The following is from Cary Lamari’s relaunched website.
We are all saddened by the loss of Don Praisner coming so soon after Marilyn’s death. It is disheartening to think of facing yet another campaign – but we must.
I had known Mrs. Praisner since the beginning of my civic involvement in the early to mid 1980s. Marilyn as she liked to be called, worked tirelessly with residents throughout the County to forge good, solid County policy and legislation. She was always totally prepared on the subjects and always thoughtful about all sides of an issue. Most of all, she was dedicated to residents of the county in the way reminiscent of Betty Ann Kranke and Ida Mae Garrott, staying above the politics of special interests.
Marilyn worked with me on many initiatives throughout my years of activism. We worked to create the first affordable housing MPDU’s in Leisure World. She nominated me to sit on the Norbeck/198 widening Focus group and the Norbeck and Georgia Ave interchange focus group both conducted by The State Highway administration. She worked with me throughout my years on the Mid-County Advisory Board and as President of the Montgomery County Civic Federation. I always knew where I stood with Marilyn Praisner. And I always felt I could count on her to listen, review and act on whatever was of Concern, whether it was the Glenmont Sector Plan, the widening of Norbeck Road the ICC, or affordable housing, or education.
To me, Marilyn was someone I both admired and respected. She was a friend. There are few County Council members in my recollection that had the humility, integrity and genuine desire to work on behalf of county residents. Marilyn’s guiding principle was not the politics of special interests but rather a sincere desire to improve the quality of life for her constituents. There is not another person on this Council that has the historical memory, the insight and ability to garner community cooperation and support on many significant concerns that we now face.
This is why last year, I stepped down from the special election and supported and worked to get Don Praisner elected so that he could carry-on the dream, Marilyn’s dream, of Good Government, Constituent service, fiscal responsibility and a managed growth with adequate infrastructure so that our quality of life would not further erode here in Montgomery County Maryland.
I have been asked by many people to carry on this mission and to defend District 4 from special interest influence and control. I have decided to enter the Special Election to win Dons seat on the County Council. I hope to carry on the commitment and dedication that my friends Marilyn and Don Praisner had. I pray the dream survives.