I feel like I’ve come a long way in the last two months to get the campaign off to a solid start. Collecting signatures, opening a bank account, registering with the Secretary of State’s Office, and working with a trusted team to begin to brand the campaign. All this, while managing to co-host a very important event—my mother’s eightieth birthday celebration in the Adirondacks, which involved her waterskiing, on slalom, the day before.
In late May, my friend Bear invited me to attend the Mad River Valley Recreation District’s Conservation and Recreation Visioning meeting at Lareau Farm. It was inspiring to see many local folks show up to discuss the critical balance between recreational opportunities and conservation needs. What an impressive, knowledgable group doing great things for the Valley.
A June organizing meeting in my back yard helped guide me on next steps for the campaign. . . Rebecca is helping me track other local events to attend, starting with the Harwood Union Unified School District’s June School Board meeting. There, I watched Board Chair Ashley Woods run an efficient and collaborative meeting that introduced new student board members, recognized Vermont Youth Poet Laureate Harmony Belle Devoe, and discussed committee work planned this summer to address cost-cutting measures throughout the district. I met HUUSD Superintendent Mike Leichliter, saw a former neighbor and my son’s former school counselor, and best of all, heard a beautiful poem Harmony read aloud.
I listened in on a Vermont Outdoor Business Alliance (VOBA) meeting. I dropped in on the Mad River Vally Planning District, to pick up a gift certificate from Sam Robinson, and to chat with Exec. Director Joshua Schwartz, who had just returned from a 2.5 month sabbatical.
In my excitement to get out and talk to folks, I thought I would schedule one outdoor adventure and one local business visit each week, with the intention of having folks join me and share their thoughts. A trek up Mad River Glen on an early, midweek morning yielded no joiners, though my dog Baxter and I had a good outing. My scheduled visit to the Mad Taco the following evening with my husband Chris and friend Marcella again yielded no joiners, and also made me see that this might not be the great idea I thought it had been. THIS is why politicians make a point of attending community events.
So, to the Warren Fourth of July parade we went, with tee shirts (made in the USA from 100% recycled cotton), bandanas, a banner and signs. I was proud to have friends, family, and the next generation of voters among my awesome crew of supporters. We located ourselves near synergistic floats—Women’s Reproductive Freedom and Indivisible Mad River Valley—and marched, cheered, and chanted our path through Warren Village. Liz pointed out people I needed to see, Chris coached me on my wave, and Jordan led us in our new chant—YES, WE CANdice!. Was it the cool tee shirts, the banner or the youthful exuberance that brought us to our victory? I’m guessing a combination thereof. But one way or another, in a parade that hosted Senator Bernie Sanders, US Representative Becca Balint, and VT Representative Dara Torre, our small and fierce group took home the award for “Best Politican Performance”. Thank you Liz, Chris, April, Sharon, Katie, Max, Owen, Clare, Jordan, Carson, Schuyler, and Anna—you are the best! Also huge thanks to Audrey Huffman for her design work, and Amy and Rob of Shirt Happens for their printing magic. Onward!
