desperately needed. The scene on the frozen lake this past weekend was a priceless reflection of this beautiful home of ours. We love and appreciate our lake in all seasons.
I think that’s why it was so distressing that when driving through the village early Monday morning, the lake was left scattered with our park benches and forgotten equipment. Our forecast this week shows warmer temperatures and rain, which might threaten the safety of being on the ice to retrieve the items.
I worried that the benches would become stranded and eventually be lost to the melt. Tuesday morning however brought a different scene. As I drove through the village I saw a single person on the lake, bringing each bench and stray hockey stick back to the shore, saving the benches and cleaning up the ice of the lake that we all love. This person has been extremely vocal about his passion for preserving our lake, a lot of times his words becoming louder than his message. But this morning, mayoral candidate Zack Ford, of the “People of the Lake” party let his actions speak louder than his words.
ALANNA MATSON
SKANEATELES
Done with the lies
To the editor:
I often hear, “the village looks nice,” “you’re doing a good job,” or recently “why aren’t you running again?” The last was decided during my reelection four years ago when lying and false information were deemed tolerable.
While freedom protects the right to criticize, liberty gives the right to no longer subject myself and more importantly our family to unfounded lies and misinformation.
It has been my greatest honor to serve the residents of our village as your mayor. I’m a doer and make mistakes, however I have served to the best of my ability and always told the truth.
MARTY HUBBARD
MAYOR SKANEATELES
Who do we support?
To the editor:
Dear voters,
Who do we support?
Neither mayoral candidate addressed the real infrastructure issues. 81 coming? GNP at 1% or 2% over 10 years increases truck traffic how much through the village?
We support wheelchair platforms. We want and have a clean lake. Why tell me about the old mayor? Wasted space? Tell me what u are going to do to bring more diversity to the town board.
Diversity is not skin color and sex. It is talent and ideas. Widen Route 20 across from the church and Krebs. Past myopic “professionals” screwed up the busy corner at Route 20 and East Lake Roadd. Where were the smart board members from the village, town and the Town of Spafford?
Don’t they talk to each other. Read 9-11. Don’t worry about the people who stop coming here due to the actions of the old mayor. If there are any??? Please prioritize Mr. Ford if you want us to support you.
JOE VECCHIO
RECYCLE INTELLIGENCE FOUNDATION
