Dear Mayor Tkazyik

Dear Mayor Tkazyik,

First of all, let me apologize. You see, I have not been to your family's restaurant, Andy's Place, in many years. I used to eat there regularly when I was younger and frequented Marist basketball games, as well as when my kitchen was "out of order." Those days have past, but I have good memories.

And with that out of the way, I would like to congratulate you on your ascension to the office of Mayor of the City of Poughkeepsie. I'm sure this will come as no shock to you, but you have a lot of work ahead. However, aside from the obvious problems that you will have to face (i.e. crime, economy, infrastructure development/maintenance, etc.), I would like to stress just a few things:

1. Winter is upon us, and in the past, snow removal in the City of Poughkeepsie has been, in a word, awful. When driving into the City of Poughkeepsie after a snowfall, whether from the north, south, or east, one can easily tell where the Town of Poughkeepsie ends, and the City of Poughkeepsie begins. Furthermore, substantial snowfall can cause serious problems with alternate side of the street parking. Monday through Saturday, cars must be moved to the opposite side of the street before 9AM. However, the opposite side of the street is rarely, if ever, plowed by that time to allow for parking. I realize that there are only so many DOT workers available at any given time, and that there is a lot of plowing to be done when there is snowfall, but I would like you to keep it in mind. It maybe seen by some as a minuscule issue, but it could make a lot of people's lives better.

2. During the fall campaign season, your Democratic challenger, Fred Knapp, stated in his campaign that the city government should be more involved with the local school district. I think that this is a stellar idea. Those enrolled in our public school system need all the help they can get, and there are a number of ways that the two governments can compliment each other to benefit the students -- maybe through joint meetings to exchange ideas, or through student-to-government work and learning programs, where students spend time at city buildings to get first-hand experience.

3. Please do not focus your attention on asinine legislation; whether or not people dry their laundry in their front or side yards is not one of my major concerns. I never noticed this, but apparently there was a rash of front yard clothes drying going on that was debilitating our city. And I was concerned about the crime. Stupid me.

Best of luck to you as you endeavor on your 4-year term as Mayor of the City of Poughkeepsie.

Sincerely,
Steve Schultz

P.S. How much for a hot dog and fries? I used to love those things...