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HARRISON, N.Y. - The inside of her Harrison home is a close resemblance of the experience and knowledge inside her brain. Mounds of government records and Freedom of Information requests are stacked around the house and show how important the town is to 86-year-old Lucille Held.
More importantly, it shows how important Held is to Harrison.
"It's a sick dedication," Held said.
Held has kept actively involved in town politics since her teenage years and has followed Harrison's story closely since coming to town in the mid '50s. Her love for democracy and her idealism has kept her going with no desire to stop anytime soon, she said.
"I came here to convert Harrison into a more idealistic society that can act as an example for the rest of the country," Held said. "I wanted to bring people together."
The Daily Harrison met with Held at her Harrison home to talk politics and learn more about her knowledge of the town.
Why haven't you run for office?
I don't think I can with my impatience. I've always been in command of everything I've done. My love for the system works against my own personality. I like to get things done. I want progress now and I don't have the patience to wait for it.
What's the biggest issue facing Harrison right now?
The system is obsolete. There are no elected officials who can run these multi-million-dollar communities the right way anymore. We need people in charge with a financial expertise and our board needs to be non-political, headed by experts. Our town is controlled by politics and it is squeezing the people of the town in the middle.
What do you think the town has gotten right?
As long as there are wars, no one will have anything that is right. The same goes for Harrison. We have a war of politics and there is no peace. Our parties should work together and there will be no "right" until people respect and tolerate each other.
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E-mail town reporter Phil Corso at PCorso@TheDailyHarrison.com.
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