My name is Caroline Mapes. I am a Village trustee in Belmont and am running for re-election on March 15th. It is a privilege to serve the people of Belmont and I wanted to write to introduce myself to those of you who may not know me and humbly ask for your support next week.
I grew up near Stony Brook on Long Island and met my husband Brock while we were students at Cornell in Ithaca. When we graduated in 2018, we moved back to Belmont, where Brock grew up. I immediately fell in love with the area and knew it was where I wanted to make my life. In fact, Brock and I just bought a house (right next to my in-laws too)!
I have been involved with all sorts of things around Belmont. Some of you might have met me while I worked the circulation desk or ran the kids’ program at the Belmont Free Library. Since then I have worked at Andover, Bolivar-Richburg, and Scio as a Family and Consumer Sciences teacher (many of you probably know the subject as “Home Economics”). I am always excited to teach students new practical skills and expand their horizons, especially when it comes to food.
I was given the chance to serve on the Village board in 2019 when I was appointed to fill a vacant seat and was elected for the remainder of that term last March. During my time on the board, I’ve been a part of several exciting projects happening in the area, including the development of a new comprehensive plan for the Town and Village and a Local Waterfront Revitalization Program that includes communities across the county.
I want to help make Belmont a place where everyone takes part in the decisions that affect us all. A lot of people, understandably, aren’t engaged in the goings-on in village government – information can be hard to find, the ways to serve or contribute aren’t always clear – and I think that leaves a lot of crucial perspectives out. My ongoing goal is to make it easier for residents to contribute their thoughts and skills, and creating a Village Facebook page was the first step in that direction. Ultimately, a community where more people are heard and empowered will be one with more needs met, and be tighter knit to boot.
Besides this, I want to support the incredible work done by our Village crew in the water, wastewater and streets departments. They do the hard work to keep Belmont running, and one of my top priorities is making sure they have everything they need to make it a safe and clean place to live. (Sidenote: I took an eye-opening tour at the wastewater treatment plant when I was first appointed to the board and it was amazing to see the entire process!)
In short, I want to help create a board culture where the trustees are as accessible and as responsive as possible – to everyone, be they old, young, new residents, or lifelong community pillars. I think I bring a fresh perspective and would be honored to continue serving on the Village Board. Please come out to vote on Tuesday, March 15th!
