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Raina McManus Seeks Re-election to Natural Resources Commission
1/17/19
Dear Editor,
I’m excited to announce my candidacy for a second full term on the Wellesley Natural Resources Commission (NRC). The past five years have been truly gratifying and I want to continue the NRC’s work on important new initiatives for our residents, including the implementation of the Unified Plan and planning for the North 40. While serving on the Commission, I have been instrumental in hiring our current director Brandon Schmitt; improving the basketball facilities on Hunnewell Field; moving the new high school stadium and girls’ softball fields forward; upgrading equipment for Morses Pond; enacting regulations on plastic checkout bags; updating Wellesley’s organic pesticide policy on public land;
working on our conversion to LED street lights; and organizing multiple town-wide
educational forums.
I very much enjoy collaborating with town staff and other boards, an essential quality to moving projects forward. In addition to my service on the NRC, I’m a four-year Town Meeting Member, co-founder of Friends of Brookside, and have given and continue to give volunteer time to our schools. Throughout my tenure, I have worked to balance the preservation of our natural resources with improving and making them more accessible to all.
Our natural resources are just that – resources. They contribute to our quality of life and keep us healthy by protecting our water, cleaning our air, sequestering carbon, and preventing flooding. Our open spaces give every generation room to play, learn, and grow; they sustain our health, preserve wildlife habitat, enhance property values, and so much more. If re-elected I will continue to be a good steward of Wellesley’s beautiful and important resources. I ask for your vote on Tuesday March 5th so I may continue the critical work of the Wellesley Natural Resources Commission.
Raina C. McManus
Paul Criswell not running for re-election to Wellesley Board of Public Works
12/30/18
To the Editor:
I am writing to very reluctantly announce to the residents of Wellesley that I will not be running for re-election to the Board of Public Works in 2019. I have recently had health issues that compel me to cut back on some of my activities while I heal and recover. Fortunately, I have a good prognosis and I am looking forward to full restoration of my health. In the meantime, I will be looking for ways that I can contribute to the Town on a more limited basis.
I want to thank all of the residents who have offered me support, encouragement and constructive criticism over the past years. I have found that service in Town government is personally enriching and rewarding. I have made friends and have had the privilege of working with some incredibly talented people. And most importantly, the Town of Wellesley is blessed to have a reservoir of very qualified people who will step up to take the place of those of us who are stepping down.
Thank you,
Paul Criswell
Editor’s note: How to run for Wellesley town office
