8 letters support Mahon for Select Board reelection

Barbara Thornton, a Precinct 16 Town Meeting member, submitted this letter to the editor.

Diane Mahon’s extraordinary energy, her love for Arlington and her deep knowledge and understanding about the issues facing our community have been on full display both at the LWV debate in Town Hall on Thursday, March 23 and on the recorded Select Board debate on ACMI’s channel. 

Diane takes “constituent services” very seriously and I know works hard to solve individual problems a resident might have. That alone must take a tremendous amount of time and energy.

But she also is very aware of the governance issues affecting town operations, the lives of our residents and the future of the community, whether those are within the town’s control or those stemming from related agencies like the transportation issues under MBTA, like environmental and water quality issues under MWRA (Massachusetts Water Resources Authority) or issues controlled through the state government itself.

Diane Mahon is good for Arlington.

She will definitely be getting one of my two votes for Select Board. Len Diggins, who works closely with individuals, students and town groups and brings new, entrepreneurial ideas to making Arlington better, will be getting my other vote for Select Board.

Don't forget to vote.

This letter was published Tuesday, March 28, 2023.

Kate Leary of Milton Street submitted this letter to the editor.

I’m writing to share my support of Diane Mahon for reelection to the Select Board. She is the longest-serving member of the board, and I value her experience and her perspective as a lifelong Arlington resident.

I admired Diane’s contributions as a member of the School Enrollment Task Force, which was formed in 2015 to examine solutions to overcrowding problems in our public schools. I soon got to know her through our work together on the 2016 Build Arlington’s Future campaign, which encouraged residents to vote in favor of funding school-building projects that would address the overcrowding issues, ensure a high-quality vocational–technical option for Arlington students at Minuteman High School and plan for the future of Arlington High School. We worked together again in 2019 on the campaign for the Arlington High School rebuild and an operating override to maintain town services and to provide critical funding for our schools.

Diane was a tremendous asset to these campaigns because she understands the importance of reaching out to many different groups in town to hear their concerns and to have real conversations. She was committed to exploring all possible tax-relief options for seniors and to making sure these programs were accessible. She always showed up and did the work, and she was a welcoming mentor. I know we can count on her support for the upcoming operating override and the thoughtful new strategic plan for Arlington Public Schools. Our students and teachers have always been able to count on her support for education.

Diane loves Arlington and looks out for our residents — from children to seniors. Please join me in reelecting Diane Mahon on April 1.

This letter was published Saturday, March 25, 2023.

Steve DeCourcey, an Arlington Select Board member who lives on Cheswick Road, submitted this letter to the editor.

I write in support of Diane Mahon's reelection to the Select Board.

During her current term, Diane has led the board in calling for the elimination of combined sewer-overflow discharges into Alewife Brook. She has also continued to advocate for the preservation of the Mugar wetlands as conservation land.

Diane and I worked together for two years as the board's representatives on the town's Long Range Planning Committee. During that time, she provided valuable insights to the committee based on her vast experience on the board. Diane has also been a strong proponent for the distribution of Covid relief funds in a fair and equitable manner.

I hope you will join me in casting one of your two votes for Select Board for Diane Mahon.

This letter was published Friday, March 24, 2023.

Jane Morgan of Brattle Street, a member of the School Committee, submitted this letter as a private citizen.

I am writing to share my support for Diane Mahon and her campaign for another term on Arlington’s Select Board. I got to know Diane in 2016 when she served as one of the co-chairs for the Build Arlington’s Future campaign. At that time we were asking the voters to support building projects at Gibbs, Thompson, Minuteman and Arlington High School. It was my first campaign experience and it felt like I was learning to fly while the plane was in the air. Diane was a calm and encouraging force who always made our team feel supported and important. She took her leadership role seriously and worked tirelessly to remove obstacles while allowing people to lead and serve in their areas of expertise. When that campaign was successful she deflected any credit to the hard-working volunteers. 

Since 2016, I have had the opportunity to connect with Diane around issues in our schools and our shared hopes for Arlington. I have watched Diane navigate being the only woman on a five-member Select Board and its longest-serving member. In our conversations, she has always been interested in how things are going in our schools but I have never found her to be meddling or overbearing, just genuinely curious. She has sought opinions from parents of school-age children, nominated school supporters to important positions including the Town Manager hiring committee, and was a strong advocate for the 2019 operating override campaign. I am confident that she will support a likely June 2023 override as well since it is what’s right for Arlington and critical for Arlington Public School’s strategic plan implementation.

I hope that you will join me in supporting Diane Mahon with one of your two votes for the Select Board on April 1.

This letter was published Monday, March 20, 2023.

Linda Hanson of Webster Street submitted this letter to the editor.

I look forward to casting my vote to reelect Diane Mahon to the Select Board in the upcoming town election on April 1. Diane is currently the longest-serving member on the board, and the only woman. She brings with her a wealth of experience and institutional knowledge about how the board works, and it’s critical that we maintain this small amount of gender diversity that she represents.

Last year, when I was looking for support for the Fair Share Amendment, Diane showed up. She attended our Arlington canvass kickoff and supported the townwide effort to successfully advocate for the passage of this ballot question. She knows how important transportation and public education are to Arlington residents and residents across the Commonwealth.

Diane has a strong record of voting in the best interests of workers. She believes in the right of workers to organize and she respects union leadership and its role in ensuring that workers retain the compensation and benefits that allow them to carry out their jobs. The pandemic showed us just how important so many underappreciated professions are to the successful running of our town. Diane does not hesitate to voice her support for the people doing the work.

I look forward to having Diane on the Select Board for another three years so she can continue to bring her many years of experience to the board.

This letter was published Wednesday, March 15, 2023.

Kristin Anderson, a Precinct 11 Town Meeting member, submitted this letter to the editor.

Please vote to reelect Diane Mahon for Select Board.

As a longtime resident of Arlington, Diane worked first as an education activist and PTO mom, advocating for quality schools. Then she became a leader on environmental issues in East Arlington. Diane’s decadeslong work to raise awareness and find solutions to the problems of flooding has resulted in improvements to the health and well-being of residents in Arlington’s most diverse environmental-justice neighborhoods.

As a woman in a position of leadership, Diane Mahon is an inspiration and role model to many women in our community. When she was first elected to the Select Board, Diane shattered Arlington’s “Good Ol’ Boys” network. She proved to be a strong, effective and committed public servant.

Diane is a leader who keeps an eye on the budget and is a champion of the town’s seniors, retirees and other underserved voices. With hard work, selfless dedication and perseverance, Diane has become the glue that holds the town together.

Your vote for Diane Mahon is a vote for a strong, healthy and thriving community for folks of all ages and backgrounds. Your vote for her is a vote to ensure that Arlington remains resilient in the face of flooding because of climate change, for the generations to come.

This letter was published Tuesday, March 14, 2023.

Bryan French, a retired lieutenant for the Arlington Fire Department, submitted this letter to the editor.

I am writing to ask that you join me in supporting Diane Mahon for the Select Board.

I have known Diane for well over 30 years and she has proven to be a dedicated member of the select board during her distinguished, long-standing career as a member of the board. You can count on Diane; there isn’t an issue too small or too big for Diane to get involved in. Diane doesn’t hesitate to offer assistance and guidance, and work hard to resolve any issue brought to her attention.

During my 32 years as a member of the Arlington Fire Department, I have witnessed Diane stand up in support of any and all union issues across every department in town. Diane is also there for everyone who lives in Arlington. Her tireless dedication, commitment and her love for Arlington and all of us who live here is second to none.

Please join me in voting for Diane on Election Day.

This letter was published Friday, March 10, 2023.

Richard B. Gallagher of Fessenden Road submitted this letter to the editor.

I am writing to share my support for Diane Mahon, a candidate for reelection to the Arlington Select Board.

During my many years here in Arlington in several different roles, I have had the opportunity to see Diane in action from her early involvement with Town Day, supporting youth sports, assisting with a variety of community activities and probably one of her most outstanding traits, constituent services.

In 2012, I was hired as the designated town representative for the Arlington 360/Brightview project to help ensure compliance with the Symmes neighborhood pact among the town, developer and the neighborhood association. In this role, I enjoyed complete support from Diane and other members of the local government to ensure compliance with the contracts and agreements.

On another project, we were able to take an abandoned brownfield site, complete remediation and reconstruction of a new award-winning facility, with help from the Select Board and other town departments. [Gallagher was the owners' representative for Bill Armstrong for his project to demolish the old Arlington Dyeworks Building on Mystic Street.]  

Over the years, I have been before the Select Board and other town committees on projects for a number of clients and agencies and have always been quite impressed with the advocacy for the town from members like Diane Mahon.

Diane is known as a member of the Select Board that gets things done. When residents seem to run into challenges or problems at the municipal level, Diane can be counted on to intercede on their behalf and make things happen.

Diane Mahon has a proven track record of successful service to the town of Arlington, I hope you will join me in supporting her candidacy for reelection.

This letter was published Friday, March 10, 2023.