Meet the Candidates for VOM Trustee: Sid Albert

Sid Albert claims outright that he is no politician. But this lifetime Mamaroneck resident -- whose colorful life experiences have run the gamut from being a medic with the U.S. Army's 82^nd Airborne Division; to a 25-year career with Random House, where he rubbed elbows with presidents Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, as well as chef Julia Child; to owning two businesses on Mamaroneck Avenue -- knows he has something to give back to his community. Never mentioning party affiliations (he is officially running on the Democratic ticket), Albert made it clear that he is not running against anyone, but for the Village of Mamaroneck.

In this continuing series, Larchmont-Mamaroneck Patch sat down with Albert to find out more.

Q: Why run for village trustee? What is your inspiration/motivation?

A: My whole shtick is that I have lived here my entire life – I went to Mamaroneck Avenue School, Mamaroneck High School, I raised my children here. At first, in talking with people who were encouraging me to run, it was not something I ever thought I would do. But I have been so pleased with my whole life, I've gotten so much from being here – like a great education – I thought if I could give something back, I would like to do that.

Q: Do you think that partisanship of the board has been a problem? If so, how do you hope to rectify that going forward?

A: I've always been able to get along with people. I want to be able to do what is right for the majority of the people in the village. I always like to think of myself as being a good listener – I can listen to both sides of a situation and, as long as I have all the information, I can make my own decision, I have my own mind.

Q: What are your connections to the community?

A: I've had two businesses on Mamaroneck Avenue – Sight & Sound (a music store) and Earth Smarts (an innovative purveyor of environmental products) – and I'm involved with the seniors group down at Harbor Island, a great group of people. I would like to talk more with them to find out how to make seniors lives here better.

I have travelled the world, and I will always come back to Mamaroneck.

Q: What do you see as being the most pressing issues facing the village today? In the foreseeable future? Where do you stand on these issues?

A: I think that flooding is probably the largest problem at this time. And I think parking on Mamaroneck Avenue has been a problem since I had my stores here (in the 1970s and '80s). Something has to be done, and I would like to work with the Chamber of Commerce to help. Anything that is going to bring more business here and keep the businesses already established flourishing, I'm for.

Q: What special skill sets/ideas would you bring to the table?

A: I'm not a politician, and I'm not a lawyer. Because I am retired, I want to be a full-time trustee, and I am always going to be available. I plan on knocking on doors in all the neighborhoods to find out what are people's concerns and let them know who I am. I will listen and do my best to try to make the village an even better place than it already is– there is always room for improvement.

Q: What do you think you would be able to accomplish that your predecessors haven't been able to achieve?

A: First of all, I don't know what it is that they haven't accomplished. What I do know is that in one of my own biggest accomplishments – I was buying real estate when people were discouraging me, and I was always able to do well – I've learned to trust my own decision-making despite all the noise going on around me.

In my last years at Random House, I was responsible for one of the largest wholesale distributors of books that did $20 to $25 million a year with me. I am comfortable with people and I am confident in who I am.

To learn more about Albert, and the Village of Mamaroneck in general, read a recent New York Times piece titled Living in Mamaroneck, N.Y.

Editor's Note: This is the third in a series of profiles that ran this summer. We are featuring them again one week before Election Day in case you missed them. If you have questions for the candidates, ask them in our comments section.