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Massena resident running for county legislature's 15th district

Posted 5/17/18

MASSENA – Massena resident Rita Curran has announced her candidacy for St. Lawrence County Legislative District 15. Lisa Bell is the current legislator in that district. The district encompasses …

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Massena resident running for county legislature's 15th district

Posted

MASSENA – Massena resident Rita Curran has announced her candidacy for St. Lawrence County Legislative District 15.

Lisa Bell is the current legislator in that district.

The district encompasses part of the village of Massena, as well as the towns of Louisville and Waddington.

“As a native of this district I remember the days when jobs and opportunities were abundant for everyone,” she said in a letter to North Country Now. “Business flourished and taxes were kept in check by the mutually beneficial partnerships between private and public entities.

“My friends and classmates knew there were jobs that they could come home to after attending college or serving in our armed forces. We looked forward to raising our families just as our parents had raised us in a community that looked forward to the future.

“Something happened that changed the future and dimmed our hopes and dreams for the future we grew up believing would be there for us. Taxes increased while our infrastructure crumbled as we read about governments at all levels borrowing against our futures while businesses we believed would always be staples of our community withered on the vine and left.

“The nightmare of drugs replaced the dreams of solid jobs and success and suddenly the communities we loved began looking more and more desperate for a solution. That change struck me very personally in my chosen occupation as a Family Nurse Practitioner while observing our young people dying from addiction and overdoses to various drugs and alcohol.

“The legislature I seek to join has taken great strides in turning things around and I’d like to be a part of that renewed hope for the future. Our legislature majority has stopped the bleeding and borrowing that plagued our county government only a few years ago but more challenges lie on the horizon. I believe our roads and bridges need to be repaired and replaced while capitalizing on the diamond that lies within the St. Lawrence River. I support continued efforts to utilize the tourism potential that exists in the world’s third largest river flowing past our front door.

“Using the success of the Bass Masters Tournament and carp tournaments as blue prints, I believe we can do more to lure people into our existing businesses while creating opportunities for new jobs by offering a helping hand to those who invest in our tourism industries. Our keys to success begin at the businesses that provide the horsepower to jobs, community investment and positive alternatives to the drug industry that enslaves so many and destroys our collective future.

“Part of my commitment as your county legislator is to be involved in our community through participation in our town, village, school and civic meetings to hear the issues you face first hand. Our teamwork will allow me to be more effective as a community leader by listening to your successes, concerns, ideas and feedback. In these challenging days, we need to come together as one community seeking a brighter and better future for those who will follow us.

“We cannot allow partisan politics to cause schisms when the stakes are so high. In this campaign, I welcome your opinions and invite you to continue our ongoing dialog atimprovecommunities2018@gmail.com.

“In closing, I look forward to working with you as your voice on the county legislature and humbly ask for your vote this November so we can continue to build this coalition that can and will brighten our combined future and give hope to those who will follow us.”