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Dear Patchogue
Community,
Being elected Mayor of the
Incorporated Village of
Patchogue in 2004 was one of the
proudest moments of my life. As
a life-long resident who has
always cared about the village
in a very personal way, I was
determined to make good on the
promises I made during the
campaign and to work with the
Trustees to move Patchogue into
the twenty-first century.
A week after the election, the
Long Island Advance published an
editorial entitled, “The Next
Four Years.” That challenge hung
on my office wall and now sits
on my desk at home. It stays
within sight, not so I can pat
myself on the back and say,
“yes, we met every challenge,”
but to remind me that it is the
responsibility of elected
officials to serve you -- the
resident.
These eight years have been
exciting and rewarding. They
have been challenging and
sometimes frustrating, but
always a labor of love. Since
our incorporation 129 years ago,
the Village of Patchogue has
been a community in transition,
moving from a resort
destination, to a mill town, a
shopping and entertainment mecca,
to a blighted downtown. Today,
it is a center for the arts,
music and restaurants, with
vibrant riverfront activity and
a better quality of life for our
residents.
But past accomplishments need to
be the predictors of the future.
We have more work to do. The
Four Corners project is on hold
because of a lawsuit led by a
small, opposing group of
individuals, despite Village
Board approval. I strongly
believe that this $100,000,000
retail and residential
development must go forward to
ensure our growth and prosperity
in the future.
It has been eight years since
that proud election night in
2004, and I am asking you again
to cast your vote on Tuesday,
March 20th for me as Mayor and
Jack Krieger, Lori Devlin, and
Tom Ferb as Trustees. We are the
Patchogue 2012 team and without
a supportive, intelligent and
committed Board of Trustees, it
will be difficult to continue to
the make the changes that are
needed to keep Patchogue moving
forward.
As you think about the March
election, take a walk downtown
and stop into one of our
restaurants. Check out what’s
happening at the Patchogue
Theatre, Artspace, our parks,
pool and playgrounds. Visit the
waterfront and drive on our
newly paved roads to see the
results of so many private and
public sector investments that
were attracted to come here
because of our dramatic
revitalization plan.
Then ask yourself, “Is your
Village a better place to live
than it was eight years ago?” |
