Former town councilor endorses candidate

With the election approaching I'd like to take this opportunity to share my views with the people of Edgewood as they prepare to choose a brand new town government. During my 17+ years on the Edgewood Town Council I worked with almost every council member who has ever served as well as every Mayor who served since the Town first incorporated. Using that hard won knowledge I want to wholeheartedly endorse the candidacy of John Bassett for Commissioner in District 4. Let me tell you why.

When John Bassett was first elected Mayor back in 2016 I had certain reservations about both his intentions for the Town as well as his ability to do the job. I can now report to you that after watching Mayor Bassett at work my reservations were unfounded and in fact Mayor Bassett has earned both my respect and my support as he seeks the new position of Commissioner for District 4.

Two projects near and dear to my heart back in 2016 were the First Choice Clinic and the Estancia Valley Classical Academy. First Choice was working out of the old original clinic that we had imported from the west side of Albuquerque a decade before. That building was too small for the growing clientele that First Choice was building and it was in need of many repairs. As as First Choice board member I made it my goal to try and get a new clinic built for them which would serve their needs for many years to come.

Upon his arrival in office I approached Mayor Bassett with the idea of going to work to help get a new clinic built. From the very first day he was very supportive of the idea and joined with me to get the new clinic built. We made many trips together to Santa Fe trying to bring various governmental agencies together and working for a common goal. Mayor Bassett was there every step of the way helping to get the new clinic designed and then built. We could not have done it without his considerable help and support.

The other project was trying to find a new home in Edgewood for the Estancia Valley Classical Academy. Prior to 2016 their school was located in some prefabricated buildings located along Interstate 40 west of Moriarty. The location was less than ideal and just like with First Choice the buildings were running out of room for their growing clientele.

I began working with members of the school's foundation trying to locate a spot in Edgewood where they might relocate their campus and expand their school's ability to serve their students. We found a spot where we might get enough land to provide for a much larger school than what they currently had but we discovered that the agency we were engaged with to help finance the project required a letter of commitment form the local governmental agency that they would support and work with the school to help get it up and running.

Once again, I approached Mayor Bassett about signing such a letter. As before with the First Choice request, I was pleasantly surprised to find the Mayor willing and ready to assist with our effort. There was a quickly approaching deadling that we had to meet with the lending agency which happened to be located in Wisconsin.

In order to meet their deadline for a letter of commitment from the Town, myself and Harlan Lawson from the ECVA foundation along with Mayor Bassett and a staff member waited around the old Town Office building one evening until well past closing time to get it done. Faxes were sent back and forth to Wisconsin until we got the language in the letter just right. Mayor Bassett went above and beyond the call of duty to get that letter nailed down and signed. With that assurance from the Town of Edgewood the project proceeded along and today we have a great new school located here in Edgewood and they are now planning on their first new expansion since the school opened. Mayor Bassett deserves a lot of credit for its continuing success.

As you head to the polling place of your choice I hope you will join with me and cast your vote for John Bassett for Commissioner in District 4. Charles “Chuck” Ring Former Edgewood Town Council Member