(April 13, 2017) Longtime Snow Hill resident Sylvester Dale has tossed his hat in the ring for the City Council’s open seat in the western district.
“Since I’m a citizen of Snow Hill I have the right to file and I wanted to be a part of Snow Hill,” he said. “I lived here all my life I think and I have the voice of the people of Snow Hill – not just the western district, but the town as a whole.”
Registered voters in Snow Hill’s western district will head to the polls on May 2 to pick a new representative to replace outgoing City Councilman Michael Pruitt. Dale is running against LaToya Purnell for the council position.
After graduating from Worcester High School in Newark in 1968, Dale enlisted in the U.S. Marine’s First Combat Engineer Battalion. He spent the next two years on life-risking endeavors overseas.
“I was a combat engineer,” he said. “We did mine sweeps to clear the roads in the morning for vehicles, and we built bunkers and roads. I’m glad to [have survived].”
Since returning from Southeast Asia in 1970, Dale has seen his hometown slowly evolve.
“It’s changed for the good, Snow Hill has. There’s been a lot of improvements in town,” he said.
Dale said addressing abandoned or neglected properties in Snow Hill was a top priority.
“In the western district we have several homes that need attention,” he said. “The grass and everything is overgrown.”
Locating absentee landowners can be a daunting task, but Dale said in some cases information may be available from sources outside of official town records.
“If you talk to neighbors in the neighborhood, maybe they know the next of kin or other relatives and probably could contact them,” he said.
In preparation for a spot on the council, Dale served on several municipal boards, including the Property Reuse Committee, the Housing Review Committee and the Tree Committee.
Despite the competition with Purnell for the council seat, Dale said the race would be friendly.
“I know she lives right down the street from me and I have no objection against her running,” he said. “The reason why I ran is I just didn’t want one person to run.”
In the event the victor had to step down from their position, Dale said a second candidate would be in line as an immediate replacement.
Another objective Dale highlighted is reviving the stalled Summerfield housing project, “ to increase the population in the town and to bring business into the town, which we are doing with Toy Town,” he said. “It’s a small, sleepy community.”
Dale also noted the natural assets of Snow Hill and its proximity to the Pocomoke River as another means to continue fostering growth in the town.
“I’m for the people of the town, there’s no one-sided position that I hold, but just for the whole community as a whole,” he said. “I will have an open line to listen to people’s concerns.”
Despite his sincere respect for his opponent, Dale thinks voters should give him the nod on May 2.
“The reason I should be elected is I think I have a little bit more community input and I’m well known around town,” he said. “I know a lot of people because I like talking to people. That really goes a long way.”
“Since I’m a citizen of Snow Hill I have the right to file and I wanted to be a part of Snow Hill,” he said. “I lived here all my life I think and I have the voice of the people of Snow Hill – not just the western district, but the town as a whole.”
Registered voters in Snow Hill’s western district will head to the polls on May 2 to pick a new representative to replace outgoing City Councilman Michael Pruitt. Dale is running against LaToya Purnell for the council position.
After graduating from Worcester High School in Newark in 1968, Dale enlisted in the U.S. Marine’s First Combat Engineer Battalion. He spent the next two years on life-risking endeavors overseas.
“I was a combat engineer,” he said. “We did mine sweeps to clear the roads in the morning for vehicles, and we built bunkers and roads. I’m glad to [have survived].”
Since returning from Southeast Asia in 1970, Dale has seen his hometown slowly evolve.
“It’s changed for the good, Snow Hill has. There’s been a lot of improvements in town,” he said.
Dale said addressing abandoned or neglected properties in Snow Hill was a top priority.
“In the western district we have several homes that need attention,” he said. “The grass and everything is overgrown.”
Locating absentee landowners can be a daunting task, but Dale said in some cases information may be available from sources outside of official town records.
“If you talk to neighbors in the neighborhood, maybe they know the next of kin or other relatives and probably could contact them,” he said.
In preparation for a spot on the council, Dale served on several municipal boards, including the Property Reuse Committee, the Housing Review Committee and the Tree Committee.
Despite the competition with Purnell for the council seat, Dale said the race would be friendly.
“I know she lives right down the street from me and I have no objection against her running,” he said. “The reason why I ran is I just didn’t want one person to run.”
In the event the victor had to step down from their position, Dale said a second candidate would be in line as an immediate replacement.
Another objective Dale highlighted is reviving the stalled Summerfield housing project, “ to increase the population in the town and to bring business into the town, which we are doing with Toy Town,” he said. “It’s a small, sleepy community.”
Dale also noted the natural assets of Snow Hill and its proximity to the Pocomoke River as another means to continue fostering growth in the town.
“I’m for the people of the town, there’s no one-sided position that I hold, but just for the whole community as a whole,” he said. “I will have an open line to listen to people’s concerns.”
Despite his sincere respect for his opponent, Dale thinks voters should give him the nod on May 2.
“The reason I should be elected is I think I have a little bit more community input and I’m well known around town,” he said. “I know a lot of people because I like talking to people. That really goes a long way.”