By:Andrew Coen
After some deep soul-searching and extensive discussion with my family, I regret that personal obligations require that I do not seek re-election for the position of Lawrence Village Trustee, said Carpenter in a letter addressed to Lawrence Association President Rabbi Rafael Saffra. The association-s nominations committee had endorsed her for re-election.
Carpenter was appointed to the board in June 1999 by former mayor Lawrence Blatte, to fill Crowell Baker-s seat after he passed away. Carpenter went on to win elections to retain her trustee spot in 2000 and 2002.
Geri Gindea and Lloyd Keilson have submitted petitions to run for Carpenter-s open trustee seat. In the letter addressed to Rabbi Saffra, Carpenter said she is happy that Gindea, who is an attorney and executive director of the Five Towns Jewish Council, will be seeking her seat.
This difficult decision [not to run] is made somewhat easier by the knowledge that Ms. Geri Gindea will be seeking to fill the position of trustee, said Carpenter in the letter.
I was very honored by Margaret Carpenter-s invitation and request to fill her seat, said Gindea. I would not have entered the race and challenged an incumbent.
Gindea was also a former Lawrence Association Nominations Committee member and was recently named as an alternate member of the Lawrence Village Planning Board.
I think my experience working in the community in the last five years has given me an opportunity to work with different groups of people, said Gindea. As a trustee you have to be able to step back and make a decision that will benefit the entire village as an entity and recognize the need for all of its residents.
Keilson, a 30-year resident of the village, is a CEO of a display company who has been on the Lawrence Village Board of Zoning Appeals since 1999. It-s my intent to try and bridge [the gap] between different factions and get a consensus going, said Keilson.
Keilson said some issues he wants to concentrate on include building a park for the children of the village as well as continuing the progress that has been made in accommodating kosher catering at Lawrence Village Country Club.
Lawrence officials voiced gratitude towards trustee Carpenter and the five years she spent on the village board. She is a unique, wise community-minded individual that played a unique role on our village board and we-re going to miss her, said Lawrence Mayor Dr. Jack Levenbrown.
She is a person of the highest integrity and sincerity and really demonstrates her God-fearing philosophy in her daily activities, said trustee Martin Oliner, who is running unopposed for re-election in June.
According to Rabbi Saffra, since Carpenter-s decision not to seek re-election came just one week before the group-s special governors meeting, at which time they will decide which village candidates to endorse, the group will not be endorsing either Gindea or Keilson.
In addition to the trustee race between Keilson and Gindea, Levenbrown is expected to face a re-election battle for mayor with trustee Simon Felder. Felder and Oliner are running unopposed for their trustee positions. Incumbent Village Justice Donald Buchalter is also running unopposed. The Lawrence Village elections will occur on Tuesday, June 15, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Lawrence Village Hall.
