“In the upcoming primary election, voters will have the opportunity to choose two dynamic and experienced candidates for Maplewood Township Committee: Nancy Adams and Jerry Ryan. Both are extremely well-qualified, and each has an extensive history of local community involvement.” I hope Tom Carlson doesn’t mind that I co-opted a part of his endorsement for Jerry Ryan and Nancy Adams. I think it states the very real reason why we should all vote for these community activists in the upcoming Democratic Primary for the Maplewood Township Committee.
Given what I know about Mr. Ryan, his history of community involvement and his love of our community I will absolutely support his candidacy to be elected to another term for Township Committee. More on that in a bit.
I think we can all agree that community engagement is one of the most important traits for a community leader and activist. While I have not known Ms. Adams very long, her resume shows an impressive history of community activism which is what Maplewood has become known for.
Greg Lembrich is the third candidate vying for the chance to be elected as a member of the Township Committee. I assume that by the fact that he has thrown his hat in the ring of local politics, which we all know is not for the faint of heart, he believes he is “ready to work hard and make a difference in Maplewood” as his website indicates. However, I feel he has yet to prove to me or our community his ability to do just that. Therefore, because of her impressive proven track record of community engagement I am supporting Ms. Adams for Township Committee.
And then there is Jerry Ryan. Jerry has been involved as a leader and activist in our community for almost 20 years. Here is the quote from the website: “Jerry Ryan has served as a member of the Township Committee for 19 years, including three years as Mayor. He serves on the Maplewood Planning Board, was a founding trustee of the Community Coalition on Race, worked to form the Springfield Avenue Partnership, and has served as a volunteer with the South Mountain YMCA board and the Board of Trustees of The Strollers Community Theatre.” That in and of itself is an impressive track record, and is widely known and well documented. However, let me tell you something you didn’t know about Jerry.
Jerry was one the first political leaders to encourage and support, under the radar and without fanfare, the community engagement efforts of HK Project. Whether it was our efforts to enhance the arts, bolster recreation, helping community members through HK Cares, supporting our efforts for enhancing education or our community outreach, Jerry was always one of our biggest supporters. You may not have known of his efforts, but it is indicative of his love for our community. Given his experience in community activism I often went to Jerry for advice on the best way to engage our community in the causes that we felt were the hallmark of our mission: creating that ever important sense of belonging. He never let us down.
In addition, in my attempt (ok, failed attempt) to purchase the Woman’s Club property Jerry’s support of this effort never waned, even when it may have been politically expedient for him to do so. He was able to see the vision of a vibrant arts community and the benefits that a state of the art performance facility could bring to Maplewood.
In my opinion, Maplewood would be best served be re-electing Jerry Ryan and electing Nancy Adams to the Township Committee.
Thank you,
Tom Kerns
