Dear Editor:
My name is Shari Osborn and I am a candidate for a two-year Trustee seat in the upcoming Village election. Many of you already know me from my extensive interactions with the SUNY community but I would like to take a moment to give you an opportunity to get to know me better so you will consider voting for me next Tuesday.
I live one block from campus and my children and I enjoy celebrating all that SUNY and our many Village neighbor-hoods have to offer as a community. The most prominent issue on the minds of students these days is the Noise Ordinance. As I see it, the proposed changes to the Noise Ordinance fly in the face of everything I hold dear about our amazing community. We are not alive with noise, we are alive with life! We live right next to the campus so that we can raise our children in a youthful, intellectually-stimulating, progressive manner – we love our active community and we see our quality of life IMPROVED by the SUNY students who share our community.
Throughout my first term in office, I have been the “go to” Trustee for all constituents who want to be aware, active, connected and “in the know,” and I love helping new and established residents live in harmony in a small, tight-knit community.
I have a passion for our Mother Earth: A focus on the environment, healthy eating and living a sustainable existence is second nature to me and my family. I believe in sustainability achieved through the simple “plant a garden and buy local” philosophy – I want these concepts to be taught to our children and reinforced throughout their lives. Currently I am helping to start a green classroom at the middle school and promoting readings and discussions of The Dirty Life so that everyone in our community can come together around one single issue – taking further steps towards sustainability.
I am very proud of my anti-fracking legislation now before the Village Board. I feel it is vitally important at this stage of the game that we express our opposition to this harmful practice, that we ban fracking across our municipality, and, crucially, that we ban the transportation of fracking fluids of all types, preventing these materials from traveling our roads or being dumped on our properties.
I work tirelessly each year to promote and support local environmental groups, CSAs, and our beloved community-wide events – Celebration of the Arts (COTA), the PHOOLS parade, the Regatta, and many more – that increase appreciation of diversity and keep our community connected. I have also fostered a series of art projects connecting campus and community, working with artists inside and outside the community whose works have galvanized lively and challenging public dialogues about creativity and a sense of place, and about gun violence on campuses.
I firmly believe it is our responsibility, as Village Trustees, to be forward thinkers, have a vision based on a realistic understanding of our community. I know the members of my community, I can relate to them intimately as parents, students, educators, artists, public servants, doctors, farmers, landlords, business owners and the youth of our community – WOW, it is true, New Paltz is rich with opportunity and I want to continue to serve our community, as I have throughout my first term, as an individual with the vision, drive and ability to get results.
There are only two people running for the two-year trustee seat and my extremely conservative opponent shares none of these views. Since I am running for the two-year seat, you can vote for me AND for other progressive candidates running for four-year seats. Need/want to know more about me? Call/drop me a line 845-256-8444 or sosborn23@gmail.com
Thank you for your time and this opportunity to share my vision with you; I am thrilled to see the large number of students registered to vote and I hope you walk or ride proudly to VOTE on MAY 3 at Village Hall/Firehouse (one block from campus – Plattekill Avenue). Please vote SHARI OSBORN for two-year village trustee. My name was drawn last in the lottery so look for Osborn at the bottom of the ballot – The Connection Party. Students need a hip, open-minded voice in local government – it is important to pull the lever for me to protect our liberal, connected community mindset. Thanks again.
Shari Osborn