Election over, time to move forward

A post-election calm has descended on the Valley. Daily routines have returned to normal, and residents can move forward with views of the surrounding landscape unimpeded by campaign signs.

Weeks and months of campaigning by candidates for local office are behind us. Decisions have been made and voters have spoken.

It is too soon to tell exactly what the election results mean. Clearly, no long-term conclusions can safely be drawn. Whether individual voters are pleased with the outcome of Tuesday balloting, life will go on until the next election, as it always has.

One thing is certain, though. New blood means new ideas and the potential for fresh solutions to seemingly complex problems. This can never be bad for the democratic process.

Now it is time to &#8220let the games begin.” Whether each of us agrees with individual victors in Tuesday's election, it is incumbent on all of us, as we move forward as a community, to keep open minds and lend our support and encouragement to those who have stepped forward and been chosen to lead.

Some are old pros in the arena of public service. Some are novices. But none is more valuable or more likely to be an effective leader than another. While we appreciate the knowledge and skill that come with experience, we also admire the sense of adventure and civic-mindedness that the newly elected bring to the table.

True leadership is not pandering to like-minded people. It is rooted in fundamental qualities of forthrightness and honesty and the willingness to listen to others and treat everyone with respect.

Borough mayor-elect Curt Menard seems well-suited to set the right tone. His emergence from a five-person field with more than 50 percent of the vote shows his appeal to people across the spectrum, something honed in his years of service in the Legislature, which were marked by consensus-building and a clear ability to communicate across party lines.

Menard will work with a borough assembly that will have three new faces, although one, Rob Wells, has served on the assembly before. The school board and at least two of the three area city councils also will have a different look.

We urge residents to embrace these changes and think positively. At the same time, we congratulate all Tuesday winners and offer our heartfelt thanks to everyone who put themselves on the line for an opportunity to serve the public.