Angela De Vito deserves your vote for supervisor

To the Editor:

I have known Angela DeVito for more than 20 years. I consider her among my best friends, so naturally I am biased, but I’d like you to know a side of her few may realize.

Angela is not one to toot her own horn. Rather, she has been a humble servant in many, many ways throughout our community of Jamesport, Riverhead, the North Fork, Suffolk County and Long Island, as well as the world at large. I know this because we have worked on many community projects together over the years.

She and I were watchdogs for all of our neighbors’ interests at Town Hall as executive board members of the Jamesport Civic for more than a decade together — our efforts spared our community over-development by paying close attention to the new master plan back then.

I have witnessed Angela work on environmental cleanups, coat drives and food drives, going to countless town meetings. Angela believes in honoring the history of Riverhead and preserving Riverhead, being a voice for residents’ interests and making sure they are protected. She’s worked on historic preservation for future generations to know what it means to be from Riverhead.

Her accolades don’t end in just our town. Her professional qualifications make her hands down one of the best educated candidates we could ask for. Her work in public health, workplace safety, and working with incarcerated individuals to help them assimilate back into society with employable skills, as a workforce development specialist for the county, or as a volunteer with the Women’s Club organizing applicants and interviews for students to receive scholarships, she is always working to to improve the quality of life of others. In other words, Angela is able to globally conceptualize what is needed in almost any kind of situation, finds ways to address them and never loses sight of the individuals she working so hard for.

I have watched her work with anyone and everyone. Her heart is always in the right place, and she always treats others with respect and dignity- even on the other side of the aisle. We have a lot to be grateful for in terms of our town’s natural beauty, abundance of farmland, historical treasures abound, from the bay and sound to Sharpers Hill (to which we both contributed heavily towards its preservation) to the county and state parks.

Riverhead is becoming a destination and we are at a crossroads. Who do you think will best steer that course? I believe Angela DeVito is the woman for the job. From asbestos clean-up, to labor/ management relations, to our animal shelter. From research scientist to adjunct professor, she has had a hand in so many endeavors.

I am proud to be her friend, community neighbor and to offer her my support. She has what Riverhead needs at this point in the progress of our town’s development.

Georgette Keller

South Jamesport

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