As someone who works daily with children with serious, life-altering disabilities, I was struck by the sad irony of Trustee Mauk's letter to the editor in last week's paper in which he described his runoff election for trustee as the "fight of his life."

Although the position is an elected office, the trustees' role is a voluntary responsibility for which they are not paid. While every trustee invests a great deal of personal time and certainly many thankless hours in endless meetings on zoning decisions, budget allocations and maintenance of village services, it is difficult to imagine that anyone with a clear perspective and his priorities in order would consider the loss of that position as a life-altering event. After many years of service, many trustees probably consider the end a big relief.

Some very tragic events in our village over the past 12 months have served to make people more aware of the truly important priorities that should govern our daily lives, the care and education of our children and our goals for the future. A number of friends and neighbors, some of whom have been touched by these tragedies and who know my husband's position, stopped me to ask whether, in my view, Mr. Mauk had become so consumed by the self-importance of his role that he placed an election for the job of trustee on the same level as the very real battles that many children and parents are fighting each day. I could only say that I hope he has asked himself that same question.

Beth Watras