March 2009 BULLETIN - League of Women Voters of Lexington

Vol. 60, No. 6 A Publication by and for the Members of the League of Women Voters of 

Lexington March 2009 

CALENDAR OF EVENTS 

MARCH 

2 (Mon) Town Election 

Precincts, 7:00 a.m. -8:00 8:00 p.m. 

2 (Mon) LWVL Board Meeting Meeting Room, Cary Library, Library 7:30 p.m. 

4 (Wed) LWVMA Day on the Hill State House, Boston 

6 (Fri)) First Friday 

Lexington Senior Center., ., 1475 Mass. Ave, Ave 

9:30 a.m. CHANGE IN VENUE 

12 (Thurs) LWVMA Guardian of 

Democracy Event 

Marriott Copley Place 

23 (Mon) Town Meeting begins Cary Hall, 7:30 p.m. 

APRIL 

3 (Fri) First Friday 

Meeting Room, Cary Library, Library 9:30 a.m. 

6 (Mon) LWVL Board Meeting Meeting Room, Cary Library, Library 7:30 p.m. 

9 (Thurs) LWVL Senior Issues Forum Meeting Room, Cary Library, Library 9:30 a.m. 

ALL MEMBERS ARE INVITED TO ATTEND BOARD MEETINGS ON THE FIRST MONDAY 

OF THE MONTH OR ALTERNATE DATE AS LISTED IN THE CALENDAR 

______________________________________________ 

_____________________________________________________ 

___________________ 

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF LEXINGTON President Deborah Mauger 

Box 233 

Vice-Pres. Melodee Wagen 

Lexington, MA 02420-0003 

Vice-Pres. Peg Bradley 

781-861-0123 

Vice-Pres. Marjorie Daggett 

www.lwvlexington.org 

Bulletin Editor Judy Otto 

League of Women Voters, Lexington, MA 

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS 

LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 

"What a glorious morning for America” 

March 2009 BULLETIN 

PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER 

April Bulletin Deadline eadline Friday, March 13 

March 2009 

Page 1

CONTENTS PAGE 

LOCAL & REGIONAL 

President’s Letter 3 

Marge Battin and Town Government 5-6 

Senior Driving 7 

New DPW Facility 8-9 

Water Conservation 11 

Observer Corps 13-17 

STATE 

…from the Massachusetts League 20 

The League of Women Voters is a non-partisan, grassroots political 

organization open to all citizens of voting age. Formed in 

1920 and dedicated to the principles of self-government established 

by the Constitution of the United States, the League 

works to promote political responsibility through informed and 

active participation of citizens in government. 

All members receive the Lexington League Bulletin, which is 

published nine times during the year, September through June, 

with a combined November-December issue. They also receive 

The Massachusetts Voter from the LWV of Massachusetts. 

…from the National League http://www.lwv.org 

At its January meetings, the LWVUS Board of Directors decided to suspend 

publication of The National Voter magazine (paper and digital) until the 

League’s finances are healthier. Publication costs for The Voter are prohibitive in a time of budget 

cutbacks. The Board and the LWVUS staff are committed to finding new ways to deliver information 

to our members and supporters. We will keep you informed as we move forward. 

Please let Deb Mauger know if you want her to e-mail you weekly updates from National. 

debmauger@aol.com. 

Comments can be sent to Board Member Nancy Eitreim at neitreim@speakeasy.net. 

League of Women Voters, Lexington, MA March 2009 Page 2

Dear Members: 

President’s Letter 

by Deb Mauger, LWVL President 

debmauger@aol.com, (781) 861-7697 


I hope you had the opportunity to participate in Candidates Night at Clarke Middle School on 

February 12. In case you were unable to attend, LexMedia videotaped the Town-wide candidates' 

portion of the evening, and is airing the event on LPTV. You can view the schedule at 

http://lexmedia.org. Kudos to Peg Bradley, Voters Services Chair, for organizing the event and 

thanks to all the LWVL volunteers and candidates who made the evening a success. Thanks as 

well to Patti Muldoon, of the League of Women Voters of Arlington, for moderating the event. 

The LWVL again worked with Bryan Mahoney, of the Lexington Minuteman, to produce the annual 

Voters Guide. The Guide should be available in the Thursday, February 26 print edition and 

online at http://www.wickedlocal.com/lexington 

As a reminder, the annual town election is Monday, March 2. The League will be arranging rides 

to the polls. Special thanks again go to Liz Andrews who has been organizing volunteers for 

rides to the polls, as well as to all of our wonderful volunteer drivers. 

Our First Friday series presentations have been outstanding. The Council on Aging will offer the 

Friday, March 6 presentation at the Lexington Senior Center, 1475 Massachusetts Avenue. Additional 

information about this event is included in this issue. Coming up in April, we will hear from 

the Tourism Committee and in May, from the Tree Committee. 

I apologize for giving inaccurate information about the contributions of Marge Battin in establishing 

the Selectmen-Town Manager Form of Government here in Lexington. Please see my article 

in this issue that gives a brief synopsis of the history of this legislation, as well as Marge’s prominent 

leadership role leading to its successful adoption. My sincere apologies to all of those individuals 

to whom I did not give proper credit, and in particular to Marge, whose community contributions 

continue to be an inspiration to so many of us. 

This is the first time that our e-mail Bulletin recipients will not receive paper copies (no double 

efforts). Thank you for all members who sent comments and voted on how they would like to 

receive their Bulletin. Please continue to keep us informed if your preferences change. Since the 

League of Women Voters of the United States has suspended the production and distribution of 

their newsletter due to financial considerations, we are grateful for the generous support of our 

members, contributors and business sponsors that allows us to continue to produce the Bulletin. 

Ride to Polls 

If you or anyone you know needs a ride to the polls 

for the March town election, please call 781-862-6498. 

To volunteer to drive people to the polls, please call 781-862-6498 and say that you will be a Volunteer Driver. 


WENDY MANZ 

ATTORNEY 

wendy_manz@manzlaw.com 

5 Militia Drive Voice 781-863- 

1611 

Lexington, MA 02421 Fax: 781-863-1616 

Family Law Contracts Bankruptcy 

MATTHEW R. FOTI 

LANDSCAPE & TREE SERVICE. INC. 

MASS. CERTIFIED ARBORIST 

781-861-0505 


A Singular Accomplishment: Marge Battin and 

the Selectmen-Town Manager Form of Government in 

Lexington 

As a Midwestern transplant to Massachusetts in the eearly 

80s, I found represent ta- 

tive Town Meeting ing and the Selectmen 

Selectmen-Town Manager form to be a new experience, rience, 

and an overwhelmingly positive one. Here was democracy in aaction 

tion where it had 

the most impact on life day to day. I was iimpressed 

with the commitment and 

knowledge of our elected officials as well as with the pr professional sional expertise of our town em- e 

ployees. Having worked in business oper operations and financial cial management, I knew how impor- impo 

tant it was to have experienced rienced individuals who could ma manage the complexities plexities of offering local 

services within a municipal pal budget. It was not until recen recently ly that I learned how our form of gov- go 

ernment came about, and how LWVL me member ber Marge Battin played a leadership role in all aspects a 

of the success of this form of governa governance. 

Lexington has had a long and distinguished history of innovation and progress in the organization 

of local government. It adopted representative town meeting in 1929 and was an early innov innova- innov 

tor or adopter in its organization of services and budgeting 

budgeting. . In the late 40’s and early 50’s, Town 

Meeting authorized a committee to prepare and submit legislation for establishing a Selectmen- 

Town Manager Plan. The plan, presented tto 

the 1955 Annual Town Meeting, was defeated. 

From 1963-66, a committee of the e Town Meeting Members Association conducted an analysis of 

Lexington’s organization and operation. This committee was co co-chaired chaired by Marge Battin and 

Homer Hagedorn, and included members Alan Adams, Norman Richards and Harold Stevens. 

Working with Town employees, ployees, elected officials and citizens, the committee studied current and 

potential opportunities for improving local governance. The committee presented their report on 

the Structure of Government to the 1966 Annual Town Meeting. 

In response to the report’s eport’s findings, the 1966 Annual Town Meeting voted to create a five- 

member, Moderator-appointed Structure tructure of Town Govern Government ment Committee. Bob Kent, the Mod- M 

erator at the time, appointed Marge Battin as chair of the committee. Other members of the 

original committee included Alan Adams, Arthur Bryson, Harriet Relman (LWLV Member), and 

Stephen phen Russian. At issue was not a review of individuals, but an analysis of the organization 

and division of responsibilities of our government officials. The Town was gro growing wing larger with 

expanded panded services creating increased complexity in all areas of operation. Demand was growing 

for data acquisition and reporting. Citizens were engaged in administrative rather than policy- 

making or advisory activities. Institutional me memory mory was lacking between boards and commit- commi 

tees, and many areas of responsibility were not clearly defined. And, significantly, Town Meeting 

plans were not always implemented successfully since it was unclear who was responsible for 

both the management and reporting on various projects and initiatives. What once worked for a 

small town in earlier times was not working as well as times changed. 

Based on their analyses of governance issues, the Committee recommended a Selectmen 

Selectmen-Town 

Selectmen 

Manager Plan for Lexington. on. This plan changed the administration of the Town to a centralized 

full-time time professional, a Town Manager, with clearly defined duties. The Town Manager would be 

appointed by and report to the Selectmen. The Selectmen would focus on policy, rather th than th 

administration. 

In 1968, the Committee sent its report and proposed legislation to establ establish ish the Selectmen-Town 

Selectmen 

Manager form of government overnment to the Lexington citizens. At the subsequent 1968 Annual Town 

Meeting, the proposed legislation was approved and the Massachusetts Legislature egislature also approved 

Continued on next page 

League of Women Voters, Lexington, MA 

Town Manager Form of Government in 

by Deb Mauger 


Page 5

Continued from previous page 

the proposed legislation. The final step in the process was putting the issue before the voters as 

a ballot question. A majority vote was needed to enact the legislation. On the Annual Town 

Election ballot for March 3, 1969, the following question appeared: 

Shall an act passed by the General Court in the year nineteen hundred and sixty-eight, 

entitled “An Act establishing a Selectmen-Town Manager form of government in the Town 

of Lexington” be accepted? 

Ms. Battin continued to chair the Structure of Town Government Committee, but the membership 

changed. Frederick Frick and Lotte Scharfman (former LWVL President) now joined Alan Adams 

and Stephen Russian. Due to the Committee's outreach and education efforts, the ballot question 

passed in 1969 the first time it was presented to the citizens. This was a tremendous accomplishment 

and a first in Massachusetts. 

To date, we continue to benefit from the long-term vision and wise judgment of Ms. Battin and 

her colleagues. As Bob Kent, former Moderator and Selectman said to me, “She did the job. 

She was on top of the committee.” 

As you may recall, I celebrated Marge's final Town Meeting as Town Moderator in previous letters 

in the Bulletin. She had served as Lexington's Town Moderator from 1987-2009 and as our first 

woman in that elected position. At the time, without checking my facts, I incorrectly credited her 

work with the LWVL as the platform for the Selectmen-Town Manager legislation. It has been a 

real pleasure to learn what really happened. And while Ms. Battin has been a long-term, active 

and important LWVL member, it was through her leadership in non-League public service that 

she achieved the singular accomplishment of the adoption of the Selectmen-Town Manager form 

of government for Lexington. 

LWVL Questions Candidates by Pat Costello 

With only one town-wide contest, the League of Women Voters Candidates 

Night on February 12 had a small turnout. With new people running 

for Town Meeting Member slots, some of the precinct meetings had better attendance. 

Lexington League President Deb Mauger welcomed the audience and introduced the moderator, 

Patti Muldoon, former president of the League in Arlington and current Administration of Justice 

specialist for the League of Women Voters of Massachusetts. 

Candidates for uncontested town-wide offices in the March 2 election began the evening with 

their own remarks, followed by a question from the League. Deb Brown, candidate for Town 

Moderator, was asked to speak to the importance of citizen involvement in local government. 

Sole Selectman candidate, incumbent Peter Kelley, and the two unopposed candidates for Planning 

Board, Richard Canale and Greg Zurlo, were asked "Given the challenging economic times, 

what do you see as the major issues confronting Lexington and what can you do about them?" 

Each candidate answered questions from the audience before the candidates for School Committee 

took the stage. Patrick Mehr, Jessie Steigerwald, and Mary Ann Stewart each answered several 

questions from the audience. 

Learn more: http://www.wickedlocal.com/lexington/archive/x1820648010/Candidates-seek-to-differentiatethemselves-at-election-event 


Forum on Safe Driving for Seniors 

When should a senior stop driving? A forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Lexington 

will look at medical, social, and legal implications for older drivers, their families, and 

caregivers Thursday morning, April 9. 

Speakers will include Dr. Elizabeth Dugan, associate professor in Geriatric Medicine at the University 

of Massachusetts and author of The Driving Dilemma;, Alzheimer specialist Charlie Zoeller; 

Dr. Bryan Reimer, researcher at MIT’s AgeLab; Charlotte Rodgers, Director of Lexington’s 

Human Services Department; and Christina DeMambro, Family Detective, Lexington Police Department. 

Refreshments will be available at 9:30 a.m. and presentations will begin at 9:45 in the Community 

Meeting Room on the lower level of Cary Memorial Library, 1874 Massachusetts Avenue. 

The library is easily accessible by Lexpress and from the Minuteman Bikeway. For more information 

about this Senior Issues Forum, contact Barbara Ciampa at 781-861-8433. To carpool call 

the League at 781-861-0123. All League forums are open to the public at no charge. 

CLC Annual Meeting 

Citizens for Lexington Conservation will hold its annual meeting Tuesday, March 31 

at 7:30 pm in Cary Hall. The evening will feature a presentation on Lexington’s 

new Watershed Stewardship Program, a volunteer-based effort to improve the 

health of the town’s watersheds. The presentation will provide an overview of the 

town’s watersheds and their relationship to the larger regional watersheds in Lexington’s 

neighboring communities, as well as an explanation of the program’s goals 

and opportunities for volunteers to get involved. 

Emily Schadler, the town’s Conservation Assistant, will lead the presentation. Dave Pavlik of the 

Engineering Division and Stew Kennedy of the Conservation Commission will assist. 

The evening will begin with a short business meeting to elect CLC officers for the coming year. 

Light refreshments will be served. The public is cordially invited to attend. 

http://www.lexingtonma.gov/conservation/watersheds.cfm 

CRICKET’S FLORIST BENEFITS LEAGUE 

Through their Neighbor-to-Neighbor program, Cricket’s Florist at 229 Massachusetts Avenue will 

donate $5.00 to the League whenever they receive an order where the customer mentions the program 

and the League. Cricket’s has been a long-time supporter of the League through their ads in 

the bulletin and this goes even further in their effort to give back to the community. 


DPW facility to achieve LEED silver status 

by Ingrid Klimoff 

There will not be a putting 

green on the roof of the new 

Department of Public Works 

facility, but DPW Director Bill 

Hadley is justifiably pleased 

with its many unique features. 

He and the architect previewed 

the facility at the League of 

Women Voters February First 

Friday. The new building is on 

track to open for business this 

May or June. 

The Department of Public 

Works has people working or 

on call 24 hours a day, seven Long-time LWVL member Jere Frick chats with 

days a week, 365 days a year. DPW Director Bill Hadley. 

Our drinking water, our streets, 

our parks and playgrounds are 

provided and maintained by the DPW. Soon public works administration, engineering, operations, and public 

facilities will operate from one location, not several. This will make supervision and communication more efficient. 

http://www.lexingtonma.gov/DPW/departmentofpublicworks.cfm 

Michael Lawrence of HKT Architects, Inc. gave a detailed description of the design and construction of the new 

building, designed with a focus on sustainability. The building will be the first DPW building in Massachusetts to 

achieve a LEED silver status. There are four LEED levels: bronze, silver, gold, and platinum. 

LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) is a benchmarking tool used to create environmentally 

responsible projects that promote healthy places to live and work. LEED has six sections: 

sustainable site planning, safeguarding water and water efficiency, energy efficiency and renewable 

energy, conservation of materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation 

and design process. LEED criteria reduce the impact on natural resources, minimize strain 

on local infrastructure, promote long-term economic savings, and enhance occupant comfort and 

health. http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=222 

The building design also meets the requirements of Lexington’s 2008 storm water management bylaw. These 

requirements help control detrimental effects of new development and encourage better site design. 

The building meets many sustainability requirements as defined by United States Green Building Council 

(http://www.usgbc.org): traffic flow is designed to minimize impact on neighbors, and to be smooth, safe, and 

efficient; the building is situated to get full benefit of the southern sunlight; a number of design details work to 

protect the North Lexington Brook, the mature trees, and the green area on Bedford St., which used 




to be part of the town tree nursery. Invasive plants have been removed and replaced by native plants. There is 

access from the bicycle path, with bicycle storage and changing rooms for employees. One section of the roof 

will have a garden. This green roof has multiple functions, including storm water management, energy efficiency, 

and improvement of air quality). Rainwater will be collected from the roof and used to wash vehicles, fill 

street sweepers, and put in tanker trucks for other uses. 

The building has high insulation values (greater than MA code), windows that can be opened and closed, and 

clerestory windows that let in a great deal of light. The vehicle staging area has natural ventilation and some 

radiant heating. Building materials (carpeting, adhesives, composite wood, paint, and sealants) are all low 

emitting materials. Lighting, heating, and ventilation are carefully controlled for comfort and efficiency. 

A facility with clean air, sunlight, and working windows will help contribute to a healthy, productive, and efficient 

workplace. 

http://www.lexingtonma.gov/DPW/newfacilityinfo.cfm 


Please support our sponsors 


Water Conservation Redux 

by Judy Otto 

Lexington’s new DPW facility will store roof runoff and use that water to wash 

their vehicles and fill the street sweepers. More roof runoff will feed a rain 

garden which can be accessed from the bike path. Homeowners need to adopt 

these practices and more, before we experience a water shortage. 

When I was a child, my mother did the laundry in an old wringer type washing 

machine and hung the clothes out to dry, even in winter. She continued to 

hang clothes when dryers were available, but did take advantage of an innovation on the “new” 

washers: a suds saver. A setting on the dial allowed her to pump greywater from the stoppered 

utility sink instead of drawing clean water from the faucet. The greywater was the rinse water output 

from the prior load of laundry, the whites. Mom reused that water, with additional soap, to 

wash the darks. This is what people from the depression era did: save things, recycle things. 

In those days, few people had showers in their bathrooms, at least where I lived, so we all took 

baths. Again, greywater was put to use. The youngest children were bathed first, but the tub was 

not drained. My father added a bit of hot water and then took his bath. Now, when my granddaughter 

stays with me, I do the same. When my bath is finished, we scoop the water into a 

bucket and use that to flush the toilet. 

I think my parents had the right idea. Abundance and wealth have eradicated many of these practical 

ideas. But we can no longer afford to take advantage of our natural resources, even though 

we here in the Northeast are not immediately threatened by water shortages. If you’ve read the 

Bulletin’s previous articles on water conservation, you’ve read that Brockton now has to desalinate 

ocean water, and that climate change already threatens our fresh water resources. 

I write this while in Savannah, Georgia, where our group toured one of the 1800s historic houses. In the 

ment was a 5,000-gallon cistern, with feeders into the laundry room on the right and the bath room on the left. 

Cisterns are being installed in some homes and yards in Atlanta, where the 

current water shortage is making people wish they’d prepared long ago. 

When are we going to urge builders in our town to install cisterns? 

When are we going to stop using clean water to flush toilets, thereby 

flushing away billions of gallons of precious clean water? When 

are we going to start plumbing our homes with greywater systems 

to flush toilets and water lawns? Personally, I’d rather see that 

happen than what’s happening in Orange Country, California, where 

a nearly half-billion-dollar reclamation plant turns 70 million gallons 

of treated sewage into drinking water every day. 

Learn more: http://waterefficiency.net/january-february-2009/toilet-to-tap.aspx 

ttp://www.wateruseitwisely.com/links-and-resources/index.php#Greywater 

http://www.greywaterguerrillas.com/index.html 


Shop 

at 

home! 


Observer Corps by Marjorie Daggett, LWVL Board 

What Does the Observer Corps Do? 

The League Observers serve as verifiers of the Open Meeting Law and protectors of 

government transparency. On a more mundane and specific level, the League Observers 

go to meetings and report on them to the membership. Hopefully, the reports help members 

and citizens know more about what is going on in local government, how the boards and 

commissions are addressing problems, and what the issues are for each specific board. In a way, 

the observers are educating citizens about the issues currently affecting their community, thus 

connecting citizens to their government. 

The observers are there to listen and summarize the gist of what is being said -- in effect, to interpret 

what is going on. The reports often give more detail than accounts in the newspaper, such 

as who voted on what motion, etc. Observers are not participants, but through their work and 

knowledge gained, they may influence what happens later in the community. 

The LWVL would like more observers to share coverage of the Board of Selectmen (meeting Mondays), 

the School Committee (meeting Wednesdays) and the Planning Board (meeting Wednesdays), 

and cover the Conservation Commission (meeting Tuesdays). If you happen to be attending 

a meeting of one of these boards, please contact Marge Daggett at 781-862-1651 or 

mmdaggett@verizon.net to be an observer for a day. 

Selectmen by Marjorie Daggett, Observer 

http://www.lexingtonma.gov/Selectmen/Selecmen%20Office%20Hours.pdf 

Jan. 26, 2009 Present: Chair Norman Cohen, George Burnell, Peter Kelley, Jeanne Krieger, 

Hank Manz. 

Selectmen’s Concerns: Mr. Manz noted that the Martin Luther King Day march had gone as 

planned, despite the snow. He reported that he thought the sidewalk clearing was, on the whole, 

good, but he showed slides of sidewalks blocked by piles of snow heaped there when driveways 

were cleared. Mr. Manz also noted that the Lexington Symphony had conducted outreach to thirdgraders 

since it is in third grade that pupils may choose to start musical instrument instruction. 

Ms. Krieger said she was disappointed that Hanscom, even with town support, was not among the 

six finalists chosen for the Cybercommand. 

Town Manager’s Report 

Carl Valente, the Town Manager, stated that in the Governor’s cost cutting, Lexington would lose 

about $186,000 in local aid in FY09. Owing to Lexington’s own cost cutting, the town would not 

suffer from that reduction in aid. 

The Selectmen voted unanimously on the motion to lay out Pitcairn Place and Wisteria Lane as 

public ways, subject to a vote by Town Meeting. Pitcairn Place is not up to town standards but the 

residents will undertake betterments to bring it up to those standards. 




State Legislators Visit 

Three of Lexington’s four legislators attended to discuss state and local finances. Representative 

Jay Kaufman spoke, on the positive side, of the possibility of fixing systemic problems in the fiscal 

crisis rather than treating the symptoms. On the negative side, the sorry state of state finances 

will cause serious cuts in services, though no cuts in Chapter 70 (schools) in the FY10 budget. He 

said that now perhaps the Legislature will support the Municipal Relief Partnership. 

Senator Kenneth Donnelly told of the pension bill he filed in order that in 2010 towns need only pay 

90% of the required funding schedule. He has also filed a bill to eliminate double pensions and 

another concerned with dual poles. He supports the increases in the meals tax. 

Senator Susan Fargo reiterated that the news was grim but that this is an opportunity to do some 

of the things that are needed to help cities and towns. 

Mr. Burnell was concerned about the legislation on the telephone poles, which is so complex that 

the work cannot be done in 90 days due to the cables on the poles. He wants the legislators to 

look at the problem and not just file legislation. He thinks that the biggest thing that any legislation 

can do is bring procedures up-to-date; the towns are in a bind as they have no authority to 

raise revenue. The three legislators all think that the Legislature should give the towns such authority. 

Mr. Kelley noted that the Mass. Municipal Association (MMA) has developed a list of possible revenue 

enhancements for the towns that the Legislature could enact. He hoped that the MMA would 

post such a list on the web and track the likelihood of and/or actual passage of each item. Mr. 

Kaufman liked the idea and said he would follow up. 

Mr. Cohen emphasized that adding procurement reform, also on the MMA list, to the bidding 

process would make “shovel ready” easier to accomplish. Mr. Kaufman ended by encouraging the 

Selectmen to ask, even insist, that local aid in FY10 be delivered early. 

Planning Board Visit 

Charles Hornig, chair of the Planning Board, outlined the articles on the Warrant related to Hartwell 

Avenue zoning. Article 44 creates a site plan review process in CM districts; removes special permits 

for certain things in CM districts; removes the need for special permits in the national flood 

zone (requirements, though, must be met); and relaxes dimensional controls. All these changes 

would mean there would be more development than there is now. Article 45 would create a Traffic 

Management Overlay (TMO) District. The Planning Board will develop a single traffic mitigation 

plan for the district, and each developer would pay into a mitigation fund. Article 46 creates the 

boundaries of the TMO district. Article 9 is an appropriation for consulting services for the Planning 

Board. 

At the end of Mr. Hornig’s report, a resident of 149 Wood Street reminded the boards of the Wood 

Street traffic report by the Police Dept. Mr. Hornig supports the TMO district and wants to find a 

balance between the needs of residents and businesses of the area. 


Finance 

Mr. Valente reported that the FY10 budget is out of balance by $2.2 million. 

The municipal side must reduce its budget by $386,000. This will be accomplished 

by adjusting energy costs, reducing town-wide categories, adjusting 

fees, and making specific reductions in department budgets. 



Maria Constantinides resigned from the Water and Sewer Abatement Board, and Howard Vogel was 

appointed to the Recreation Committee. 

The Selectmen signed the FY10 Warrant for the 2009 Town Meeting. 

Feb. 9, 2009 Present: Chair Norman Cohen, George Burnell, Peter Kelley, Jeanne Krieger, Hank 

Manz 

Local thermal imaging company BAE presented a check for $17,000 to Fire Chief Middlemiss for a 

firefighters’ accountability system. The check was made out to MA Metro Fire Association, which is 

an association of fire departments in the Boston area within Rte. 128, formed to control mutual aid 

and to improve overall effectiveness of the fire services. 

Selectmen’s Concerns 

Chairman Cohen commended the Lexington Symphony for its wonderful concert and its lovely soloist, 

Janna Baty, whom many remembered from her days at Fiske, Diamond, and the High School. 

Town Manager’s Report 

Bill Hadley, DPW Director, reported that the DPW has had to cope 

with 55” of snow this winter and has expended $850,000 of its snow 

removal budget. There have been 20 water main breaks caused by 

the deepening frost putting pressure on the pipes. Carl Valente, the 

Town Manager, stated that there will be a bond issue next month. 

Moody’s gave Lexington an AAA rating and commented positively on 

the town’s progress in building reserves. 

Friends of Arlington’s Great Meadow 

John Bartenstein, member of the steering committee of the Friends of Arlington’s Great Meadow, 

gave a short report on their 2008 year, during which a spring fire burned seven acres of the meadow. 

This has led to productive consultations with the fire department for ways to allow emergency 

equipment adequate access. The steering committee has been working with Massachusetts Audubon 

Society to study the future of the grassland and habitat restoration. Lexington and Arlington 

have been cooperating on this. To join the steering committee, visit the website: 

www.FoAGM.org and contact John Bartenstein. 

Tourism Committee 

Dawn McKenna of the Tourism Committee introduced Connie Morris and Deb Belanger, executive 

director of the Greater Merrimack Valley Tourism Council. Ms. Belanger gave an overview of tourism 

in the state and this area. Tourism is the state’s third largest business, generating $15 billion 

for the state, with a growing market share from international tourists. Lexington and Concord are 

in the top four of the state’s destinations. Of the people coming to this region, 34% are from Massachusetts, 

followed by New York, Connecticut and New Hampshire. Visitors come to the region to 

visit relatives, for recreation, and to visit sites of historic and cultural interest. The latter group 

tends to be more affluent, and their touring and spending tends to be more recession proof. About 

44% of the tourists stay in hotels, motels, or inns; most arrive by car. Part of the money from the 

hotel tax goes to fund these regional tourism councils. Ms. Belanger commended Lexington on the 

Liberty Ride, which had a 20% increase last year. Ms. McKenna commended the many local people 




and the National Park Service for all that they had done to offer more to the tourists to encourage 

them to stay longer and spend more. She observed that people are looking for added value due to 

the recession. 

Ms. McKenna also reported on the Battle Green Master Planning Process. The group has held one 

meeting and developed the general outlines of a master plan process, suggested issues, and set up 

a possible timeline. The committee is also planning a reunion with Lexington’s French sister city, 

Antony, which is just south of Paris. The Selectmen endorsed the report on the plan. 

Department of Public Works 

Robert Beaudoin, Superintendent of Environmental Services, reported on solid waste and recycling 

for the first half of FY09. The trash tonnage is down 2% from the same period in FY08, and the 

amount recycled is down 2.5% for the same period. He said that the decline is undoubtedly due to 

the recession and to the reduction in the size of the newspapers. One recycling bright spot, he 

said, is that our paper goes to a manufacturer in Worcester; thus is not affected by the drop on 

world markets for used paper. There is nothing in the JRM vendor contract relating to the value of 

any of the recyclables. 

Historical Commission 

Marilyn Fenollosa of the Historical Commission asked for the Selectmen’s approval for a Certified 

Local Government Application under the National Preservation Act. This program sets up benefits 

and recognition for towns with good historic preservation. If certified, she said, Lexington might 

receive funding from the Historic Preservation Fund to apply to enhancing historic preservation infrastructure. 

(The funds come from federal oil and gas leases.) Both the Historical Commission and 

the Historic Districts Commission support this; the Selectmen approved. 

Finance 

Robert Addelson, the Assistant Town Manager for Finance, gave the Quarterly Exceptions Report. 

He examined the status of the General Fund at this halfway mark, assuming that about half the 

budgeted amounts have been spent. Any anomalies are examined further, but no budget problems 

have been noted with the possible exception of snow removal. Revenue collections from the property 

tax are on target as of Dec. 31, and the local receipts were greater in 2008 than in 2007. The 

motor vehicle excise has declined this calendar year and will be watched. In 2008, there were 10 

fewer commercial building permits but an increase in permit revenue. Residential building permits 

increased in number and in revenue. New growth for FY10 is estimated to be $1.9 million, as opposed 

to $3.3 million in FY09. 

The Town Manager reported that the town budget had previously been out of balance by about 

$2.2 million, with a $385,000 deficit on the municipal side (all the town functions except schools). 

As of this date, item adjustments, fee increases, and a downward revision by Blue Cross in healthcare 

expenses have allowed the municipal budget to be brought into balance. 

There has been a need to increase the number of constables since the town had 

only one. Three people had been found who desired to serve, but all were already 

town employees. In such a case, an exemption had to be approved by the 

Selectmen who approved the exemption unanimously. 

Other 

The Selectmen reappointed Susan Cusack to the Commission on Disability. 


School Committee by Anne Frymer, Observer 

http://ci.lexington.ma.us/schools.htm 

http://lps.lexingtonma.org/admin/school_committee.html 

2/10/09 Present: Supt. Paul Ash; SC members Helen Cohen, Margaret Coppe, Rod Cole, Tom 

Diaz, Ravi Sakhuja; Student Rep. Gloria Park. Location: Cary Hall Auditorium, 7:30 p.m. 

Dr. Ash congratulated the LHS National Ocean Science Bowl Team for its recent win of the state 

championship. This team will represent Massachusetts at the Nationals in Washington D.C. April 

26-28. The team members are seniors Chris Teng, Emilie Yang, Josh Leung, Noah Paulson, and 

junior Christine Hseih. 

Dr. Ash also gave an update of the Fiske redistricting plan. Dr. Ash has proposed that dozens of 

students living in the Avalon Bay apartment community, off Concord Avenue, be redistricted from 

Fiske to Bridge School next September. Dr. Ash stated he will not make a final decision on his 

proposal until he has received kindergarten applications in March for the Fiske district. These will 

provide him with firm numbers to work with. 

The central discussion item for the evening was the status of the Full Day Kindergarten (FDK) program. 

Currently there is a FDK program in each of the six elementary schools, plus a half-day program 

at Bowman. In his introductory remarks Dr. Ash suggested that for next September he 

would like to eliminate the half-day kindergarten (HDK) class, currently with 12 students, in favor 

of a system-wide FDK. Next year’s FDK tuition would be increased by $50, to total $1,075 per 

child. 

Asst. Supt. Carol Pilarski made a detailed presentation in support of the FDK program, including a 

graph comparing phoneme recognition levels of the current FDK students with their half-day kindergarten 

counterparts from a year ago. The current students have an overall score 11 percent 

better than last year’s students. Some of that improvement is the result of earlier access by reading 

and speech specialists to students who need extra support. 

Following Ms. Pilarski’s remarks, the public was given 30 minutes to speak. The chair of the Town 

Meeting Member’s Association (TMMA), Edith Sandy, questioned the right of the Lexington Public 

Schools to eliminate the tuition-free HDK. 

Several parents of current and next year’s kindergarten students spoke. Common concerns were 

about the length of FDK (tired children), long bus rides, shortened parent time with children, and 

the inequity of programs between FDK and HDK. Some expressed frustration that children could 

not attend their local elementary school for a HDK program. A traditional HDK class is dismissed at 

12:15 p.m. and FDK at 3:15 p.m. 

The School Committee will vote on the status of FDK and HDK for the next school year at its February 

24 meeting. 


Planning Board by Judy Otto, Observer 

http://ci.lexington.ma.us/Planning/PlanningDept.htm 

There has been no League observer at Planning Board meetings in recent weeks, but agendas indicate that the 

Board and staff have been focusing on the Hartwell Avenue area study and preparing related articles for 

the Annual Town Meeting, which starts on March 23. 

The Boston Globe covered those issues in this report: 

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2009/02/01/double_edged_sword_to_new_development/ 

League of Women Voters Celebrates 89 th Birthday 

Washington, DC– The League of Women Voters celebrated its 89th birthday on February 14. We 

celebrate this year with a strong commitment to build on the civic energy generated during the 

2008 election season by continuing our 89-year history of fostering meaningful citizen participation 

in our government processes and vigorous public dialogue about public policy issues. 

“For nearly nine decades, the League has worked to ensure our democracy is transparent, effective, 

and truly representative,” said national League president Mary G. Wilson. “Those challenges 

are as real today as they were for our suffragist foremothers who struggled for their right to vote 

so many years ago. 

“On the eve of our 89 th birthday, the League’s trusted legacy and grassroots strength remains as 

vital to a healthy and transparent government as it did in our infancy. 

“Now is the time for Americans to come together and tackle the tough challenges we all face. We 

are so proud that in over 850 communities nationwide, the League of Women Voters remains THE 

trusted place for citizens to discuss the issues, ask the difficult questions, and demand accountability 

from their government. 

“We take seriously our legacy of providing trustworthy and balanced resources to citizens and lawmakers. 

During the first 89 years, the League of Women Voters truly has left its footprint on American 

history, and our democracy is stronger because of it. We look 

forward to continuing to strengthen our representative democracy 

over the next 89 years.” 

VOTE MARCH 2 

IN LEXINGTON 



…from the Massachusetts League 

Day on the Hill 

Annual Lobby Day 

Aiming for Transparency: 

Restoring the Public's Trust 

http://www.lwvma.org 

Wednesday March 4, 2009 Statehouse Boston, MA 

9:00 a.m. Registration & Reception – Nurses’ Hall 

Come meet your legislators and join us for a light breakfast. 

10:00 – 12:30 Program – Gardner Auditorium 

Hear featured speakers on the issues. 

12:30 – Lobby Your Legislators 

Experts Scheduled to appear on the panel: 

Janet Domenitz, Executive Director, MassPirg 

William R. Keating, Norfolk District Attorney 

Judith C. Meredith, Founder and Executive Director, The Public Policy Institute 

and author, "Lobbying on a Shoestring" 

Pam Wilmot, Executive Director, Common Cause 

Contact your League’s leaders for information on lobbying your legislators. 

A panel discussion on transparency within our Commonwealth, with experts in the fields of regulation, legislation, 

budget, and public access to information, will define the process and problems with transparency and 

how the League and its members can most effectively address those problems. Specialists will discuss legislative 

priorities in the 2009-2010 session. After the discussion members will have the opportunity to lobby 

their Legislators on League priorities. 

Hate driving in Boston's traffic? 

Well you don't have to. 

The State Office will pay for a FILL-A-BUS-TER, AGAIN! 

Contact the State Office (617) 523-2999 or 

e-mail lwvma@lwvma.org 


Special thanks to Lilah Groisser for her wisdom, graciousness, and 

proofreading skills for this issue of the Bulletin. 

We’re always looking for members to help with the Bulletin, especially 

with proofing. If you can do this even once, please contact Editor 

otto.judy@gmail.com 

Once a year in the fall, we need help with renewing ads for the Bulletin. 

Please contact Pat Costello at 781-862-6435 or patcostello@rcn.com to offer 

help with ads. 


LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF LEXINGTON 

BOX 233 

LEXINGTON, MA 02420-0003 

Address Service Requested 

NONPROFIT ORG 

March 2 Town Election 

March 9 First Friday 

March 23 Town Meeting begins 

April 9 LWVL Senior Issues Forum 

U.S.POSTAGE 

PAID 

BOSTON, MA 

PERMIT No.57430 

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March 2009 BULLETIN - League of Women Voters of Lexington

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