Candidate for
Council Member; City of Norwood; Ward 2

A Norwood resident for over twenty years, I moved to the Cincinnati area in 1970 from Detroit, Michigan where I was born and raised. I came here to attend the University of Cincinnati and have remained in the Cincinnati aera ever since. In many ways, however, Norwood is my ancestral home. Around the turn of the century, in the early 1900's, my Grandfather, Walter Wurster, established a thriving meat market on "The Pike" as Montgomery Road was know back then. My mother, Anna Louise Wurster, was born and raised in Norwood, graduating from Norwood High School in 1929. Her brother, my uncle Walter "Bud" Wurster, still resides on Indian Mound Avenue. His wife of over 70 years Helen Wurster (Bock), having recently passed away, was a former music and dance teacher in the Norwood City School District. Wurster's Meats survived until the urban renewal movement of the Sixties and early Seventies took out the businesses on Montgomery Road across the street from City Hall.

For the last twenty years my wife and I have owned a home on Floral Avenue where we have raised our two children and enjoyed the many benefits of living is such a remarkable community. Both of our children were fortunate enough to have gone K-12 in the outstanding Norwood City School District where they were exposed to some of the area's finest teachers and programs.

My professional life has been that of an advertising copywriter for several of the top advertising agencies in Cincinnati. I am currently employed as senior copywriter at HSR Business to Business, a nationally recognized leader in traditional and interactive marketing communications to business audiences.

Since settling in Norwood twenty years ago, I have been involved in numerous civic organizations and initiatives. Early efforts were focused on helping out my kids' t-ball, softball, and soccer teams and working with the District on efforts to improve public school buildings. I recently completed two terms as a member of the Norwood Community Television Access Board (NCTAB) where we helped raise awareness of the opportunity every Norwood resident has to create their own public access programming to air on local Time Warner Cable Channel 23. I'm particularly proud of my involvement in the innovative "Talk to Santa" live call-in program that has aired in December on Norwood Cable Access Channel 23 for the last several years. It is an effort I hope will continiue for many more years.

I have also been involved for several years with the members of the Norwood Historical Society where I am currently serving as secretary and treasurer. This involvement reflects my deep interest in history, particularly in the stories and experiences of individuals who have contributed so much to the rich heritage of our city and our region.

I have also been deeply involved over the last four years with the Norwood Fireworks Committee, a group of private individuals who have revived the great tradition of a Fourth of July celebration of our Country's founding and freedoms. With the generous support of Norwood's great benefactor, Mr. Carl Lindner, as well as other business leaders and private individuals, the Norwood Fireworks have offered citizens a free and fun-filled evening that both honors the members of our military and fills the sky with beautiful, professional fireworks.

More recently I have become involved with the Norwood Service League where I am currently an active member of the NSL Executive Board. I can say unequivocally that no other organization has done more over the last century to shape the unique character that defines Norwood than our Service League. The true character of a community can be judged by how it treats the least fortunate among us. For over 90 years, the unflagging support from both public and private sources for the social services offered by Norwood Service League has demonstrated just how strong our community really is.

Through these efforts, as with my involvement in leadership of the Norwood Republican Party, I have come to understand much about the people and institutions here in our great city and of the particular concerns of the people of Ward 2. I have spent a great deal of time studying the workings of our rather unique form of government to determine how best to achieve the goals I've set for myself as a member of Norwood City Council.

I look forward to serving the people of Ward 2 in the years ahead.