On March 15 our community will hold village elections.
As disturbing as it may sound, some years election day tends to slip through my hectic schedule. Whenever I fail to cast my ballot. I am able to set aside all guilt I may feel by taking comfort in knowing the individuals on the ballet have the best interest of the community at heart.
I am not a “political” person. My family, husband, Joe, and two boys, Joseph and Angelo, consume my daily life. To many I could be writing about you and your family and yet others I am sure can identify with me. To these readers I address this letter in hopes they will make the effort this year to vote.
Why is this year different than others? This year our village is fortunate to have Mrs. Bonnie Parente running for village trustee.
Mrs. Parente while raising, along with her husband, Kevin, their two children, Emma and Kevin Jr., has volunteered her time to the youth of our community.
Through her tireless effort she has and continues to help mold the youth of our village into forthright and confident young men and woman. Yet to many she remains anonymous. Mrs. Parente, a full-time labor attorney is a girl scout leader, boy scout leader, and this years chairperson for Northside’s Earth Day. Mrs. Parente also sits on or village appellate zoning board.
I have come to know her and her family through scouting. Not one aspect of her life is neglected.
Though she volunteers much of her time, her family always takes precedent. As a volunteer not one detail of an organized event or scouting trip is overlooked. This past weekend on a Saturday morning with the temperature at 30 degrees you would have found Mrs. Parente in the Charminade High School pool teaching water safety to her boy scouts.
We all know individuals who have hectic lives yet manage to volunteer their time. What makes Mrs. Parente stand out is not only her dedication to our community which she has served, it is her ability to make decisions while facing deadlines and her ability to focus on details. It is these attributes which will serve our village well as this year we face financial and societal issues. Decisions made this term will have a profound impact on the village we moved to for educational standards, and have come to love for it’s close knit traditional values.
I do consider myself fortunate to have her as a friend, yet above all Mrs. Parente as village trustee will ensure the decisions made on behalf of our community will preserve what we have come to love about our village as we move forward in this ever changing world.
Debra Martello
East Williston
