Mike Zwirko Expresses His Deep Appreciation To Melrose

The following was submitted by Alderman-at-Large Mike Zwirko

With the campaign now having been over for more than a week, I wanted to reach out and publicly state my deep appreciation to those who supported my candidacy for Mayor. Obviously, I wish the results were in my favor, but if you can win for losing, I feel that I have.

In every campaign, you meet new people and you form new friendships. I know have a bigger pool of people that I consider family now. I met Melrose High students who took time out of their summer to help me knock on doors. Why? Because they felt that tackling climate change is imperative to their future on this planet. I look forward to watching them succeed at MHS and I will be there when they graduate in 2021. I also look forward to more basketball games with them on the common!

I am VERY proud of the campaign I put forth. It was a positive, forward thinking movement dedicated to ideas, community and collaboration. I have nothing to feel bad about. I can hold my head high knowing I didn't partake in gutterball politics or divisions. I refuse to mirror what happens on our national stage. We are Melrose. We are much better than that. I ran this campaign the same way I try to treat people: with dignity and respect. Everyone deserves that.

All will be fine. Melrose has way too many good people in it for it to fail. I am greatly looking forward to this fall when we will see new candidates step up and take part in helping to move this community forward. This is a good thing and not something we should be apprehensive of. Government functions best with energy and we have a lot of that heading our way.

Rest assured, I am not going anywhere. Melrose is the place I have lived the longest and the place that has embraced Erin and I. I love it here. It is my home. I do not know what the future holds for me, but I am not going away. I will continue to be involved and continue to help Melrose in any way that I can. I still have three months left to serve on the Board of Aldermen and I look forward to the work that lies ahead. I have some items that I am hopeful we can pass and I look forward to assisting in the transition of our Mayor this November.

Thank you to my supporters for all of their time, dedication and friendship. Thank you to Melrose for allowing me to serve you over these past four years. You took a chance on me in 2015 and I can only hope that I served you well. I will never forget the opportunities you bestowed to me, it was an honor and I am forever, deeply grateful.

Mike Zwirko