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 1988. My former husband and I were seeking a community with a visible Chinese population for our multiracial daughters. In the nineties I attended Boston College Law School as a single parent and confronted the challenge of downsizing to a smaller home near the Center and walking distance to the MBTA lines. After a year of searching I ended up in a house that was larger and more expensive than I wanted. For over twenty years I commuted to downtown Boston solely via the MBTA bus and subway. My key issues are the environment, transportation, animal welfare and animal rights.
Why are you running for Town Meeting?
I’m running for Town Meeting because it’s important to keep an eye on local government. You never know what it’s going to be up to next.
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?
My legal career, first in probate and family court litigation, and then a long stretch in legal administration at the Supreme Judicial Court was uncannily ideal training for Town Meeting. I read everything and maintain a healthy skepticism. I also have a sense of humor, which can be helpful. I served on the Center Committee for 15 years dealing with a wide variety of issues including zoning, parking, sidewalks, and economic vitality. A few years ago I joined the Transportation Committee. Historically our main concern is Lexpress—which is literally the intersection of climate change and social justice. Recently we have advocated (with a pretty good rate of success) for bus shelters and Lexpress passes for residents of the MBTA developments. I am also on the Board of Citizens for Lexington Conservation and Lexington Living Landscapes.
As a litigator I engaged every day with people of opposing views. The best lawyers could “see” the other side and viewed cases as problems to be solved. The worst lawyers demonized the other side and refused all outreach and cooperation. One navigates these shoals as best one can.
What is the most important issue in this election to you personally, and what ideas do you have about how to address this issue?
The most important issue coming before Town Meeting is waste management/reduction as reflected in Article 23. I urge you to review the slide presentations. These articles bring home the environmental, labor and financial realities of trash production, removal and disposal. In a perfect world the entire cost of a product’s lifecycle from production to disposal would be reflected in its upfront cost. Absent that, we must grapple with the rising costs of removal and disposal. Human Services could be engaged to develop a program to assist residents who have difficulty moving the bins. I support these articles as well as the Citizens Petition Article 34 “Skip the Stuff.”