To the Editor:
As a friend of Frank McGehee and his family, and as a fellow resident of Maplewood, I write this endorsement of his candidacy for Maplewood Township Committee.
I first met Frank as a fellow parent of children at the Tuscan elementary school. He noticed me walking down Valley toward school heavily pregnant and with my three (soon-to-be four) children in tow. We realized we both lived closer to each than to the school and set up a carpool that we maintained for the next two years. There is nothing like running a school carpool to let you know whether a person is dependable! Rain, shine or snow, Frank and I worked out that carpool and got those kids to school every day, helping each other out as schedules changed and work and family needs arose.
So Frank’s commitment to pedestrian safety is also earned firsthand. On most of my carpool days, I walked his daughter (and her cello) across town to school, crossing through downtown Maplewood, up Baker and across Valley. Frank knows personally how safe (and unsafe) certain walking routes can be, and he has been a tireless advocate for pedestrian safety throughout town.
As a fellow parent at Tuscan, I have seen how Frank dedicated countless days of effort serving at the school, whether logging smoky hours grilling at the Tuscan Fair or stepping up to take over the enormous task of managing Picture Day for the entire school. The best part about Frank is that he does it all for the right reason –- to make the community a better place– and he does it in the Frank way –- with a genuine smile– even when the days are long and the work is hard.
Frank’s volunteering at Tuscan as well as Friends of the Library and other community service efforts show him to be not just a diligent and dependable worker but also a leader in the best way. He serves by doing the toughest jobs and then by thinking through ways to make the work run more efficiently and the team serve better together. I admire that about him and know that it qualifies him to be a community leader as a member of our Township Committee. Frank has my vote, and I hope he has yours as well.
Christina Taber-Kewene, Esq.
Maplewood
