Worthington has an important election taking place now by mail and concluding on June 27. I’d like to express my support for my fellow Select Board member, Steve Smith.

Steve, a retired attorney and former Pittsfield city solicitor, served judiciously and fairly for many years on the Worthington Zoning Board of Appeals. Steve’s depth of knowledge and experience in local government has been invaluable and often guides us in our decision-making. He also provides an important, skeptical voice when we conduct the board’s most important work, managing the town budget.

Steve has played a huge role in helping to guide and oversee maintenance issues at Conwell School. We’ve been wrestling with things like peeling siding and lack of insulation and how best to do substantial building repairs.

We have fairly recently gone through a significant transition with our Council on Aging, including hiring a new director, finding the COA a short-term home, and considering a longer term solution for meeting the needs of the growing senior community (about 40% of the town). Steve stepped up to lead the effort on all three fronts. He successfully negotiated a rental agreement for COA office space in the rear of Corners Grocery. Steve also headed a committee to find the new director and helped recruit a terrific person, Shelley Rice. Steve worked with the Hilltown Community Development Corporation to obtain a grant to study the feasibility of a permanent COA home. That study concluded and made recommendations to the town last winter. We are now hoping to receive an additional grant for design work and, again, Steve has been integral to the effort.

To my knowledge, Steve’s challenger has never attended a Select Board meeting or been involved in any way with town government. When invited to participate in a virtual candidate forum, Steve readily accepted. His challenger declined.

I hope you’ll join me in supporting Steve’s reelection to the Select Board. He’s a caring and wise person who has contributed enormously to the governance and betterment of Worthington and his continued guidance will be an enormous asset to the community.

Charley Rose

Select Board Member, Worthington