1. What motivated you to run for office this year, and what do you hope to accomplish if elected?
a. I believe that Zoning is one of our most powerful tools for shaping the future of East Lyme. I believe that transparent planning keeps our town livable for people like seniors and parents. I’ve been on the Zoning Board as an alternate for 2 years now, and I believe that it is time for me to step up and serve as a full-time member.
2. What do you see as the single biggest issue facing East Lyme right now?
a. What I’m hearing from the community is that it is very important to balance growth with that incredible hometown feel of East Lyme. We need smart growth, which means placing the right projects in the right places. We can do that with designs that match our neighborhoods, while at the same time protecting our open spaces, and our open shoreline. Those are the things that are important to voters, and also to me.
3. How would you balance keeping our town affordable with maintaining strong schools, services, and infrastructure?
a. Part of that has to do with smart development, making sure that development happens in an intelligent way around existing services. And we of course need a better approach to providing housing here, for example the multi-use mix where businesses can thrive while at the same time having affordable rental units, that’s important.
4. What experience or perspective do you bring that you feel will help you serve effectively on your board/committee?
a. When I first got into Zoning, I thought about what I had to offer. As a 35-year registered nurse and also doula, I am trained to listen and advocate for people—that helped to do my jobs better. So, I think that my skills translate directly to fair and public hearings. I am used to listening first before making tough decisions, and I have a community-first lens, I have a sense of small business and a community focus at the same time. I have a small business myself and I am an author, I can understand both the residents and the entrepreneurs needs.
5. How do you think local government can do a better job of listening to residents and building trust?
a. That’s a good question. One of the big challenges is getting people to come to our town meetings. I’d like to see lots of people show up. We need more clarity and consistency in our communications, and we need to build trust, which happens when people feel respect. We need to inform the community about our meeting agendas, provide live streams whenever we can, and also provide surveys to community members where we ask their opinions on housing, traffic and water—all of the things that people think are important.
6. What’s your favorite spot in East Lyme or Niantic, and why?
a. Tricky because I love them all. I love every restaurant in town. If I must pick one, it will have to be Dev’s on Main. They hosted my book launch; they made it feel like the whole town showed up for each other. Their tapas are my favorite, and it’s everything I love about East Lyme: great food, great community, and a great vibe all under one roof.
7. If you could plan a perfect Saturday in East Lyme, what would it include?
a. I like starting my day with breakfast at Café Sole, I love to walk on the boardwalk from Hole in the Wall, up to McCook’s and back down. Sunsets by the water too! These are amazingly simple joys that are close to home for me.
8. What is one local business you think everyone in town should know about and support?
a. I support so many! Dev’s on Main. Café Sol. Maybe I’ll say the Salt Cave here though. It’s just a cool place that’s great to relax. I go to monthly meditations there, it’s an excellent group thing, it’s a lot of fun and it’s relaxing! Everybody should know about it.
9. Who is someone in our community (past or present) that you admire, and why?
a. Well, I’m gonna pick somebody current, I’m gonna say it’s Dan Cunningham. He had so many things on his plate when he first started. He has done so much in a really brief period of time. He has really dived into all the challenges of leadership in our town, he has owned them, and he has just done a really excellent job!
10. If East Lyme had a town mascot, what would you nominate?
a. Well, as I look out over Dodge Pond from my house. I would pick an osprey, they are reliant, they’ve watchful, and when one of them sets its sights on something it doesn’t flinch, when it flies high it sees the big picture. They are beautiful. So, I think that the osprey is the perfect symbol for our town. A mascot that values stewardship.
11. Campaigning can be stressful -- what’s your go-to comfort food or snack during the season?
a. I don’t get a lot of relaxation, but comfort food is pretty easy. I’d have to say that it would be a hot fudge sundae with peanuts and whipped cream, from Dairy Queen of course!
12. If you could instantly become an expert in any completely unrelated field (music, carpentry, juggling chainsaws), what would it be?
a. What comes to mind is that I’ve dabbled with guitar since I was 15 years old but never really mastered it. I feel that music and art can help to bridge any community divide, and so I’d love to see more of that at our East Lyme community events, more with guitar.
13. What’s the most unusual or surprising job you’ve ever had?
a. It’s hard to say, because I’ve been a nurse for 36 years and that is not all that unusual or surprising. However, I’ve also been a massage therapist, and I even have a real estate license—those might not be too unusual either. Oh, wait a minute, I’m an author. I never thought I was going to author a book. But I did, and I still say today, who knew that I could write a book, but it’s out there now! The reason for my book was my passion for supporting our community!
14. When you need a laugh, what’s your guilty pleasure?
a. I enjoy most every late-night comedian. That’s kind of our routine at home each night; we start the end of the evening with late-night comedians. That really helps to get us through these tough times.