Letters

My father would often quote Rudyard Kipling’s poem “If” to me as a way of teaching what it meant to live a life of value that one could be proud of. I feel the values expressed in it are equally relevant when it comes to governing Southampton Village.

The poem begins with the verse, “If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you …” I would say Kimberly Allan and Zach Epley are doing exactly that as we head toward the September 15 election.

Serving on the Southampton Village Board with Kimberly Allen for the past year has allowed me to see the steadfast, hardworking, caring and, most importantly, selfless individual she is. I have learned from her and respect her integrity and decency, especially when we don’t agree on topics.

Kimberly cares for our village and understands the needs of our community firsthand. She seeks to look forward, not backward. As the saying goes, “The proof is in the pudding,” and her work speaks for itself.

Her experience as an incumbent provides her with a unique perspective of what it’s like to be “in the arena,” as well as the critical collaborative skills it takes to get the work done as a trustee.

Kimberly has been involved in countless projects that have greatly benefited the people of our village: spearheading a project to preserve open space next to Lake Agawam, starting a senior luncheon event, launching a youth committee. She has consistently supported as many environmental initiatives as possible, including the gas leaf blower ban.

Zach Epley has well-established roots in Southampton Village, as we all know. Much like myself, he returned from college to begin his career here and was fortunate enough to find fulfilling work at Seafield Center, his family’s business. He has consistently put tremendous effort into “giving back” to the place that helped provide him with such a strong foundation.

I think most of us have encountered Zach in one of his many local volunteer roles — in the Southampton Fire Department, as an SYS board member, as a volunteer coach.

As a married father with four children, Zach is here for the long haul. You could say that Zach was born serving Southampton Village, and now he is proudly passing that torch on to his own children. He brings energy, commitment, compassion and a strong history of teamwork.

Kimberly Allan and Zach Epley are two individuals with unique leadership qualities coupled with much needed collaborative skills who be always ready to do the work.

There is no “I” in team; however, there is an “E” and an “A” — Epley/Allen for Southampton Village trustees!

Mark Parash

Southampton Village

Mr. Parash is a member of the Southampton Village Board — Ed.