I am enthusiastically supporting Cynthia (Cindy) Arens for Select Board. I am sharing my reasons and I hope you will consider them when you vote.

I have been working with Cindy on sustainability issues for about 7 years. I met Cindy when she presented a program for Lexington Climate Action Network about how to reduce our waste, which is a climate solution. I was immediately impressed with her deep knowledge base and her ability to focus in on an issue and discover opportunities to address the problem. I have continued to work with Cindy and have seen her take the lead on many of our successful climate change campaigns and Town Meeting articles. 

I wanted to share a story. Cindy and I began working with Maggie Peard, Lexington Sustainability and Resilience Officer, to address our most vulnerable residents who might need help with their energy bills and their outdated heating and cooling systems. Cindy dug in and working in collaboration with LexHAB, she was able to uncover that there were untapped saving opportunities for LexHAB residents. She worked her way through the bureaucracy that can stall understaffed state-run programs. Cindy helped bring all of the relevant people together on a monthly basis to make sure that all eligible LexHAB housing got free home energy audits, insulation, heat pumps and in some cases solar. These residents are now living in healthier, more affordable and resilient housing. This represents Cindy’s determination and dedication to all Lexington residents. 

As a climate hero and Chair of the Sustainable Lexington Committee which makes recommendations to the Select Board, Cindy knows the importance and urgency of climate change. I believe that with her deep knowledge of this issue, all of her deliberations and decisions will make sure that we will not be setting up our future to be unsustainable, both financially and environmentally. While some people may think Cindy has a single focus of sustainability, I have seen how Cindy thinks and acts and she will bring this focused attention to every issue that comes before the Select Board. 

I want Cindy Arens on Lexington’s Select Board so that her insights and endless energy will be reflected in our policies on housing, budgeting, community-building and sustainability.

Please join me in supporting Cindy Arens for Select Board. Early voting begins at Cary Hall on Saturday, February 24. For more information go to cindyarens.com.  

Ricki Pappo

Town Meeting member, Pct 2, since 2013

Chair, Lexington Climate Action Network (LexCAN)

Lexington Living Landscapes steering committee

Clean Heat Lexington Alliance

Preserve our Trees 

Sustainable Middlesex

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