(July 7, 2016) Berlin has its first official council race, as 34-year-old Jack L. Orris Jr. became the second person to file for the District 2 seat last week.
Zackery Tyndall, a 26-year-old Berlin native, also filed for District 2 last month. Current District 2 Councilmember Lisa Hall is running for mayor.
Orris grew up in Johnstown, Pennsylvania and moved to Berlin in 2006. He holds a degree in political science and currently works as an office manager for a construction company in Delaware.
“My occupational background, before I got into office management, was actually operations management for amusement parks,” he said. “I’m hoping to be able to use that for the new park, Berlin Falls. I think I can do a lot to help out with the planning and the execution of what the mayor and council want to do with that property.”
The issue is important to Orris, who believes the property can become a signature attraction of the town.
“I think that parks are a great place for the community to come together,” he said. “Not taking away from downtown, but I think it could be in addition to [downtown]. I think if we can find a way to make that a focal point that’s accessible and safe and clean for everybody – and if we can get a transportation [system] from downtown – it’s just going to enhance the small town charm of Berlin.”
Orris said he would like to see an open-air trolley come to Berlin to carry visitors from the downtown area to Berlin Falls.
Drones, something that has received plenty of media attention lately, could also find a home at Berlin Falls, he said.
“I actually talked to a resident (last week) and it was something I had never really thought of until he brought it up,” he said. “He’s really into it and apparently there’s other people in Berlin that are, so I told him I would look into that.”
On the growth of the town, Orris said he wants to limit future development to already established areas of Berlin, rather than annexing new regions.
“I think we’ve already expanded enough for right now, and we should focus on what we have,” he said.
To prepare for the election, which will be held in October, Orris said he diligently reads the minutes of each Town Council meeting, and is familiar with town ordinances. Last year, he attended the strategic planning sessions in Berlin in order to get a broader sense of resident concerns.
For voters in District 2, Orris said his message is simple: he a is “determined leader who listens.”
“I want to reach out to the voters and see what their concerns are,” he said. “I know there was a differing opinion on annexation versus keeping what we have, so I want to talk about that with them. And I want to talk about their ideas for a new park. What do they want?
“The election is not about me, it’s about them, the residents,” he added. “That’s what every election should be about. Voter involvement is paramount to any election.”
Zackery Tyndall, a 26-year-old Berlin native, also filed for District 2 last month. Current District 2 Councilmember Lisa Hall is running for mayor.
Orris grew up in Johnstown, Pennsylvania and moved to Berlin in 2006. He holds a degree in political science and currently works as an office manager for a construction company in Delaware.
“My occupational background, before I got into office management, was actually operations management for amusement parks,” he said. “I’m hoping to be able to use that for the new park, Berlin Falls. I think I can do a lot to help out with the planning and the execution of what the mayor and council want to do with that property.”
The issue is important to Orris, who believes the property can become a signature attraction of the town.
“I think that parks are a great place for the community to come together,” he said. “Not taking away from downtown, but I think it could be in addition to [downtown]. I think if we can find a way to make that a focal point that’s accessible and safe and clean for everybody – and if we can get a transportation [system] from downtown – it’s just going to enhance the small town charm of Berlin.”
Orris said he would like to see an open-air trolley come to Berlin to carry visitors from the downtown area to Berlin Falls.
Drones, something that has received plenty of media attention lately, could also find a home at Berlin Falls, he said.
“I actually talked to a resident (last week) and it was something I had never really thought of until he brought it up,” he said. “He’s really into it and apparently there’s other people in Berlin that are, so I told him I would look into that.”
On the growth of the town, Orris said he wants to limit future development to already established areas of Berlin, rather than annexing new regions.
“I think we’ve already expanded enough for right now, and we should focus on what we have,” he said.
To prepare for the election, which will be held in October, Orris said he diligently reads the minutes of each Town Council meeting, and is familiar with town ordinances. Last year, he attended the strategic planning sessions in Berlin in order to get a broader sense of resident concerns.
For voters in District 2, Orris said his message is simple: he a is “determined leader who listens.”
“I want to reach out to the voters and see what their concerns are,” he said. “I know there was a differing opinion on annexation versus keeping what we have, so I want to talk about that with them. And I want to talk about their ideas for a new park. What do they want?
“The election is not about me, it’s about them, the residents,” he added. “That’s what every election should be about. Voter involvement is paramount to any election.”