Letter: Feeney endorses both Jefferson and Bram in Grafton election

Dear Grafton community, 

I am writing to endorse Andy Jefferson for the Select Board and Liora Bram for the School Board as new candidates for these positions that I am very excited about and I hope you are as well! 

As a newer resident to Grafton, I very much appreciate the dedication of our current elected town citizens and volunteers and their approachability. Our town is small enough that we as individuals can affect change and create a positive impact. 

I endorse Andy Jefferson due to his proven dedication to our Town´s advancement as a valuable member of the Finance Committee and as a representative on the Library Building and Planning Committee, Tricom and representative to the School Committee. In addition to these activities, Andy is a long-time resident of Grafton and has children in our great schools. Andy is invested in the continued positive growth of the community. In addition, I have found Andy to be approachable, open to various viewpoints, thoughtful and someone who puts in the work to get things done. Andy shows up for Grafton and listens to people. One important yet often lacking quality in many a person seeking political office is humbleness and Andy has this quality. Lastly, sadly important in this day and age, Andy knows how to treat someone with respect and kindness- even if he may disagree with them. More than someone with knowledge of our Town and its workings, dedication to our community, Andy is simply a good person that I want as a representative and I trust him to work on our behalf for the betterment of Grafton. 

Another person that is new (ish) on the scene is Liora Bram who is running for School Committee. I would like to draw your attention to Liora who has been a leader on the Grafton Special Education Parent Advisory Committee (SEPAC) Board. Having demonstrated experience as both a leader on SEPAC and as a parent in our schools, I believe Liora would be an enormous asset on our School Board that would bring a much needed perspective as we continue along the positive path towards inclusion and diversity. I had the pleasure of listening to Liora’s responses during the recent League of Women Voters discussion and every answer that she gave resonated with me as a parent. Liora is invested in our schools and is a clear champion for the ability of all students to access a high quality education in Grafton.The values present in our schools today will affect the Town that Grafton becomes in the future. We need the unique and valuable perspective that Liora offers as well as her knowledge and demonstrated commitment to our youngest citizens. 

I invite you to join me in voting for Andy and Liora on May 17th. I am excited for the opportunity to vote for candidates that I believe will continue to move Grafton in its progress to be a small town with a big heart that welcomes and supports all its citizens to be their best selves. 

In respect, Julie Feeney