03/02/2016
Hello everyone. I know I have not been posting much on this page. I wish I could change that but as most of you know life is busy and I often forget to put up the information I wanted to post when I put this page together.
While I had some time I wanted to reach out and let you know how much I love Ocean Gate and how I am enjoying being a councilmen in this great town.
As most of you know I am starting my second year as a council member and I am starting to get the hang of it. Most of last year was a learning experience for me, and learn I did. I learned about insurance, budgets, laws, bills, the bidding process, how expensive everything is, how slow government works, how much paperwork is needed to do the most mundane task, most people that want to talk to you as a council person are not happy about something (not all but most) and this list of the boring stuff I have learned goes on and on.
But what I really want to let you know about is the exciting stuff I have learned about. People. Lots of different people. Over the last few months I have started to get out more and meet with “the people” not everyone I want to but far more than last year.
I was with the OEM during the last snow storm and got to see many people that love to help. Most of you never see what is going on during an event like this and I can tell you these folks are amazing. OEM, Fire, First Aid, Police, fellow council members, the mayor, and the Men that work for public works and some I am sure I left out were great. I could go on for days about the job they did.
I went to the new Ocean Gate Arts Guild meeting a few months ago. I again met with a bunch of great people working to help Ocean Gate get better. I would recommend stopping by one of their meetings they are a great group of people.
I went to open gym two weeks ago and I saw 6 or 7 people volunteering to teach kids some basketball at the school. It was great and I had to thank all those folks who gave their time for the kids.
I have been speaking with some of the business owners in the town over the last few months. They all told me how much they love this town and to people in it. You should take as much of your business to them as you can. They pay it forward to Ocean Gate in many ways, your patronage is a great thank you to them.
I have been staying after the town council meeting to speak with town’s people that were in attendance and some of them have told me some great ideas on how to help better the town as well as problems they are having in town. Some of these issues have been fixed, some I am trying, some cant and for those issues I am sorry.
I have trolled face book and found some people that have some good ideas, passion, and love for this town. I have reached out to a few, I have tried to help where I can and I will keep trying.
I have also spoken to the people that are never happy with anything, will find the ugly in everything done to try to make the town better. Even though they say the most and do the least to help. Every so often they will show me something that may really be an issue that needs to be looked into. So for that I thank you as well.
I closing, I just want to ask all of you in Ocean Gate keep making this town the best it can be. Volunteer, join a club, join the fire company, join the first aid squad, and come to council meetings, go to the dinners, breakfasts and fund raisers for the clubs and groups in town. If you see me there let me know how things are going.
Its late go to sleep.
Thanks for listing
Mark Haug
