Endorsements

  I received the PBA endorsement which came as somewhat of a surprise since I was never invited to an interview. The PBA President told me it was because the guys know me and believe I really care about the city and will be my own person if elected. I am honored and hope to prove worthy of their endorsement.
   I was interviewed by the Firefighters' who have not yet announced thir endorsements. I was given a fair shot and that is all I seek. Regardless of their decision, I am second to no one in my respect  for the job they do in protecting our city.  I joked that Troy is so good at putting out fires it was hard as a newsphotographer to get there before the flames were already knocked down.
   Public safety is crucial if we are going to grow our city and attract businesses and people. They will not come to Troy if they do not believe it is a safe place to live, work or visit.
   I made the following promise to the firefighters, which I make to all the citizens: I will always be willing to listen, and to be fair (there are always two sides) and to be honest. I am sure there will be times when we will agree to disagree, but it should not result in a long standing grudge as seems to have happened in the past. Just because we may disagree does not mean we need be enemies. I have been married 27 years and my wife Deborah and I disgree regularly but I love her and I am happy to still be with her. That is exactly how I hope everyone behaves going forward.

Uncle Sam parade

     My team of volunteers , who helped distribute balloons during the Uncle Sam parade Sunday 9/18. My daughter, Rachel and honorary daughter, Jessica, are missing from the photo since they were already distributing balloons.
     I marched in the parade with other candidates and enjoyed the gorgeous Sunday. It was a good parade, one of my favorites from my days as a news photographer. The crowds seemed a little smaller than in the past which is too bad since being the home of Uncle Sam is a significant tribute to our city and something we can build on to attract tourists and others to our city.
     I also attended the gravesite ceremony on Saturday where Marge Derguarian acted as mc. She did a great job and the ceremony was spot on in remembering the man who became an American iconic figure.