Tell us a little about yourself. You can include your personal background, family, outside interests that are important to who you are as a person and a candidate.
I moved to Lexington in 1977 and have three children, all who went through the Lexington Public Schools.
At that time, I was working as a research assistant in a physiology lab, but after the birth of my third child, I decided to return to school to get a master’s degree in education and teach high school biology. I taught high school biology at Wakefield High School for 24 years, retiring in 2010.
In 1983, I ran for Town Meeting from Precinct 9 and have served since that time (I was redistricted to Precinct 8 in 2022). In 2007, I ran for and was elected to the Lexington School Committee where I served three terms until 2007. During that time, a new Estabrook was built and a new Hastings begun. We also instituted full day kindergarten while I was in office.
I have been active in issues around Hanscom Airfield for over 20 years, currently serving as a member of the Hanscom Field Advisory Commission (HFAC) and the Hanscom Area Towns Committee (HATS). While not always successful in our endeavors, I have learned about how to navigate state and federal regulations and policies during this time.
Why are you running for Town Meeting?
I am running for reelection to Town Meeting because I believe that it is important to participate and because every vote counts.
How has your past experience — whether in your professional life, elected office, or as a community leader — prepared you for a role in Town Meeting?
The most relevant experience that has prepared me for a role in Town Meeting has been my 40 years as an active member of the League of Women Voters. The League takes its positions after studying issues and coming to consensus. It is nonpartisan, meaning it does not support or oppose candidates or political parties. But that does not preclude me from personally supporting candidates at the local, state, and federal level.
I would not presume to manage anyone’s opinions but recognize that there are often two or more sides to many issues. In talking to those whose positions do not agree with mine, I acknowledge that meeting under these issues is difficult, and that it is hard for everyone involved, but hope that we can reach a conclusion that is helpful to all involved.
What is the most important issue in this election to you personally, and what ideas do you have about how to address this issue?
Zoning is the most important issue to me this year, followed closely by the approval of a new high school for Lexington. Zoning will be addressed through Town Meeting. I do not favor the motion under Article 2 in the Special Town Meeting as written but am open to amendments that may be introduced. I think the Article 2 is rolling back our town’s commitment to increasing housing too far.
The lack of good communication in Lexington is something that needs to be addressed. Ten years ago, in the town wide survey done by the Vision for Lexington Committee, one of the top concerns was lack of communication. As a member of that committee, I worked on a subcommittee on increasing communications in Lexington. We submitted a report to the Select Board (which can be accessed on the town website) with seven recommendations. While most of them have not been implemented, one good outcome was the hiring of a Director of Communications for the town.
I often see complaints about notifications going out from the Town and have learned from my experience on the VFL committee that notifying every person/household comes with a cost. Sometimes it is necessary to balance cost with outcomes and sometimes that works and others it does not.