I am a teacher and coach at Cape Elizabeth High School, and a resident of the community, with two young children attending the Pond Cove School and Cape Elizabeth Middle School.

I have known Jim Walsh for 15 years and in that time I have consistently been impressed with his level of commitment to everything that he does, his professionalism, enthusiasm, and his extremely strong dedication and support to his family and the community as a whole.

Mr. Walsh’s sons all played on teams I coached (and) I got to know the Walsh family very well. Throughout all of my interactions with them, I always knew I could count on getting an honest opinion from Mr. Walsh. It might not always have been what I wanted to hear, but I always knew it was an honest view and an accurate assessment of the situation which had nothing to do with putting his children and their playing time ahead of anyone else’s, but had everything to do with what would be better for the entire team.

During the time his children were playing for me, Mr. Walsh led numerous fundraising activities, organized team trips and assisted other parents in sending their children to camps. He also helped parents of other players navigate the very muddy waters of college recruiting and choosing the college and coach that best fit their young men. These are just some of the qualities that Mr. Walsh will bring with him to the job of town councilor, and this is just the type of person we need in this position.

I strongly feel that during these difficult economic times we need a leader like Jim Walsh on our Town Council. I know Jim will use his numerous years of experience as an executive, teacher, small-business owner, and most importantly, father and community leader to guide our community in the right direction. I encourage all of you who want the best for our community to vote for Jim Walsh for Town Council in the Jan. 29 election.

Ben Raymond

Cape Elizabeth