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Cool as a Cucumber

I support Matt Hoey for Guilford’s first selectman. I have known Matt for more than 30 years, dating back to working with him at the old SNET and playing with him on its softball team. I am not writing as one of Matt’s best friends, but as someone who likes and respects him.

I remember one time we were playing in a tournament in New Jersey and Matt was our shortstop. There were runners at first and second and no outs. The batter ripped a line drive at our second baseman that seemed to move at the last second and exploded into his face. Matt rushed over, picked the ball up, and fired to third base to get the lead runner and then went over to our second baseman to help him. This typified a part of Matt’s personality—calm, collected, and great under pressure.

Our family has been in Guilford since 1996 and we have raised our two sons in this great town. When we first moved here, I didn’t believe that the town provided much in the way of services. I realize some of that was due to small town charm, but over the last 10 years or so, I have seen a positive change.

Matt has done a fine job as the head of the Board of Finance. He has balanced the need to keep the budget as low as possible with providing benefits that the town of Guilford can enjoy. Some of the things Matt has overseen are allocating for the new high school, town library improvements, the new emergency services building, and road upgrades.

Matt’s combination of understanding services that the town can enjoy along with his cool-as-a-cucumber demeanor are what we need in our first selectman.

John Fraser

Guilford