Council candidate wishes new council well
To the editor:
I want to thank the 255 people who voted for me in the recent Council election.
When asked if I’d run, I had no idea it would be so bitter. Nevertheless, I feel
comfortable having tried rather than always wondering.
My loss is understandable. I had considerable baggage (though old), detractors and enemies gained from ten years of owning and running a newspaper with a strong hand and a reputation probably deserved of being strident. Some of my closest friends, who supported me as I ran, said they were glad I lost as they feel I’m anything but a politician.
In my heart, I wonder, given the state of our country, when we’ll start choosing practical, business-minded leaders who will strongly advocate the hard changes imminently needed for renewed prosperity, over popularity, reelections and fear of upsetting the apple cart.
Oh well, it’s over and I’m glad. Karen and I had a great “defeat” party last week but somehow it felt more like a victory, surrounded by real friends and some of the best musicians in SW Florida – whose support has been unwavering.
Mulling over my past 20-plus years on the Island -going from a sailboat in the Back Bay to involvement in many aspects of our community- it’s been a great run. We’re
looking forward to taking some time off and contemplating what’s next, for as a
local wise man used to say, “The best is yet to come.”
I wish the new Council well and hope they realize their goals for the Town. The Beach has gone through many changes since I first vacationed here in 1975. It’s no longer the sleepy, laid back cottage community it was then, but it is still a beautiful and unique place and we pray only the best for it.
Carl Conley
Fort Myers Beach