Polls closed at 8:30 PM Thursday night at Joseph Cole Recreation in Northeast. At 8:48 PM, Ward 5 Councilmember Harry Thomas swore in the newest member of ANC 5B: Thalia Wiggins. A small business owner and the youngest of four candidates on the ballot, Wiggins was endorsed by retiring Commissioner Wilhelmina Lawson and Frozen Tropics. For background on the full slate of candidates see our previous coverage.
Wiggins received 50% of the vote, followed by Bernice Hall-Gates with 34%, George Jackson with 12% and Tontalya Terceiro-Wright with 3%. A total of 32 votes were cast. When asked what her priorities will be for her first term, Commissioner Wiggins said that “besides getting over the shock”, she has a list of items she’d like to tackle. “I know people in my area are concerned about trash, youth and landlords.” Sanitation will likely be a focus throughout her first two years because, as Wiggins said, “a clean environment is something people respect.” Commissioner Wiggins also wants to get to work right away establishing relationships with local institutions and businesses like Gallaudet (she already knows sign language but plans to refresh her skills) and the Florida Avenue Market.
Officers, who serve one-year terms, were also voted on and sworn in by Councilmember Thomas at the conclusion of Thursday night’s meeting. Officers for ANC 5B in 2010 are as follows:
William Shelton, Chair
David Hooper, Vice Chair
India Henderson, Treasurer
William Myers, Jr., Financial Secretary
Patricia Brown-Daniels, Secretary
Rosetta Davis, Parliamentarian
it was great to see the excitement on newly-elected commissioner wiggins’ face when it was announced that she had won!