Letter To The Editor Roundup: Tewksbury Town Election

TEWKSBURY, MA — The following letters were submitted to Tewksbury Patch by residents.

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

The Tewksbury town election is April 10. There are contested races for both School Committee and Board of Selectmen.

>>Tewksbury Candidate Forum Planned For March 18

Letter from resident Anna Kaiser

In Support of Bridget Garabedian

For those of you who are weighing your choice for the Tewksbury School Committee, I am writing to wholeheartedly endorse Bridget Garabedian’s candidacy.

The first time I spoke with Bridget was over the phone to learn more about the Heath Brook & Trahan Parent Advisory Council. I will always remember what she said in that initial meeting: “I won’t sugarcoat it, it’s a lot of work. Fun, rewarding, but a lot of work.” Fast forward three years later and I still find that Bridget does not sugarcoat things, she is one of the most transparent and open people I know. This refreshing candor is what I see as one of the biggest strengths she will bring to the School Committee.

How does she do this you might ask? Well, Bridget has perfected what I call the lost art of listening. Perhaps it is because of her 20+ year career as an emergency room trauma nurse, helping families through the worst moments of their lives. Or, maybe it is because she has been so ingrained in our community for so many years, growing up in Tewksbury, and now having an almost decade long commitment and dedication to the Tewksbury Public School system.

Her resume is extensive in the multitude of ways she has supported our community -- more so than any other new candidate on the ballot, which speaks volumes to her dedication to this town. Just a few things of note: She serves as a substitute K-12 school nurse, has been elected to four different school PAC boards, was appointed as the vice-chair of the Tewksbury North and Trahan School Reuse Committee, and, maybe the most important position of note, Bridget is serving as a parent representative on the Tewksbury District Reopening Task Force.

Bridget is a fierce advocate for our community, families, and students, which has been reflected in her work on the Reopening Task Force during the entire pandemic. Always with a sense of quiet contemplation around her, she observes, listens, and truly tries to understand multiple perspectives when approaching an issue. This approachable and inclusive leadership style encourages diverse viewpoints, and allows her to challenge her own bias to truly make an informed decision, one that is in the best interest of all.

I could not be more thankful for meeting Bridget three years ago and working alongside her as an officer of the Heath Brook & Trahan PAC. If this note leaves you with nothing else, please remember these three things about Bridget Garabedian: effective collaborator, accountable leader, creative curiosity.

Through much encouragement and support from the people of Tewksbury, Bridget has decided to run for School Committee Member. The extensive network she has tirelessly built over the past decade will make her an informed contributor. I will be voting for Bridget Garabedian, School Committee Member on April 10 in our Town Election. I ask that you do the same.

Anna Kaiser

Tewksbury Parent & Resident

Letter from residents David & Lorna Garey

Dear Patch Editor,

We are writing in support of fellow veteran James F. Mackey III as he pursues one of two open seats on the Tewksbury Board of Selectmen.

The traits developed in the armed services -- leadership, high ethical standards, self-discipline, accountability and the ability to collaborate within a diverse team -- translate well to elected office. James' military specialty, cybersecurity, will be particularly valuable to Tewksbury because municipalities face increased threats.

Just this month, for example, at least 30,000 U.S. organizations that host their own email servers -- including a significant number of local governments -- may have had their systems compromised. Gov. Baker has also highlighted ransomware attacks as “a persistent threat to municipalities.”* And in fact, Tewksbury in 2015 paid a $500 bitcoin ransom to recover access to town systems.** This threat remains, and ransom demands are far higher now, while the likelihood of recovering data has decreased.

While our capable IT staff is charged with protecting our infrastructure, as a cybersecurity professional, James has insights into programs and grants that can help Tewksbury find and fix issues at minimal or no cost to the town. His military training and current civilian occupation as a cybersecurity engineer will bring a unique skillset to the board. For that reason, we support his candidacy and ask residents to join us in casting one of their two votes for James.

David & Lorna Garey
Veterans, U.S. Navy and U.S. Army and 20+ year Tewksbury residents

Letter from Selectman Jayne Wellman

Dear Editor,

Today I write in support of an exceptional contributor to our educational landscape. Through dozens of organizations — from school councils at two schools, PAC leadership at four schools, Friends of the Library, vice-chair of the Reuse Committee for the Trahan and North St. Schools, to the Reopening Committee — Bridget Garabedian has been selfless in giving her time back to this community. She is the most qualified candidate for the School Committee I have seen in 20 years, which is why I voted for her to fill a vacant seat on the Committee in 2019.

Bridget has done the hard work of building relationships among stakeholders, so she knows exactly how changes in policy and budget will impact students, faculty and staff, and the needs of individual school communities. Even better, she's open-minded and listens to the concerns of parents and taxpayers. In the last year, as we all know, the unexpected happened. Bridget stepped forward to be part of the solution, working to get our students back in classrooms safely and offer remote learning equitably to families who need that option.

Bridget excels at pivoting, responding responsibly to changing situations, all while staying focused on student outcomes. We need bridge builders on our School Committee, collaborators, and people who understand the job. Bridget Garabedian is that person, and I heartily encourage voters to join me in electing her on April 10.

Jayne Wellman
Tewksbury

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