Lamanna listens to everyone

Most teenagers can't wait until they're of age for many different reasons. We all think we want to be our own bosses and make our own decisions. Now that I'm 18 years old and a senior, it's a little scary thinking about the future.

There's one thing I'm very sure about and it's that Tony Lamanna will be a great sheriff. I won't vote for him because he will soon be my father in-law. I will proudly vote for him because I know what kind of a person he is and truly know that he would be a good sheriff and one that will make the family and community proud.

I am excited to be able to vote this year. It is a right that I don't take lightly. How can any of us complain if we don't take a stand? Every vote is important to help decide who we want representing us.

To say that Tony Lamanna will be accessible to the people he wants to serve is an understatement. Tony gets calls all hours of the day and night. Even though he is older and needs his sleep, he is always there for whomever needs him. We can't go anywhere out in public that he doesn't get stopped by someone.

The great thing about Tony is he does speak comforting words to people, but more importantly, he listens. And not just with his ears. His heart is full of compassion. I sometimes wonder if his heart isn't larger than most ,and it's encased under his belly!

That's another admirable quality that Tony possesses-his sense of humor. He can make fun at himself with the best of them. He knows where to draw the line on being light handed or heavy handed.

He has done wonders at Priest River Lamanna High School and all my peers think he's the greatest. That really says something for an adult when kids think you're cool. He has put in so much of his own time to make sure school kids succeed.

I hope people will take a moment and think about how Tony has affected their lives, either directly or indirectly by all he has gave to this community. He jumps in freezing water to help Special Olympics, he dressed like a woman for the Rotary, Soroptomist and Kiwanis clubs, he does weight training at the school whenever kids want to do it, and the list goes on and on.

Please vote for Tony for sheriff of Bonner County. He'll soften the term "politics" and will make his job a number one priority for all of us. Thank you for listening to a teenager.

LISA IVIE

Priest River