To the Editor:
It gives me indescribable pleasure to recommend Holly Hamer for a seat on the Great Barrington Selectboard.
Holly is a woman of action, a force of nature who is connected to life’s realities.
\Recognizing that Libraries are the heart of every municipality, she has lead the charge for making our libraries in Great Barrington vital to 21st century life as former Chair of the Library Trustees and now as Treasurer of the Friends of the GB Libraries.
She is a former chair of the Berkshire County Rape Center.
Who spearheaded the drive to open Ramsdell Library on Sundays for the underserved Village of Housatonic, at no cost to the taxpayers? Holly
Who developed and curates a free film series at Mason once a month, an inclusive series that has drawn hundreds of attendees to interact as a community? Holly
Her past life experiences include knowing the struggles of being a business owner in downtown Great Barrington.
She holds a bachelor of arts degree from Bennington where allegedly she played several musical instruments including saxophone. (Sorry I missed that.)
As a candidate she has developed a well thought out action plan for our Town that very well could be our path forward.
The next iteration of our Selectboard will be making decisions that will affect us for years to come.
Holly has the courage to stand behind tough decisions and has the wisdom to evolve her position if the facts warrant that.
Most importantly, she has a deep commitment to civic engagement. Rarely will you attend a public meeting or gathering, or even an art opening that doesn’t include her presence. With Holly there will be no learning curve. She has a deep understanding of the fundamentals of Town governance.
A seat on the Selectboard is a heavy time commitment that needs to extend well beyond attending a meeting once a week to be effective. Check that box for Holly.
For the sake of Housatonic and Great Barrington vote for Holly Hamer for Selectboard on May 15th.
Patrick Hollenbeck
Housatonic
The writer is chair of the Great Barrington Library Trustees.
