Monday, March 25, 2013
The following was submitted by Natalie Howard.
I am a parent of two children and a volunteer in the North Andover schools. I had the pleasure of meeting Zora when she came to meet with me about volunteer opportunities at our school. Zora quickly dedicated herself to help out in the school library as well as countless other family focused activities. Besides helping with our fun events at school, Zora has consistently either attended or watched the School Committee meetings. Her questions to the School Committee as documented in their meeting minutes are respectful and insightful due to her background in education and the work she has done in various school districts. She is looking for answers that will work to advance our children’s education and make the North Andover schools …
The following was submitted by Deb Papalia.
I would like to apologize for hurting anyone's feelings with my comments in the recent letter about my support for Mark Mezzina. I'm sorry that I combined the themes of religion and politics. Also, I'm sorry I implied any negativity towards Mark's opponent. I admire all the things she does in the community and her work at St. Michael's. I actually met her the other day and admire her zeal for life. Again, I'm sorry for making people feel uncomfortable with the words I used. Please accept my apologies. Sincerely, Deb Papalia
The following was submitted by George Koehler.
With over one million dollars under its control, the North Andover Affordable Housing Trust (AHT) is looking for projects that will result in Affordable Housing at the Bradstreet School Site. North Andover has a need for Affordable Housing. Approximately 30% of the households in North Andover would be eligible for Affordable Housing under the regulations established as part of Chapter 40B. Yet less than 7% of the Town’s housing qualifies as Affordable. This means that around 23% of the households in North Andover are paying more than 30% of their income for housing. 30% of income is about the upper limit that is recommended by family budget experts for housing. North Andover also has a need for more rental units. Until fairly recently…
Sunday, March 24, 2013
The following was submitted by Deb Papalia.
Do you like going along with the crowd? If you do, then maybe you'd like to be on the North Andover School Committee. They often vote unanimously just like they did recently on the approval of the recommended $39 million dollar school budget and just last week they did it again when they voted to have the kids go to school on Good Friday. By voting unanimously, the school committee makes me think of the phrase "herd mentality." When people get into groups they begin to think like one another and are influenced by their peers. Now that it's Holy Week, I was thinking of how people went along with the crowd when they told Pontius Pilate to crucify Jesus. I hope that when people go to vote on Tuesday that they don't vote for someone who will …
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
The following was submitted by Bill Callahan.
- OPINION
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Wednesday, March 20
To the Editor, Zora Warren has earned my vote in the race for School Committee in North Andover. Her skills, background, and approach are best suited to the challenges our public schools face. I’ve been impressed with Zora’s approach to town issues. I’ve seen her at many town meetings, not just School committee meetings, but Finance Committee meeting and Board of Selectmen meetings. Her questions evince a keen understanding of and different perspective towards the issues facing North Andover public schools. Zora has an extensive background in teaching and education. She’s had experience writing teaching curriculum. She understands the importance of good teaching. Her expertise is in the use of technology in education, an area that is…
The following was submitted by George Koehler.
North Andover’s Affordable Housing Trust (AHT) is working to help North Andover meet its affordable housing needs. With over $1M at its disposal, it is in a position to have a significant impact on affordable housing within the Town. The money the Trust controls is NOT part of the general revenue fund used to pay for Town services like schools, police and fire. It is revenue that has been paid to the town specifically for affordable housing purposes. The two main sources of these types of funds are: The primary program of the Trust to date has been to provide financial support to sellers to ensure that income eligible buyers can be located in a timely manner. Because the money paid to the seller is fixed regardless of the eventual …
Saturday, March 16, 2013
The following was submitted by Don Stewart.
- OPINION
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Saturday, March 16
I’ll be voting for Zora Warren for the North Andover School Committee on March 26th. I’ve gotten to know Zora, and she’s smart, hardworking, and open-minded. I’ve been pleased, in my current job on the Board of Selectmen, to see the cooperation between my board, the School Committee, the Finance Committee, and the town manager. We get so much more done when we’re all working together for the good of North Andover. I think Zora will fit right in because she is a good communicator and someone who’s interested in helping the whole town, not just the schools. Not only does Zora have great experience, but she has kids in our schools, so she’ll be personally interested in making sure her kids, and everyone else’s, are getting a great education. …
Saturday, March 2, 2013
The following was submitted by Tracy M. Watson.
- OPINION
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Saturday, March 2
To the Editor: This recent week has brought much media attention to my family. This attention has come due to the fact that my son Cameron received what has recently been dubbed a “fat letter”. These letters are sent to the homes of children throughout the state of Massachusetts under a mandate set forth by the State Department of Public Health. These letters state height, weight and BMI percentile. They then go on to label our children into categories. One of those categories is obese while at the other end of the spectrum it speaks to the child being in the anorexic category. These labels are based solely on the BMI measurement method. And therein lays the problem. As far back as the 1960’s the BMI measurement system has come under …
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
The following was submitted by Deb Papalia.
- OPINION
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Tuesday, January 29
To the Editor: This past Friday on January 25, my husband and I traveled by bus to Washington DC to march in the bitter cold to remember the 55 million unborn babies who have died in the last 40 years because of the infamous court ruling of Roe v. Wade that legalized abortion. Although the March for Life is an annual event and draws a half-million people to our nation's capital, many have never heard of it. The mainstream media does not cover it, let alone give it major coverage. Yet they gave full coverage to the Gun Control Rally that took place the day after the March for Life. Why? As Dr. Suess once wrote, "A person's a person, no matter how small." Could it be we are more interested in the culture of death than the culture of …
Monday, December 17, 2012
The following was submitted by Suzanne Austin.
- OPINION
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Monday, December 17, 2012
I'd like to thank the North Andover school system administrators for their efforts over the weekend to inform parents about the response to the tragedy in Connecticut. I've received multiple emails and informational phone messages. The emails included helpful links on how to speak to your child. I have a daughter and two step-sons who attend school in a different district. I have received not one word from the other district. I'd also like to thank each and every teacher, administrator, and support staff who work so hard every day to educate our children. Extra prayers to them all today. Sincerely, Suzanne Austin
Andy Beresford
10:33 am on Tuesday, March 26, 2013
She just forgot you can’t say “Jesus” in public. more ›