At the age of twenty-four, I have many choices to make in the coming years about where and when I want to lay down roots.
Similarly to one of the candidates Saturday evening at the Hardwick select board forum, I moved away for college and later returned. I relocated from southern Vermont for the opportunity to intern at my local newspaper for credit. Graduating in December of last year, I have since worked at The Hardwick Gazette as a paid staff member.
I am grateful to work with seasoned team members, who work tirelessly each week to produce what is truly a community-oriented newspaper. To that point, my time working with this news organization has allowed me to view my hometown through an entirely new lens.
I have grown a newfound appreciation and love for what surrounds me, and deep respect for the unending efforts of our town officers and community organizations that have created the Hardwick we live in today.
In my coverage of area select board meetings and other municipal proceedings, I usually find myself one of few, if not alone, in the audience.
To see nearly 60 people seated in the Parker Ladd Community Room this past Saturday was most definitely a pleasant change. I was truly heartened to see the select board candidate forum this past Saturday was so well attended.
I am also happy to see this amount of candidates to have submitted petitions in the first place; a rarity for many communities.
All in all, I was deeply impressed by the eight individuals who offered their time to answer questions and introduce themselves as potential select board members.
I was especially thrilled to hear these candidates highlight the need for younger generations to become involved in shaping the future of the town. I was also glad to see a range of ages, occupations and backgrounds for prospective select board members. To see parents, business owners and community members get involved is fantastic.
I would like to make a special mention of our excellent moderator, a local community organizer younger than myself.
I also appreciated the continued emphasis on the need for affordable housing and infrastructure, so that young people might have an incentive to stay and raise their own families here.
While I have some time before those steps, I want my community and hometown to continue to thrive, even if or when I’m not there.
I want people who love Hardwick to shape Hardwick. Candidates wholeheartedly displayed their love for this town Saturday evening, and I encourage others to watch the forum for themselves via hctv.us.
Town officers and select board members have unending work. They are constantly looking to what’s next, as they must, and I would be happy to see many of the candidates on the ballot taking up the mantle.
Raymonda Parchment
reporter, The Hardwick Gazette
Raymonda Parchment
Raymonda Parchment is a Hardwick Gazette reporter. She recently graduated from Vermont State University - Castleton with a Bachelor’s Degree in English. She is a strong supporter of freedom of speech, and the right to publish information, opinions, and ideas without censorship or restraint. She is a lifelong lover of the written word, and is excited to join the team as a staff member.
