The strong and well deserved endorsement says, in part:

Both principal candidates in the Nov. 7 election, Democratic town board member Tracey Edwards and Republican state Assemb. Chad Lupinacci, are lifelong Huntington residents. But Edwards conveys more passion, and has a more granular knowledge of Huntington, how its government works, the town’s problems and the range of solutions.

Her common-sense approach stems from her impressive breadth of experience, including 37 years at Verizon, where she retired last year as regional president for operations and construction. Edwards, 55, of Dix Hills, also served as an Elwood school board member and town planning board chairwoman, and is Long Island regional director of the NAACP.

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We like other Edwards proposals, too, like holding public meetings with department heads and budget workshops with the community participation. She’d like to establish public-private partnerships to help develop the downtown Huntington waterfront with walkable areas, and says the building department needs more staff and should be reorganized into residential, commercial and transformational “lanes” to streamline permitting. A strong proponent for the parking garage with a rooftop restaurant, she also plans to continue her work for more rental and affordable housing, especially for young adults. Part of that push is an exciting idea to convert underused office park space, such as along the Route 110 corridor, into housing. Lupinacci is less enthusiastic about this issue, expressing concerns about density and transportation.