To the editor,

It’s possible that we all moved to Pelham for different reasons, and yet our desires are similar in lots of ways. We were looking for somewhere safe for ourselves and our families. We wanted great schools, proximity to Manhattan, access to green space, a small town with big culture. Pelham is our home.

But Pelham isn’t standing still. Pelham is a living, breathing village that requires care and nurturing to stay vital. That’s why we endorse Mayoral candidate Chance Mullen and Trustee candidates Ariel Spira-Cohen, Mike Carpenter and Lisa Hill-Ries in the March 19 village election.

With two years as a trustee already under his belt, Chance Mullen has the experience, knowledge and enthusiasm to take the helm of the village team. He’s already been focused on the village’s infrastructure as liaison to the fire department, and we love the new mobile app, MyVOP, which has helped make village government more accessible to everyone. He’s worked on internal policies and has helped guide the village through two budget cycles during a tumultuous administrative time. He’s seen what it takes to head Pelham’s village operation and will do it with respect, inclusiveness and accountability. We don’t just hold this opinion because we like him personally. We hold this opinion because we’ve seen his work firsthand over the last two years, and we’re excited about the leadership he’s brought to the village board. Given the challenges our community is facing, Chance is the mayor we need right now.

Ariel Spira-Cohen has also been a hard-working trustee for the past two years, bringing a focus on sustainability to her involvement with village government. With a Ph.D. in environmental health science and a background as a research scientist, she’s consistently advocated for sustainable designs in development projects and thoughtful consideration of traffic and other concerns. As Pelham seeks to upgrade its aging infrastructure and faces new development, it’s crucial that Spira-Cohen continue her work to help the village do so in reasonable, balanced and viable ways.

As a commercial real-estate broker and with four years of village planning board participation behind him, Mike Carpenter’s experience makes him undeniably well suited to the challenges facing the village in the coming years. As a longtime board member of the Pelham Preservation and Garden Society, he has a deep commitment to safeguarding the best of Pelham, and he’s leveraged that commitment already, doing the research and planning that’s gone into much of the thoughtful development that’s been recently approved. We know he will continue to use his experience to make sure future projects maintain everything we love about Pelham.

Lisa Hill-Ries is a smart multitasker who’s held multiple roles in Pelham; she is in a unique position to understand what people in the village want and to work her hardest to represent them. After years in the private sector as a communications specialist, she spent almost a decade as a deputy director for Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. She now works in publicity for a local beloved organization (Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum), while serving on the village’s Sustainability Advisory Board, Pelham’s Junior League (including as president in 2017-18) and the Colonial PTA. She’s a respected resident of Pelham and would be a wonderful addition to the board.

This is a team that’s already deeply involved in making Pelham what it is today. They’re passionate about moving Pelham forward—by improving infrastructure, making smart decisions about modernization and considering thoughtful, purposeful development that boosts revenues while maintaining the small-town charm we love.

We know these candidates, and we’ve seen their values in action. We believe strongly that Mullen, Spira-Cohen, Carpenter and Hill-Ries are the team to continue to lead Pelham into a bright and promising future. We hope you’ll join us in voting for all of them on March 19.

Submitted by Kate Carpenter, 50 Central Ave.

Kristin Austin

Jeff Austin

Lynda Banfield

Kim Barrett

Karen Beatty

Victor Birutti

Marie Bowes

Joanna Boyle

John Boyle

Trevor Bundy

Marc Burgess

Nicole Burgess

Kristen Burke

Sid Burke

Brady Butterfield

Katie Butterfield

Josie Carbone

Todd Cross

Maura Curtin

Brian D’Amico

Diandra D’Amico

Melissa Mulrooney Deighton

Brian Delaney

Kate Dembowski

Aileen Dosé

Tim Dosé

Ed Doty

Jennie Driesen

Jeremy Driesen

Kevin Duffy

Sing Duffy

Lauren Dunkelberger

Michele Egan

Sean Egan

Hanan Kamal Eldahry

David Eliezer

Heather Eliezer

Xaira Ferrara

Rosie Finizio

Laura Fogel

Richard Fogel

Michael Frankel

Lauren Frasca

Diana Freeland

Annemarie Garcia

Jose Garcia

Lauren Gretina

Roselle Glick

Bjorn Haines

Andy Harrison

Zoe Henriquez

Evan Hill-Ries

Andy Horan

Sandy Horan

John Horten

Lisa Horten

Katherine Hughes

Eric Hyde

Seth Jacobs

Jess Jaffe

Michael Jaffe

Maryanne Joyce

Adam Kagan

Melissa Kagan

Stacey Kaplan

Megan Kim

Michael Kleiman

Shayna Klopott

Deborah Lowery Knapp

Toby Knapp

Amy Lienert

Sabrina Maestrini

Ivonne Marlene

Joe Marty

Liz Massie

Ariana Massouh

Naji Massouh

Ashley Matts

John Matts

Jean McGinley

Emily McGibbon

Mike McGibbon

Kim McGreal

Mark McKee

Sarah McKee

Kim Melloy

Beth Miller

Francile Mullen

Tracy Naden

Julia Fuller Nakayama

Marisa Panzani

Cameron Potts

Karin Potts

Lindsay Preftakes

Kate Pringle

Eileen Proffitt

Jim Rebele

Kristy Rebele

Muriel Reynard

Amy Rios

Jeremy Saks

Liz Schnabolk

Stu Schnabolk

Brian Seely

Tim Seely

Greg Shunick

Mark Siegmann

Jen Silvester

Annsley Slawsky

Benjamin F. Smyser

Jessica Solomon

Russell Solomon

Bill Springer

Rachel Springer

Jane Sweeney

Erik Sznip

Emily Upshur

Josh Wallach

Tom White

Jessica Winquist

Paula Wood

Janine Yorio

Janna Zagari

Mike Zagari

Charles Zicari

Marin Zielinski