To the Editor:

I am writing to endorse Ginger Storey-Welch for St. Lawrence County Legislature in District 7.

I met Ginger after I spoke at a SLC Legislative meeting a year ago in September. I shared how my husband, Bob Ashton, who was a paraplegic, had died from bedsores. This was because he couldn't tolerate oral medication and needed an IV for the infection he had, and we simply could not find support for the IV. Agencies in the Canton-Potsdam area told us, "We don't serve Piercefield. You live too far away." Franklin County had told us we were in the wrong county, and when we insisted to the SLC agencies that we were in their county, someone said to us, "You chose to live where you do." So I ended up losing my husband of 42 years. After sharing this, I asked the Legislature to support my petition to bring back more public health nurses.

Ginger followed me out of the meeting and we spoke. I shared Bob's full story with her and eventually she contacted me and said she was going to run for County Legislature in honor of Bob. She said she didn't have a magic wand, is just one person, and couldn't promise to solve all the problems, but would promise to do her best.

Ginger has been to all the Piercefield Town Board meetings since then where our current legislator has been to few if any. She has personally knocked on every voter's door in Piercefield, and I have watched people say they couldn't believe anyone cared enough about Piercefield to come down. She was the one who told us the town could get $500 from the county for our celebration for the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and came to that event. 

When I called our current legislator while Bob was alive, I was ignored. Ginger has shown she cares already by simply showing up and carefully listening. I encourage you to vote for her.

Marlene Ashton
Piercefield