To The Editor:
I am writing this letter on behalf of many community members that were disappointed that the Harwood Union High School Board reversed the decision to install the EV charging station. In our Mad River Valley community we have many examples where alternative energy is being supported. The solar arrays at Yestermorrow, American Flatbread, Knoll Farm, Small Dog Electronics and the town of Waitsfield, Fayston Town Hall heating with wood pellets and the new solar farm behind the Big Picture certainly demonstrates our community's embrace of trying to change the impact that we will leave for our children. Reading about the expansion of the ability to offer charging stations at our high school was a very progressive idea and all at no cost to the taxpayers as a gift from Washington Electric Co-op. I was excited about the opportunity that would encourage people to think about different means of transportation than the common combustion engine. Parents and students alike would have had an opportunity to have a discussion about the reality of getting an EV car as they would have had a supported network of locations to charge their car.
Having an EV charging station at Village Grocery, we have seen our limited number of users grow, but there is still much more room for expansion. Because of this and because we believe that the decisions that we make today will affect the voices of the many children that have not yet discovered their voice to speak up, we would like to offer to pay for the electricity that would be used to charge the vehicles at the Harwood EV charging station for the next five years should they reverse the reversal of their decision. Having the Washington Electric Co-op install the system entirely for free and by Village Grocery covering the cost of the power, we hope this can demonstrate to the board that the community would like to see them work through any logistical concerns to have this project move forward.
Seeing a bright future ahead.
Troy Kingsbury
Village Grocery
Waitsfield
