To the editor:

Hey, everyone! For the good of our village, please read this!

Being a rather run of the mill and semi-unmotivated individual myself, I can’t fully express my admiration for Melinda Little’s energy and dedication to every aspect of life in Saranac Lake, but I’m sure grateful for it. Somewhere along the line Melinda caught the virus of public service. She’s lived and breathed it for as long as I’ve known her.

I care deeply about the future of Saranac Lake, which is why Melinda Little is my choice for mayor. I’ve known Melinda for over 30 years, but length of friendship is not the basis of this endorsement. What matters is that I — perhaps better than anyone else in town — can vouch for her scrupulous honesty and bipartisan caring for the standard of life of ALL our citizens, the need for jobs and housing, and the care with which we must balance the interests of residents with attracting tourists and the financial support they bring to our region.

Not only does Melinda’s education perfectly prepare her for the position of mayor, her work resume supports everything we need. When I met Melinda Little, she was employed by the Theatre Development Fund in NYC. From there, she advanced to associate director of marketing and development at Dance Theatre of Harlem. Although advancing in the corporate world was an avenue open to her, Melinda’s focus has always been nonprofits and/or helping the little (no pun intended) guy. From DTH, she transitioned to creating the Company of Women, an amazing mail order business that benefited not herself, but a homeless shelter for battered women. In this capacity she fostered the economic growth and creativity of many entrepreneurs and employed many local folks in Rockland County, New York. She wholeheartedly devotes herself to every endeavor she undertakes. Look at the boards she’s served on — Tri-Lakes Humane Society and Pendragon Theatre to name only two. Melinda doesn’t walk away from difficulties or lose interest and fade away. She stays in the fight. She’ll listen to your ideas, complaints, and dreams and do all she can to carry out the will of the village residents.

If you need tangible bricks and mortar proof of what she’s done for this town stop by the Village Mercantile. Melinda’s leadership has provided the steady course forward of this remarkable community asset that benefits us all. Like most of you Melinda works more than one job to make ends meet. She takes nothing about Saranac Lake and the Adirondacks for granted. That’s one reason she’s served on the village board. She already has a very valuable handle on how local government should function.

Personally I think being mayor would be a thankless pain-in-the rear, but Melinda isn’t looking for thanks, importance or power. Melinda wants to do what’s best for all of us. She has nothing to gain by serving in this capacity, but Saranac Lake does. So … VOTE LITTLE FOR MAYOR!

Karen Lewis

Saranac Lake