16 The Courier sun • march 7, 2013 for breaking news visit www.couriersun.com politics Richards wins 31st BY MAGIE HAYES [email protected] Donovan Richards declared victory and is the new councilmember for the 31st District. After a windy campaign road, it came down to Richards and opponent Pesach Osina. The former chief-ofstaff s to State Senator James Sanders emerged victorious by 80 votes. “It’s an exciting time,” said Richards. “I just look forward to picking up where Sanders left off and putting my own flavor to it.” On voting day, Tuesday, February 19, both Richards and Osina declared victory. At the time, Richards was ahead by 26 votes with more than 500 ballots yet to be counted. Counting continued on Wednesday, February 27, and many feared that results would not be known for weeks. However, the count widened, and Richards came out on top with a large enough margin to eliminate a recount. “I am ecstatic over this victory,” said Sanders, Richards’ mentor and former boss of ten years. “It shows that the good guy can win at the end, and hard work can overcome skullduggery. I look forward to working with him for many years to come. The people of this district will be well served.” Richards spoke metaphorically of his victory, comparing it to reaching the top of a mountain. “You finally get to the top, and you’re amazed. Then, you just keep moving,” he said. Since taking office, Richards has met with different elected officials in the region and has big plans for the future. First, he wants to ensure that those who are still suffering from Sandy get back on their feet. He will be meeting with FEMA and also visiting the disaster-stricken areas to hear residents’ needs firsthand. The new council-elect also plans to complete projects that were left up in the air, including the Brookdale Triangle Project, which addresses flooding throughout Rosedale, and another initiative that adds more green streets in Laurelton. Richards also intends to meet with school leaders to implement programs that will get students career-ready. “I want to make sure our kids in the 31st District are moving in a direction that’s going to prepare them for the future,” he said. That direction includes robotics programs, which will educate students on engineering tactics and green energy concepts. Richards also hopes to update the technology in schools throughout the district because he knows that students today are no longer “carrying 100 textbooks.” Outside of education, Richards looks forward to implementing more gun buy-back programs, meeting with community leaders and addressing issues in a timely and effective manner. PHOTO COURTESY OF FACEBOOK Donovan Richards, newly elected to the 31st City Council District, looks forward to hitting the ground running. SUCCEEDING COMRIE Council hopefuls get ready BY MAGIE HAYES [email protected] The race to replace Councilmember Leroy Comrie for District 27 already has multiple contenders who are raring to address community issues. Manuel Caughman, community liason for Assemblymember William Scarborough; Bryan Block, Community Board 13 chair; Joan Flowers, local attorney; Sondra Peeden, a political consultant; and Daneek Miller, a community and labor activist, have all filed their names with the Board of Elections. “I believe that as large a city as New York is, we can still get to a place where we have a sense of community, where people are willing to reach out and help each other and extend themselves on behalf of their neighbor,” Peeden said. Peeden and her fellow candidates are focused on a variety of issues, namely education, foreclosures and crime. “I want to work with young people to make sure they’re safe, and not perpetuating the things they can do when they’re misled or don’t have guidance in their life,” Miller said. Caughman believes controlling gun violence is a goal to pursue and said he wants to work with police to development technologies needed to combat crime. When it comes to education, Peeden sees the need to take schools out of mayoral control and bring it back to the community. Similarly, Caughman thinks more parental input is necessary. Miller, if elected, hopes to look deep into school policies so they can continue to meet Department of Education (DOE) standards and avoid threats of closure. Late last year, Comrie met with Miller about being his successor. After some thought, Miller said he took him up on his suggestion. “I feel it’s a necessity to have a voice for the working people,” said Miller, who is currently the president of Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1056. “If you have a record of bringing people together, folks gravitate towards that.” The primary election is slated for June or September. Block and Flowers did not return calls for comment as of press time. PHOTO COURTESY OF MANUEL CAUGHMAN MANUEL CAUGHMAN PHOTO COURTESY OF FACEBOOK Joan Flowers PHOTO COURTESY OF FACEBOOK Danek Miller PHOTO COURTESY OF SONDRA PEEDEN SONDRA PEEDEN PHOTO UNAVAILABLE Bryan Block
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