Another North Andover Town Election Letter To The Editor Roundup

NORTH ANDOVER, MA — The following letters were submitted to North Andover Patch by residents.

To submit a letter to the editor email chris.huffaker@patch.com.

The North Andover town election is March 30. There are contested races for both School Committee and Select Board.

Previously on Patch:

• North Andover Election Guide: Candidate Profiles
• Letter To The Editor Roundup: North Andover Town Election
• Letter To The Editor Roundup: Residents Support Janice Phillips
• On The Issues: North Andover Select Board Candidates
• On The Issues: North Andover School Committee Candidates

Letter from resident Kathleen Lyons-Stagno:

Janice Phillips has proven her commitment to the people of North Andover in many ways; publicly and privately. She is exactly the person you want in your corner if your small business needs support, if a disaster occurs, or when a child needs to be fed. She is fantastic at making connections, supporting those in need, and creating opportunities that benefit our community.

For years I’ve witnessed Janice and her family serve our town in one way or another: Through her running club, the Boy Scouts, Neighbors in Need, countless food drives, bottle drives and fundraisers. During the gas disaster, as our families were displaced, she helped organize efforts to go door to door to check on neighbors and friends. That’s someone I want representing NA.

As an executive team member of our popular farmers market, Janice has supported the revitalization of our downtown area and ignited a fire of volunteers and their families. The Market is no small feat. It’s an impressive weekly achievement that has created a path to downtown Smolak hayrides, the Artisan Market, and the Veterans Food Security Program.

She’s the person you reach out to when you want to know what you’ve missed at a Select Board meeting, or if you need to know what time a FinCom meeting is scheduled for and what public access channel it’s on. She’s knowledgeable. She’s informed. She’s proven that she makes thoughtful decisions. She is perfect for a seat at the Select Board table.

Janice Phillips will be a great addition to the Select Board and I hope my fellow residents will join me in voting for her on March 30th.

Kathleen Lyons-Stagno

Letter from residents Christine and Robert McElhiney:

Dear Editor:

We are writing today to enthusiastically recommend Dave Brown for School Committee in North Andover. There are few people that can match his enthusiasm, sensitivity, intelligence and true devotion to North Andover’s children. Dave brings all the qualities one would hope for, and always puts the best interest of the children first. As a coach, he cared about and for every member of every team, and always put out the extra effort to help each player fit in and improve. That devotion extended beyond his own children’s teams, volunteering his time and energy to coach teams where his children were not participating and easily encouraged our kids to volunteer with him.

We see how invested Dave and his family have become in our town. You will often see him helping out in school events, donating his time and efforts in many creative ways. He’s also serving on town committees, and quickly finding his way to leadership roles on those committees. We are indeed fortunate to have him and his family here in North Andover these past 20 years.
Dave is a problem-solver and a great communicator. As parents, we were always well informed when our daughters were on his teams, and he was always approachable, a careful listener, and would take appropriate action when it was needed.

These are the qualities we would like to see on the School Committee, and urge you to join us on March 30th and vote for Dave Brown.

Christine and Robert McElhiney

Letter from resident Jenna Sideri

As we close in on the town election, I can't help but feel grateful to live in a place and time such as this. Through the turbulence and change of the last year, we have seen heroes and warriors crop up at every turn. As we try to move on and grow together, so many new names have entered into the political arena - whether to fight for their chance at a seat or to make calls, deliver signs or stand in support. It feels "back to normal" to see the community out, in action and working hard at rebuilding in this vital way. However you fill out your ballot, I hope you fill it with heart and inspiration...because it takes a special person to rise up in the midst of chaos and say, "I would like to be a part of the solution". Cheers to all of the candidates and their families (real and campaign). I'm looking forward to using all of my votes and especially excited to see that Janice Phillips -a woman whose kindness, energy, empathy and unparalleled ability to truly listen - has chosen to share her myriad skills with the world...some people are just too valuable to stay behind the scenes.

Letter from resident Rick Green

I have known Dave Brown for over 20 years serving together on the North Andover Little League Board and currently on the Fields Committee. Dave has always shown a strong commitment to the activities he has been involved with in town including coaching youth sports. He is passionate about mentoring the youth of North Andover and developing their self-esteem through positive reinforcement.

As a Little League Board member, Dave exhibited strong leadership skills and was persistent in promoting policies that benefited all of the players in the program not just his own son. I know through my continued involvement with Dave on the Fields Committee that he has continued that philosophy in his contributions to the North Andover Booster Club softball program where he coached his daughters.

Dave has continued to show an interest in improving our community and recently served on the Stevens Estate Advisory Board. He is committed to the improvement of the youth of North Andover, and his desire to serve on the School Committee is a natural progression from his involvement in sports. All of his children were educated in the North Andover School System, and he currently teaches an introductory engineering class in the Andover public school system.
Should Dave be elected to the School Committee, he will work tirelessly to improve the curriculum and infrastructure of the North Andover School system. He will work collaboratively with other members of the Committee as well as other town agencies and citizens to promote an inclusive culture for all of our students and faculty.

Please join me in voting for Dave Brown for the North Andover School Committee on Tuesday March 30, 2021.

Rick Green

These letters were produced by their authors. The views expressed are the authors' own.