Town Council:
PENELOPE BRACKETT, Candidate for Bovina Town Council
In Bovina, Penelope Brackett is running to be a member of the town board on the Democratic ticket. She’s passionate about the issues that Bovina residents find most pressing.
Uppermost are issues of civic engagement and representation, through better communication on town issues and local events. “To start, I would look at strengthening the town website, recording town meetings, and perhaps issuing a town calendar which shares events and services.”
According to a recent survey among Bovina residents, top concerns are road safety, ongoing problems with cell phone and internet service, the preservation of Bovina’s history, and the environment. Brackett sites road safety as paramount, but also sidewalk safety too. “Many of our residents are retired and older. Navigating the streets and sidewalks shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Additionally, In these days of digital communication, cell phone service can be considered a safety issue” she states. “Whether you are able to communicate with your neighbor is important.”
One recent hot-button topic in Bovina is whether to log or sell the town land above the transfer station. This proposal has residents divided. The sale of trees and/or property could add to the town budget and ostensibly pay for a portion of the planned playground restoration, but the community would lose access to this scenic vista. Penelope says, “the mature trees would not grow back in my lifetime, if at all. foresters have found that maples and oaks are not replenishing in our area and this steep land at the top of the mountain is particularly fragile. In addition, deforestation at that height leads to run off during storms, affecting residents of Yankee road, washing out roads and gardens. I would like to see another source of funding, however, above all I want to represent the needs and wants of people of Bovina, so I want to make sure we find ways to engage them on this issue as well as to plan for the decades ahead to preserve our beautiful land and historic village—both acknowledged in the recent comprehensive plan survey as deeply important to Bovinians.”
Residents have also expressed a need for more business and community development. “In the longer term, I would look for collaboration between Bovinians and other close communities.”
“Foremost, I want to serve my community,” says Brackett, a former downstater who was drawn to Delaware County by the sheer love of the country and by marriage. My husband Ted grew up in nearby Madison County where his parents still live, and we had a cabin in nearby Montgomery County for 25 years. This is where I live. I feel fortunate and I want it to be the best for everyone.”
