Opinion

Select Board should start listening to citizens

| Letter to the editor from Jane Sturgis |

To the Select Board
February 7, 2022

Several years ago, I sat where you now sit. I now serve our town as a member of the School Board, a charge that I take very seriously. It is a position that should be held by someone who is a great believer in public education. I urge you to appoint someone to fill Nichole’s position who believes strongly in public education and will do everything in their power to keep public education strong. It defeats the purpose of the school board if you appoint someone, no matter how nice and upstanding, who has homeschooled his or her own children. I fear that that background would wind up being at cross-purposes to the rest of the board and the administration. This is my first concern.

My second concern is your insistence that Zoom meetings are not to be held. I am a senior citizen who has a medical condition that is a danger should I contract Covid, even though I am fully vaccinated and boosted. Because of the danger of being in a crowd in an unventilated room, such as the Meeting House, I try to avoid public meetings. The last meeting of the School Board was held over Zoom because of the rather high incidence of Covid in our two communities.

Also please consider winter conditions, especially for us seniors. The weather lately has contributed to a fear of falling on the ice. Because it’s dark early, many of us over-80 folks don’t like to drive after dark. Most of the senior citizens that I know want to be a part of the community and Zoom provides us with a safe way to interact with the committees in our town. In essence, by your refusal to allow Zoom meetings, you are inhibiting our rights as voters.

I appreciate that you created a committee to explore diversity, equity, and inclusion issues but was surprised that the request for an age-friendly community committee did not get similar support from you. It is particularly important to also explore our senior citizens’ desire to age in place. We are subject to many of the factors that the diversity committee will be dealing with, socio-economic issues, health care, social interactions, etc.

In my view, several of you were elected to the board because the voters were tired of not being heard. We were excited at the idea of a new start for the citizens of our small town. But, here we are. Despite many letters sent to you and the town manager, and the many folks who came and spoke publicly with their concerns, you have done what you wanted to do with little regard for what residents have said.

If you are serious about serving the town, please get your priorities straight. You may not be returned to office in the future if you continue to ignore what your citizens are telling you.

Jane Sturgis
17 Intervale Road

Eds.’ note: Jane Sturgis spoke and shared her letter at the Select Board’s February 7, 2022 meeting.

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