Vas truly has a very good heart and he is here for Knox

To the Editor:

I would like to take a moment to inform, and hopefully provide a little insight into a man whom I have come to know as both a businessman and as a good friend, the town of Knox supervisor, Vas Lefkaditis.

I met Vas and his family a little more than three years ago because our daughters happened to be in the same class and my daughter Abby was over to his house, playing with his daughter Nina. The first few times I was there, I never met him because guess what? He was always working and busy providing for his family.

But I came to find out quickly that Vas was very involved not only in his kids’ lives (he has five amazing kids) but also in our community. At the time, he was on the school board, active in the PTA, coaching Little League, performing with the Hilltowns Players with his entire family, and finding some time to attend almost all of his kids’ various sporting events just to mention a few things.

If you need to know anything about the Lefkaditis family, all you have to do is look at the kids. Anna and Vas have done what I consider to be an amazing job raising five really well-behaved, smart, and involved children. If you knew nothing about the man, you could look at his family and realize that he is a great father, teacher, and provider.

He and his wife, Anna, have raised their children well with respect toward others, and that says an awful lot about them both.

Over the years, Vas and I have worked on a few projects together and I can say without a doubt that he is a man of his word and honor. We may not have always agreed on completion methods but, despite any conflict we may have had, it was always resolved in a mutually beneficial way.

I respect the man because he always tells you what’s on his mind, even if he thinks you may not want to hear it. He may vehemently disagree with you one minute but then laugh with you the next. Never have I seen this man hold a grudge even in instances where I know I would have.

A lot of folks like to write about how he has an abrasive way about him, his demeanor, but in truth I know this to be untrue. Vas truly has a very good heart and it’s always in the right place.

Many a time I have personally witnessed him helping out families in our community — not just with money, but with his time, or with his smarts, loaning a piece of equipment, with legal advice, and the list goes on. He helps neighbors in times of trouble, never asking for anything in return.

I’ve grown to know this man pretty well and I can tell you with all honesty that he would give you his all if you ever asked for his help. Vas has helped me personally, and I have been involved with him on multiple occasions when he has asked for my help or time, helping others in the town of Knox.

As for the politics, I’m not going to even bother rattling off the list of accomplishments he’s had for the town of Knox; there would be plenty though. Instead I would like to close with a few thoughts.

Why would a man with five kids attending Berne-Knox-Westerlo want anything less than the absolute best he could give to the town of Knox?  I know from our business dealings that he accounts for every dollar.

In fact, I clearly remember the first time I gave him an estimate to do work on his home. He opened the envelope and said, “I think you need to sharpen your pencil,” having barely looked at it. LOL. This is exactly the type of guy I want in charge of my tax dollars.

With respect to the residents of Knox, he will always do what is right by the taxpayers and their money.  Vas is here for Knox. He has donated $4,000 of his supervisor’s salary to community events such as the Pucker Street Fair that he revived to make Knox the best place he can.

Vas is here for Knox, and for the people of Knox. His tenure will not be 42 years and I know he will eventually pass the torch on to someone else who hopefully will do as good a job as he has done for the last two years.

But that time is not here yet, and he is looking for a second term to continue the fantastic progress he has started. I encourage those who don’t know him to reach out and give him a call at (518) 872-0649 or stop in at Town Hall to chat. He’s never hidden from a conversation and would be happy to hear from you.

And for those of you who may be on the fence and are reading this, I encourage you to join me in voting for Vas Lefkaditis and his running mates, Kenny Saddlemire, Karl Pritchard, Traci Schanz, and Tim Francis on Nove. 2.  You will not regret it.

Bill Pasquini Jr.

Knox

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