Recently, social media has summed up the Village elections along party lines. Here’s the thing, we cannot be governed by political lines no matter the “justification.” Right now, many of us feel like we are constantly absorbing one piece of terrible news after another. It’s coming from all directions: national politics, state policies and members of our community that would never vote outside their party lines. It is easy to feel helpless, easy to get swept up in the current anxiety and frustration and simply check out believing the “grass is greener.” I understand that impulse as I feel it myself.

I have never voted along party lines and there can be severe consequences when one does just that. Consequences to our community, to our children, to our businesses and to the taxpayer’s bottom line. I would ask that you do not connect the national and state exhaustion and vote on March 18. Before casting your vote, judge the candidates on their dedication, accomplishments, ties to the community and their professional local backgrounds.

Mayor Williams did not have to run for election four years ago. As you all know, being village mayor is not a position of monetary and personal glory. He ran because he did not like the way our community was headed and I, personally, am glad that he did. The mayor was born and raised in this village. He only left for college and for a distinguished career as a Navy SEAL protecting our Country and learning the intricacies of multi-million dollar budgets and the politics that play along with it. Jimmy came back to raise his family in this village, clearly wanting the best community this can be for his children, a community he loved. He started two successful businesses and, among numerous other things, the Turkey Trot which supports local causes.

DPW was at half staff when he began his tenure and now it is up to full staff adding much needed jobs to the community. DPW no longer contracts out the infrastructure projects which has resulted in 1/10 the cost to the taxpayers. His experience directed the village to make millions of dollars in interest instead of the hundreds of dollars that it had been making.

KT Stiles, a lifelong resident of Saranac Lake, ran in the same woods and paddled the same waters that we did as children and knows the community down to its roots. Like the Mayor, KT has two successful businesses within our village. She has reformed “Ol Blue” which had been an eye-sore in our village for years and filled it with one of her businesses along with another independent business coming shortly. As a member of the Downtown Advisory Board, Housing Task Force and the Development Board, who better than a successful real estate agent to understand the housing issues that plague our village.

On a personal note, when my mother and I decided to restart the Hanmer Guideboat and Canoe race, the largest obstacle was the insurance as it isn’t inexpensive when you are running a race with children and adults on the water that had not been run for 10 years. KT came out of the Blue (no pun intended) and offered to pay the insurance to ensure that the race became a Saranac Lake staple once again. This is the type of individual that will dedicate herself and fight for the village she loves.

Josh King is not a lifelong resident of Saranac Lake; however, after vacationing here throughout his young life, he made the decision to move here and raise his own family. There is power in the people that move here to raise a family, a power of choice and wanting to make sure that their children have the same opportunities that we did when we were growing up. As a manager at the Hotel Saranac, his heart is in the right place and I would ask that you consider his name as a write in candidate on the March 18 ballot.

We should not vote because we are Democrat, Republican or Independent, even if those with an agenda against the opposing party tells you to. We vote because we are Saranac Lakers and because it is our responsibility. Vote like our village depends on it, as it does. Vote for our community. Vote for our children’s community. Vote for Saranac Lake.

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Kathy Dyer-Nogales lives in Saranac Lake.