Letters to the Editor

LETTER: Rainey Thanks Voters, Vows to Stay Involved

Hunters Ridge Road resident Cynthia Rainey, who narrowly lost out on winning a seat on the Concord School Committee in the recent town election, says she'll 'do everything in my power to work for the best schools that we can.'

To the Citizens of Concord, I am writing to thank the Concord voters for their support in the School Committee race. It was an honor to run in our wonderful community, and what an incredible campaign and election it was. I thank all of the citizens who turned out in spite of the bad weather. During the campaign I was given many gifts, one of the most valuable to me personally was the support of my family, my husband and two sons who worked alongside me the whole way and were a daily source of inspiration and support. I was lucky enough to have a small but vigorous organization that grew and strengthened every day. Those volunteers daily demonstrated a level of support and dedication that was truly humbling and I can’t thank them enough. I …

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Boynton and Snook Win School Committee Seats in Snowy Election

Despite wintry weather, Concord’s March 19 election saw the highest turnout for an annual Town Election since 2006

First the threat of snow postponed MCAS testing and trash pickup, and then the snow itself stopped school and postponed the opening of town offices. But the wintry mix that persisted throughout the day could not stop Concord’s annual Town Election. The snow may have affected voter turnout, and certainly it led to some creative campaigning in the form of sign-holding snowman that popped up around town. Weather, however, was but a twist in the day’s main plotline: The contested race for two seats on the School Committee. In the end, Johanna Boynton and Kathleen Snook edged out Lisa Bergen and Cynthia Rainey. The race was close, with more than 6,000 ballots cast and all four candidates separated by fewer than 400 votes. Check back with …

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Boynton, Snook Elected to Concord School Committee

Johanna Boynton and Kathi Snook won the four-woman race for two seats on the Concord School Committee.

The preliminary results are in, and they say Johanna Boynton and Kathi Snook have narrowly won seats on the Concord School Committee. According to preliminary numbers posted to the town website—numbers which Town Clerk Anita Tekle said could change slightly but not so much as to affect the outcome—Boynton and Snook both earned more votes than Lisa Bergen and Cynthia Rainey, the other candidates in the race. Snook was the top vote-getter, according to the preliminary results, tallying 1,638 votes. Boyton was second with 1,565; Bergen earned 1,444 and Rainey 1,287. According to Tekle, there was about a 24 percent voter turnout, the highest for an annual Town Election since 2006.   Check back tomorrow morning for more about Concord’s annual …

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LETTER: Supporting Bergen and Rainey for Concord School Committee

Sudbury Road resident Anne Hayden writes that Lisa Bergen and Cynthia Rainey 'would encourage the School Committee to open up the process by which citizens participate at committee meetings.'

To the Editor, I support Lisa Bergen and Cynthia Rainey for School Committee because they are ready to work on the issues that are before our schools. Both will continue to actively support the CCHS Building Committee to ensure that we have the best new high school that we can afford. They will also work to resolve the school transportation problem by encouraging the committee to pull together all stakeholders and develop a comprehensive five year plan to determine not only where our buses will be next year but what our school transportation system will look like in the future. Lisa and Cynthia would encourage the School Committee to open up the process by which citizens participate at committee meetings. Lisa did this successfully when …

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Mr Smith

10:08 pm on Thursday, March 14, 2013

John, the mistake was rectified. The School and Building Committees worked with the School Administration to make the necessary adjustments as requested by the MSBA. The MSBA was satisfied and reinstated funding. Lisa Bergen's issue was that she didn't get the response that SHE was looking for. As I recall, a petition was floated last fall requesting that the MSBA reinstate funding. There were …   more ›

LETTER: Rainey Would Hit the Ground Running with Concord School Committee

Hayward Mill Road resident Abraham Fisher writes in support of Cynthia Rainey as a candidate for Concord School Committee.

To the Editor, It is with great pleasure that I endorse Cynthia Rainey for School Committee. She is intelligent, good-humored, and open-minded. Her academic and professional backgrounds give her a broad platform from which she can address different issues. She is committed to continue the extraordinarily high quality education we have come to expect in Concord.  Over the past year, Cynthia has become increasingly informed and involved in the process of school governance. She started as a curious observer, but quickly began to educate herself. She has attended most of the School Committee meetings for the last  year. She has attended many Building Committee meetings. I can personally attest that last summer she was one of the most frequent …

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LETTER: Supporting Rainey and Bergen for Concord School Committee

Annursnac Hill Road resident Janet Rothrock says she supports Lisa Bergen and Cynthia Rainey 'because they have proven they will work on behalf of all of us for positive change.'

To the Editor, Lisa Bergen and Cynthia Rainey have already hit the ground running. During the past year Lisa and Cynthia have attended almost all of the School Committee and Building Committee meetings as well as many Board of Selectmen and Finance Committee meetings.  In addition Lisa served as Chair of the Citizen's Transportation Committee and as a member of the School Committee's transportation committee. She knows how to ask questions, listen, research and come to an actionable conclusion. She served both committees gracefully although they came to very different conclusions. Cynthia's dogged research during this past year uncovered the Keystone study, a report on the experience of towns in Pennsylvania with outsourcing of school …

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LETTER: Bergen and Rainey Represent Citizens

Hemlock Street resident Pat Kager says School Committee candidates Cynthia Rainey and Lisa Bergen would "act on our behalf and who have an irrefutable track record for opening doors for real positive change in our schools."

To the Editor, Cynthia Rainey and Lisa Bergen will represent all citizens’ interests as School Committee members. While acting on our behalf, they have accomplished a lot for our community and schools. During the last year they volunteered their personal time attending Building Committee, School Committee, and Finance Committee meetings to truly understand how our schools are actually being governed. While working with town officials and serving on committees, they worked to institute creative and viable solutions for better fiscal outcomes and school management. Our School Committee has this key responsibility: "The School Committee is responsible to the people for whose benefit the school system has been established.” We can trust Lisa …

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