INFORMATION SHEET
Name: Kathryn “Kate” Leonard
Party: Democrat (Non-Partisan Elections in Newport)
Office Sought: Newport City Council, Third Ward
Address: 37 Castle Hill Avenue, Newport
Best number to contact: 401-952-3461 (cell)
Alternate number: 841-KATE (5283)
Email Address: KateLeonar@aol.com
Occupation: Realtor/Community Volunteer, Retired Teacher/Dept Head
Family: Formerly married, fostered teenagers, caretaker for 87 year old mother and passionate dog lover.
Prior offices held: Newport City Council, Third Ward and Fourth Ward (11 years)
Newport Residents For KATE
Statement:
Kate Leonard was born in Roanoke, Virginia. She has early roots in
Newport where she visited her grandfather, Gregory Vouros, and favorite
aunt Fanny Diomandes as a child. As a military wife Kate taught at Fort
Rucker, Alabama, in 1968-69 during the Vietnam War. Later she returned
to Connecticut and was an educator/counselor/department head for 25
years prior to retirement in 1995. She bought her first house in Newport
in 1978 and moved here full-time in 1995.
Kate has always been an accessible advocate and volunteer for the
public. Her contributions have been considerable over the years and
continue today. Some of her policies and beliefs stem from this advocacy
for the public good:
- Worked to preserve public use of Fort Adams for swimmers, rugby players, Sail Newport and others
- Working for fiscal responsibility in Newport to keep property taxes at a minimum
- Working to keep a “balanced” budget for people to continue to live here
- Fundraising for Fifth Ward Little League, historic park fencing throughout the city, King Park Summer Concert Series, Almy Pond land
- Organizing and administering the Rogers High School Horticulture Program for the past six years
- Organizing and raising funds for the Thompson Middle School Student Exchange Program for 3 years
- Working with The Lower Thames Business Association to improve business in the area
- Improved the quality of life for residents by negotiating the lease for the Thames Street Police Sub-Station and endorsing the hiring of two deputy zoning officers (and still working at it)
- Facilitated private funding for the King Park Harborwalk
- Partnering with Friends of the Waterfront to promote public access
- Sponsored designated parking areas/stickers for fishermen and surfboarders
- Advocated for Harrison Avenue residents to remove “the stink”
- Participates in neighborhood organizations
Position Statement:
I believe that I am the better candidate and have demonstrated myself to be an effective leader and contributor to the community in many ways. Our Third Ward, and much of Newport, is like a family--a family with natural born children (native Newporters) and adopted children (people who came and choose to live here). We should strive together to make improvements in our city. To do otherwise is divisive.
I have worked with five main goals:
Improving Quality of Life for our residents and businesses.
Working for Families.
Demanding Financial Accountability
Improving Local Business
Working to Protect our Waterfront and Open Space
My love of this community, advocacy for good education....and others to benefit the community.
|