PUTNEY — Voters at Putney's Annual Town Meeting agreed to change the composition of the Selectboard from three members to five.
With a special election is scheduled with in-person voting on Tuesday, April 26, the Putney Huddle is hosting an online candidates' forum on Sunday, April 10, from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
The meeting will be held via Zoom at bit.ly/selectboardforum or dial in 301-715-8592. The meeting ID is 838 3198 093. The forum will be recorded, and Town Moderator Meg Mott will preside.
In-person voting will take place at the fire station on Tuesday, April 26.
Voters can request absentee ballots and use the drop box at Town Hall to submit them. Early in-person voting is also possible at the Town Clerk's office from Wednesday, April 6, until the official election day. If you are not registered to vote, you can do so through election day at Town Hall.
Who's running?
The candidates for a one-year seat are Peg Alden, Laura Campbell, Bryce Hodson, and Parry Phillips. Running for a two-year seat are Charles Raubicheck and Elizabeth Warner.
• Peg Alden has lived in town for about 40 years, teaching civic engagement at Landmark College. She says her rich history in Putney and affection for friends and neighbors have motivated her to serve.
Alden says perhaps the most important thing she brings to the table is her “ability to make thoughtful, caring, and well-researched decisions, especially when it comes to complex issues.”
• Laura Campbell attended college in Putney and returned to town 32 years ago after a career in New York as an opera singer and teacher. One of the original occupants of Putney Meadows, she intends to give “time, energy, and constructive clear thinking” back to her town.
She wants “to open communication so that people in Putney who are living in low-income housing like myself will be encouraged to speak up.” Campbell feels her “long experience bridging what is truly a socio-economic divide will be useful.”
• Bryce Hodson says he's running because he grew up in this area and knows what a special place it is after traveling all around the world.
He says he would like to “ensure that myself and others can pass our lands and values to our children and that they can afford to stay for multiple generations.”
• Parry Phillips is 34 and has lived in town for 25 years. He's running because he has three young children he would like to see “grow up and be part of the future of Putney.”
Phillips notes the need to support local businesses but says “most are for a very select group of consumers.” He believes all should be helped, “not just the low-mid-income people.” He considers that he understands well “what it takes to be a good and compassionate person.”
• Charles Raubicheck is a member of the Putney Development Review Board and the board at Groundworks Collaborative in Brattleboro. A semi-retired attorney, he has practiced law for more than 45 years.
Raubicheck says that, among other things, he advocates for a program to “revitalize Putney's downtown to bring back thriving businesses to our special community.”
• Elizabeth Warner came to town as a student at The Putney School in 1982, making lifelong friendships here. She returned in 1996, started a catering business in 1999, and has been “raising my children, pets, fruits, and vegetables” here since.
As a business owner, Warner has volunteered for and donated to many local nonprofits and served on numerous town boards. She considers herself to be an “engaged citizen” and says she looks forward to serving “with a thoughtful and balanced approach to our needs as a whole community.”