As a condo owner and frequent visitor to Lake Placid for many weeks at a time over the past seven years, the upcoming election for North Elba town supervisor has been on my mind. Not being a full-time resident, I would not presume to offer opinions about local issues that I do not understand completely. I do know that the village and the town are grappling with how to preserve neighborhoods and the special character of the area, while seeking to regulate short-term rentals to avoid the problems associated with some of the large houses that have been converted for such rentals, a balance I fully support.

However, I do have a strong opinion about candidate Derek Doty, whom it has been an honor to come to know well over the years. When I learned that Derek was running for town supervisor, I felt moved to endorse him in the strongest possible terms as someone who will always put the town of North Elba first.

A humble and sincere man, Derek impresses me as a remarkable leader who has already contributed greatly to the community for the past two decades. He possesses the personal characteristics I look for in my elected officials and, sadly, so seldom see these days:

– Honesty

– Intelligence, with the rare ability to consider the complexities of the big picture

– Integrity

– Fairness

– Open-mindedness, with a desire to seek input from all stakeholders, listen to what they have to say, and seek to promote balanced solutions to challenges

– A pragmatic and collaborative problem-solver

– An outstanding work ethic, which seeks to get things accomplished.

Lake Placid voters should consider themselves fortunate that they have such an outstanding candidate on the ballot. I only wish Derek Doty was running in my hometown. He’d have my vote in a heartbeat because I know I could trust him to do the right things for my community.

Sincerely,

David Dewsnap

Lake Placid