To the editor:
Why do I support Christine Rasmussen for the Stockbridge Planning Board? I had the pleasure of taking Christine around to meet some of our long-time residents in town and, as expected, they enjoyed talking with her and finding out more about her. She shares our values. She grew up in a small town, too – on a farm in Middlefield and attended Chester High School. She even showed cows at the Great Barrington Fair!
Finding joy in simple things and a respect for the land and environment are not only important to Christine, they’re part of who she is. This became evident in her work – her resume outlines a successful career in land-use planning for New York and Massachusetts. Serving as a City Councilor gave her hands on experience in creating bylaws that protect natural resources while allowing incremental development. She was known as a “tough but fair” evaluator of Special Permits.
She lent her expertise to the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, the Massachusetts Municipal Association and the Northshore Watershed Task Force. Her credits include the editor of a land-planning magazine that reported on the latest developments in land use, court cases involving zoning decisions and the Attorney Generals decisions on the legality of town bylaws.
In short, she knows what she’s doing! And since she’s retired, she has the time to give the town her full attention. She and her husband Eric live in Tom Carey’s house, right in town. We share a love of gardening and our grandchildren!
Please consider voting for Christine. I’ve enjoyed getting to know her and I think her thoughtful and common-sense approach will be a great addition to the Planning Board.
Claire Williams
Stockbridge
