This week’s question is: What have you learned about the town of Wake Forest and its residents during your campaign this fall? And tell us again why you think you would be a good town commissioner.
            Next week the Gazette will publish a biography of each candidate and the following week will have the election results.
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            Ben Clapsaddle: I have learned three things about the town of Wake Forest and its residents. First, and key among my lessons, is how passionate and informed our citizens are about our Town. I share your passion and will ensure the Town Commissioners focus their actions on our Town’s mission: health, safety and welfare of the residents, property owners, and visitors. Second, we must balance our wants and desires against the budgetary constraints … focusing on our mission will make tough decisions a little easier. I see a desire by our citizens to address issues from a mature perspective; I don’t view compromise as a “four-letter word.” I recently stated, “You never compromise your family name, your values, your honor, your word, your principles and your faith … everything else is life.” Everyone should be trying to create “win-win” solutions in every situation in life and specifically the Board’s dealing with Town affairs. Third, the majority of the people I have met want us to maintain a small town atmosphere, while offering our citizens—especially our young people—opportunities to grow in Wake Forest. This past weekend I was travelling around Town to meet with citizens and brought a friend from Fayetteville with me; he marveled at our downtown area and understood its importance to both our heritage and our future. He also recognized the historical significance of the W.E.B. DuBois School and the need for us to make this one of the cornerstones of our community’s development.
I have the Proven Leadership that will be invaluable to the citizens of Wake Forest and my fellow members of the Board of Commissioners. I bring extensive life experiences, professional expertise, leadership skills, conservative values, and strong support and belief in our families. As a commander in the Army, I developed and managed multi-million dollar budgets, led a diversified workforce that always exceeded standards, and treated everyone with dignity and respect. I learned early—reinforced by my time in combat— that it takes a team to achieve desired results in a world filled with complex and diverse challenges. You can count on me to do what is right, even in the most stressful conditions. Being a Commissioner is something I view as the heart and soul of America ... representative government at its best. I will take my oath as seriously and with the same commitment I took to defend the Constitution as an Army officer. I am committed to helping everyone achieve their American Dream. Vote for me on 8 November; together we will make a difference in tomorrow’s Wake Forest.
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          Zachary Donahue: I have learned that Wake Forest is a great mix of a diverse group of people. I have met some wonderful people who were born and raised in Wake Forest. Having their historical perspective helps keep the history in mind as we move forward to ensure that we never forget who we are and from where we came. There are many other people who, like me, relocated to this area and were drawn to Wake Forest for many reasons. Their voices deserve to be heard as well, as they will be a significant part of the future of Wake Forest.
            In order to effectively lead, it is critical to know the people and to have experience to know how the town operates. The citizens of Wake Forest deserve to be led by someone who:
·         Has historical perspective of Wake Forest (I’ve lived in Wake Forest longer than all but two of the candidates)
·         Has experience with the town government (I’m a second-term Planning Board Member and worked on the Community Plan, Transportation Plan, and Unified Development Ordinance)
·         Is honest, trustworthy, and has integrity (As a licensed CPA, I am bound by a Code of Ethics that is interwoven into how I act on a daily basis)
·         Is connected to the citizens (David Leone of the Wake Weekly has called me “the most well-connected person” he knows – I am available to listen to our citizens anytime any way that is best for them)
·         Has proven leadership experience (I run the local office of a national accounting firm and am the Chairman of the Board of Directors for a local charter school)
·         Is knowledgeable of the operations of the town (I am a parent of two Wake Forest public school students, and coach/parent of multiple Town of Wake Forest athletic leagues).
            When citizens go to the polls on November 8, they will have three selections to make. I hope that my background and experience give them the comfort to use one of their votes to Vote Donahue to help build a better Wake Forest.
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          Greg Harrington: I had the privilege of working for the Town for just over 16 years. When I first came to work here, I got involved with a number of different organizations that provided entertainment to any of our citizens who wanted to participate. While working these events, I talked to many people who felt that old time “front porch” friendship and neighborliness with everyone around. During my campaign, I have found more than anything else that people still feel the same way about Wake Forest. Sure, some folks have talked about an issue here or there, but overall the people who have moved here like feeling safe and like the number of activities the Town has to offer. They want to continue having that small town feeling, while at the same time, they want to be able to shop, play, and eat here in Wake Forest. Most people are tired of having to go outside town to do “major shopping.” The side of town you live on and who you talk to determines what specific issues citizens are facing. I’ve talked to a few who remember Hurricane Fran and how everyone helped their neighbors. People remember the 20”-22” inch snow storm and how neighbors looked after neighbors. It’s times like these our goodness really shows and people feel like Wake Forest is the best place to live.   
As stated above, I worked for the Town for more than 16 years as its Police Chief. I have over 36 years of public service, including my four years of military service. I have had to shoulder many burdens over the course of these 36 years and have had to make many difficult decisions—some were literally life or death decisions. As a Police Chief for over 22 years, I’ve prepared many budgets and have had to operate within the confines of these budgets. Being a Town Commissioner means making many difficult decisions and approving budgets that have been scrutinized by the Town’s department heads and also the Town Manager. As a Commissioner, you must be willing to question certain aspects of the budget and be prepared to take heat if there is something with which you disagree. You should also be willing to give praise when it’s due. A Town Commissioner must—like the officer I was—be totally above-board and honest in all you do. I look forward to being that commissioner!
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          Anne Hines: The best part of campaigning is visiting with citizens in their own neighborhoods. Wake Forest is unique in the makeup of the variety of communities that make the Town whole. All aspects of our Town from the East End, to Historical Downtown, and the newer subdivisions, weave a community into a network of Home Town feelings. Each area may have likes or dislikes about things going on in their community, but they all love being a part of Wake Forest.
Last Saturday I had the opportunity to spend time in the East End. It is a vibrant community. People out taking strolls with friends, children running and laughing, senior citizens visiting with their neighbors, everyone ready and willing to talk. One lady told me that she loves her Wake Forest and believes the current Town Board is the best ever. That was strong endorsement of the policies and actions of our Board of Commissioners. She says we take care of them (meaning the citizens of her neighborhood).
aturday afternoon, I had the pleasure of being at the groundbreaking for the new St. Catherine’s church. Hundreds of people participated in a beautiful service. Again, people visiting with friends, children enjoying the great outdoors, senior citizens sharing a special time with each other.
I love Wake Forest and can’t imagine being anywhere else – even though one man pointed out there were lots of great places in the world. To him I said, not for me.
The past four years have been a highlight of my life. I have enjoyed getting to know the town better, better understanding how municipal government works, and the interaction with the citizens. I know that the next four years will be as great a blessing as the last four have been. I will continue to be available to the citizens, listening to their concerns and enjoying their heartfelt thanks for a job well done. My record of leadership has been proved many times. I look forward to continuing to serve this wonderful community, so I ask for your vote on Tuesday November 8, 2011.
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          Matthew Reck: I have learned that Heritage has a lot more homes in it than I had originally thought. My feet are still aching from my last walk through and I was only about 2/3 finished. I have also learned that people are much more in tune with what goes on in their local government than I thought. Especially folks who have lived here less than five years do know what goes on. In speaking with many of these folks, they do know and care about what goes on, but have not made the effort to vote. The approval of the Sheetz by the Board of Commissioners will either drive up voter turnout because folks are mad at the situation and want someone to speak up for them the next time something like this happens; or it will have a detrimental effect because they feel that their vote and voice does not matter and certain people will always get their way no matter the cost. I hope that my candidacy along with that of my seven opponents brings not only more people to the polls on election day, but generates an interest among the citizens of Wake Forest to start getting more involved with the workings of their government by serving on an advisory board, or getting involved by volunteering for the many festivities we have in Wake Forest. Those festivals are what makes Wake Forest special and the folks who serve on those committees and who direct traffic, pick up the trash, schedule entertainment could use some extra help and a thank you from those of us who take advantage of the festivities.
            I will be a great Commissioner because I am the one candidate willing to tell the one or two people in town who want to have the lawn irrigation system ban lifted “no” because their wants of a green lawn will lead us into higher water rates for everyone else. Or worse by having our water shut off when Wake Forest reaches its capacity of 5.3 million gallons of water in one day. I am the one candidate who is also willing to tell that one developer “no” that he should not develop his property, because he wants to make an extra buck---- to the detriment of the very same people that he already made money off of. I am also willing to tell the State of North Carolina that they are wrong in denying citizens their basic rights of freedom of speech at a public meeting. I am the candidate that has a website where my positions on these issues is available for anyone to see; not just Facebook users. I am the one candidate that came out and said where I would cut the budget, if need be. If you feel that a Commissioner should ask the tough questions, or allow the public ask the tough questions; then I will be a great Commissioner and I ask for your vote. Please visit my website www.4Matt4WakeForest.com.
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            Peter Thibodeau: As a current Town Commissioner, I have had the opportunity to communicate often with people across town over the last 4 years on issues that concern them. Talking to many visitors at community events over the years, they tell me that it is the openness, friendliness, and charm of Wake Forest that keeps bringing them back again and again. While out walking through the neighborhoods in town during this campaign season, I have had even more chances to talk and share stories with people around town.
            The overwhelming topic of discussion that I hear from talking to Wake Forest residents is how well they think things are going in Town and how much they like the current Commissioners and how well we work together. Everyone enjoys that there is absolutely no partisanship on the Board as we continually work with each other to examine and solve the problems put before us. People have also told me often that they appreciate how we, as current Commissioners, have not raised taxes or cut programs. This happens because we work closely with Town staff to identify innovative budget solutions that allow us to complete projects that are part of the town’s vision.
            We need proven experience, strength, and leadership to make sure that Wake Forest continues to follow along the successful path that we’ve navigated during this tough economy. As a current Town Commissioner, I can assure you that we work together to make Wake Forest the best town in North Carolina. Significant changes in the Board’s composition are not warranted, for the very reason that we are being very successful in managing Wake Forest’s economy, growth, job attraction, and overall vitality right now. I find myself fortunate to be in a position to serve so many people that make up such a wonderful town. I ask you to for the opportunity to continue to use my strength and experience as a leader to continue Wake Forest along our prosperous path. Please vote on November 8, 2011, to re-elect Peter Thibodeau for Town Commissioner.
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          Jim Thompson: First, I want to take a moment and apologize for missing the deadline for last week’s article. And although I actually felt really good about my comments at the recent candidates’ forum, I did want to add that as a commissioner, I would really work to get our permitting process in Wake Forest more streamlined. I hear so many stories of frustrated business owners (both downtown and outside of the downtown district) that the process takes way too long.
            For this weeks’ question, Wake Forest is a town that has weathered many storms. From losing its namesake educational institution, to losing major manufacturing operations, the town has managed to nearly triple in size in the last 15 years and is poised for more growth over the coming years.
            Today more people have moved to Wake Forest than are actually from the town and that has brought some interesting challenges – managing growth, while maintaining the small town feel and working towards downtown revitalization, while developing the Capital corridor.
What is so fantastic about the residents of Wake Forest is that so many people have moved here by choice. Most residents of Wake Forest don’t currently work in Wake Forest, so for many, moving to Wake Forest was a choice. That makes our town a very special place. People care about being a part of this community and it makes me proud to even be running for commissioner.
            Having grown-up in Raleigh and now that I have returned to make Wake Forest my home, I have a unique perspective on this town. I appreciate the small town feel of Wake Forest, but I also want to see us grow into a town where you can live, play, shop and work. I support Wake Forest so much that I want to see us be a self-sufficient town that doesn’t have to force its citizens to shop and work elsewhere. I feel I have the leadership it takes to make Wake Forest become a town with a heart – a thriving town, with a viable downtown at its heart.
I have said this in another publication, but I believe this is so true. There is a reason God gave you two ears and one mouth – so you can listen twice as much as you talk. As your next commissioner I would work really hard to solicit feedback from various segments of this community to see where we need to be heading as a town.
            Also, as the CEO of an association here in Raleigh, I feel I have the leadership and the vision to advance Wake Forest and look at ways to work with the Chamber and other business leaders to further economic development. Wake Forest must look to develop additional job opportunities as a town commissioner; I would be a vocal proponent of job growth.
Thank you for your time and the opportunity to run this year as a commissioner and I would greatly appreciate your support on November 8.
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          Sherry Ward: Ms. Ward is touring schools in southern China where there is limited internet access and was not able to provide an answer this week.