DeRito and Mitchell Both Good Guys - but Donald is Better for Alpharetta

Tongues have begun to wag in anticipation of Alpharetta's election day.  There is only one Council seat up for grabs, but all the usual election antics are in play.  Who was it that said, "All is fair in love and war”?  Elections are war, but occasionally candidates really do love the city in which they live, and they love to serve that city.

The two candidates vying for that one Council seat in Alpharetta are Donald Mitchell and Douglas DeRito and as far as I can tell, both of them are fine individuals, respected in their chosen fields, hard working.   I have some knowledge of Doug:  when I served on a city commission several years back and when I volunteered for several projects associated with our Recreation and Parks Department, I saw, heard, and become familiar with him.  But the main thing I remember about him was his absence.  It seems that the man was just hard to get hold of.  I wondered them, as I wonder now, if he truly has time to commit to the city, given his professional career. 

And then there is “Rock Star Donald” – a name that refers to Donald's 5 minutes of fame as a television actor.  Well, the show was actually a bit of a yawner (sorry, Donald).  But the real reason Donald is a Rock Star is that he is so very present with and in our city.  In fact, it’s Donald’s presence in the very heart of the city – downtown, the arts, our history - that is so compelling about Donald.  He comes alive when you talk about downtown, as he does when you talk about our history and the arts.  This means a lot to me, because I know, as some of you do, that being a proponent of the arts and history can be an uphill, underdog battle, without much allocated funding and often without a lot of support at City Hall.  But Donald has championed these things anyway.

Doug and Donald are both good guys and I have a feeling I and you and everybody will survive whoever gets elected, but given Donald's excitement about Alpharetta and his presence in Alpharetta; his vision for downtown, the arts; his interest in our history and roots, I have to hope he gets re-elected.