To the Editor:

I fully support the following candidates for the town of Berne. I’ll start by saying that I hold the position as planning board chairman in Berne. On the planning board, we have a mixed group with views that differ but understand mutually our position as town employees and our job is to work for the people. My views below are my personal views as a resident aside from my duties on the planning board.

I support Dennis Palow because he has the skills needed to dig deep and work under astronomical pressure. After years of military service and battleground experience, he will be capable of standing strong when things get tough. After the last year-and-a-half dealing with the pandemic, I feel like strong leadership is key.

I also have spent time with Dennis outside of work and see his approach to issues as they come. He finds a solution that works for everyone and gets it done. That’s what you can expect from Dennis Palow as town supervisor — a go-getter who has honor and courage. The qualities that seem to be few and far between these days.

I support Thomas Doolin because being in the medical field holds a certain level of integrity that is special. You support people in their weakest moments. You not only hold their physical well-being in your hand, but their mental well-being.

In the health-care industry, you take on others’ pain, maybe not physically but mentally. These characteristics would be extremely beneficial to our town. Being able to take on hard issues and personally manage them or compartmentalize them is an extremely valuable skill.

I support Leo Vane because I value the capabilities to set aside everything else and do a job correctly. You must have those skills to pilot a jet with hundreds of lives on board. The passengers value those skills as well, trusting you to get them safely to their destination. I believe the dedication that it takes to become a pilot and continue that career for decades will overlap on the commitment to the town.

I support Anita Clayton for her vast knowledge of the town. Having and holding her morals to an extremely high standard is rare. The knowledge of how the town operates and the ins and outs is very important. Above all, when issues come up that are tough, she continues on and doesn’t quit. She digs deep and does her best. With decades of service to the town, she is an easy choice for me.

I support Kristin Francis because of her desire to support the town. She is a lifelong resident with a well-known family, raising her young family where she grew up and continuing on the generations in the town of Berne. We need people who are committed to the town and the lifestyle in the Hills. As things change and new people show up, it’s important to have that hometown connection. This you’ll find in Kristin Francis.

I support Randy Bashwinger, knowing personally what it takes to run a shop in a similar industry. Constantly being thrown curveballs is very hard. It’s demanding dealing with the weather in the Northeast. Late nights with the cold and rain. Trucks breaking down and equipment not performing when you need it the most.

You need someone who can stay calm and level-headed, who looks for solutions and is able to keep moving forward. Doing the best our highway can do within our budget to keep everything maintained is hard. I get it, and think Randy will continue to work hard.

Joey Martin

Berne