letters to the editor
Candidate thanks supporters, voters

Dear Marlborough voters,

First and foremost, I

would like to thank everyone who supported my bid for school committee. When I entered this race, my goal was to bring fresh ideas to the committee. I also wanted to make sure that all members of the committee were actively engaged in working towards higher quality education for all students.

That said, the election results are a strong indicator that we will be heading in the right direction. With Margaret Dwyer and Katherine Hennessy, we have the new faces and fresh ideas needed to keep the positive momentum going well into the next term.

In the end, what matters most with the school committee race is that the children of Marlborough come out ahead. Our children are the real winners in this election!

Congratulations to Kathleen Robey, Margaret Dwyer, and Katherine Hennessy on a successful positive campaign. Thanks to Joe Delano for four years of advocacy on behalf of our children. Best wishes in you new role as Ward 1 Councilor.

Regards,

Monica M. Burnett

Marlborough

Resident complains of dumping in his neighborhood

To the Editor:

Another man's home is another man's dumping ground. At least this is the case on Ridge Road in Northborough. Ridge Road has quite a few homes located on it. It also runs through some prime conservation land that is a repository of water that is used as drinking water for the Town of Northborough. Unfortunately, over the years, it has become a trash repository for those who drive on Ridge Road.

It is possible that this dumping ground phenomenon is the result of a simple lack of caring on the part of those who drive by. Could it also be due to the fact that Massachusetts residents must more and more pay per bag for their trash to be removed? As the gap between rich and poor increases, it becomes more of a temptation for the poor to dump their trash on the roadside (this is far from an excuse). At Ridge Road, this trash includes furniture, condoms, beer bottles, tires. (One year it was buckets of driveway sealer, but fortunately, the Town removed those.)

I tend to believe that both of these motivations are at work, the lack of care for the conservation land, and for the animals that survive by it; and an act of poverty.

Perhaps it is time for the cities and towns of Massachusetts to return to the old method: pickup, rather than by the bag. In addition, I think it would be helpful for towns to place signs at "hot spots" of dumping; such as near the intersection of Lyman Street and Ridge Road. The signs could read, "This is conservation land. No dumping permitted. $1,000 fine per incident." The signs might cause people, especially out-of-town workers, to think twice before they selfishly destroy another man's home.

Sincerely,

Charles Hamlin

Northborough

Resident offers thanks for Japanese exchange program

To the Editor,

Over the course of ten days from October 28 to November 6 the city of Marlborough once again hosted students from Akiruno City, Japan, as part of a student exchange program between Akiruno City and Marlborough Middle School.

As a host family we were one of six excited Marlborough families who were fortunate enough to benefit from the wonderful experiences of cultural exchange, expanded educational opportunity and new-found friendship.

During the memorable but all too brief time that 13-year-old Taku Sakurai shared our home and captured our hearts, we learned to speak some Japanese, cook Japanese meals, fish the ancient Japanese way and write in Kunji.

In turn, Kevin and David Dorsey exposed Taku for the first time to American education and taught him all about Marlborough, Halloween and winning a World Series!

We now have life-long memories and a new family member and for that we would like to thank Marlborough Mayor Nancy Stevens, Superintendent of Schools Barbara McGann, MMS Principal Dr. Sara Lane, Exchange Program veteran Don Landers and especially the lifeblood of this valuable program, MMS Health teacher Nancy Klein.

Nancy's tireless work, unwavering dedication and impassioned commitment to this Akiruno Student Exchange Program are the reason for this program's on-going success and we encourage the City of Marlborough and our school system to continue to support this invaluable program as well as Mrs. Klein without whom this program would otherwise have not reached its current level of success and longevity.

We also encourage other Marlborough families to participate in this program in future years as this life experience is the essence of education and human interaction for our children.

Kevin, David and Cindy R. Dorsey Marlborough

Woman's Club thanks donors to clothing drive

To the Editor:

The Westborough Woman's Club would like to thank Westborough and the surrounding communities for their outpouring of clothing for Abby's House. The message went out and the calls came in. Thank you to everyone for all the business attire that you shared with other women in need. By participating in this project you have "empowered" other women by your actions. The clothing drive was successful beyond our imaginations. As a result we are planning to conduct a clothing drive each fall to benefit Abby's House. The Westborough Woman's Club members are extremely pleased that so many thought of participating in our service project.

Judith Wilchynski President Westborough