To the Editor:

Why would anyone run for town board?  Even rarer, why would anyone run for town board after they know how much time and responsibility are involved?

It certainly isn’t the money; board members aren’t even paid enough to cover their actual expenses. It can’t be the fame; small towns don’t have enough people to make you famous, and, when you are recognized, it’s usually to be told about another problem or complaint.

So why run? Like volunteers, it must be because of some deep-seated, indefinable drive to make their community the best it can be, and try to assure the best quality of life for all its citizens.

Karen Schimmer and Dawn Jordan are such people. I don’t know why, but I have worked with both of them on numerous committees and boards, and they tirelessly put in hours, and days, and months of mental and physical labor to make Berne a better place.

Summerfest, youth programs, a playground for the kids, budget scrutiny, meals for seniors — all have the handprints of Dawn and Karen on them. Yes, they have families, and friends, and many other demands on their time, but they place public service and the greater good of the community on an equal plane, and expend their time and labor accordingly

They believe in Berne, all of it, and understand its people and its concerns.  Services and taxes are a difficult balance, but Karen and Dawn are conservative enough to watch the pennies, and serious enough to allocate dollars when they are needed. 

I know where my votes will go; use yours to put our future on the right path.

Phyllis Johnson

South Berne

Editor’s note: Phyllis Johnson writes the Helderberg Seniors column for The Altamont Enterprise.