To the Editor:

I am very happy to have accepted the nomination of the Democrats to run for a Guilderland Town Board seat. I owe so many people thanks for your encouragement and support, and I want to thank all of you. It’s going to be a long campaign, but I am looking forward to it and to meeting as many of you as possible.

As most of you know, I have been working very hard the last year-and-a-half with the Guilderland Coalition for Responsible Growth (GCRG; guilderlandcrg.com) to make sure that all of the residents’ concerns are properly heard and that the town boards follow the letter of the state and local zoning laws, especially those that require that the residents’ voices be heard and factored into all decisions.

It has been 18 months of explosive growth in Guilderland, which no one can deny. At the time of this writing, according to the most recent town chart, there have been 26 new projects either proposed or approved, including three that have already been built.

This is unprecedented in Guilderland in my lifetime.

For every action, there is an equal reaction though, and the result was that residents from all backgrounds, races, political parties, religions, and economic status came together to unite in order to best help each other out, in true civic spirit, which eventually resulted in the formation of GCRG, an organization I was proud to serve on.

Since I have now made the step to try to fight for residents concerns from the inside by running for a town board seat this fall, I am stepping down from my leadership position with GCRG, which is, as I said, a non-political organization.

Membership is thriving right now in GCRG, and I am confident it will continue to grow and provide a welcoming haven for residents, as well as a source of information on projects and other important happenings in town government.

All governments need checks and balances to ensure that fairness prevails, and this organization serves that needed purpose in Guilderland. My thanks to all the dedicated, creative, committed, and caring people that I have met in GCRG. These are some of the finest people I have known, and it was an honor to work with them.

If you are not a member, I encourage all to check out their website and learn more. Take an active role in your town and community; that’s the only way democracy works. You’ll find many friends there.

As I turn now to my campaign for a town board seat, I will continue to stand up for the residents’ concerns, it’s your town, and I will be your voice in town government. Many thanks again to everyone, and I hope to see you all on the campaign trail.

Laurel L. Bohl

Guilderland