[Editor’s note: This spring, Southborough voters will be able to choose among five candidates for two seats on the Select Board. To help you make that decision, each candidate is invited to submit one letter to readers promoting their campaign. (To find other candidates’ letters click here.)
As in past years, you may use comments to endorse the candidate. No mudslinging allowed here.]
To the Editor:
My name is Marguerite Landry, and I’m running for one of two open seats on the Select Board.
I’ve lived in Southborough for 28 years, and my son graduated from Algonquin. Southborough is my home town. I’m asking for your vote to help keep Southborough a great place to live.
I think we have an enormous amount of creativity and talent on our volunteer town boards and committees. Our town government can work most effectively if it works cooperatively and with openness. As a Select Board member, I will promote this.
Residents and their elected officials need to make decisions together.
My Experience in Southborough and Beyond:
Chair of the Southborough Library Board of Trustees – (2018- ) Trustee for 11 years. I love the library, and as a trustee I’ve helped set up a 501c3, hired a very successful director, worked with two serious floods, and also worked to solve the flooding problem.
Chair of St. Mark’s Street Park Working Group – (2022 – ) Worked to resolve the difficult situation in the downtown area, and cooperatively came up with a plan that will make our downtown greener and better looking.
Southborough Youth Commission – (2018 – ) Supporting the mission of Youth and Family Services, which brings great value to Southborough.
Southborough Public Accessibility Committee– (2022 – ) Working to bring Southborough into compliance with state and national disability standards.
Board of Directors of a non-profit nursing home in Worcester (2016 – 2022). As volunteer Chair of its Investment Committee, I managed the transition of a failing endowment to a successful endowment of $12,000,000. Also worked on the Finance Committee, and am familiar with Federal Covid grants.
Career: Tenured professor at Fitchburg State University (retired). Also taught at Hunter College, and New York University.
Education: B.S. and Ph.D. at Columbia University.
What I Will Work Hard to Do for Southborough:
- Strengthen the Senior Center
- Be fiscally responsible. Keep tax rates as low as possible while funding a vibrant community
- Support our outstanding schools, and recreation facilities
- Build safe sidewalks and bike lanes
- Continue implementing the 2021 Master Plan
- Protect trees and scenic roads
- Create attractive affordable housing
- Negotiate beneficial water access from MWRA to Hopkinton
- Protect and promote the historical heritage of our town
- Work to revitalize our Downtown
What Our Future Looks Like:
In the next few years, our town will face several pivotal large project decisions that will affect the finances, infrastructure, and the look of Southborough. We need to make the best decisions for our town and our residents. I promise that I will work hard in a spirit of cooperation and respect to arrive at decisions that will leave residents feeling heard, satisfied, and empowered.
Most Important is Transparency: I will work hard to make sure town Departments, Boards, and Committees listen and reach out effectively to all residents, and that residents are part of making the decisions that affect them.
The Municipal Technology Committee did a town-wide Satisfaction Survey a couple of years ago which told us that:
We live in a beautiful town that is a great place to raise children, with good schools, attentive public safety and outstanding social services.
According to the Survey, two areas need improvement: 1. Lack of communication between boards/departments/committees and residents. 2. Streets, sidewalks and public spaces (town buildings) are needing repair.
I will work hard to improve both these issues, and especially I will work hard to make sure residents are informed of future projects, plans and news from all our departments.
My Growing List of Supporters:
I am honored to have the support of the following members of our community.
- Roger Challen – School Committee, Capital Budget Committee, former Personnel Board, former Advisory Committee, Former Select Board, former Acting Town Moderator
- John Butler – former Advisory Committee
- Andrew Pfaff – Chair, Advisory Committee; Neary School Building Committee; former Vice Chair, Capital Planning Committee; SHOPC/Capital Planning 21 Highland St. Affordable Housing Subcommittee
- Amy Yazdani – Library Board of Trustees; former Vice President, Friends of Southborough Library
- Kim Regan – Library Board of Trustees
- Matt Probst – Chair, Municipal Technology Committee
- Bonnie Phaneuf – former Select Board, former Advisory Committee, former Board of Commissioners of Trust Funds, former Regional School Committee, former Southborough Housing Authority, former Affordable Housing Trust Fund, former Council on Aging
- Annie Pfaff – Board of Southborough Kindergroup; Treasurer, Historical Commission, former Community Preservation Committee
- Leslie Hadden – Treasurer- Friends of the Southborough Youth Commission, former Youth Commission, former Treasurer, SOS at Finn, Neary and Woodward Schools
- Janet Maney – Library Trustee, Community Center Exploratory Committee, former Advisory Committee Chair
- Sara Michas – Southborough Youth Commission
- Claire Reynolds – former Advisory Committee, former Economic Development Committee, former Town Meeting Review Committee, former Chair, Main Street Design Working Group, former Municipal Technology Committee
- Will Warren – Public Accessibility Committee, Trails Committee, Cable TV Committee, Master Plan Committee, Master Plan Implementation Committee, Municipal Technology Committee
- Lisa Braccio – former Chair, Select Board; Chair, Affordable Housing Trust Fund Committee; former Planning Board
- Jane Davis – Vice Chair, Library Board of Trustees; President, Southborough Gardeners
- Carl Guyer – former Green Technology and Recycling Committee, former Conservation Commission
- David Joyner – Youth Commission, Community Preservation Committee
- Patti Burns-Fiore – PILOT Committee
- Judy Budz – former Advisory Committee, former Library Trustee
- Joe Palmer – Vice Chair, Capital Improvement and Planning Committee; ARPA Committee; SHOPC/21 Highland Street Affordable Housing Subcommittee; Capital Planning Committee
- James Nichols-Worley – St. Mark’s Street Park Working Group; sponsor Voting Age by-law
- Bill Sines – Chair, Southborough Public Accessibility Committee; St. Mark’s Street Park Working Group; former President, Southborough Open Land Foundation
- Kevin Miller – Chair, Historical Commission; St. Mark’s Street Park Working Group
- Richard Wallace – former Chair, Library Board of Trustees; Master Plan Committee
- David Ekberg – Library Trustee, former Conservation Commission
- Sue Butka – former Chair, Youth Commission; Friends of Youth Commission; former SOS
I’m asking for your vote on Tuesday May 9, to keep Southborough a beautiful community we’re all proud to call home.
Marguerite Landry
134 Deerfoot Road
margueritelandry79@gmail.com – please email with questions & concerns
www.electmargueritelandry.com – more info is on my website
