To the Editors:

Election day is Nov. 7. It is important that those of us students who vote in Oberlin learn more about the experience, goals, and passions of the candidates for City Council.

I’d like to tell you about one candidate that stands out in the race. Heather Adelman is a first-time candidate who brings fresh ideas based on her extensive experience of environmental and community work. From working with tribal communities around issues of environmental justice for almost a decade to currently sitting on both the Oberlin Resource Conservation and Recovery Commission and the Lorain County Solid Waste Management Policy Committee, Heather shows through her actions and her commitments that caring about the environment requires supporting people in working together and listening to each other’s needs.

Heather is an active community member, demonstrated through her ongoing seven-year run as the Oberlin Farmer’s Market Manager and her work on the Executive Committee of Oberlin Community Services.

In 2016, Heather was a part of creating and launching the Oberlin Food Hub, a nonprofit organization that distributes local foods as a means to create new markets for small-to-medium- size farms in the surrounding counties, while increasing the accessibility of these foods for local wholesale buyers such as schools and restaurants. The Oberlin Food Hub is where I met Heather, and her passion and drive for founding and continuing the Hub inspires me in my own work for the organization. In the early stages of the Hub, Heather was willing to spend extra time on each task and work hard in order to ensure its future success and evolution.

Heather’s dedication and leadership are exhibited in her attention to detail and her commitment to push through bureaucracy in order to directly benefit her community. And she works tirelessly if it means that the goals of her community will be supported through her actions. I am grateful to know Heather, and I know the community will significantly benefit from getting to know her as a city councilperson. Please consider voting for Heather Adelman for the upcoming election.

– Yael Reichler
OC ’19