Opinion

An opportunity to do better

|Letter to the Editor, Thomas Jordan|

The past year has been a tumultuous one for New Gloucester. Besides the pandemic, our community has endured the library debacle, the George Colby saga, a process for appointments to the Charter Commission that many viewed as unethical, the motion to defy the mask mandate, and a slew of town employee departures. The common thread through all of these controversies is the select board with a serious lack of leadership and effectiveness.

With this in mind, I’ve been eagerly looking forward to this summer’s election, where there is an exceptional candidate I am genuinely excited to support: Dustin Ward.

I met Dustin shortly after George Colby’s resignation, and I was quickly impressed by the way he carries himself and engages with others. Kind, respectful, charismatic, intelligent, and informed. Above all else, he is a talented consensus builder and natural leader.

Since Dustin began campaigning, I have been impressed by both his platform and preparation. Government transparency, fostering community involvement, preserving our town’s rural character with targeted economic development, commitment to diversity, and finding grants instead of raising taxes. Most impressive to me is how knowledgeable he is on how to implement these goals.

New Gloucester needs a change in direction, and I can’t think of a better person to lead us than Dustin Ward.

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