To the Editor:

To my fellow residents of Farmington and Chesterville, Please consider casting your vote on Nov. 5 for Stephan Bunker for state representative for Farmington and Chesterville, who will bring to the job the values of a lifetime of commitment to his community and country.

As a longtime reporter covering Farmington area news for the Morning Sentinel, I’ve gotten to know Steve during much of his 35 years as a Farmington selectman. I have seen first-hand how well he works with others and finds solutions to the thorniest problems.

Steve is thoughtful, kind, hardworking, fair, a good listener, who has the experience and character to know how to get things done for all Mainers. He deserves our support.

As background, Steve is a longtime volunteer firefighter with the Farmington Fire Department, was a police officer, and a veteran of the U.S. Army and Coast Guard Reserve. He is on the board of directors of the Wilton Fish & Game, is active in the American Legion, the Elks and Rotary, the Downtown Business Organization, and the Greater Franklin County Chamber of Commerce.

Steve ‘s career in the Maine Department of Public Safety led him to being the first state 911 director after being involved with the new emergency dispatching system implementation in 1995. Remember how we had to dial several different numbers for police, fire or Emergency Medical Services? Now, help starts immediately with the first call answered by a trained dispatcher.

He then developed the first dispatcher academy and training lab at the Maine Police Academy that boosted the dispatcher position to be seen as a true profession.

Closer to home, for the past 11 years he has been active in advocating for all Maine towns and cities through the Maine Municipal Association which provides essential core services including vital advocacy with the state legislature. Steve was past president and is on the executive committee.

After retirement, he didn’t slow down. He continued as a firefighter, but after surviving brain cancer likely connected to exposure to cancer-causing products in firefighting gear, he turned his focus on prevention.

Last legislative session, he and Rep. Scott Landry of Farmington worked to pass legislation that provided grants to fire departments to buy high capacity washing machines to clean turnout gear and reduce exposure to those chemicals.

And he continues to travel across the state, talking with fire departments to pass on what he has learned.

As a U.S. Army and a Coast Guard Reserve veteran, Steve volunteers ensuring vets have access to the health care and support they deserve. This work includes time at the Travis Mills Veterans Retreat to help recovering veterans return to civilian life after their injuries.

Steve has my vote. Please give him yours.

Betty Jespersen

Farmington

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