Dear George,

I swore not to enter this public-endorsement fracas, and will be happy to buy you lunch at the Nook to compensate for my flip-flop. But I'm utterly mystified by the tenor and reasoning behind some of the letters you've received, and am reluctantly adding my penny's worth, because I think justice has not been well served.

Alexandria Searls is exactly the kind of candidate we should encourage with our support. She has given unstintingly of her time and energy to organization and turn-out in our Recreation precinct, to mitigating the ugliness and destructiveness of the so-called Meadowcreek Parkway, and to the preservation of Jefferson School, in the latter case before much public attention had been attracted to its plight. Her steady, hard work was unaccompanied by self-serving statements; it was just done because she saw the need, heard the call, and pitched in. She may have made a political mistake by not claiming more credit for herself, but her efforts should not go unnoticed and unrewarded.

In truth, electing Alex would be rewarding the community. Alex does her homework, slogging through tedious meetings, study groups, and task forces in order to understand the facts, the numbers, and the history behind complicated problems and difficult decisions. She is no ideologue; she does not boast; she steps back in order to include and promote others. Whatever the job is, she does it: going door-to-door to enlist new voters, helping in the unglamorous tasks that win elections; bringing people together for causes that transcend self-interest.

Others seeking this post may flaunt other brands of expertise, but Alex has been very present in our community, making her reasonable opinions known and her loyalties clear, bringing intelligent seriousness and genuine passion to the continuing debate about Charlottesville's future. I have attended two of the three candidates' forums, and two of the Jefferson School meetings: Alexandria Searls is my number-one choice for Council.

Virginia Germino (electronic mail, February 19, 2002)