Groton highway superintendent contenders: part 2

The town of Groton has a viable race for the Republican candidate for highway superintendent June 22. Ellard D. Keister and Kenneth Carr will be on the ballot, and the winner of that race will represent the party in the general election Nov. 2.

My interview with Carr appeared in the June 2 edition of this column, so if you missed it, I hope you’ll go back and read it. This week tells Keister’s story.

Keister was born and raised in Groton, playing baseball, football and basketball all the way through to his graduation in 2008, after which he studied forestry and environmental studies at Finger Lakes Community College for a semester before transferring to Tompkins Cortland Community College.

While attending TC3, Keister arranged his schedule in order to work for the Town of Groton Highway Department about 32 hours a week, where he has been employed for the past 16 years.

“The thriving advancements that the town of Groton has been making in the last two years is absolutely wonderful,” Keister said. “And although I am able to take a leadership role at the Highway Department, it cannot be run as well as it is without an outstanding crew behind you, and that’s just what we have — one of the most talented and hard-working group of employees I have ever had the pleasure to work with in my 16 years.”

Keister is especially proud of the work he was involved in for the Walpole Road box culvert project.

“With the wonderful help of Mack Rankin and the rest of the highly talented crew, we were able to pull off one of the biggest and most impressive jobs that have been undertaken by the town in over 20 years,” Keister said.

The attributes Keister feels would make him a good fit for the Groton highway superintendent in addition to his experience and accomplishments are his communication skills, knowledge of the town and its highways, knowledge of the department’s equipment and budget, trainings with the state on the roles and responsibilities of highway superintendents, and training through the Association of Towns on municipal budgets.

On communication, Keister is very aware that not every problem people have can be taken care of in the way they might like, but he is confident that he has the knowledge and understanding “to give them peace of mind and an actual explanation of why some things are the way they are.”

Keister believes that great communication skills are a must-have for the job and feels he has proven himself in that area in his communications with the townspeople, Town Board, highway employees, town clerk and beyond.

“I have a great balance of old and new to be a well-rounded leader,” Keister said. “I have done work on every single road the town of Groton maintains. I know what works and have been actively applying new ideas in areas where we can see advancement.”

Keister is confident that he knows “the ins and outs of our town budget” and has taken an active role in how it can best be utilized. He is also familiar with the department’s equipment and has an active plan for its longevity and replacement.

“I currently give the town of Groton my all and still balance the rest of my life,” Keister said. “I have not missed a single Town Board meeting in three years. I do not collect payment for this — I go because I care. I am a highly active person with great work ethics and highly driven for success.”

Keister said he always puts his family first but is grateful they understand how important his job is to him and “appreciate the countless hours I give to the town.”

Keister’s wife, Jennifer, is also a lifelong Groton resident and teaches kindergarten at Groton Elementary School (GES). Their son, Andrew (Andy) attends kindergarten at GES, and their daughter, Miley, is 3 years old.

Ellard said when not at work, he loves spending time with his wife and family. They enjoy a variety of activities and can almost always be found outdoors — rain or shine, no matter the time of the year.

“This year, I have found great enjoyment and passion working with my son’s Groton Youth Program tee-ball team,” Ellard said. “The two times a week we get to go up to the fields and play ball with all the other children and parents is a huge highlight in my week. I’ll be sad when this season ends.”

Andy had a few things to say about why he thinks people should vote for his dad: “Because he’s really good at working, because he will help everyone work and he will work with them. My dad works hard.”

Ellard can be contacted at highway@grotontown.com or (607) 898-3110. If it is a personal or campaign matter, he will be happy to provide his personal contact information.

Groton on the Inside appears weekly. Submit news ideas to Linda Competillo, lmc10@cornell.edu or 607-227-4922.

In brief: 
 
Students design company logo

Groton High School students in Amber Novack Landers’ graphic design course in the Communication and Media Arts STEAM program worked with Agricultural Modeling and Training Systems, LLC (AMTS), 201 E. Cortland St., on a design initiative to create new logos for the company.

Three students, Kael Eldred, Lexie Ross and Zach Tagliavento were selected as finalists, and their designs will be featured on the AMTS website Cattle Feed Formulation software based on the CNCPS website (agmodelsystems.com).

New story walk on the trail 

With initial funding from the United Way of Tompkins County’s Youth and Philanthropy grant, further supported by the Groton Public Library and Janet Watkins of Brittany Station on Main Street, the Family Reading Partnership established the Groton Story Walk, located on the part of the Groton Trail System that begins behind the Groton Memorial Park on Sykes Street, in August 2020.

Story walks are an interactive outdoor experience that both children and adults can enjoy together. Children learn best through interaction, both with the activity they are doing and with the adults who are special in their lives.

The Groton story walk has been updated for spring with “Water is Water” by Miranda Paul, a poetic and beautifully illustrated picture book that follows a group of children as they move through all the different phases of the water cycle.

Recognizing that not all children, parents or caregivers are physically able to take on the story walk, the Groton Public Library still has ways for books to be enjoyed. Borrow books to bring home to read or find a virtual storytime video every Friday at 11 a.m. on the GPL Facebook page.

Flea market Saturday

Vintage at the Barn Flea Market, 800 S. Main St., will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 12. Many unique items from owners Barry and Barbara Siebe’s recent “picking trip” cross-country in addition to other vendors.