Opinion: Don’t make the same mistake twice, Port Jeff
My Port Jeff roots are strong. My parents both grew up here and my dad’s parents were both local teachers. Many of you may remember my grandmother Sally Tessler who taught at Scraggy Hill and my grandfather Melvin Tessler who led the English Department at ELVHS. On my mom’s side of the family is the Koutrakos clan which owned the Original Elks. Decades later my family would own A Gift of Faith on Main Street. My family history is irrevocably tied to Port Jeff and that’s something I’m forever grateful for.
My whole life I’ve grown up on stories of what Port Jeff was like back in the “good old days”. People love telling me about the amazing food and generosity that was served at The Elks or how a single class or experience with my grandparents gave them a lifetime passion for learning. I’ve been fortunate enough to grow up in Port Jeff and to have made such wonderful memories there— we may not realize it, but we’ve created a community for our children and grandchildren that exemplifies values rarely seen in the world today. To that end, I’ve done quite a lot of thinking about what makes our village so special and how we impart those values.
Part of what is so unique about our community and local government is that it has in many ways shielded us from the hyper-partisanship that plagues national politics. This is important for a community as dynamic and evolving as Port Jefferson — we are first and foremost neighbors. This is our strength. It is for this reason our mayoral candidates aren’t attached to any major political party.
John Jay LaValle, regardless of his intent and reason for running, is irrevocably connected to and is in a sense partially responsible for the toxic national discourse that has ravaged our country. His time leading the local GOP and working closely with President Trump may at first glance seem like a positive — but it has already proven to rip our community (and community Facebook groups) apart.
Political tides shift and Port Jefferson should not face repercussions because of hyper-partisan associations. That’s not to say Mr. LaValle is a bad man or unfit for office. His election however would mark a substantial shift in our community’s historic ability to remain out of the larger political fray.
At this pivotal crux where our community prepares to make major decisions that will drastically alter its future — we need steady leadership which brings people together. John Jay LaValle’s political presence alone makes it impossible for him to achieve that. If his intention is to truly put residents first, he must recognize the toxicity his potential tenure would bring to an office that demands service greater than self.
We do have a leader who has successfully built coalitions that cross party boundaries and the many levels of government. We do have a leader who has successfully worked with Democrats and Republicans alike. We have a leader who has united opposing factions and has the experience required to deliver for Port Jefferson — we have Mayor Margot Garant.
I met Mayor Garant when I was just fifteen years old. She had just begun her first term in office and offered to mentor me in community service. She inspired me to get involved in local government and helped me establish the Youth Council of Greater Port Jefferson that eventually evolved into an international non-profit that spanned over 25 countries.
She taught me, without ever mentioning a political party, what it really means to serve the community you love. She wanted to consider not just what Port Jeff would be like at the end of her term, but what it’d look like for generations of new residents. She has studied our history and has planned for our future. She has done so with dignity, determination, and a deep conviction for our residents. She embodies the spirit of service and represents the best of what Port Jefferson has to offer.
Our community once made the mistake of taking a Mayor Garant for granted. When Jeanne Garant lost her seat our community suffered greatly. Mayor Margot Garant has seen our village through some incredibly difficult days. Because of her — our community has never been stronger, more robust, or better prepared to tackle the challenges ahead. She has built powerful partnerships, mobilized the community, reinvigorated our local economy, and has given all stakeholders a seat at the table. During my freshman year at Earl L. Vandermeulen and during her first week as mayor she took the time to write me a thank you note for some volunteering I had done while cleaning up East Main Street.
What she wrote has always stayed with me. There is nothing greater or more important than UNITY in COMMUNITY. On June 18th, I encourage you to vote for our great mayor, Margot Garant and the rest of the Unity Party ticket.
