Paul Calistro told friends and supporters over this holiday weekend that he was definitely IN as a candidate for the Mayor of Wilmington for 2012. From his Facebook page:
Thank you to the hundreds of friends and neighbors who have encouraged me to consider a candidacy for Mayor. I am quite convinced that the residents, communities and business owners are ready for our city to move in a new positive direction. This past week we took the first step and formally filed the Calistro 2012 Committee. Your collective energy, enthusiasm, and insights have been extremely helpful in making this decision. We recognize that our city has so many great assets and wonderful hard working creative people that need to be part of the transformation. Collectively we can truly “raise the bar” and reshape Wilmington into a City that strives for nothing less than excellence. We have assembled a team of concerned citizens to begin developing a plan for the path forward. As we begin this journey together, we invite you to contribute your ideas, concerns, and support. Please take a moment and share your thoughts with us.
This is fantastic news for everyone who lives in the City and who wants it to really live up to its potential. You can expect to hear some other “on the fence” candidates officially get in as a response to this shortly.
One of the best bios that anyone can get is the one that the News Journal did on Paul when they inaugurated their “25 Who Matter” series (I think they’ve increased this to 50 now). He’s been doing and instigating the kind of neighborhood-focused investment and development that folks all over the City have been clamoring for – and doing that in creative ways that keep neighbors invested. And he’s been creative in figuring out ways to help portions of the community that have been traditionally underserved – like kids aged out of foster care. He’s also one of the biggest boosters of small businesses out there – you can’t go many places (at least on Wilmington’s West Side) who aren’t already fans of his approach to support local small businesses.
Paul is an accomplished community guy and you won’t find many folks who will say otherwise. He has led the West End Neighborhood House to its place as a hub of probably the best work going on in Wilmington for community service and community development. It is certainly the most vibrant of the old Settlement Houses and more recent community centers. The commitment and innovation coming from West End needs to be replicated city-wide, specifically to help other neighborhoods build from their own assets and contribute to the success of the city. His 20 years of working at West End also give him a strong understanding of the current strengths and weaknesses of city government in terms of service to residents as well as a partner for community and economic development. It has also given him the opportunity to develop some very strong working relationships with people in Dover, the local business community, as well as with many of Wilmington’s civic and neighborhood leaders.
There will likely be a more formal announcement/celebration sometime after the first of the year. But it is really great news that Paul has officially thrown his hat in the ring.
So what do you think, Wilmingtonians?