LITTLE SILVER: LAURA CLARK Q&A

Laura Clark. (Click to enlarge.)

Two three-year terms on the Little Silver Borough Council are up for grabs in the November 6 election. On the ballot are four candidates: incumbent Republican AJ McNally; his running mate, Christian Smith; and Democrats Laura Clark and Stephanie Keenan.

Here are Clark’s written responses to questions posed to all four candidates recently by redbankgreen.

Name: Laura Clark

Age: 37 Address: 74 Markham Place, Little Silver

How long have you been a resident of Little Silver? 32 years

Where did you grow up? Little Silver, NJ

Where did you go to high school? Red Bank Regional

Did you graduate from college? If so, which school, with what degree?

Rutgers College, Rutgers University, 2004 with a BA in History

Have your served in the military? If so, which branch and when? No

What do you do for a living?

I am currently home with my children and substitute teaching several days per week. Prior to staying home I was a museum professional.

Please tell us a little bit about your community involvement efforts, if any.

Party affiliation: Democrat How important is party affiliation to you? What does it mean to you to be a member of your party?

Party affiliation has only recently begun to matter strongly to me. As a member of the Democratic Party, I am proud to represent a broad coalition working together to strengthen our country through diversity. Helping those who need it the most is the best way to ensure that we all succeed, both short and long term.

Do you have a role model in public life? Who and why?

Ruth Bader Ginsberg. At a time when women had a very prescribed role, she refused to accept that and pushed for acceptance in a male dominated field. She did not then stop at acceptance, but pushed on to become one of the leaders in her field. As a jurist she has always been very deliberate and forward thinking, and as a public servant I hope to emulate her courage as well as her level of careful consideration of all potential outcomes.

Why are you running for council?

As someone who grew up in Little Silver and has returned to raise her own children, I am running for council to ensure that the small town atmosphere that has long attracted residents remains for future generations. At times residents have been left out of the loop and the scope of expected projects has been downplayed in town communications. Residents feel like they’re not being heard, even in matters that could have broad safety implications.

What are the most pressing issues facing the town, and how do you plan to address them?

I think the most pressing issue in Little Silver right now is the safety of our drivers and pedestrians. Our town has a history of pushing development ahead without considering the impact on safety in the surrounding neighborhoods. With deliberate traffic and sidewalk planning we can ensure that new growth happens without putting pedestrian, bicycle and vehicle safety in jeopardy.

What if any specific initiatives can voters expect from you if you are elected?

I hope to work on a more comprehensive master sidewalk plan to address the many under or unserved neighborhoods in Little Silver. Little Silver has always been a walking town, but many neighborhoods are cut off from downtown and the schools by high volume, high speed roads with no sidewalks.

If there’s anything you’d like to add, please do so here:

My brother, Evan Hughes, is also running for Borough Council in Fair Haven.

The Little Silver ballot can be found here. The locations of polling places by district are below.