Below are some statements issued over the past few weeks by candidates for town office at the election on March 31. If you are on the ballot and would like to submit a statement to the Lincoln Squirrel, please email lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Coming soon: articles on the two candidates for Board of Selectman.
Since the final ballot was published (Lincoln Squirrel, March 4), two residents have announced themselves as write-in candidates: Margit Griffith for the Parks and Recreation Commission, and Peter Georgiou for the Housing Commission.
There will be a candidate forum on Saturday, March 15 at 2 p.m. in Bemis Hall.
Ruth Hendrickson
Candidate for Water Commission (incumbent)
I’ve enjoyed my last three years on the commission. Working with Superintendent Woods and my fellow Commissioners Packy Lawler and Ion Abraham is a lot of fun. Besides, nothing starts your day like a 7:30 a.m. meeting looking out over the dawn-lit waters of Flint’s Pond. Water is a critical resource that we often take for granted here in Lincoln. My goal is to ensure a supply of abundant, clean water for the next generation.
Elena Kleifges
Sudbury candidate for Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee (incumbent)
I am announcing my candidacy for re-election to the Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee. I am currently vice chair of the school committee. What I have learned these past few years has been invaluable and I am amazed by the knowledge I have gained. I have seen firsthand the dedication and long hours so many committee members, administrators, teachers and parents have committed to our district. I want to serve another term so we can continue improving the education at L-S while at the same time preserving its uniqueness.
School committees make a number of important decisions. In our immediate future is the technology upgrade necessary to ensure L-S students have the communication, collaboration, and global skills they will need to be successful. Technology must be seamlessly integrated into the education process in order to prepare our students for the future. As a committee, we must continue to monitor special education costs and programming; I strongly believe that we should provide all students with the best instruction in the least restrictive environment, keeping our students in-district by providing appropriate programs. There is new teacher evaluation system currently being implemented and we0need to be supportive of our teachers as this unfolds0. The new0system is designed to help teachers improve their craft, to identify areas of strength and needed growth and to assess performance.
Aside from my service to the L-S School Committee, I continue to be involved elsewhere at LS. I volunteer for various LSPO activities and events, serve on the committee for StressBusters, Senior Safe Night0and I work at the school store. I serve on the board of the Sudbury Education Resource Fund (SERF) which provides grants to LSRHS. I am also co-chair of the Family Selection Committee for Metrowest Habitat for Humanity and I work part time at a social thinking clinic in Sudbury. I have lived in Sudbury for almost 12 years. Before moving here I worked as an audiologist for 20 years.
I have a daughter who graduated from L-S a few years ago and another daughter who is in 11th grade there. I truly believe in LS and the education it provides to prepare our students for the future and in the value of public education. I would like to continue being a part of the L-S School Committee, focusing on what is best for each student and the community. I understand the need to listen, respond and act on behalf of the entire community of Lincoln and Sudbury.
Patricia Mostue
Lincoln candidate for Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee (incumbent)
I have enjoyed serving for nine years on the L-S School Committee and would be honored and delighted to continue for a fourth term.
I view among the priorities of the Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee the successful approval of a capital request for an upgrade in the technology infrastructure in order to meet the needs of our 21st-century learners adequately. Other areas of focus for the L-S Committee continue to be: maintaining high standards of learning, fine teaching, and reasonable class sizes for which L-S is known. We must also continue ongoing collaboration with our K-8 feeder schools to strengthen curriculum coordination, establish appropriate models for teacher assignments and teacher loads, and implement a new teacher evaluation model and other pertinent mandates from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The committee will continue to balance educational priorities with the available fiscal resources.
Professionally, until recently I was an administrator for the Worcester Public Schools as Director of Testing and Assessment. In that position I oversaw testing programs for both regular and special education students and conducted all data analyses. I have been a member of the faculty at Framingham State University, where I most recently taught a graduate course on research and statistics. In the past, I worked as a statistician in both management and marketing consulting firms.
It has been such a pleasure working with the other five committee members in an atmosphere of trust and collaboration, representing the citizens of both Lincoln and Sudbury. I would appreciate your support of my candidacy and am available evenings at 781-259-4347 to answer any questions or discuss any recommendations you may have. I look forward to speaking with you.
Rick Rundell
Candidate for Planning Board (appointed to fill a vacancy)
My name is Rick Rundell. Thank you, neighbors and citizens of Lincoln, for electing me last year to fill the remaining term of a vacated seat on the Planning Board. I am now seeking re-election for a full three-year term, and ask you to support me with your vote.
Through my work on the Planning Board and also as a liaison member to the Historic District Commission, I have grown to appreciate the important role these boards play in the stewardship of our shared physical heritage. Between the engagement of our many involved citizens and the astute work of our predecessors, Lincoln has a powerful model for accommodating change in a thoughtful and deliberate way.
I have over 30 years of experience in the building industry, including design and planning work in sensitive and historic campus environments. I am a Massachusetts registered architect, a member of the American Institute of Architects, and hold credentials from the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) and the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program of the U.S. Green Building Council. I presently work in the software industry with Autodesk, where I help create and launch new products and businesses for the architecture, engineering and construction market. I hold a master’s degree in architecture from Harvard University and a B.A in engineering science from Dartmouth College.
My family was involved in Lincoln for many years before moving here in 2012. Our small flock of backyard chickens was inspired by our volunteer work at Codman Farm with our pre-teen son. Since our move, my wife Virginia and I have become deeply committed to the community, serving on several local volunteer boards and organizations.
I look forward to continuing to contribute in a meaningful way to our civic process. Please feel free to contact me at rrundell.lpb@verizon.net.
