When my family pulled up roots to move to Hopedale 10 years ago our neighbor’s young boy waved goodbye and said, “There’s always hope in Hopedale.” And he was right.
There was hope when Adin Ballou founded the Utopian town early in the 19th century. Hope was restored when the Draper brothers moved their plant to Hopedale. And hope remained when the Draper plant shut down in the 1970’s. Those visionaries gave us a terrific ride for more than a century. Nothing lasts forever and the torch has been passed to this generation as stewards of a great legacy.
Hopedale is once again poised to become a hub of economic activity in the region. Imagine the Draper properties reused to accommodate our new rail traffic and the potential of a commuter rail station. Or the possibility of a mixed use building with apartments, shopping, performing arts center, new town offices, and quarters for our seniors and for our children.
Imagine our school system aligned to support both the career aspirations of its students and the job needs of the region. Imagine a school as rich in the arts as well as the sciences. Imagine a town tranquil enough to raise our children and vibrant enough to entice them to stay as adults.
Imagine a town excited about the opportunities of the present and enthusiastic about the prospects for the future that encourages widespread participation in town government.
And imagine a town that supports evenhandedness across the needs of multiple generations.
Hope alone is not a strategy. Hopedale must develop a strategic vision and work towards its fulfillment year over year. We must have the confidence to see over the horizon and use our long term vision as a guide. At the same time we must continue to look around each corner to ensure we are maintaining our fiscal diligence to keep Hopedale affordable for all who live and work here.
God has granted me the talent to lead and I never shrink from that responsibility. Much is at stake in every election and this one is no different. It has been said that the best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second best time is today.
I run for Hopedale.
the american century 