A leader and mentor

Dear Editor:

To Commissioner O'Gurek:

I want to address you as COMMISSIONER O'Gurek as the uncle that I have known and immensely respected all my life I believe knows how I feel about you. THANK YOU!! Thank you for the countless years of public service to our community, to our town, and to our county that portrays a record of excellence that I believe speaks for itself over the years, despite what the perhaps misguided and often misinformed public may say.

Despite having been away from the county and the area for over a decade now, I have always been proud to maintain my permanent address on Iron Street in Summit Hill not only because it gave me the great privilege of voting for you during each of the elections but also, and more so, because I was truly proud to be a Carbon County resident with individuals such as yourself in leadership roles, guiding the county with a sense of decency, idealism, and integrity that was truly infectious to those around you. Carbon County remained a place for me that seemed, at its best, unscathed by some of the corporate greed and political undertakings that have often polluted and tainted the remainder of the world around us.

The actions and activities of the recent election, touted by many as the dirtiest race in the county that anyone can remember, have certainly put a new perspective on some of my views and despite being quite calmer than earlier as I sit and write this, I remain angry and mad as hell. At each turn and each time I heard of the negative signs, the public displays of ignorant behavior, and the vengeful, arrogant political flyers that were sent to the county residents, I grew angrier and sadder that county politics had to come to this, particularly in our county. As we always have been and remain a tightly knit family, I was and remain EXTREMELY hurt by these malicious and crude acts. Despite this feeling, one that I believe is ingrained in all our family members, I cannot imagine the feelings you felt as you experienced this. Despite myself and my negative thoughts, I found a continuous glimmering ray of hope in you, as you maintained your positive tone and responded without any direct attack or dropping to the level of the opponent.

Martin Luther King, Jr, said, "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." Your actions and integrity during this time of adversity both politically and personally demonstrated the political courage that John F. Kennedy wrote about in Profiles in Courage. Your maturity and thoughtfulness in avoiding corrupting the process provides an example not only to your countless young supporters but more so to all the young people of this county that true leadership demands integrity and a moral conscience despite the outcome - that if you lose yourself along the process to attaining your goals, you gain nothing even if you succeed.

In your true form, you demonstrated eloquence and graciousness in your comments after the results of the election were just about finalized, and once again provided evidence for the leader, mentor, and man that you are.

Your humility forces you to acknowledge how others have played a role in your experience with a rare focus on how you have played such a tremendous and influential role in ours. Your demeanor and your desire to forever better yourself and those around you are best represented by Tennyson's words:

"I am a part of all that I have met…

Tho much is taken, much abides…

That which we are, we are -

One equal temper of heroic hearts,

…strong in will

To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."

I know not of your plans and your future but I know that your record of public service will continue in the format that you desire. Despite what election results say, we need you to remain that glimmer of hope and decency in this process to serve as the role model for leaders to come. Ted Kennedy ended his concession speech in 1980 stating, "For me, a few hours ago, this campaign came to an end. For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives on, and the dream shall never die." The dream will indeed never die with you in our ranks.

I, of course, will always be proud of you as my uncle but I wanted to make it crystal clear that I am truly proud of my commissioner, Bill O'Gurek.

David O'Gurek

Summit Hill