A Note from Kishan Putta
/By Kishan Putta
Kishan Putta campaigns with his son, Om, in Burleith. Photos courtesy of Kishan Putta.
Divya and I want to thank our neighbors for all their time, encouragement, and support this year. We also want to thank Commissioner Solomon for his years of service to our community. We wish you all a happy holiday season. I hope to see many of you at your homes with the BCA’s own Santa Claus Dwane Starlin. Divya and I will also be hosting a holiday gathering at our home from 2–5 pm on Sunday, December 16. Please email anckishanputta@gmail.com to receive the invitation and to RSVP.
I will begin my term on January 2 and look forward to working with you to improve our neighborhood. This past summer and fall, when Divya and I (and our baby boy, Om, too!) knocked on doors in our neighborhood, we were greeted very warmly. Many of you invited us into your homes and we enjoyed meeting every one of you.
Sometimes Om would get fussy and we’d have to dance a little or raise our voices, but we got it done and thank everyone for their kindness. My shirts would always be soaked with baby-drool by the time we got home, but overall he was a great sport about campaigning.
The Bell asked us if we’d like to share our experiences and observations and hopes for the next year. We definitely have some unforgettable memories. After a year of campaigning, it was very nice to see so many of you on election day. Many of you told us that you appreciated all of our visits, notes, emails, and calls. We are most proud that the turnout in our district was more than double the turnout in recent midterm elections.
We hope to keep that level of community engagement going. Please sign up for our monthly email updates at anckishanputta@gmail.com. I will also be posting interesting local events and updates on social media (Twitter and Facebook).
Getting our ANC to use social media more is one transparency improvement that many of you requested. I will try, but I can promise that I will use Twitter to reach the government in addition to emails and phone calls and 311. Even if you do not have Twitter, you can email me photos of any problems you are having (with an address location) and I will be happy to post for you and tag the relevant agencies and officials. Let us know if you want us to use Instagram and/or Snapchat, too. We will try!
The most common question I hear is, “What’s going on with Jelleff?” Several residents asked about improving the Jelleff Recreation Center (next to Safeway) for residents of all ages to enjoy together. We have a great opportunity with the city’s initial $7 million commitment this fiscal year. But residents at the July meeting said they wanted more multipurpose indoor space, which may require more funding. A group of residents—Jelleff Community Friends—has formed to advocate for this. Please email your ideas to jelleffcommunity@gmail.com and connect to Jelleff Community Friends on Facebook. We will let you know about the next meeting and update you on our advocacy and share ways you can get involved.
We are all in this together. I thank you for your votes and promise to work hard for you. I will help amplify your voices. But we need you to stay engaged. Real improvements are possible if we work together as a community. We’re really looking forward to making this journey with you. Thank you for your support. Happy Holidays from our family to yours!