Coming together after the storm

Thursday June 7Th the First Ward got hit pretty hard by the storm that blew through the Quad Cities. I personally lost three trees in my yard and didn’t get power back until Saturday morning. Thankfully, I have not heard of any major injuries in the area. Although some houses were damaged, that is all fixable. One thing I did keep hearing though was that people had met more of their neighbors in the past couple of days than they had in years. Unfortunately that has become all too common lately. I admit that I am just as much at fault as anyone, but we need to change. The little things like saying hello and waving as we pass by are very easy to not do, but they are important enough that we must not forget to do them. As Alderman, I will encourage and promote more community efforts. I want to create more neighborhood associations and more opportunities for the people of the First Ward to voice their concerns, frustrations, and also provide positive feedback. By being accessible, responsive, open-minded, by holding regular and consistent ward meetings, and working closely with the various community groups, I plan on keeping my finger on the pulse of the First Ward. This way, when I make a decision on the City Council, it truly has the entire First Ward in mind.