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Health & Fitness

Throwing My Hat Into the Ossining Trustee Race

This week I took my first step toward putting my outspoken opinions toward serving my community as an elected official in Ossining. Here's the story...

The title of this post suggests a nonchalant gesture made on a whim.  But what I did Monday night followed months of “what-if” conversations with Eric, and a lifetime of being entranced, amused, enraged, and engaged by politics.

This fall Marlene Cheatham will not seek reelection as a Trustee on the Ossining Village Board.  Monday night I submitted the below letter to Thomasina Laidley-Brown, Chairwoman of the Town of Ossining Democratic Party expressing my interest to run for Marlene’s seat.  This was the first step in a series of events that need to occur on my path to, hopefully, garnering the endorsement of the Democratic party.

Dear Madame Chairwoman,

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I would like to run for the position of Ossining Village Trustee.  As a member of our Village Board, I would strive to represent the needs of women, working and middle class families, parents of young children, stay-at-home moms, small business owners, and all proud citizens of Ossining.  As a lifelong Democrat and community activist, I welcome the opportunity to serve this community that supports the values of myself and my family so well.

As my children have grown old enough to allow me more time outside of the home, I have become actively involved in our community; most visibly in my work protecting our local environment as a member of the Village Environmental Advisory Council and promoting energy efficiency for Ossining homeowners as the Energize Ossining liaison.

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My husband Eric and I moved to Ossining when I was pregnant with our first son.  At that time, the Joseph G. Caputo Community Center had recently opened and the library was under construction.  These shining examples of the vitality of the Ossining community were tailor-made for a growing family like ours.

Being home with young children heightens my appreciation for Ossining’s parks and playgrounds.  One of our favorite destinations during the warm weather is Louis Engel Park with its beautiful walk along the Hudson to the playground and sprayground.  I look forward to being part of the continuing revitalization of Ossining’s waterfront.

The rich diversity that Ossining provides my sons was especially evident this year as we read books and had conversations in preparation for Martin Luther King’s birthday.  The idea of being in a classroom filled only with white children is unimaginable to my son at Park School where the parade of students carrying their flags on Heritage Day looked more like UN representatives than a group of children from a single community.  I’m also grateful for the opportunity Ossining provides me to improve my Spanish language skills on a daily basis.

I look forward to speaking with you more about how I may serve the Village of Ossining as a Trustee.

Sincerely,

Victoria Gearity

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