Vote ELISE

Today I attended the first meeting of the second annual City of Duluth L.E.A.D. (Learn, Engage, Advance Duluth) program spearheaded by Council member Marsha Anderson Bomar and led by Alisa Williams.

I am a graduate of the City of Duluth LEAD 2008 program. Because I believe this program to be a vital part of educating citizens regarding city government operations and processes and a catalyst for citizen engagement, I became one of the major sponsors of this program for the 2009 LEAD participants. (more…)

The Fall Festival kicked into high gear beginning with a volunteer and sponsors BBQ lunch and display set-up on Friday. I had the opportunity to speak with Representative Brooks Coleman, exchanging thoughts and ideas concerning Highway 120 realignment, and gaining some interesting insight regarding that project.

During the next two days, I worked part of the time at the Civitan booth; circulated throughout the Festival, greeting and meeting folks from all over the country; and occasionally did spot trash pickup on the grounds for items that did not quite make it into the trash cans. The Boy Scouts did a great job of staying on top of the garbage detail.

Today, I was back on the campaign trail going door-to-door, meeting with citizens and listening to their concerns and providing information so that they could make an informed decision regarding my run for Post 3 City Council seat. It was a very productive day, and it was a great pleasure to meet and chat with fellow Duluthians.

The VOTE ELISE banner hanging from Lucile Walker’s balcony overlooking the town green looks great. Thanks, Lucile, for being a vital part of my campaign.

After several weeks of planning and preparation, the Big MAC (Mayor’s Advisory Committee) 2008-2009 Alumnus group reformed and met at Steverino’s to discuss how we, as a group, want to engage Duluth regarding issues and challenges facing us today. Several constructive ideas surfaced, and so we are off to a great start.

The planning and preparation committee consisted of Janet Tidwell, Janice Polack, Mayor Harris, and myself; others who joined or participated the first inaugural meeting tonight were Chuck Mason, Robin Gail Sessions, Harry Andrews, and Rob McQueary.

A few topics discussed included signage at new intersection of Pleasant Hill and Buford Hwy.; downtown traffic and road realignment; the Buford Hwy. corridor; and Old City Hall block. The group concluded that we needed more information and that attending City Council meetings would be a good place to start.

Thank you, Steverino’s, for graciously providing the space for our Big MAC Alumnus group.

Today, I had the awesome privilege of supporting our Duluth youth by becoming a sponsor of the Duluth High School Wildcat Band. GO WILDCATS!

I met with a Duluth business owner today regarding my campaign platform, political philosophy, and economic perspectives. Overall, we seem to be in sync with common sense approaches to address economic concerns and I look forward to working together to secure economic sustainability for Duluth families and businesses.

I spent a productive day of meetings with various Duluth citizens who expressed enthusiasm and support for the “VOTE ELISE” campaign—thank you for standing strong with me in preserving and advancing core values of faith, family, and flag.

Today, I had several meetings with campaign volunteers to finalize a few strategies, and then I was off to the Duluth Fall Festival Sponsors and Volunteer Taste of Duluth dinner. There I sampled gourmet treats and chatted with Senator David Shafer, Mayor Nancy Harris, a few council members, fall festival sponsors and volunteers, and chilled with Miss Cindy and her mom. This city likes to have a good time and it is great to be a part.