When my wife and I first moved to Harvard, Lucy Wallace had been on the Board of Selectman for a few years already. I was asked to join the Historical Commission, and soon became involved in efforts to address the condition of three municipal buildings. It was during this time that I got to know Lucy better and to understand exactly what she brings to public service. And then she needed to take a break from the BOS for family reasons.
Sometimes it takes the loss of someoneʼs hard work and unique spirit to truly understand the contribution that person makes.
Fortunately, Lucy stayed with the Municipal Buildings effort, heading up a subgroup on the Council on Agingʼs needs. I saw how compassionate and pragmatic she is, how willing she is to listen carefully to others, and how well she understands that in a town like Harvard it pays to be patient and seek healthy compromise. Her years of experience on a variety of town boards enable Lucy to see the ramifications of each issue in the context of the greater whole and in balance with financial realities.
I have also had the opportunity to know Rhonda Sprague, as a fellow Historical Commissioner. I am grateful for Rhondaʼs efforts on the commission, and respect her role in local real estate and the understanding that comes with that job. Her singular perspective is likely very helpful to her clients, but could be quite confining when addressing the complexities of governing a town.
At recent Master Planning workshops, many residents appeared discouraged with the way town government currently functions. A general feeling is that there is too much division, too little civility, and a lack of cohesiveness amongst the BOS and across various committees. I certainly have witnessed this over the last three years and see it, as many of my fellow citizens do, as wasteful and discouraging. Lucyʼs cheerful optimism, intelligence and even-handedness will bring a welcome boost to the Selectmen. I’m so glad she’s running again and I hope you will join me in voting for her.
Doug Coots
Ayer Road
