Woody Fogg: Keep our excellent BOS working together; re-elect Sonny Patten, Jr.

To The Daily Sun,

The cliche is an old one, but it applies to our upcoming municipal election in Belmont. Normally, change and turnover in public office is a good thing, but sometimes it's best to leave a team that is working well as it is.

I felt compelled to speak at the end of a recent Deliberative Session about what a pleasure it is to volunteer and work on community projects in Belmont and how lucky I feel to live here. Our current Board of Selectmen and town officials are supportive, encouraging and obviously have the best interests of our town in mind. They work well together as a team and with our citizens and that success has saved us tax money, spurred efficiency and generated continuing improvements in our community.

It is quite unusual for a governing body to actually keep the municipal budget fairly level in a N.H. community. The Board of Selectmen in Belmont have worked hard as a team to accomplish this. They attend to the business of running our town amicably and cooperatively — and it works. I urge the voters to re-elect Sonny Patten as selectman and keep the team working together harmoniously and effectively. Our current board of Ruth Mooney, "Sonny" Patten and Jon Pike is doing just fine. "It ain't broke" and we don't need to fix it. Please cast your vote for Claude "Sonny" Patten, Jr. as Belmont selectman.

Thanks, and PLEASE DO VOTE — however you vote — on both the Shaker School District and town ballot issues on March 10 at Belmont High School. It is a right won for us at great sacrifice and a duty that should be exercised and not shirked. If you don't bother to vote, don't bother to complain.

Woody Fogg

Belmont