City’s a better place because of Lynn Raker

One of the things I learned quickly during my years as mayor and mayor pro-tem is that, quite often, the hardest working, most dedicated people who do so much to make our city a better place are the same ones who do so quietly. They never seek recognition or congratulations but, daily, do the things that have an impact on Salisbury.

I had the pleasure of working for 18 years with Lynn Raker, one of the most committed and talented urban design planners I have ever seen. From transforming the Innes Street interchange at I-85 from a bleak space to a beautiful enclave of plantings and public art to replacing the cracked sidewalks, overhead utilities and unsightly poles on Lee Street to create an attractive entrance to our arts district, Lynn’s vision and implementation have changed our city for the better. She is also responsible for the Salisbury Sculpture Show and the Art and History Trail, complete with landmark plaques for notable people and places from our history that have enriched our understanding of where we live.

In addition to beautifying our town, Lynn has a knack for bringing people together. She created the BlockWork program, which joins members of several neighborhoods to improve homes and businesses, proving how much better we are together than we are apart — and making Salisbury a better place in the process.

You may never have seen Lynn doing the myriad things she did on a daily basis to create a better place for all of us to live and work. But her work truly speaks for itself. As she retires as urban design planner, I want to express how much I enjoyed working with such a dedicated and visionary team player over the last 18 years. Lynn, your contribution to Salisbury is so appreciated and we all have a better place to live because of it. Thank you for your tireless effort and enthusiasm. You will be missed. As you enter this new phase of life, we wish you nothing but the very best.

— Paul B. Woodson Jr.

Salisbury

Paul Woodson Jr. served 18 years on the Salisbury City Council, including four years as mayor.

 

Community shows its compassion

As reported in this paper I was privileged to moderate the Trans Conversations Educational Forum organized by Salisbury Pride last week. The goal was for this to be an opportunity to meet peacefully, providing education and insight rather than debate. Something that seems to be lacking in our current political climate.

I have received a great deal of comments and feedback. … I am happy to report most have been positive. I agreed to be moderator for many reasons but two stand out.

A member of my church is a member of the Salisbury Pride Board and they invited me to participate.

My undergraduate degree is in Education and my graduate degree is in Divinity. Now to be clear this Divinity is not the yummy candy my Grandmother use to make (that would be divinity and best when dipped in chocolate). This Divinity is an understanding of how we articulate and live out our faith in God. So combining my two degrees my call is to be an Educating Pastor. For I believe education leads to understanding and understanding leads to compassion.

I have lived in Salisbury for more than 20 years and compassion can be a core value for this community. Thank you for proving me right!

— Margaret Almeida

Salisbury

 Reverend Almeida is the pastor of Second Presbyterian Church.