Lincolnville residents are lucky to have choices this year when they elect their next select board representative, and although I'm not a Lincolnville resident myself, I wanted to offer a few thoughts about my friend, Josh Gerritsen, for those who might be interested and are still deciding who will get their vote.

Josh and I graduated together in the same class of Camden HIlls Regional High School and both made the choice to return to the Midcoast after college. I know he shares in the deep commitment to this community that so may of us feel, and as a Lincolnville property owner and taxpayer, he will be vigilant and creative in order to make tax dollars work as efficiently and effectively as possible.

Josh has a unique ability to seek the truth without emotion and drama. He looks for the best research, the best arguments, the testimonies of different people, and is always willing to change his opinion when presented with new and better information. He's a small farmer, a businessman, a champion of the environment and a forward thinker. His expertise as a documentary film maker has given him a fine tuned ability to see different sides of almost any issue. This is an essential quality for anyone in town government where the issues don't fall along party lines and the decisions you make have a real impact on real people.

Most importantly, he's also willing to put in the time necessary to do the job right. I've seen it again and again. His commitment to service and his community is irrefutable and any town would be lucky to have him as a representative.

Alison McKellar lives in Camden