HALIFAX — I serve with Tristan Roberts on the Selectboard in Halifax. In a town of about 800 residents, participation is important. I see at every meeting how Tristan steps up to get things done and encourages others to get involved.
To give just one example, several residents attended a Selectboard meeting this spring to raise concerns about deferred maintenance in our cemeteries. Tristan worked with the Cemetery Commission to schedule an informational tour of four key cemeteries so that Selectboard members and residents could see the specific issues and ask questions.
He followed that up by organizing a work bee at one of the most overgrown cemeteries. Twenty residents spent a Saturday morning in July clearing brush and improving the area.
To cite a more personal example, this spring the Selectboard faced two vacancies. In interviewing me, Tristan encouraged me to see how my skills and experience would be a valuable addition to our town. He has subsequently encouraged my efforts on the board.
Tristan Roberts has a big heart. He connects people and encourages them to engage to help the community. I've also seen Tristan make the difficult decisions necessary for the good of the whole community. He weighs issues with equal measures of compassion and duty.
I have no doubt that if we send him to Montpelier as state representative for Halifax, Whitingham, and Wilmington, Tristan will continue to work hard himself and encourage others to make Windham County and Vermont a better place to live.