The clear “winter” sunrise in Biscayne Park was
particularly lovely on my morning walk today. I got my first glimpse of mango
flowers that promise their annual bounty, and the thick, sickly sweet fragrance
of corn plants was still hanging in the air. I spotted several owls on wires
scouting out their final snacks for the evening, and a lone fox scooted across
the rec center field back to its den. I chatted with a friendly cop and visited
with the regular cast of early morning dog walkers. This morning, I was
reminded of the many things I love about our bucolic little village, and the day
felt rife with opportunity for wonderful things. What a way to start a day.
The other thing that made this morning feel particularly special
was the trust that my neighbors have bestowed upon me by electing me to fill a
seat on the BP commission. I am humbled and honored and excited, and I already
feel the weight of the responsibility as my inbox and phone are flooded with
congratulations and suggestions and ideas and requests. I don’t take this new
responsibility lightly, and I’m ready to live up to my promises for integrity,
passion and hard work.
I’m writing to say thank you, Biscayne Park.
I’m also thankful for a campaign that afforded me the
opportunity to make so many new neighbor friends, starting with the two engaging
and insightful folks I ran alongside. My husband, Dan, and I are happy to now call
Rafael Ciordia (and his husband Eddie Bridges) and Ginny O’Halpin our new
Biscayne Park friends. We started this campaign with a drink in my living room
promising positivity and we ended with hugs outside the rec center as we packed
up our tables and went our respective ways to await the results. Ginny and
Rafael share my enthusiasm for the future of BP, so I’m anxious to get to work
with Ginny and will be calling upon Rafael for the community service that he so
graciously offered when he wrote to congratulate me last night. As much as I’m
happy to be elected commissioner, I’m even happier that we three
neighbor/candidates showed BP what a clean campaign can look like and how that
can bring a community together rather than divide it.
Another promise I made was to communicate: to be available,
to listen and to respond. I have to learn how the Florida Sunshine Laws will
affect how I can communicate with residents on Nextdoor, so I may not be as
chatty as normal on some topics here. (Man, did I just make some of you happy
villagers!) But, I am available now by phone and text (305.984.6864) and to
meet in person. I’ll start that by inviting neighbors to join me on a weekly
walk. If you want to chat village topics with a commissioner on a morning walk,
I’ll be at the rec center front door at 7a every Wednesday starting next week.
Meet me there and I’m all ears for an hour. Then, I’ll also be available every
month for one hour prior to the commission meeting at the log cabin. That’s a
great time to provide your take on agenda items for that evening. (Commission
meetings are typically the first Tuesday of each month, 7p, but always check
the village calendar: https://www.biscayneparkfl.gov/index.asp?SEC=A482E78D-C7CA-4E86-BD0D-AA20BD7CDAEB&Type=B_EV)
My first commission meeting will be this Tuesday, January
14, 7p, when Ginny and I will be sworn in. Then, we’ll join the other
commissioners and conduct BP’s fully seated commission meeting in several
months. As a show of support to the commission and the village, let’s pack our
adorable log cabin with residents from every corner, every demographic, of
every opinion on any given topic. I’d love nothing better than looking out on a
sea of fresh faces to a commission meeting, including babies and kids. BP is a
family village on a first-name basis, so let’s show that on Tuesday night! This
village deserves a celebratory evening when we all come together to set aside
differences, make new friends and move forward as a community. As a tiny
microcosm of the current state of our country, this Tuesday let’s show everyone
what “community” can look like in 2020!
Finally, in addition to thanking those who supported and
voted for me, I want to thank those who challenged me yet chose other
candidates. You kept me on my toes and you exposed me to new perspectives. Now,
I’m just as much your commissioner. I want to know you better and understand
how you feel on village topics. Please engage me in conversation and continue
to challenge me.
Thank you, neighbors, and cheers to BP2020!
MacDonald Kennedy
Commissioner-Elect
Biscayne Park
PS: I’m as tired at seeing my name in front yards as the
rest of you. I grabbed as many campaign signs as I could carry this morning,
and the rest will be gone in short order. Apologies for the sign pollution!
No comments:
Post a Comment