Mayor Kristopher Larsen, Nederland. This week marks an ending, and a beginning. At the Board of Trustees meeting we will be saying farewell to four Trustees that have worked hard for the Town, and welcoming four new ones to do the same. Normally, this Board meeting is a moment for celebration among friends and family to thank both outgoing and incoming Trustees. Of course, this year the things we thought of as normal are no longer. For the first time, the new Trustees will be taking their oaths of office from the comfort of their homes, raising their hands online instead of in person. 

But the cause for celebration remains! 

As we continue to work through the coronavirus crisis, dealing with both the viral induced shut down of our town and the long recovery process that will come, there are going to be so many volunteers to celebrate. From those who have toiled behind the scenes for years to build our network of support services to those that stepped up to build something new because it was suddenly needed, the list will be long.

It is the incredible volunteers that have long made Nederland an incredible place to live. Serving as a Trustee is one of the most rewarding, and frustrating, experiences of my life and I am so grateful for those that have given their time and effort over the past few years. Dallas Masters, Julie Gustafson, Kristin Conrad, and Karen Blakemore have left a legacy of what it means to be a trustee in Nederland and large shoes to fill by their successors. Each demonstrated their dedication to the town by the hours of preparation, research, and consideration they gave to any topic that came before us, and during their terms we have tackled some significant issues as a town. Issues they addressed through their unique viewpoints in ways that made Nederland better. They never hesitated to take on projects as they came before us, giving selflessly of their time and experience in so many ways, always with good humor and compassion. 

It has been an honor, and an honest pleasure, to have served with each of them, whether their term lasted four years or but four months. I am in their debt for the work they put in on behalf of us all and hope I am but the first to thank them now that their term is complete. Join me in thanking each of them for their service.

(Originally published in the April 23, 2020, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)