Matt Coker: We should embrace change and adapt in a thoughtful, sympathetic direction

To The Daily Sun,

I don’t know what kind of post-apocalyptic Meredith Lisa Smart thinks we will be inhabiting in a few years’ time, but I can assure the people of Meredith that my children and future grandchildren will be able to play outside in the fields and woods.

My daughters will grow up skiing at Gunstock Mountain Resort with its community-focused management. They will swim in Lake Winnipesaukee, which we have a responsibility to keep clean and accessible. They will attend wonderful public schools where teachers should not be afraid to have them consider all viewpoints with a critical mind. They may get their first job at one of the many excellent new businesses in downtown Meredith. They will eventually head off to work or college to forge their own path in life. A path that may take them out of state or to a big city, but I hope there is also a path for them to stay or end up back in New Hampshire, in the Lakes Region, in Meredith.

However, things will change. New houses will be built, new businesses will open, roads and bridges will be improved, broadband availability will grow, people will age and require more health care, we will find new ways of doing things and new ways to connect as a community. We should embrace all of that. Change is the foundation of our capitalist, free-market society driven by individuals choosing to invest in their wants and needs. We can change and adapt in a direction that is thoughtful and sympathetic to the needs of the town residents. We need leadership that approaches change with hope and practical solutions to carry our town and state into the future. I can provide that leadership and I’m asking for your vote for Meredith state rep on Nov. 8.

Matt Coker

Meredith