As COVID fades, I am reminded that we have not been able to mourn Hank Manz who died in 2020. Hank served Lexington as a coach, and omnipresent public servant for decades (Town Meeting, Select Person, etc.). He was a consummate diplomat, a gentle man able to lower the temperature of disputes. In Lexington, dozens of visible improvements, public works and others, needed Hank to get them over the finish line. As Scoutmaster at Troop 160, he helped raise generations of Boy Scouts, acting as a surrogate parent during teenage years when parenting can be harder. The next time we build or renovate a school, let’s name it the “Hank Manz” school. Yes we want to revere forefathers of the 1700s like Harrington, Estabrook, Fiske, and Hastings. But it may be better to encourage generations of new leaders to serve like Hank Manz.
Letter to the Editor: Let’s name our next school after Hank Manz
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Commenters must use their real first and last name and a real email address.
We do not allow profanity, racism, or misinformation.
We expect civility and good-faith engagement.
We cannot always fact check every comment, verify every name, or debate the finer points of what constitutes civility. We reserve the right to remove any comment we deem inappropriate, and we ask for your patience and understanding if something slips through that may violate our terms.
We are open to a wide range of opinions and perspectives. Criticism and debate are fundamental to community – but so is respect and honesty. Thank you.
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Hank’s wife, Wendy, has also served Lexington faithfully as a Girl Scout troop leader and Service Unit chair, Planning Board member, mother of three, etc. Perhaps the Manz Family School would be a more equitable suggestion?