Adam Russell, Lincoln, Ward 1

If you wake up early on any crisp fall morning, do yourself a favour and head outside. The sun breaking over the horizon and casting a flicker of yellow and orange on the escarpment. Beamsville is quiet and just starting to stir; runners pad by in heavy breath silence, dog walkers wave hello and give a nod with a warm “Good morning”. People in our community begin to mill about and get their daily routine started. This is a wonderful place; a place where neighbours still heartfully greet each other and where we can all slow life down a bit and enjoy what the area has to offer. I love Beamsville. It has been our home for over a decade now and yet I still am learning about what it and our people have to offer. It’s a place where you hope to raise your family and foster your roots. But change is coming and it is inevitable.

I started thinking about running for council 6 years ago. My wife, Erin, and I discussed it but at the time our girls were 3 and 1 and time was just too precious for me to fully commit. Now with the family being a little older I have the time and dedication to commit myself to building our community. I think everyone reaches a point where they start looking for ways they can give back. I have coached both my girls the last few years in local sports but want to do more. I want to bring a new voice and level of accountability to our council so that we can all work together to improve and enhance what our town has to offer.

Beamsville and the Town of Lincoln have a lot to offer; from our numerous wineries, a distillery, a brewery, to the local fruit stands and specialty shops downtown. We have a new library and arena, and numerous parks and miles of trails meandering the escarpment. We also have opportunity. Our municipality is being inundated with proposals for development and growth and this will continue in the years to come as the wave of growth crawls along the QEW. We have options, but we need strong voices on council to ensure that we embrace the projects that enhance our community. We need to engage our citizens and help them find their voice to let us know their vision of this town. We need to work together to strengthen what makes our town so special instead of diluting it. We need to address our issues methodically and open up the lines of communication between all stakeholders. We still have a lot of work to do with our downtown core and continue to polish our gem, but anything worth doing well takes time and effort. I hope on October 22^nd you will support me in helping us all build a better community. One that embraces the past but with a vision for the future.