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Town ‘Screamer' Calls It Quits

Tonette Pray made history as the first black person to hold the office of councilwoman and president in Colwyn

Tonette Pray's political career may be remembered as legendary in Colwyn for two reasons — as the first black person to hold a council position and also the position of council president in her borough, she was a trailblazer.

But at least in the short term, it's the drama and the decibel that define Pray.

Now the Colwyn "screamer" has called it quits.

For twelve years, Pray yelled her way through council meetings in the tiny, distressed Delaware County town, which is home to about 2,500 and where the per capita income in 2013 was $16,738.

With all the personality conflicts, financial mismanagement, investigations, allegations and accusations which surfaced about town leaders and even the fire company, there were plenty of reasons to raise your voice. Pray told NBC10's Harry Hairston, who she once yelled at (which you can see in the video above) that she's worn out. Tired of fighting.

In perhaps a class act or at least a quiet one, Pray signed off with a poem — Maya Angelou's Still I Riseand a one paragraph resignation letter that ends with her own wish or expectation for the future: "I will continue to rise and hope that Colwyn will rise too."

One last caveat: The rest of council has to approve Pray's resignation and in Colwyn logic is never the default position.

Bring your earplugs.
 

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