Melodymoments

Losing Sunlight

Now that the end of summer is here, sort of, we have noticed how quickly we are losing sunlight while walking.  During June, July and August, we were out until 9:00 pm meeting our neighbors.  Now by 7:30 we need a small flashlight to read the house numbers. Maybe we'll change our attire to miner's hats so we can light our way.

I had the honor of participating in the First Annual Freedom Walk sponsored by the Capital Region #2 Chapter Blue Star Mothers of America. It was  cloudy, dreary day but the walkers and speakers were ready to move.  We walked over the pedestrian bridge in Albany in a show of support for those that lost their lives on September 11, 2001 and all of those who continue to serve.  By "those", I include the fireman, police, and all the service men and women who are fighting for freedom.   The event included the signing of a very large yellow ribbon that is going to be sent to the troops in Iraq.  As I was reading those messages I noticed that many were notes to a loved one who is serving but the others were from people who just wanted to say "Thanks for serving - we support you".  There was a speaker there who spoke about his recent tours and the effect they had on his life and family.  He was a member of the airborne so he spoke about being a paratrooper and jumping out of planes.  During the course of his talk,  he told us that while he was in a fox hole in Afghanistan, his wife told him they were getting a divorce.  He said he had to cut the call short as the bullets and mortar fire were coming in fast and furious. He told the group that what is seen on the daily media is not what is really going on over there.  Yes, there are people dieing and gun fire, but the outcome - a new school , electricity for a village, fresh water or a hospital is their purpose there and he is proud to be able to accomplish those tasks.  He reminded all of us that everyone there, is a volunteer - they signed up for the job.   I think he left many of the mothers feeling much better after listening to his message.  They could see their son or daughter in him and seemed to understand better why their child chose to serve this great country.  One of the most moving parts of the ceremony was Erin Frank signing, "I'm proud to be an American."  She started the song be herself but by the time she reached the chorus, most of the group was singing along with her.  She does have a fantastic voice!   

Besides walking - we are back at the soccer games greeting parents as they come to the field with their children.  Just a nice, "Hi" is our goal - certainly don't want to hold them up as they are scrambling to get to the field on time. It is funny to see so many of the people we have already spoken to at their homes.  You can't beat the old door-to-door method.

Until next time - see you out there on the trail!

Still meeting people!

Sorry for the delay in getting back to the blog. The past few weeks have flown by.  I'm excited about reaching the 2,800 mark for homes and thrilled that I was able to take a few hours off and venture to the land of the mighty St. Lawrence.  It was great to see my son, Mom,Dad,  brothers and sisters.  I also had the pleasure of seeing nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, close friends and those crazy great nephews who have more energy that everyone put together.

In addition to walking and walking, I was back at the Fireman's Fair making cones and helping in the Hole in One booth. I am amazed at the number of children who  could get a hole in one.  Many prizes were given out and lots of smiles were seen. It was a fun event.  I also attended the thank you party with the volunteers and was impressed with age range of those that donated their time to make the event such a success.  Volunteers are truly special people.

I had a very moving experience helping out at the Wall that Heals when it visited our town park.  I had met with the organizers a few months before to see what I could do to help but had no idea how moved I would be.  I stood with the Blue Star Mothers during the opening ceremonies and wondered how they felt about the words that were being spoken.  Most of the speakers seemed to give great thought to their words and understood the impact they would have on the crowd present. I had to wonder about a few comments I heard from a speaker when he mentioned how great public service was. Clearly he did not understand that comparing public service - going to a meeting and making decisions that don't really impact life or death - to serving your country and being in harm's way constantly, was not appropriate.  Sometimes politicians just don't get it. It is not all about them.  While standing with the Mothers, I noticed one of them was having a difficult time with the ceremony. I gently reached over and touched her shoulder. She was crying and was having a hard time listening to the words of the speaker. Being there, touching her, brought the tragedy of the moment event more alive for me.  As I started my hour of reading the names of those on the wall, I often stopped and glanced at the wall and thought about the number of lives it represented.  Not only the 58,249, but each family member or loved one who was connected to that name.  After reading for a little over an hour, I helped locate names on the wall for visitors so they could touch the name of their loved one.  Maybe what made it more moving to me was that I was reading with a Blue Star Mother. She took great pride in pronouncing each name and read them ever so carefully - to give each person the same level of respect.  Once you read a name, the wall no longer represented numbers, it represented people.  I left the Wall and traveled north to be with my family.  As I passed through Fort Drum, I wondered how many from there will be placed on a wall so a Mother can grieve.  When I returned, I again read at the wall and there was another Blue Star Mother there, this time volunteering as a walker. Those women are just amazing, I respect their dedication to all members serving our country.

So the walking continues...new streets, new neighbors and new friends. There never seems to be a dull  moment on the campaign trail.  If I'm not walking, I'm at a planning board meeting, (now there is a story there!), town board meeting, budget workshop, CACC meeting, chamber meeting, community event or 9W Study meeting.  In between that, I'm busy working for my clients or attending a Rotary meeting somewhere in the capital district.  I have a few lawn signs left so I still need homes for them.  I'll learning about the issues that matter most to my neighbors and covering as much of the Town as I can - at least with this pair of shoes.  I'll be home on November 7 Vic - keep an eye on Auggie and Woody, don't forget to give them special treats from time to time.  (Having two standard poodles is like having two kindergartners!)  Thanks to that special dance instructor for his melodic idea!

These shoes are made for walking!

Balloons, confetti and bubbles!  We have reached our 2,000 home!!!  Now with only 99 days left until the election, we need to step up our efforts and get the lead out!  The goal is to reach 7,000 more homes by the end of October.

Last week we picked up our lawn signs and started distributing them all over town. What a flurry of activity those signs have caused. People are calling asking for their own sign to display on their lawn.  At this rate, I'll go through all the signs ordered and will have to place a second order before they mysteriously disappear. Being an optimist and only thinking positive thoughts, I know I will only have to replace those signs that actually grow legs and wonder off.  I would hope the old strategy of "borrowing" an opposing party member's sign is dead.  To me, taking someone's sign is like stealing their property - you wouldn't "take" their car from the lawn, so why would you "take" their sign?   

In addition to walking, we had the most fun making ice cream cones and shakes on Friday evening for the Glenmont Fireman's Fair. They had a great turnout.  The rain held off until most people were able to get their meals so the ice cream window slowed down early.  But we'll be back this Friday mixing and dishing again.  Volunteering for the fair is fun and easy.  I encourage everyone to get involved with a local organization and help make a difference.  This is the second year we have volunteered at this fair and look forward to many more.

We attended a few more meetings and listened to our neighbors discuss the issues they feel are most important to them.  As an elected official - it is important to actively listen to all the concerns and issues and help find the right solutions to those issues.  Most importantly, every neighbor needs to be treated with respect when they come before you with a concern.  It is imperative for the representative to find a solution and let the neighbor know the outcome.  Common business sense, right?  If a customer has a problem, you actively listen, determine what it is you can do to find a solution and respond to the customer quickly. I can assure you - as a Town Board Member - finding solutions and responding quickly will be first on the agenda. if the neighbor took the time to bring the problem to my attention, then it is important enough for me to find a solution.

This week, we are back out there, walking and talking. Looking forward to meeting new neighbors and sharing some solutions with them.  Always ready to listen - burns4townboard@yahoo.com.

Mel

The Howl of the Weather

The last week on the campaign trail reminds me of the great oil on canvas by non other than Frederic Remington, "The Howl of the Weather".   The painting was completed in 1906 and depicts three men in a canoe, rowing against the waves of the mighty St. Lawrence.  His brush strokes and use of color really give you the feeling that the water is extremely rough and not a very friendly place.  But in fact, that body of water is a great place for swimming, boating and enjoying a jet ski ride. In the winter, it tends to rear it's ugly head, but most of the time it is rather friendly and inviting.  Despite the weather we had last week in Bethlehem, every home we visited and resident we met, were friendly and eager to learn more about the campaign.  There seems to be an overwhelming feeling that it is definitely time for some change in our community.  I should point out that not only did we visit the homes of neighbors who are registered in this party but all of the neighbors on the street!  It doesn't matter what party you belong to, this is our community and I will be representing every neighbor. If I can't knock on the neighbors door who is not in the same party and listen to what they have to tell me, then I should not be running for a community-wide position. I should be running for my political party leadership.

In addition to walking the neighborhoods, standing at the Post Office, supporting the VFW campaign to bring "The Wall That Heals" to the Elm Avenue Park in August by attending their benefit dinner, to attending a rousing interfaith service at the Delmar Reform Church, to meeting with the Blue Star Mothers, to hosting the Bethlehem Chamber Women's Business Council Pot Luck Dinner, (had to relocate due to torrential downpours to my home), to attending the CACC Meeting, to attending the Planning Board Meeting, to meeting the volunteers at the Fire Station on Glenmont Road, to enjoying lunch with a group of women business owners from all over the capital region, the grand total of neighbors we have met is now over 1,600.  This week is well on the way of putting us over the 2,000 mark!

If you have a question or a particular topic you would like to discuss with me, call me at 518-475-0942 or email at burns4townboard@yahoo.com.

being part of a team

Download intro_flyer.pdf

Download the file to learn about the Bethlehem Team! It is a large file so it may take a few seconds to download.

Coffee, water and Me!

Another day at the sports field is in the books for this campaign.  I had a good morning passing out coffee, water and munchkins.  Four different games so eight sets of parents.  Some of the parents had recognized me from two weeks ago when I stood out in the rain and passed out water.  While meeting and greeting, I encountered one man who was almost frightened to touch the brochure that listed our team.  When he saw the name of the party, he said, "oh no, I'm from the other side",  and almost ran in the other direction.  He could not get away from me fast enough.  Is he that closed that he could not even read about someone from the other party? Perhaps that person is better qualified than the individual who is running for "his party."  It didn't matter, I did not represent his party so he was not going to waste his time even holding the brochure.  I guess some people will vote for the party and not the person, no matter what the circumstance.

It's petition time!

This week started the great walk for signatures.  I had the pleasure of covering an easy walking neighborhood to get signatures on the petition to place my name on the ballot for the November election. The neighborhood was mixed with homeowners and renters.  I found that many renters would not sign the petition nor were they interested in the election process. Someone has encouraged them to register to vote for the last general election but they were not planning on voting for the local election.  I also encountered a few of them who would not sign as they felt signing would jeopardize their employment with the State or Town. This early in the process I made the decision that someone must not only register the voter but educate them.  I guess you could say that maybe they just didn't want to be bothered to sign or really didn't care so they came up with the excuse of fear.  Whatever the excuse, there still needs to be education about the reason for exercising one's rights when it comes to signing a petition and voting.

While knocking on doors and greeting people, I heard many of the same comments from door to door.  Granted, I was only speaking to members of the one party but it was loud and clear what major issues were on the minds of voters in that neighborhood. Very often I did not have to ask about the important issues, they were handed to me - on a silver platter! (or a brown clipboard, in this case)

I'll continue to walk and ask for signatures in other neighborhood throughout the Town, hoping to get the necessary number to place my name on the ballot.  I'm not alone in this quest, I am fortunate to have many other walkers out there, helping me achieve that goal.

In closing, no matter what party you are, I strongly encourage you to sign a petition and exercise your right to choose who will represent you in the upcoming fall elections. ( I know it is early summer but fall is not that far off)

Bethlehem Town Board

I recently accepted the nomination to run for Bethlehem Town Board from the Bethlehem Republican Committee and the Conservative Party.  While I am both honored and proud, I also understand that a great responsibility comes along with this nomination.  Not only do I need to understand the current issues that my fellow community members feel are important, I must also understand what the issues are affecting Town employees. 

Over the next few months, I will work hard to gain as much information as I can to effectively represent my community if I am elected to Town Board.  I'll explain areas of concern in this blog and encourage readers to respond and share their concerns with me.  I can also be reached via email at burnsmelody@yahoo.com.