What's YOUR Vision for Crestwood?

Crestwood has been my home, off and on, since I was 5 years old. Definitely more on than off, but I did spend a 10-year stretch away after marrying my North County boy. Luckily my wonderful husband Jon was more than willing to move back here with our family after we had our three boys. Now, after having been back since 2005 (and vowing after the move to never, ever do that again) I’m staying put.

I guess it’s time to introduce myself. My name is Mary, and I’m an over-achiever.  Hmmm, is there an Over-Achievers Anonymous? OAA? There ought to be. Maybe I’ll have to start that up in my spare time. I’m going to be blogging here regularly talking about whatever strikes my fancy, hopefully you’ll find it interesting, or amusing, or both. 

So, you already know that I’m a wife and mother. I’m also a full time IT project manager, a cub scout den leader, the PTO co-president at Crestwood Elementary school (the most awesome grade school ever!), a volunteer at Equine Assisted Therapy in Wildwood, a team leader for the Autism Speaks Walk and March of Dimes March for Babies,  vice-chairman of the Crestwood Public works board, member of the Crestwood CERT (Community Emergency Response Team), blogger, knitter, sort of a Facebook addict and most recently, candidate for Alderman of Crestwood Ward 2.  I’ve got a lot to talk about. 

Until the election on April 3 I’m going to be fixated on the campaign most likely.  Generally when my friends find out about the Alderman thing the first question I get is ‘why on Earth would you run for Alderman? Don’t you have enough to do already?’ Well sure, don’t we all? But Crestwood is in a bind, and I’ve loved this city for way too long to not want to try to help out any way that I can.  

I remember spending the Fourth of July at Crestwood Plaza for the all day picnic, carnival and fireworks. I was a Crestwood Elementary fifth-grader when we got to ride on a fire truck in the bi-centennial parade down Watson Rd, and I spent many evenings as a teenager at the 66 Drive-In … I think we saw Rambo III every weekend for an entire summer because they never changed the movie. That’s what I want for my kids, too. Well, not Rambo III (I mean really, who would wish THAT on their kids???) but that great community experience, that small-town-in-the-suburbs vibe that Crestwood used to do so well.

Since I started this campaign everyone has asked me ‘what’s your vision for Crestwood’, so that’s going to be all over the news (here’s a little video about it).  But I want to know your vision for Crestwood, so to kick this thing off right, I want to hear from all you other Crestwood fans out there. What’s your favorite Crestwood memory? What should we be trying to bring back or preserve? I want to hear from you!

Oh, and one last thing should you ever decide to run for public office…  There is a whole new level of weird that you’ve never experienced until you drive down the street and seen signs with YOUR name on them. Seriously freaky.