A: A couple of reasons, I believe it’s important to give back to the community that I live in and have always served, whether as an EMT, a member of the Historic Preservation Board, or a community volunteer. I also believe I can have a beneficial and engaged impact as a member of the Select Board. This is also a good time in my personal life as I do not look to be a forever politician and will look to promote a new blend of ideas and more women on future boards.

A: Just because people didn’t grow up in Castine doesn’t mean they don’t care deeply about our community. In some ways, being from “away” provides additional exposure and perspective to help gather people together to create solutions. We cannot live in a bubble as the world is changing around us. Let’s choose to manage those changes proactively, now, to avoid higher expenses and forced consequences later.

A: My talent lies in bringing people and ideas together. Everyone in this community is more knowledgeable about something (or many things) that I am not. I, individually, cannot solve every issue, but together WE can.

A: Taxes were just raised by the voters of Castine. I will not look to increase taxes but will continue to seek alternative funding methods. The State of Maine is offering several grant opportunities right now that we can take advantage to help make improvements without raising taxes, as long as we actively pursue those grants and awards.

A: First, please understand, I am not looking to change Castine, but rather to adapt to the changes around us while keeping the things that make our town special. There are outside influences that will affect us, and we need to be proactive in handling them. Some examples of that change include preparing the Town Dock and the Back Shore for sea level rise, making sure our municipal buildings are energy efficient as prices continue to climb, and bringing in electric vehicle (EV) charging stations to promote tourism.

A: I would continue to be actively involved in the community and work to represent Castine in peninsula wide endeavors. We need to be actively represented at meetings in Hancock County and on the peninsula which can have a positive effect on our community for services, funding, and cost sharing. I am committed to working with our neighbors in the county as a representative of Castine.