On March 15, East Williston residents will be in the enviable position of selecting two new village trustees from a slate of three candidates for trustee, each of whom has demonstrated their competence and their commitment to serving the residents, young and old, of our village. I am writing to request your support for my friend, Bonnie Parente.
Bonnie’s community involvement is legendary – as leader of Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops, softball coach, class parent, member of the St. Aidan’s parish council, East Williston zoning board, and Mercy League – and is testament to her dedication to public service. If you have been lucky enough to serve with Bonnie on a committee, or to have your child in her troop or on her team, you know of Bonnie’s energy, her passion, her uncanny organizational skills and her ability to smooth over sore feelings in order to get the job done.
Rather than speak in generalities, however, I would like to share with you an example of how Bonnie put her experience and many skills to work to orchestrate the now-famous 2009 Girl Scout Flag Convention.
Under Bonnie’s direction and leadership, a dozen 10-year old girls hosted a Flag Convention to pay tribute to our local veterans, to educate schoolchildren about our nation’s flag and its history, to instill respect for our monuments, and to rally for patriotism.
The Flag Convention was Bonnie’s brainchild and without her tireless efforts would not have been the outstanding event it proved to be. Bonnie’s outreach to the community was key to the convention’s success.
I have to admit, I was skeptical that a Flag Convention inside the VFW hall on a sunny November Saturday would draw much of a crowd, but through Bonnie’s marketing savvy, her ingenuity, and her vision, the convention was as packed as a U2 concert!
Her optimism and enthusiasm never wavered, even when I questioned her prediction that hundreds would attend.
Well, for those few of you who missed it, attendees came from the Willistons and surrounding communities with the crowd at the VFW hall at times shoulder-to-shoulder. The event was hailed by young and old; veterans were genuinely moved, schoolchildren inspired, and all who attended impressed.
Bonnie has repeatedly credited the efforts of the girls for the convention’s success, credit which is indeed well-deserved, but the convention is just one example of the many times in which Bonnie has energized people to come together to achieve great things. As village trustee, Bonnie will put her energy, dedication and passion to work to preserve and improve our village institutions, to keep our village wholesome for our children, to ensure all our residents are treated with respect, and to safeguard our idyllic village lifestyle.
On March 15, please support Bonnie Parente for East Williston Village Trustee.
Noreen D. Arralde
East Williston
