The supervisor candidates are Tim Follos (Democratic and Silent Majority) and Favor J. Smith (Honesty for Wilmington).

The town council candidates are Laura Dreissigacker Hooker (Honesty for Wilmington), incumbent Darin Forbes (Republican and Citizen’s Data Boy), incumbent Michelle Preston (Community First) and Forest “Randy” Winch (People’s).

Also, Devan Korn (Citizen’s Data Boy) and Alphonso Smith (Republican) are running unopposed for two assessor seats.

The Lake Placid News sent questionnaires to candidates running in the contested races. Below is the response for Michelle L. Preston.

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Michelle L. Preston

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Age: 52

Occupation: Director, Whiteface Visitors Bureau; current Wilmington Town Council member

Position sought: Town councilor

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Q: Why are you running for this position?

A: My love for Wilmington and its residents are my driving force to see it remain sustainable for future generations. I have been an active part of our community for many years and believe I have the knowledge and skill set to bring Wilmington together with a plan for the future.

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Q: What are your qualifications?

A: – Registered independent

– Honest, trustworthy and a “woman of my words”

– Compassionate and truly love Wilmington and its residents

– Very organized and love to stay busy

– A Wilmington resident and taxpayer who understands how the budget affects us all

– Strong political relationships on county and state levels and am willing to advocate for Wilmington

– A mother of four who realizes how important safe and healthy youth programs are

– A daughter of aging parents who wants to see our seniors respected and taken care of

– I have organized and volunteered for numerous events, church activities and organizations throughout the years, building strong relationships with town residents.

– I served as the planning/zoning board secretary for several years, including during the time of the Dollar General application processes and handled all of the correspondence with the public, applicants and attorneys, therefore understand Wilmington residents’ concerns and the zoning procedures involved.

– I attend trainings and conferences and network with others able to assist Wilmington with projects.

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Q: What are your main goals?

A: PLAN! I can’t stress this enough. As a town, I feel the need to develop a plan for the future. There hasn’t been a real plan done in several years. As with many towns, over the last four years, Wilmington has gone through changes due to COVID, the housing changes and more. It is time for Wilmington to come together and decide who we are and what we want going forward. Within the main plan, I would like to include items such as employee retention, building upkeep, beautification, new development, updated infrastructure, playground design, and strong business strategies for our economy. Once a plan is developed, we can move onto the next step with execution and financial planning for these projects.

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Q: What do you think are the three biggest problems in the town, and how do you propose solving them?

A: First I would like to address the question in a different way. The question as it is posed states,

a. “What do you think are the three biggest problems in the town?”

I think Wilmington is a very special community and feel it is a privilege to be able to live here. I’m not fond of the word “problem.” As with any organization, or community, we should always be looking for ways to improve and grow within our current economy and ever changing world around us.

b. “how do you propose solving them?”

“I” don’t plan to. It is very important for everyone to realize we are a team. This town isn’t “my” town, it is the community’s, and we all need to work together to accomplish our unified goals. I have many ideas and will try to give some examples.

1. The town of Wilmington has seen numerous times that we are in need of a large multi-use facility. This will take planning and potentially grants; however, my proposal is to build a large, one-level, gym-like structure with bathrooms, kitchen and small meeting room. Short list of uses:

Youth are our future — we need to invest in them.

– Indoor recreational facility for sports during winter months or inclement weather

– Area for movie nights/or socials

– Larger space for summer program

Our seniors are our roots — we need to keep them grounded.

– Area to host senior programs

– Potential for senior indoor rec area

– Handicap accessible

– Area to host classes such as yoga or other fitness programs

– Open space for craft shows or special events

– Small gathering facility for groups

– Emergency shelter — Hope for the best, prepare for the worst! We need to always have a plan to keep our residents safe.

I believe with the proper planning of such a building, we can get grants and funding due to the programs and uses.

2. County and state Issues

Work with our representatives to ensure they change the laws so short-term rentals are considered businesses and taxed accordingly. Wilmington will benefit from the sales tax revenue this will generate.

Seek updated infrastructure for our outdated and worn electric system. Wilmington residents need reliable power.

Work with our representatives to demand reliable cell reception. In today’s technology, there is no reason we shouldn’t have a strong and reliable signal throughout town.

3. AuSable River — If you were born and raised here, you remember a time when the West Branch of the AuSable River spanned wide and deep allowing for great fishing, recreation and ice skating in the winter. Over time, the river has filled with sand and silt and has been overtaken by cattails. I am currently in discussions with the AuSable River Association regarding solutions to the potential dredging of the river or other solutions. I would like to set up a committee to “dig” into the details and solutions, and funding, then present all of the options to the public. This is going to be a long and pricey project; however, it has been talked about for years. It’s time to take action and start building our plan.

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Q: Other comments to voters?

A: I have enjoyed visiting many of you at your home or business and hearing your thoughts, concerns and desires for Wilmington. Ideas, tactics and solutions may vary, but one thing remains the same. … We all love Wilmington and desire to hold onto the things that make it special to us.

I thank Lake Placid News and Adirondack Daily Enterprise for allowing me the opportunity to give you a very brief look at my views by answering a few short questions. As a fellow Wilmington taxpayer, I know how important it is to get the right people in office. I am always willing to answer questions, talk to you about your concerns or just sit and have a cup of coffee with you. Please contact me Michelle.Preston045@gmail.com. Thank you. I appreciate your support, and I am asking for your vote on Nov. 7.