WOODSTOCK — The Board of Selectmen voted 2-1 Tuesday evening to participate in the Heart and Soul program to improve the town.
The Orton Family Foundation, a Vermont-based organization, helps small communities find ways to deal with change and develop plans for their futures.
According to the Foundation website, the program takes what residents “love most about their town and translates those personal and emotional connections into a blueprint that serves as the foundation for future community decisions.”
Chairman Ron Deegan said the program seemed to be about brainstorming how to go ahead and improve the community with new businesses, bringing in revenue, improving the town’s resources and collaborating with other communities, when possible.
Town Manager Vern Maxfield said the program “is an attempt to bring back community closeness, and bring that warm fuzziness between communities.”
Selectman Stephen Bies said he’s not sure what the Foundation is getting out of the program.
Maxfield said he could see the merits of the program, but the biggest obstacle to overcome would be finding people to participate.
Deegan said there is “definitely value in participating,” while Selectman Mike Nadeau said he is “100 percent behind it.”
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