To the Editor: In 1915 the Irish author James Joyce wrote a pseudo autobiography “A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.” When the piece was published, he received rave criticism as a jumbled and rambling mish mash. One critic cutely called it a bunch of dribble (the first words of the book are “Mo Mo Ga Ga”) Over the years critics began taking a more serious look at his work. They started to realize what appeared to be jumbled rambling was really a very complex, sophisticated and coherent work. Joyce was a literary pioneer using a stream of inner thoughts and perception to describe his character rather than from an external perspective. Difficult reading, but with every reading one sees more of the depth and complexity and at same time the simplicity of a man that most prose can not begin to reveal. Eventually James Joyce became respected and appreciated as a literary giant. I mention this because I believe after a fashion West Milford my have its own James Joyce. He is a former councilman and chairman of the newly formed Tourism Commission (973-728-7000). No, Paul is not a writer; actually Paul is a very successful business man in the music industry. In West Milford Paul is, and for some time has been, pushing tourism in town. Like Joyce, his critics regard him as a bit of a flake. Any conversation with Paul Bailey gravitates to a discussion of tourism for West Milford. It’s not really a conversation, because Paul shares his thoughts on the subject like a machine gun and his listeners try to keep up. It’s hard to get in a word edgewise. On the town council both Democrats and Republicans felt tortured listening to Paul’s passionate rambling about tourism. Personally, I felt his hopes for tourism in West Milford in any serious way was nonsense. It always sounded good, but never produced results. Like Joyce, Paul was perceived as rambling on and on with jumbled ideas. But one day my opinion changed. I had occasion to have a four hour conversation with Paul. I didn’t give him a chance to shoot thoughts at me rapid fire. Every idea he shared I asked questions. His answers prompted more questions and so it went. Gradually I began to realize his ideas were complex, but never the less sophisticated. He didn’t embrace the silly notion that somehow hikers were going to save West Milford. His ideas were original and of merit. Since Paul has been off the town council and has become Director of the Tourism Commission, I’ve had two more conversations with him. I am now convinced that Paul’s ideas can bring millions of dollars (as in 8 figures) to West Milford within a reasonably short period of time and also have a substantial cultural effect on the township as well. Like Joyce, Paul is a very bright fellow who is mostly misunderstood because like Joyce his thinking process is over most people’s mental capacity, mine included. Before I go any further let me say I am not Paul’s John the Baptist. Paul is not without fault and his greatest is impatience. If West Milford is going to enjoy the fruits of Paul’s ideas, he needs to take the time to go to West Milford’s organizations and communities and explain his ideas to a point of understanding before jumping to the next concept. We as a community also need to take the time to listen to him, encourage him and when we see and understand the benefits for West Milford support him. If Paul applies his talents and flickers of genius to bringing substantial ($$$) tourism to West Milford he will be our James Joyce of tourism. Moreover we as a community will be deemed sophisticated enough to have embraced Paul’s ideas and help bring them to fruition. John Aiello West Milford