TEFFT CANDIDATE FOR TOWN COUNCIL
Elaine Tefft, a Bedford resident since 1968, has announced her candidacy for the two year term on the Town Council. She served on the Bedford School Board for nine years, the Town Budget Committee, school building committees, the Education Commission of the States and the Voc-Tech Committee among others; she also supported the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Historic New England, the NH Historic Association and various museums for many years. Mrs. Tefft is a past president of the Bedford Women’s Club and a member of the Bedford Garden Club.
As a resident of the Historic District, she has experienced several versions of their rules and regulations. When she first moved to her home in Bedford, there was no historic district, now permission must be applied for, a public hearing held, money spent for fees and expenses, all before being granted permission to cut down ones own trees or put up gutters on ones own house. None of this was envisioned or agreed to when the district was voted in. “I firmly believe that all residents are entitled to the quiet enjoyment of their property”, she said, “and I can find no valid reasons for the level of intrusion that has been forced on those few families who happen to live in the same historic neighborhood that encompasses a gas station.” She has appeared before the Commission on numerous occasions on behalf of herself and others, urging them to be a resource, not a barrier to maintaining private property.
Protecting the rights and pocket book of all of the residents of Bedford are the areas she plans to focus on if elected. “People appearing before any of the town boards have a right to be treated with courtesy and respect” she stated. There is no reason to ridicule anyone seeking information, to the contrary, an elected official or agent of the Town has a duty to provide the data requested.
Mrs. Tefft was educated in New Hampshire schools and worked as a paralegal in her late husband’s law office for thirty years. Her varied interests and experience give her a unique perspective and basis to act in the best interests of all of the Bedford residents.
Contact: Elaine Tefft, 472-2220 or threepeel@aol.com
