Dozen: Carmelita Wood works towards a better future where everyone has options | Local news

“People should be able to have the choice of moving to a different area, where they think or where they know their children are happy and prosperous and can get a better education,” said Wood.

And Wood is always quick to organize to support community members who are in need or in crisis.

“Last year in the fall there were two house fires in the neighborhood. One was an elderly woman living alone and the other was a young family. Carmelita organized us and we put together clothes, toys and gift cards for them both for Christmas, ”said Gale.

Wood loves his neighborhood and says it’s a wonderful place to live. At the same time, however, Wood is constantly looking for ways to improve the community for the residents. So she worked with the city’s planning commission on the plan for the small areas of Cherry Avenue, which included improved walking trails and plans that would allow small businesses to get to the area where car-free residents could. walk.

Gale said Wood has always been innovative in partnering with experts and city officials to solve problems and help residents.

“She knows people, she never hesitates to reach out and ask. Sometimes it’s simple things, like we had questions about some of our evaluations on our homes last year, and the next meeting all of a sudden there’s the municipal tax evaluator at the meeting ” , Gale said.