Letters to the editor for Sunday, April 23
Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day is April 24
To the editor:
April 24 marks the 108th commemoration of the Armenian Genocide. Our Armenian history is well documented, save for a select few who seem to think that having a revisionist’s view of history somehow changes it. On April 24, 1915, most Armenian doctors, educators, writers, intellectuals, lawyers and community leaders were rounded up and viciously killed or forced into death marches. This massacre left more than 1.5 million Armenians dead from the actions of Young Turk Government members.
Genocide throughout the world has had a profound effect, and there is no doubt that this was a horrific incident, encased in a horrid part of history. Unspeakable crimes, committed by undeserving-to-mention individuals, and by a community and government who to this day overwhelmingly denies this history.
We must recognize the happenings of 108 years ago. Wounds heal, but scars certainly remain. The healing process truly begins when all involved take responsibility for their roles. We will never be able to change what happened, but we can all help with continuing to educate, so that history never repeats itself.
Armenian-Americans and human rights supporters must continue to teach individuals of this history. We must take time to reflect and remember all of our family members and friends whose lives were taken. There is no mistake that we have a dark cloud hanging over our heritage due to horrific actions from others. However, we also have a ray of sunshine shining through, and that is our successes and survival.
State Rep. David K. Muradian Jr., 9th Worcester District
Grafton
Westborough nonprofit really cleaned up
To the Editor:
Pride. That's the word that comes to my mind as I drive around Westborough this week. Anyone driving, biking or walking in our town the past couple of weeks has surely noticed all the yellow bags full of trash lining the roadways, and how clean our town has become. That is the result of the efforts of the 400 wonderful volunteers who participated in this year's annual Earth Day Litter Cleanup, organized by the Westborough Community Land Trust.
WCLT is an all-volunteer, nonprofit group in Westborough. As the WCLT volunteer who organized this year's effort, I feel so proud of how beautiful our town looks. I'm proud of the spirit of community shared by the people who gave their time to clean up. And I'm proud to live in a town where so many people take pride in their own values of volunteerism, personal responsibility, and environmental stewardship. Thank you to all of you!
In addition to the individuals and families who volunteered, I would like to express sincere appreciation to the many businesses and organizations who supported this effort in a variety of ways. Food for the volunteer picnic was donated by Arturo's Ristorante, Roche Bros., Stop & Shop and DoubleTree Hilton. Flower bouquets for volunteers were donated by Mugford's Flower Shoppe. The Westborough Department of Public Works donated the cleanup bags and collected the full bags. And the following clubs and businesses volunteered as a team to clean an area: Marvell Semiconductor, the Corridor 9 "HYPE 9" group, Eastern Dentists Insurance Company, Malvern Panalytical, Sika EMSEAL, Crossfit Prototype, CCR Wealth Management, DoubleTree Hilton, Westborough Civic Club, Westborough High School National Honor Society, Westborough Connects, Gurdwara Sahib Sikh Temple, Chapel of the Cross, residents of DelWebb Chauncy, Westborough Youth Lacrosse, Explorer Post 85, and 14 different Cub, Boy, and Girl Scout troops! Without these groups, this effort could not have taken place.
If you missed this year's cleanup, it's never too late to fill up a trash bag when you go for a walk. And next April, please visit WestboroughLandTrust.org to sign up for Litter Cleanup 2024!
Janet Anderson
WCLT Education Committee Chair
Westborough
An environmentral challenge to Sudbury
To the Editor:
The average American’s carbon footprint over a lifetime is 16 tons — a metric that represents the greenhouse gas emitted into our atmosphere by one individual (both indirectly and directly) through the consumption of fossil fuels. The new Cold Brook Crossing apartment complex on Route 117 comprises approximately 274 units. Assuming at least one person resides in each apartment, this occupancy would translate into an increase of approximately 4,384 tons of greenhouse gases into the community. As an 18-year-old Sudbury resident for the past 13 years, I write to urge that Sudbury lead by example in taking actionable steps to decrease fossil fuel usage and focus on clean, renewable energy sources.
While living in Sudbury, I have enjoyed the incredible outdoor spaces our community possesses, most notably Davis Field. I have also watched surrounding communities invest in turning some of their space into large-scale solar projects — one example being the 1.2-megawatt system installed at the Maynard landfill. That project includes the installation of more than 4,500 solar panels, producing enough clean electricity to power nearly 1,000 homes. It's estimated that Maynard’s annual savings from just this project is approximately $75,000 per year in electricity costs. Within the first two years, the system produced more than 2,800 Megawatt-hours of energy. This reduced 1,197 tons of carbon emissions.
I hope Sudbury can not only match, but surpass the efforts of neighboring towns and lead by example as large-scale developments continue to receive approval. I appreciate that some residents may oppose such an endeavor because solar panels are expensive, could be viewed as an eyesore, and may negatively impact the value of immediately adjacent homes. However, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory published the results of a study concluding that large-scale solar parks had no statistically significant impact on the value of Massachusetts homes located more than a mile from the parks, and those within a half-mile only experienced a 1.5% reduction in property values. Engaging in an exploratory process that considers the installation of a similar project to offset the increasing energy demands and associated greenhouse gases in our town would be exemplary. My current family, friends and neighbors, and the family that I plan to raise in Sudbury one day, will thrive in a healthier and more environmentally friendly Sudbury.
Emily Beauvais
Sudbury
This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: MetroWest Milford Daily News letters the editor for Sunday, April 23
