Dr. Arati’s childhood arrival as an immigrant and her ascension to a PhD in neuroscience is inspiring. As the father of two young daughters, I feel that she stands as a strong example of the value of STEM education and hard work and I know she will bring a science and data-based approach to analyzing the town’s issues. Her work and knowledge of drug interactions on the brain will be especially effective in helping Glen Rock develop regional educational and policy-based programs to help fight the on-going opioid epidemic. With an immigrant’s humble beginning in this country, I also know that she will diligently evaluate every dollar in the budget and work towards balancing the needs of all voices in Glen Rock, which has been a hallmark of her and her running mate, Councilwoman Amy Martin’s, campaign.
It didn’t take long for Dr. Arati’s energy, enthusiasm and ideas for this town to catch my attention. Within a year of knowing her she has led and organized several community initiatives that have benefited us all. Without any budget and by harnessing the power of volunteers, she directed a community clean up that resulted in nearly 60 bags of garbage and recycling collected, she has organized a bike safety seminar for our kids (which benefits not just their safety, but decreases traffic at school drop offs), established Glen Rock’s first ever restaurant week (I benefited immensely!), coordinated a composting workshop, and led the creative team at the Farmer’s Market. I know currently she is working on improving our recycling efforts through enhanced education and better signage, which would further increase revenue and decrease DPW cost while benefiting the environment. Furthermore, she continues to push for inclusiveness, tolerance and equality through the Glen Rock After the March (GRATM) group that she co-founded.
Councilwoman Martin has sat on the Senior Advisory Committee, and is a dedicated supporter of “aging in place” and in creating suitably placed living options for our seniors. She voted for the borough to maintain the status of Glen Courts (thereby keeping it available solely to Glen Rockers) rather than selling the facility. She was heavily involved in the process to hire the new DPW director, and as the current DPW liaison, she continues to look for ways to increase shared services, decrease costs and benefit Glen Rock. Councilwoman Martin was the council’s driving force for advocating for the Farmer’s Market, which has exposed numerous out-of-towners to the uniqueness of our shopping districts and which has fostered a greater sense of community within Glen Rock while promoting sustainable agriculture and practices. Finally, she has been, and continues to be, an ardent supporter of the Arboretum’s Visitor Center.
Amy and Arati have done an outstanding job of listening to all Glen Rockers and absorbing our thoughts and feedback, through door-knocking, hosting seminars and breakfasts, informal polls, social media and mailers. In their mind and actions, “everyone has a seat at this table”. They are a great combination of energy, ideas, experience and leadership. The The Glen Rock A-team will have my vote on November 7th.
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Chris Leishear
