SPRINGFIELD, Vt. – At a luncheon held on Nov. 2, Char Osterlund, of Springfield, was honored as one of three recipients of the Women Making a Difference Award for extraordinary service to Windsor County Democrats.
A longtime Springfield educator, Osterlund has remained active on behalf of Springfield citizens in her retirement. She has served as chair of the Springfield Democratic Committee for 12 years, as a justice of the peace, and as an active member of many other town committees. For her commitment to community service, she was also awarded the Lions Club Melvin Jones Fellowship, the highest award given to Lions Club members, earlier this year.
Keynote speakers U.S. Rep. Becca Balint and Vermont Democratic Party executive director May Hanlon enumerated the many vital contributions of women to Vermont politics. In her speech, Balint stressed the need for each of us to remind ourselves of our personal values on a daily basis. She cautioned that failure to do so often leads to apathy and discouragement, to the extent that we may come to see the state of American politics as normal and proper. We are thankful that Osterlund and others like her continue to show up and serve.