Carney is adept at questioning authority

Iam writing to share some of the numerous reasons why I will be voting for Van Carney for Supervisor in Stonewall-Hawthorne.

During my ongoing 36-year tenure with Wakefield Country Day School, I had the pleasure of teaching tenth-grade English to all three of the individuals known then and now as “the Carney boys”: Jennings, Van, and Lain. Though these young men are no longer boys, the moniker persists, reflecting not goopy nostalgia, but the strength of their bond over long years and the role of family in each of their lives.

Anyone with a sibling can tell you that strong connections into adulthood are not a given — they require stewardship, respect, understanding, patience, and, of course, genuine affection. That the Carney boys as adults steward not just their mutual friendship, but a complex county business together reveals much. I for one desire to be represented in county office by an individual who is guided by respect, understanding, and patience, as well as affection and a strong sense of stewardship for our beautiful shared home. My nearly 40 years of knowing and observing Carney tell me that he is exactly such an individual.

For the last several years, in my classroom and now in my office, I have displayed a bumper sticker with a simple message: Question Authority. It was the most important skill I wanted my students to acquire as we approached great American literature — and life — together: not just to accept my arguments and analysis, but to listen and think, decide if they agreed with my logic or not, search for evidence, probe beyond the surface. With Carney in the room, this outcome was guaranteed, and some of the happiest teaching moments of a long career were spent with Carney and his classmates as he led them in questioning my authority with curiosity, intelligence, insight and respect.

Picturing such habits of mind at work in support of our county government fills me with enthusiasm and optimism. There are more requirements for entering public service than experience alone. I will be voting for Carney.

TUTT STAPP-MCKIERNAN

Castleton