BELLOWS FALLS, Vt. – Bellows Falls Village President Wendy Levy has been hard at work to develop strong ties in the community, with a goal to strive for and maintain affordable infrastructure in Bellows Falls. Levy was elected in May to succeed Paul Obuchowski when he declined to rerun after serving two terms spanning four years.
Originally from New Jersey, Levy first found Vermont through attending the former Marlboro College in the early ‘90s and resided in the Brattleboro area before moving to Bellows Falls in 2022. She currently works as a clerk for the Town of Northfield, Mass., and has held the Bellows Falls library trustee position before being elected village president.
“I moved to Bellows Falls in April of 2002, when I bought a house there,” Levy said in a recent interview. “The house was in such great shape despite being built in 1880, I was able to move in and settle right away. One of the big reasons I moved to Bellows Falls was that I could afford to live here, which wasn’t the case anymore where I had previously resided.”
Levy immediately fell in love with the town and wanted to somehow bring her energy, interest, skills, and love for public service to the forefront, feeling it was her civic duty to give back to her community. She quickly realized how friendly and welcoming her neighbors were.
“After I attended my first village Annual Meeting in May of 2022, people stopped me in the coffee shop and on the street to thank me for the things I said and the questions I asked at the meeting. I quickly learned how much fun it is to meet people and get involved in this town and village.”
Ironically, Levy had already been contemplating what she might be able to do moving forward to get more involved and help better her new community, when she was approached about the possibility of becoming involved with the Bellows Falls Village Trustees.
“Some friends in town asked me to run for village trustees, Levy continued. “I considered it and thought it could be a good idea, and when I asked Kathleen at the town clerk’s office the difference between what a trustee does and what the president of the group does, she basically told me the main difference was that the president ran the meetings… and I thought ‘Well, I can do that!’” And now, Levy does just that.
Additionally, Levy has extensive experience as a writer and reporter, having written locally for The Commons, and having covered various municipal and town meetings. Levy also has experience as a seasoned radio personality, currently talking on the airwaves locally at WVEW in Brattleboro as well as WFMU in her hometown area of Jersey City, N.J. She also previously contributed to WOOL FM radio in Bellows Falls.
“I have done a lot of local, municipal reporting and taken many meeting minutes as well, I know the rhythm and structure of them [taking meeting notes], and I know parliamentary procedure. I haven’t read Robert’s Rules of Order cover to cover, but I have a good working knowledge of it, and I believe I have good interpersonal skills.”
Levy’s goals are about community, rolling up your sleeves, and doing what is right and needed to make our surroundings and lives better.
“My values are transparency and accountability in government…and local government is necessary for helping us take care of one another and ensure everyone has a safe and dignified life. Nobody needs a Ph.D. in government to contribute their love, skills, and labor to keeping their town moving in the right direction. So, here I am!”