To the editor:
Sheffield’s election just got interesting as a new write-in candidate, Patrick Silk, is contesting the experienced candidate for Select Board, Rene Wood. Whomever you are inclined to support, it is now more important than ever to go to the polls on May 12.
We need and encourage young people to run for boards; however, age is not a qualification alone. A number of civic-minded, accomplished younger Sheffield residents have recently joined the Planning Board, Conservation Commission, and the Housing Commission—all great boards that help new members learn the process of town government and how state and federal programs work. It is difficult to assess Patrick’s platform or abilities given that he did not surface as a candidate until very recently, and to date he has had little to no apparent interaction with the Select Board or other town boards. I hope we can learn more at the meet-the-candidates event at Dewey Hall on Wednesday, May 7, at 7 p.m., where both candidates are invited to review their platforms and answer questions.
In a year that will likely see our town administrator replaced with a newcomer, and with the turmoil at the federal and state levels, I see stability and experience as important factors.
Rene Wood has extensive experience on multiple fronts: in writing and receiving grant awards, including multiple Community Block Grants (CDBG) for Housing Assistance and rehabilitation as well as Complete Streets and Shared Streets for street markings, speed signs, and sidewalks to mention a few. Sheffield has literally received millions of dollars because of her tireless efforts to significantly supplement our town taxes. She has raised grant funding for police cruisers and body cams for our police, and 75 percent of the cost of the new van for the senior center and Fire Department EMS vehicle—the list goes on.
In addition, Rene was on the Planning Board for six years prior to running for and becoming a Select Board member. She was also on the Board of Health and the Conservation Commission, the latter when that board was short of members and she was also on the Select Board. Rene Wood is not the kind of board member who just shows up—she works hard to hear the concerns of the community and respond actively to address those concerns and improve the lives of community members. Rene is proactive and works on committees behind the scenes with little recognition, but these efforts inform her other work. She was Sheffield’s delegate on the Housatonic Rest of River Municipal Committee focused on the Housatonic River PCB cleanup. Her decade of work on that committee resulted not only in the settlement that now governs the river’s cleanup but $1.5 million for Sheffield’s free cash, which paid for numerous projects approved by voters at this week’s Annual Town Meeting.
I will be attending the meet-the-candidates event this Wednesday to learn more about the write-in candidate, but I am strongly supporting Rene as a person who has consistently proven that she works diligently and strategically for this town’s benefit.
Sari Hoy
Sheffield
Editor’s Note:Â Sari Hoy is a member of the Sheffield Planning Board; however, she writes the above as a private citizen.
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