Our letters to the editor page is meant to be an engaging exchange of ideas representing different perspectives. In general, our guidelines are simply a max of about 400 words, on issues relating specifically to Lexington, written in a respectful tone. We seek to represent a range of perspectives and reserve the right to choose which letters to publish based on our editorial needs and judgment.
Letters may be edited for length and clarity. While we don’t have the capacity to fact check all letters, we reserve the right to edit any factual errors we notice, and will reject letters that include blatant misinformation. We do not publish anonymous letters.
As we head into election season, we are more than happy to post letters from or about candidates that are focused on ideas and add to the conversation, but will not to publish posts that sound more like advertisements, or multiple letters that make similar points, since the purpose is to inform and engage our audience (different from say a congressional letter-writing campaign where quantity counts).
We accept letters at any time and will do our best to run them in a timely fashion. Typically, we are able to share letters we receive by Wednesday at 5 p.m. in our Friday roundup two days later.
Letters to the editor are separate from our reporting and do not represent the views of the Lexington Observer. LexObserver does not independently verify the content of Letters.
To submit a letter to the editor, please write to letters@lexobserver.org. Thank you!
Letter to the Editor: Waste disposal challenges across the Commonwealth
“Across the Commonwealth, serious discussions are happening regarding how municipalities can reduce waste as hauling costs rise exponentially and environmental harms worsen.”
Letter to the Editor: The cost of waste disposal
“The choice before Lexington voters on June 16 is not “free trash versus paid trash.” It is whether we manage our rising waste costs proactively, or absorb them later through higher taxes and cuts to the services we depend on.”
Letter to the Editor: Outstanding approvals for new high school project
“Three approvals are needed in order to start construction on a new high school.”
Letter to the Editor: Modeling town budget implications for anticipated new developments
“I am sharing… a financial model that estimates the Town’s incremental revenues and expenses once all approved and anticipated new MBTA dwellings, such as 17 Hartwell Ave, are occupied over the next 8–10 years.
Letter to the editor: Vote YES on June 16 for fiscal responsibility
“Trash collection is not free, and has never been free….Increased trash spending is steadily eating into funds for other important town services like the library, police and fire, schools, community center and more.”
Letter to the editor: Lexington High students poll their classmates on budget cuts
” In our journeys through school, the defining experiences haven’t been using new technology or receiving good grades, but being inspired by a teacher who genuinely supports and believes in us. 72% of students [in our survey] agree with this.”
Letter to the editor: A trip with Lexington’s trash
“Net, net there is no magic wand solution to trash. Even a well-designed, well-functioning incinerator has output which can have some negative economic and ecological cost. It’s been 11 years since our field trip, the costs continue to go up, and what we took for granted is turning into material cost factors for consideration. “
Letter to the editor: Advocates for foster care youth
“May is National Foster Care Month. For Boston CASA and the Lexington community, it is also a call to action.”
Letter to the editor: H.1399 could help retirees and taxpayers
“At a time when affordability dominates nearly every political conversation in Massachusetts, H.1399 offers something rare: a policy that can simultaneously help retirees, taxpayers, municipalities, and future generations.”
Letter to the editor: A reflection on our current moment and the power of local community
“I place my hope in people. In communities. In regions that still function. In movements that grow slowly and steadily. In the long work of repair.”
Letter to the editor: Successful 12th annual Breakfast on the Bikeway
“We are deeply grateful to the donors whose support allowed us to serve the many walkers, runners, cyclists, and passersby who stopped by.”
Letter to the Editor: Historic and ecological significance of 114 Wood Street
“This is land with historic and ecological value that will never recover if the 18 condo units proposed are approved.”
Letter to the editor: Enforcing wetland protection codes for new developments
“…buffer zones are vital because they prevent and control flooding and erosion, protect water quality and wildlife habitat, and promote climate resilience.”
Letter to the editor: Banning student smartphones in schools
“Disciplinary incidents are down, attendance is up, grades are improving, and students report feeling more connected to one another and to their school. The reason: each of these schools has given their students a 6 to 7 hour break from notifications, addictive pulls, and social drama that comes with their screens.”
Letter to the editor: Opportunities to engage with school leadership
“…how often do the more than 6,000 Lexington families have access to this kind of open, small-group dialogue with district leadership?”
Letter to the editor: Lexington resident and retired jurist in support of the Medical Civil Rights Act
” As constituents, I hope that you will refuse to accept the pretense that there is no emergent public health issue or that your taxpayer dollars are already wisely spent—or worse yet, that there is no viable solution to prevent these deaths.”
Letter to the editor: School budget cuts from a social work perspective
“Ensuring equitable access to quality education requires sustained investment in the people who make that possible.”
Letter to the editor: A recent LHS grad learns to cope with an eating disorder
“It felt like our worth was determined by our number of A’s, the amount of awards we won, the number of APs we took and academic achievements in general. I never felt “smart” or like I stood out.”
Letter to the editor: In support of the Medical Civil Rights Act
“In recent years, in Massachusetts, psychiatric crises have resulted in many fatalities, with an exceptionably high number of police-involved deaths since 2021.”
Letter to the editor: A young visitor’s first Patriots Day
“It was interesting that all the battles were at the same time, place, and day, so it was like seeing the patriots standing on the same field at the same time that the gunshots were going on in 1775.”
Letter to the editor: In support of additional Lexington Public School funding
“…we believe the additional funding for the upcoming school year will provide for a more orderly and better planned transition to the fiscal realities that we will continue to face, many of which are beyond our control.”
Letters to the editor: We must keep each other safe
“We have seen just one other recent gun death in Lexington, and that too was at the hands of police.”
Letter to the editor: Timeline for article 26
” Why didn’t we take town staff help in working towards a solution prior to the extreme step of a citizens petition. Well, we have been trying since 2022.”
Letter to the editor: A meaningful path to connection
“A group of moms from Concord, Acton, and Bedford is launching the inaugural Middlesex Chapter of Young Men’s Service League (YMSL), a national organization that brings mothers and high school–aged boys together through service.”
Letter to the editor: Changes in LPS financial reporting
“What should be a report for quantitative analysis and alerts has now become a qualitative narrative.”
Letter to the editor: How to communicate with your Town Meeting members
“[The Town Meeting Member Association] website provides a wealth of information about the organization, including how to learn about our work and how to contact us as individuals or as a precinct group.”
Letter to the editor: It’s Autism Awareness month — here’s how to plan for the future of our children with special needs
“Many of us ask the same questions late at night: Who will care for my child if I no longer can?”
Letter to the editor: School Committee addresses concerns about staffing cuts
“None of these decisions have been made lightly, and none of them reflect anything other than the difficult reality of operating a school system with financial constraints largely beyond our control.”
Letter to the Editor: Sustaining excellence in Lexington Public Schools
“The recently communicated FY2027 budget update makes clear that the decisions ahead will not only shape the coming school year, but will also influence the district’s longer-term direction.”
Letter to the editor: Financial accountability for LHS building project
“…three Lexington women have asked Town Meeting members to pass Article 26 which is a request for greater financial accountability and transparency on how the taxpayers dollars are spent on the new LHS building Project.”
Letter to the editor: 2026 Town Meeting Articles 23 and 31
“We should not leave in the hands of only 3 Select Board members whether we’ll pay $10 or $100 to dispose of a mattress or refrigerator or any other item that won’t fit in your tote.”
Letter to the editor: Licensing for non-medical home care agencies
“As a non-medical home care agency owner in Lexington, we have worked with the Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts to advance a bill requiring common-sense safeguards, such as background checks, insurance and training. “
Letter to the editor: Let’s support young people running for office
“I hope the outstanding young women and men of Lexington do not get discouraged and continue running for local office, regardless their race and economic backgrounds.”
Letter to the editor: Local Scout’s commitment to inclusivity
After Scouting America agreed to policy changes under pressure from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, local leaders re-affirm their commitment to all youth regardless of race, ethnicity, creed, class, gender, sexual orientation, age, and physical and mental ability.
Letter to the editor: In praise of LHS Track and Field
“Lexington High School is commonly known for its high-achieving educational standard, but academics aren’t the only thing LHS excels at. In recent years, both the boys’ and girls’ track and field programs have soared to new heights”
Letter to the editor: How to increase voter turnout and encourage more people to run for office
“Of the 23,586 voters in town, 3,883, or 16 percent, voted in this year’s town election.”
Letter to the editor: Town leaders must urgently fix the problem of rental apartments paying only 36% in taxes of what houses pay
“Lexington could indeed use a Town Manager who, unlike Steve Bartha, knows how to identify strategically critical issues.”
Letter to the editor: Thank you from Goodwill
Lexington residents donated 2.2 million pounds of clothing and household goods to Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries in 2025
Letter to the editor: Kunal Botla for a new generation of thoughtful town planning
Botla “speaks thoughtfully about revitalizing economic hubs such as Hartwell Avenue, reimagining development opportunities in the Town Center to foster both livability and economic resilience.”
Letter to the editor: Bob Creech quietly does the work
“Thorough, seasoned, steady, humble, and exemplary — these are words that describe Bob Creech”
Letter to the editor: Jensen and Creech for common sense planning
“We need experienced, common sense Planning Board members, ones who take into account all aspects of the planning process and how planning decisions impact all facets of life for current and future residents of Lexington.”
Letter to the editor: A former Planning Board chair for Kunal Botla
“I believe Kunal Botla as a Planning Board member offers a forward looking voice who will work to ensure that new residential and commercial development improves the Lexington quality of life and meet the needs of current and future residents.”
Letter to the editor: The candidates’ votes on Article 2
“Due to the very generous development parameters contained in the 2023 zoning, many developers have come to Lexington to develop properties. Article 2 was put forward to slow the rate of development proposals and reduce the 253 acres of unlimited-density MBTA-zoned acreage so that the Town has time to analyze and address needs.”
Letter to the editor: Jensen and Creech for Planning Board
“Many residents were unaware of zoning changes taking place in Lexington under the MBTA Communities Act”
Letter to the editor: Mona Roy will represent all of Lexington
“Juggling priorities is her Super Power.”
Letter to the editor: What we’ve learned from Bob Creech
“We have learned much from Bob about “by-right” zoning and the potential undesirable outcomes it might pose to the town center’s historic character if allowed.”
Letter to the editor: Kunal Botla’s impact on Lexington’s public transportation
Kunal “spearheaded a petition asking the MBTA to pay attention to both bus routing and to increasing bus frequency to every 30 minutes….the MBTA brought expanded bus service to Lexington last summer”
Letter to the editor: We, the People get what we vote for
“We learned through neighborhood experience that real estate companies often use ‘affordable housing’ as a carrot to get their projects approved because they know that most of us are inclusive, open and welcoming.”
Letter to the editor: Former Planning Board chair endorses Lin Jensen
“Lin is committed to finding a balance between advancing affordable housing opportunities in an environmentally, socially and fiscally sustainable manner while maintaining the character of Lexington.”
Letter to the editor: Vote Mona Roy for a strong, more inclusive community
“Volunteering to improve our town is a core value we share, and it is inspiring to see her bring that spirit to everything she does.”