Sherman brings long-needed action to Medina’s sidewalk problem

Editor:

Several years back, I got voluntarily involved in Medina government as a member of Mayor Sidari’s Visionary Committee with some wonderful people I still consider friends, even though we didn’t always agree.

Our charge was to think about Medina’s future — what it could become — we were not asked to consider anything specific. One of the weaknesses we identified was the state of the village sidewalks, and I had several disagreements with one of the trustees at the time over what Medina should do about fixing them.

Marguerite Sherman is the first village official I am aware of to really take the concerns we expressed then seriously — spurred on by the very helpful donations and efforts of Bob Sanderson and his group. Aside from making Medina a more walkable community — a laudable goal in itself — this is a basic safety problem that is in dire need of a solution.

If you walk around the village as I do, you will soon see the issue — because current code puts the onus on the homeowner to finance new sidewalks, the result is a patchwork of good and bad sections like a mouth missing numerous teeth.

There are students walking to school and people without cars who are forced to navigate huge heaves of concrete created by the roots of trees planted by the village. Moreover, there are a number of people in the village who have to travel by wheelchair or scooter who are forced to ride in the street because the sidewalks are so uneven.

As a member of the village Planning Board, I look forward to taking up Mayor Sherman’s proposal to find a more effective code for sidewalk maintenance if and when it comes before us.

And I wholeheartedly support her re-election as mayor. Sherman has the experience and integrity necessary for the village to survive its current challenges and create a bright future for all of its residents.

Richard Moss

Medina