I’m Hildie Stone, and I want to introduce myself as a candidate for the Bridport seat on the Addison Central School District (ACSD) Board. I’d like to tell you a little about myself, but first, I want to share a bit about our school and our town.

Bridport is a town many talk about around here, but not as many folks really know. To many, we’re the farmers. The hard workers. The ones who don’t say too much. Our kids are sometimes said to need the most help. When people talk about Bridport, a lot of ideas come to mind. To me, there’s no place I’d rather call home.

As vice president of Bridport’s Parent-Teacher Organization, I get to see all the energy and volunteerism that makes our community special. Whether it’s hosting our back-to-school ice cream social, baking cookies to show teachers and staff our appreciation, or raising money through pizza fundraisers and can-and-bottle drives, our families pitch in to support our school and our kids, just like in other local towns. As a PTO, we’ve purchased new soccer goals, put up new playground structures, and helped fund school trips for the kids. We’ve brought families together with events like our end-of-year family picnic, a chance to gather together and build community with delicious food and friendly outdoor games.

As a mom to a Bridport Central School second-grader, I get to watch my own child benefit from all these community contributions. I served alongside teachers and staff members on the hiring committee to bring in our school counselor, so that all our students get the support they need. I’ve seen community members come in and work with our kids as reading mentors through our Everybody Wins program. And I’ve seen our volunteer fire department and first responders help make events like our local Trunk-or-Treat a resounding success.

As a 16-year resident of Bridport, I’ve seen our community go through its ups and downs. Our own family business, T. Stone Mechanical, is inextricably linked with our friends and neighbors, who are also our customers. Throughout it all, we support each other, and I’ve tried to do my part by leading our annual food and toy drives, yielding hundreds of pounds of food and shopping carts stuffed full of toys. As a lifelong Vermonter, born and raised in Lincoln, I know how important it is for communities to come together.

That’s why I decided to run for school board. I believe our towns, and our communities, give us strength. The kids in Bridport, just like in other towns, benefit immeasurably from the support of the families and neighbors around them. As a district, we can embrace our town centers as a source of strength for our kids. If we invest in our town schools, our kids and our communities will all reap the benefits. I’ve seen it happen as a community member myself, and I’m eager to bring that same sense of support to all our unique communities throughout the district.

Hildie Stone

Bridport