To the editor:

It was the day after Hurricane Isabel, and we heard a knock on our front door. I opened the front door, and there stood this tall “young” man. He extended his hand and said, “I am Leroy Bennett, and I am checking on my neighbors to see if they are okay and if they need anything.”

He told us that if we ever needed anything to please call him. We thanked him, and he proceeded on to the next house. He walked our entire neighborhood, checking on every household.

A few weeks later, our Homeowner’s Association started having problems with the city and Virginia Department of Transportation. The main street in our neighborhood has wetlands at the back of our neighborhood. Our street started to flood after every hard rain.

The city of Suffolk said VDOT was responsible for fixing it, and VDOT said the city was responsible.

I remembered Mr. Bennett telling me to call him if I ever needed anything, and I thought this was a good time to see if he was really serious about helping people. We invited Mr. Bennett to our HOA meeting. He listened and asked questions.

After the meeting, Councilmen Bennett invited representatives from the city of Suffolk and VDOT to our next meeting. Our association, a representative from the City of Suffolk, VDOT and Mr. Bennett had several meetings, and with Mr. Bennett’s help, the problem was solved.

Mr. Bennett is a man who listens to your concerns and tries to understand your perspective. Once he understands what your needs are, he tries to take steps to help you solve your problems.

In a country where city, state and federal leaders do a lot of talking, it is nice to find a public official who does a lot of listening and doing.

If you are looking for a “doer” to lead the city of Suffolk, please cast your vote for Leroy Bennett for mayor on Nov. 6.

Natalie Grayson
Suffolk