LINCOLN — Bridges of Lincoln, a small grassroots group of concerned citizens, will host a public gathering on May 16, at 7 p.m., at Burnham Hall in Lincoln to introduce three candidates hoping to represent the Addison-4 district (Monkton, Starksboro, Bristol and Lincoln) in the Vermont House of Representatives. The event is co-sponsored by the Addison County Democratic Committee.
The three candidates — Mari Cordes, Caleb Elder and Paul Forlenza — are vying for two slots on the November ballot. The Democratic primary election that these three are running in will be held on Aug. 14.
The May 16 gathering will be informal and intended for both education and dialogue. After short talks, there will be a period for question and answers. Refreshments will follow.
Bridges of Lincoln spokesperson Van Talmage called this meeting “democracy in action.” Self-government means voting for persons or candidates who represent the voter’s viewpoints, he added.
“How best to understand the issues and candidates themselves than face-to-face meetings with potential representatives,” Talmage said. “In this age of social media, face-to-face meetings are a continuation of the way Vermont communities have always selected their leaders.”
Talmage added that “while this is about the Democratic candidates, I hope that citizens of all political colors will join us to see what the Democrats think the issues are and how they will handle them”.
Talmage said Bridges hopes to sponsor additional public gatherings in the fall.
“In this year of political turbulence and disruption of norms and institutions, participation in democracy is more important than ever,” he added. “Bridges is so named because we want to help bridge the huge political divide in this country. A public gathering, with a more civil and polite interaction, is somewhat removed from the echo chambers of the media that prevail these days.”
For more information contact Van Talmage, 802-453-2753, or at [email protected], or at [email protected].