The Observation Deck

I just wanted to make a quick post thanking everyone who participated in yesterday's election.

I received a gracious concession from Mayor George this morning, and we will begin working on the transition very soon. The head of my transition team is Lou McMahon. Lou is a partner at the law firm of Thompson Hine, and is an active Lakewood resident, particularly regarding environmental and infrastructure issues.

I am working with my web designer on a "transition team" website, which will serve as a portal to receive your ideas as well as set out the transition process over the next two months. We hope to have the website up in basic form within a couple days. Our goal is to conduct a very open process which utilizes all the talent in our great community.

My congratulations to all of the City Council and School Board candidates. We have an excellent team of elected officials, and I plan on meeting with all of them in the coming days to build a consensus on what must be done in my administration's first 100 days and beyond.

For those of you who voted for me, you have my gratitude and I will try not to disappoint you.

For those of you who did not support me, I will try to earn your respect and trust in the next four years.

Congratulations.

I'm happy to see you putting mechanisms in place to receive input from the community. That's a mayor's most important job, I think.

Congratulations Ed. I wish you the best of luck as Lakewood's next mayor, you ran a great race. I look forward to seeing what you can accomplish.

I also hope that you continue to participate here, your interaction has been quite valuable.

Bryan Schwegler wrote:Congratulations Ed. I wish you the best of luck as Lakewood's next mayor, you ran a great race. I look forward to seeing what you can accomplish.

I also hope that you continue to participate here, your interaction has been quite valuable.

Well said, Bryan.

Ed,

Saddle up.

Now, about that Highland Avenue project. I was thinking...

Oh, I know, there's plenty of time for that.

Congrats! Good luck.

Steve

Ed

It seems like ages since we first talked about you running for mayor.

Congratulations.

Look forward to working with you and your administration.


.

Congratulations Ed.

One of the things that impressed me most about you in the debate that I heard was when you said that you considered one of your best accomplishments was working with citizens and helping them accomplish things in our city. I was assuming that you were talking about your work with Mr. McMahon at that time.

I'm very impressed with your first action as Mayor Elect. Mr. Lou McMahon is an excellent choice to assist with the transition -I believe he is universally well respected. Having an open process which utilizes all the talent in our great community is exactly what we need.

I wish you and all the newly elected council great success in the years ahead.

Ed,

Please let me add my voice to those congratulating you.

You are a class act. Your sincere interest in communicating with Lakewoodites made you many new friends. Your graciousness, even with those with whom you disagreed, was well received.

Tom was, and is, my LHS Class of 1969 friend, and will always remain so.

I supported him as best I could. That's what friends do.

I now extend my help, sincere friendship. and banjo to you.

Even in the midst of our late turmoil, I think you and I understood each other well.

There is, at the end of it all, the bigger picture to consider.

Kumbayah.

Gary-

I accept everything you offered, except for the banjo.

Not my banjo, Ed?

NOT MY BANJO, HE SAYS?????

Recount, recount, RECOUNT THE ELECTION!

Where's Tom? At least he liked my banjo...maybe?

I guess it's time to break out the musical saw....

I seem to like being a cut-up.

Cut-up? I can't even believe you said that.

Kumbaya!

Power to the strummers and pickers!

Of course, when I play with a musical group, I like the BAND saw.

When playing music out on the lake, I like a SEE SAW.

On Halloween, nothing beats the RIP saw.

For dances, we have the JIG saw.

For the rest of life, the COPING saw seems to do the job...

Ed,

Congratulations! I look forward to working with you to improve conditions for Lakewood Youth and Families.

Sincerely,

Chris Karel