Editor, The Spotlight:
On Thursday September 13th, in the Primary Election, Bethlehem Democrats will choose our candidate to run on the November ballot for the Town Board. In this primary race Jack Cunningham is running with the endorsement of the Bethlehem Democratic Party against the hand- picked candidate of the Bethlehem Reform movement.
I have known Jack for a long time. He is a life-long resident of the Town and he and his wife Leslie raised their children here. Like many residents, homegrown and transplants alike, he has a deep love and commitment for our town and the people who live here. Over the years I have watched him work with the elderly as a volunteer with the “Meals on Wheels” program and I am sure that many younger residents recall that he coached in the Bethlehem Tomboy’s softball league. As Bethlehem Town Supervisor he had many accomplishments but I appreciate most the things that helped to make our town a community. He worked, for example, to institute our annual Holiday Parade where kids get to see Santa come right down Delaware Avenue. He also built sidewalks for the children and residents of Glenmont so that they could enjoy a safe means of pedestrian travel in their neighborhoods and to the center of town.
These simple accomplishments speak to the character of the man we should choose to serve on our Town Board. And while Jack has proven himself many times over to be a competent administrator and a prudent caretaker of our tax dollars, I feel that these often-overlooked, human qualities are just as important.
I hope that on September 13th the residents of our town will look not only to his accomplishments but also consider these demonstrations of character when they cast their ballot. Jack is a decent man who cares about the future of Bethlehem and we deserve that type of representation in our town government.
Patricia Parsons
Delmar
