mayor's ADDRESS

Chris V. Rey

Investiture and Inaugural Speech

Mayor, Spring Lake

Friday, December 16, 2011

Honored Guests, Elected Officials, Board of Alderman, Past Mayors, my family, friends and residents of Spring Lake. Today, the torch has been passed. This simple phrase whose origins lie in classical antiquity is still alive and in practice today. The torch passing symbolizes a new beginning, a new day and for us, a New – Spring – Lake.

It was in my childhood, growing up here in Spring Lake that I learned I am not on this journey alone, and that we are a strong community of values and good people.  I learned that I had a community that was watching out for me every step of the way, investing in me, and making sure that I would succeed like every morning when my school bus driver transported my friends and I safely to and from school each day.  She showed us love as if we were her own children.  I know today she has to be proud as she sits out in the audience, remembering this skinny little kid with the over-sized book bag who wore his church shoes to school. 

If you told me as a kid that I would be elected mayor one day, I would have told you that you didn’t know what you were talking about. My campaign to serve Spring Lake was announced on February 18. Ten months, 301 days, 17 hours later, I stand before you, elected and ready to serve. There is a movement for change across Spring Lake. People are ready for their leaders to lead, build and innovate. We voted for a new vision, a new direction and a new Spring Lake.

Moving forward does mean honoring our past. A past that has seen Spring Lake grow, decline and grow again. “We must remember.” said Dr. Dorothy Irene Height, “never to forget.” We cannot forget the many sacrifices that brought us here today. We cannot forget the sacrifices of many of our past Mayors who join us this evening, more recently the sacrifices of Mayor Ethel Clark who gave over thirty years of service to her community, this town, and this great state. Service takes sacrifice, hard work and is often inconvenient and unappreciated. Mayor Clarke, this town owes you a debt of gratitude and tremendous respect. I look forward to working with you to help move Spring Lake forward. Thank you. If Spring Lake is to move forward, we must put our priorities in place. We must invest in our youth, grow our economy, improve our infrastructure and weave in the common thread of technology to get us there.

The progress of Spring Lake depends directly on our progress in education. Investing in our children means putting our children first.As mayor, my top priority is ensuring that our schools have the necessary resources in order for our kids to graduate, go to college, perhaps to vocational school and be career ready. To get there, we have to focus on STEM readiness – science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The skills are required for the 21st century adult .Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan said, “Education is the civil rights issue for our generation.” Education is a right not a privilege. Our kids deserve a chance in this world as anyone else. We must out-teach, out-learn, and out-perform to be the best. At every step of the way we have to ask the question, “Where are students? What are their strengths and weaknesses – constant assessment. We must have more wrap around services to ensure children are emotionally and physically safe – safe from bullying, violence and from any kind of abuse .Preparing our children for the future means investing today for what will be offered tomorrow.

I know we have the capability to produce the best because we have the best teachers an education system can ask for.  Teachers like my middle school math teacher, Ms. McCoy who told her students, “You got to stay focused people!” Ms. McCoy was about discipline and her biggest lesson was about focus. Focus on what you are supposed to be focused on or you will be lost by wayside. Thank you for those lessons Ms. McCoy.  Or Coach Tucker, an everyday hero who taught me that no matter how big my lead was on the track, to never slow down and push to the end. It was running track in a summer Junior Olympics program where I first traveled to California and other states across the country – competing, learning about sportsmanship, and being exposed to a world outside of Spring Lake.ince then Coach Tucker, I have crossed many finish lines and ran many races. Today, I am a product of the lessons you taught me about staying the course and never giving up. You pushed me and for that I thank you. (applause)I was also inspired by Ms. Denise Payton who sung so beautifully earlier, she first introduced me to the arts and the importance of culture and being cultured. In her classroom, children and their talents came alive. These teachers knew that a stronger Chris Rey and stronger children meant -- a stronger Spring Lake.  That is how we win in education. We can do it because it has already been done for many of us in this room .I am encouraged for our future because we still have teachers like Mrs. Husamudeen, a second grade teacher at Manchester Elementary who taught me at one point and currently teaches my daughter.  Her investment in Spring Lake kids has paid dividends 100 times over. Thank You Mrs. Husamudeen for staying in the good fight.

If we are going to be more competitive in the local, regional, national and global economies, we must strengthen and sustain our economy.  We must support our businesses. When people think of Spring Lake, we must stand out for something. We must have the competitive advantage and position Spring Lake in order to be prepared for opportunities that await us.  Two major highways will link us to the future of technology and healthcare. These are the industries of now and the future of Spring Lake. A medical school at Campbell University will be built just 20 miles away from here. That affects us all. Forces Command is right around the corner from Spring Lake. That affects us all too. With these changes and more to come, Spring Lake will become a healthcare and technology corridor for our region. Our residents have to be ready to answer the call in these industries.

But, not just that, we have to develop Main Street, we must create jobs, foster an environment where entrepreneurship is the key and support programs for workforce development. See, I am reminded every day that we can win. With a new vision and a determined spirit the Wellons Family built the Gateway Inn, the first hotel built in Spring Lake. With the thought of providing a quality product at a reasonable price, Country Fish Fry flourishes here in our town, RLM Communications, a future industry leader in government communication equipment and cyber security has decided to Headquarter here in Spring Lake. The true Spring Lake entrepreneurial spirit comes alive in places like Moons & McNeil’s Barbershop, Steve’s Gourmet Restaurant, and Chief Judy’s, Let Me Cater To You, and a whole host of entrepreneurs and businesses who have called Spring Lake their home.  But, we aren’t done yet. We have a long way to go. We have to strengthen our economy so that our sons and daughters yet unborn may be able to reap the benefits of our toil and sweat to build a strong Spring Lake where everyone has a job, every work place values its employees whereby we create a community we can all enjoy and be proud of.

But, some people have written us off. They said Spring Lake is too small to grow and would never amount to anything. It wasn’t true then and it is not true now. We are better than that. We haven’t come this far to be turned around. Small towns are the gateway to America’s success.

In the coming months the Board of Alderman and my self will work closely with business leaders to grow our industrial park on Manchester Road helping to transform our town into a hub of commerce and opportunity for the sand hills region.

Improving our infrastructure has to be the priority to move Spring Lake into the twenty-first century. We need to improve our roads, our water treatment plant and address the aging pipe system. With a strong infrastructure we will be able to attract the businesses that we want. With businesses comes more revenue. We have a plan, but lack the revenue. Before attracting folks we have to make sure our house is in order. That will take investment from each and every one of us. Our success firmly rests on our plan for the future, our strategic mission and vision to make our goals, hopes and dreams a reality. WE – ARE – our blueprint for the future.

As we bring troops home from a war ended we cannot forget that our troops will have needs, jobs, healthcare facilities, treatment facilities for soldiers with invisible and visible wounds and soldier care. These selfless individuals will come back to neighborhoods across America including Spring Lake and will add to the growth of our town. We’ll be waiting with open arms. I also would like to take time to acknowledge our most senior residents whose shoulders we are still standing on. Without their investment, we wouldn’t be here today.

To everyone here today and throughout Spring Lake, I challenge your enthusiasm. We will need each other’s support to accomplish what we are setting out to do. With investment in our youth, we will see the future come alive as they grow. With investment in strengthening our economy, we will see lives improve and with investment our infrastructure nothing can stop us.

In closing, President John F. Kennedy in his 1983 Inaugural address said, “All this will not be finished in the first one hundred days. Nor will it be finished in the first one thousand days; nor in the life of this Administration; nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet. But let us begin.”

So, I say to you my fellow residents of Spring Lake and to all those listening. The time is now. The future is now. Let’s work to make Spring Lake a Spring Lake for everyone. God bless each and every one of you and God bless Spring Lake.