The Background

As I approached high school age, a family friend asked my father if he would volunteer for some city committee.   He agreed and that just opened the floodgate.  Before long, he ran for public office and was elected to the Board of Education.  That led to even more committee assignments to the  point where a police car visited our house five days a week dropping off packets for one committee or another.  Tuns out that this runs in the family.  My grandfather Rozett was a well known community activist in Yonkers, NY and my Uncle Peter served on the County Board of Legislators and the Yonkers City Council.   Apparently, some sort of community service must run in our DNA.  

A few years after Pam and I moved to our farm in Maine, I too succumbed to this genetic disorder.  Every year one or two people are elected to the Planning Board which is responsible for reviewing and making decisions regarding zoning and buildings.  This particular year no one was running for election and the town fathers (Selectmen) asked for write-in candidates.  After chatting with the Selectmen, I threw my hat in the ring.   I missed being elected by only a few votes.  But that just opened the floodgates.