Letter to the Editor:

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused much change in 2020. As a candidate for Range Telephone Board of Trustees in District II, I have been unable to make myself and my ideas known to the voting membership in a one on one setting. Consequently, I am relying almost solely on remote communication in order to introduce myself and express my ideas.

Never before has the need for communication technology been greater than it is today, whether we use that technology for distance learning, work-from-home, on-line shopping, entertainment, or any number of other activities.

I recognize our need for faster, more versatile, reliable and user friendly technology. I also recognize the need to balance our demand for progress against the remote and sparsely populated area we live in, and ultimately the financial burden of those demands. There are challenging times ahead with critical decisions on the horizon, and I look forward to being a part of that decision-making process if elected.

Trustee election ballots were to go in the mail August 20th and need to be voted and returned by September 9th, 2020. Thanks for your time and please vote.

Richard E. Sparks