LETTER: Sykes rolls up his sleeves and does the hard work

To the editor:

I strongly urge residents of District 1 to vote for Jim Sykes on October 4th. Jim was President of the Lazy Mountain Community Council, and encouraged the council to act as a strong voice for the community. He seeks out the opinions of residents, and finds ways to make positive changes. Most recently Jim has been protecting residents of District 1 from the dangerous flooding of the Matanuska River. Jim doesn’t just talk; he rolls up his sleeves and does the hard work.

Jim’s opponent, Brian Endle, has not been a friend of Community Councils, and District 1 has nine active councils. As a member of the Planning Commission Endle tried to pass a code change that would have substantially weakened Councils. I say “tried” because the change had not been reviewed, as required, by the Borough Attorney, or submitted to Councils for comment in its final form. The Planning Commission had the good sense to fail the change. As President of the Buffalo Soapstone Council, he effectively caused the council to shutdown without a meeting for three years. Mr. Endle’s agenda includes fast tracking gravel pits, cell towers and strip mines. Community Council’s usually have input into these projects, and in an Endle world that opportunity would be limited. We can’t afford to risk our future with Brian Endle.

— Patricia Fisher