Letter To The Editor Roundup: Andover Town Election Endorsements

ANDOVER, MA — The following letters to the editor from Andover resident concern the town election, initially scheduled for March but postponed until June due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Letter to the editor from Andover resident Katie Carli:

Letter to the Editor:

Our school district has endured many highs and lows over the past few years, many in our community feel as though their voices are not heard or that what they have to say is undervalued and now we find ourselves concerned for our children's overall wellness and academic future. Andover can do better and to do better we need change.

Did you know that the Andover teachers union, the Andover Education Association, has voted to endorse Amy Hafensteiner for School Committee? Wouldn’t it be wild, if all Andover residents supported our hardworking teachers by voting with their best interest in mind?! These men and women help shape our children's future all day, every day. Isn’t it time to give them a voice so that when this election is over, our children are the ones who truly win?

I ask that you join me in voting for Amy Hafensteiner for School Committee on Tuesday, March 24, 2020!

A vote for Amy is a vote for an approachable person with the ability to listen to the challenges in our school community and follow through with action. It's a vote for someone who has no affiliation with any of the current School Committee members which makes her less likely to be influenced. It’s a vote to add Talent Acquisition to the current School Committee’s portfolio of expertise, especially with a big hire on the horizon. It's a vote to ensure better representation of ALL students. It's a vote to begin streamlining open, honest and effective communication. And finally, it's a vote to provide a safe environment for all teachers and faculty to share their voice and wisdom with our community. At the end of the day, a vote for Amy is a vote to give Andover the opportunity to thrive!

Katie Carli
Andover

Letter to the editor from Andover resident Amy Hollman:

Editor: Andover Patch

I am writing in support of Laura Gregory’s reelection to the Andover Select Board. Since her initial election in 2017, Laura has been instrumental in bringing mutual respect and collaboration back to the Select Board and moving the town forward on a number of important fronts. Laura has helped bring consensus budgets to voters at Town Meeting for the past three years. She also has worked to achieve a settlement with Columbia Gas, push for investment in critical infrastructure projects such as the Ballardvale Fire Station and renovation of Andover Senior Center, and promote the planning and development of the Old Town Yard. Moreover, Laura has recognized the compelling need to address the issue of climate change on the local level, and has helped set Andover on the path toward greater sustainability and climate preparedness.

In 2019, Andover took part in a municipal vulnerability and preparedness planning project, which included an assessment of the town’s vulnerability to climate change. The project showed that Andover already experiences serious impacts from climate change, such as increasingly frequent and severe flooding events, increasingly lengthy and intense heat waves, and a greater incidence of damage-causing storms. Unless the town takes significant steps to address climate change and mitigate its impacts, events like these will continue to pose serious threats to our health, economy and general welfare.

Laura recognizes the significance of this threat and has taken concrete actions to address it. She was a leading proponent for including “green” goals in the Town Manager’s list of 2020 goals and objectives. She advocated for a town-wide approach to climate change through the development of a climate and sustainability action plan. She pushed for the hiring of a Sustainability Coordinator to address climate impacts, disaster preparedness and sustainability for Andover and its residents. And she supports a plan to reduce the town’s carbon emissions through the use of Community Choice Aggregation.

Please keep Andover on the path toward a sustainable, healthy and economically stable future by joining me in voting for Laura Gregory on March 24.

Amy Hollman
Andover

Letter to the editor from Andover resident Al Uluatam:

Dear Editor:

I am writing in support of Lauren Conoscenti’s election to the Andover School Committee. Because I believe Lauren is the candidate who is most qualified, best prepared and most capable of serving the broad interests of the Andover public school community, I urge my fellow residents to vote for her on March 24.

Since moving to Andover in 2011, Lauren has been actively engaged in numerous school and community organizations, including the South School PTO, A Better Chance of Andover, the Andover Girl Scouts, the Andover Community Garden Association and the South Elementary School Improvement Council, to name just a few. This has enabled her to interact extensively with a wide range of Andover parents, educators and administrators, and to discuss their concerns, as well as their hopes, for Andover’s public schools. It also has allowed her to consider the views of various stakeholders in formulating ideas about the current and future direction of our district.

Prior to finalizing her decision to run for office, Lauren took time to educate herself about the role of the Andover School Committee. She attended or watched numerous School Committee meetings, asked questions of its members and developed an understanding of its functions and scope of authority. In doing so, Lauren established positive relationships with existing members of the School Committee, which will allow her to work collaboratively with them if she is elected. However, Lauren remains an independent-minded, outspoken individual who will not hesitate to challenge her colleagues and advocate for new ideas.

Finally, Lauren will bring a wealth of relevant knowledge and experience to the Andover School Committee. As a former clinician with a Ph.D. in Psychology, Lauren understands the value of respectful, empathic listening and strong communication. As an analyst at a highly respected university, she understands how to make informed, fact-based decisions. And as a member of committees relating to student wellness, she has a unique understanding about the mental and emotional needs of students and young people. Accordingly, I ask you to help elect Lauren Conoscenti to the Andover School Committee.

Al Uluatam
Canterbury St.
Andover, MA

Letter to the editor from Andover resident David Matson:

Editor, Andover Patch

I am writing in support of Amy Hafensteiner, candidate for School Committee.
As a veteran who has held numerous leadership positions, I’ve learned to be a good judge of character and leadership. It is clear that Amy is a person of character and the leader Andover needs. Her leadership and recruiting experience make her uniquely qualified to serve on Andover’s School Committee. She has led diverse teams in the accomplishment of challenging assignments, with an inclusive and respectful leadership style that produces results. If you want someone who is genuine and listens to all sides of an issue before making a decision, Amy Hafensteiner is your candidate.

Amy wasn’t asked or picked to run for school committee; she stepped forward and volunteered, not because it would be easy, but because it is the right thing to do. The progress we have made and will continue to make as a country is because of people like Amy, stepping forward to be a part of something greater than themselves. I ask the voters of Andover to remember that as Americans we’re all a part of something greater than ourselves and remember that this election is not about us, but the students of APS, our children and our future.

Please join me in voting Amy Hafensteiner for School Committee on March 24th. Andover needs leadership, not more of the same.

David Matson
South School Parent
124 Rattlesnake Hill Rd
Andover

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

This article originally appeared on the Andover Patch