When you live in a small city like Black Diamond, you quickly learn that at its heart and core are a few people who love their community and who care deeply enough about what happens within the confines of the city that they are willing to get involved to make a positive difference. These people care about schools and do all they can to support them. They care about senior citizens and make themselves available to cook meals in the community center, and help prepare for the center’s annual auction that supports the city as an emergency center, food bank, child care facility, and social gathering spot for its citizens. No matter where you go within the city, you see these same people giving their time and expertise to help others.

Becky Olness is one of Black Diamond’s core people. This didn’t just happen when she decided to run for City Council in 2004, but instead was already a part of who she was and still remains. She has worked tirelessly for our citizens. She has a keen understanding of what the city must do to remain solvent, and because of that, has been involved in decisions that haven’t been popular with everyone but have been important for the continuing health of our city. A process as big as Black Diamond faces is never pretty and without controversy.   Steering us through the issues is not for the faint of heart. It is for someone who has vision and is willing to give heart and soul to insure we move forward in a purposeful manner while keeping the end result in mind.  With that being the goal, we now have a 20-plus year plan in place in the form of the master planned developments. Becky, proudly, has been involved in making sure that we do not have growth that doesn’t bring commercial and housing along jointly. We will have a community with trails, open spaces, all types of housing, and businesses with a population base that, unlike now, can support them.

I want my mayor to be someone who has shown love and concern for the city and its future over the long haul. I don’t personally know Dave Gordon but he has stated that now is not the time for Black Diamond to grow. He fears we will become a slum with a glut of empty new houses that will not sell. When there is no market for homes, builders will not build.  Above all, builders are business people. My fear is that Dave Gordon lacks vision.

Don’t be complacent. We need all of our citizens to speak up with their votes. We will develop according to the master plan, a reality that is acknowledged by our current council.  Oversight to the plan is what is needed now. That will take a strong, involved mayor and staff. Becky has shown strength, concern and love for the city, and commitment to doing what is right for Black Diamond. I ask that you cast your vote to reelect Becky Olness mayor of Black Diamond.

Jean Boston

Black Diamond