My Opinion: You've got a friend in Paganelli

I first really met Dave Paganelli, owner of Travelers Rest, about four years ago, maybe a little less. Although I had eaten at Travelers with my family, I could have walked by Dave on the street and not known who he was prior to hanging out an Travelers for some political event I was covering for North County News. We got to talking, and I told him about a problem I was having developing a professional relationship with someone on my beat. As a reporter and editor, it is important to keep lines of communication open with everyone -- especially with those who don't like you. Dave reached out to this person and laid the groundwork for me to gain the person's trust.

That's how we became friends. When I had my first date with the man who is now my husband, we went to Travelers. It was a blind date, and I knew that if things got ugly (and things can get ugly quickly in the world of dating) Dave and his family would have my back (meaning they would hide me in the coat closet if necessary).

Things worked out (obviously), I didn't need to hide, and my husband Phil later proposed to me at Travelers. It was a no-brainer to have our wedding there, in September 2009.

I immediately let it be made known through my column in the newspaper that I would be recusing myself from the editorial endorsement process for the Yorktown races. I didn't want the newspaper's credibility to suffer and I didn't want anyone thinking Dave was getting any special favors, so I bowed out. It was a tough thing to do and yet the easiest thing to do, because it was the right thing to do. You can ask my former Web Editor, Mary Dempsey, and she'll confirm I kept my word.

Now, in 2009, I am not working for a newspaper at the moment, and I can tell you: Vote for my friend. Don't vote for him because he's my friend; vote for him because he genuinely wants to be yours. Dave is one of those people who will help anyone he can. And as a town councilman, he would have the opportunity to help a lot more people. Yorktown Town Councilman Nick Bianco has been in office over 20 years because he returns people's phone calls. The smart elected officials know it is all about constituent service, and that's Dave's focus.

When he told me he was thinking about running for office in early 2007, I told him good luck, and whatever you do, don't become a politician. If you haven't seen the movie, "The Candidate" with Robert Redford, you should. I feared getting involved in politics would change him.

So far it hasn't. I'm betting it won't.