I am writing this letter is support of Matt Strauss who is running for a seat on the Swampscott Board of Selectman.  I have known Matt for several years and during these years I have always been impressed by Matt’s commitment to the Town of Swampscott.  He has given much time and energy to public service in our town, is well - informed and is willing to take a stand on important issues. And the willingness to take a stand is so important in town politics.  Matt has a lot of experience and I believe that experience really matters.  He understands the issues facing us, especially since he has …

On Tuesday April 30th, Swampscott Democrats and Independents will go to the polls to select their nominee to fill the position of U.S. Senator from Massachusetts that John Kerry held before his selection of Secretary of State.  Massachusetts is very fortunate that we have two great candidates running to fill Former Senator Kerry’s seat.  I plan to support Congressman Ed Markey and I would urge my fellow neighbors to also support Ed Markey.  Ed would bring to the Senate a wealth of experience in many fields including the environment, telecommunications and other progressive ideals.  More …

Dear Editor, A school committee should serve as a role model for our town and students and lead by example. School committee members should foster a culture where enthusiasm for knowledge and learning are the priority and that a focus on students is present in everything they do and considered in each and every situation.  Members should have compassion and understand that not all children learn in the same way.  It has been evident during Jaren Landen, Ph.D.'s 3 year term on school committee that she leads by example and understands the varied priorities of different families.  This is also …

I am writing to ask you to support Matt Strauss for Selectman.  Matt is a dedicated public servant with a wealth of experience in Town government, including a prior term on the Board of Selectmen.   Matt has a unique combination of intelligence, common sense and experience that makes him ideally suited to serve our Town as a Selectman.   He also brings a sense of fairness, and a commitment to focus his efforts on serving the best interests of the Town and its residents, rather than pursuing personal interests or hidden agendas.   This is an important election.   There will be significant …

To the Editor:  I am writing to voice my support for Jaren Landen for re-election to the Swampscott School Committee.  In 2011, one of Jaren’s initiatives was to sponsor a Student Life and Grants Subcommittee to the School Committee.  I have been serving with other community volunteers on this subcommittee since June 2011.  The primary goal of this subcommittee is to identify grants that are suitable for the Swampscott Public Schools.  Jaren has consistently engaged school administrators as well as teachers in a welcoming and cooperative manner to discuss projects that may benefit from a …

Dear Editor, This letter provides a brief personal perspective on the merits of Jaren Landen for Swampscott’s School Committee.  About two years ago my wife handed me a flier one of my kids had brought home from school – it was a call for volunteers to serve on a newly constituted ‘grants and student life committee’ and it had the aim of trying to capture philanthropic money for the benefit of Swampscott’s students, K through 12.  As a biomedical scientist at Harvard with my own lab and some experience with writing grants to support my research, I figured this was something I could help with …

It is with great pleasure that I reach out to the Swampscott community with my endorsement of Carin Marshall for school committee. I am fortunate to know Carin as a school parent, neighbor, fellow PTA enthusiast and friend.  As a former Clarke PTA president, and active school community volunteer, I see the need for a fair and solution oriented representative.  The current committee mix has alienated some key leaders and committed educators. It is our responsibility to select a representative who will bring fresh perspective and balance back to the committee. Carin will encourage a united …

  I would like to endorse Jaren Landen the incumbent candidate for Swampscott School Committee. I have known Jaren since she was a kindergarten classmate of my daughter Tara at Hadley school. Even then it was obvious that she was someone different; someone who strives for excellence in all she does. Jaren has shown this excellence in her education collecting not only a bachelor’s degree but a PhD in neuroscience, the latter from Emory University in Atlanta.  Needless to say, Jaren is an achiever. In addition to being a full time mother of four she is also a full time professional clinician/…

On Tuesday April 30th, I would ask that you please join me in voting for Matt Strauss for Selectman. Matt's previous experience on the Board of Selectmen and as a Town Meeting member for over a decade means he not only understands the issues Swampscott must deal with in the future, but also understands how municipal government works. He will hit the ground running. Matt is an honest person with the utmost integrity. He has been forthright with where he stands on the issues and has never been a person who says one thing but does another. As a lifelong resident of Swampscott, my greatest …

TO THE EDITOR Our schools and school committee need consistency, the factor that separates Jaren Landen from Amy O’Connor and Carin Marshall, the other two wonderful school committee candidates. Jaren has spent the last three years learning a great deal about the inner workings of our school system while starting projects and programs to support the great work of our teachers.  She has done so with incredible thought, energy and enthusiasm.  She regularly thinks outside the box to come up with creative solutions for a wide variety of issues.  She has learned how the school system and school …

I am writing to support Jaren Landen for school committee. I have worked with Jaren on school issues for the past four years and I have been consistently impressed with her focus, dedication, and knowledge. As a professional in the field of education, I know how many challenges schools and teachers face. I admire Jaren’s ability to look at our schools in Swampscott with objective eyes. She sees what is working well while still recognizing the distance we can travel to improve our children’s education. Jaren does an outstanding job of keeping student progress at the center of her decisions. …

Dear Editor, As parents, one of our most important tasks is to educate our children.  As a community, all Swampscott residents share in this responsibility.  We have known Jaren for 8 years and know that she believes in our schools and in public education. We are parents of a former SHS graduate and a current SHS student.  We know firsthand how fortunate we are to have very fine public schools with excellent teachers.  Nonetheless, we also recognize that every public school system has issues that require continual attention, innovation and fiscally prudent management and experience helps with…

Our family moved to Swampscott two years ago from another state. When we first met Jaren Landen we were immediately impressed with her enthusiasm and passion for Swampscott schools and her work on the School Committee.  As we were exploring our new school district and working to understand and adjust to its policies, Jaren was a strong advocate for the schools and their strategic direction.  It quickly became evident to us that Jaren's commitment to her position on the Committee was unwavering, and she exhibited a strong desire for all of the Swampscott schools to reach their maximum …

April 7, 2013 Dear Editor, Spring is in the air. Everyone loves being outside in the fresh ocean air and sunshine. Unfortunately, our enjoyment is often dampened by the constant whine of leaf blowers. As soon as they fire up, not only is the peace and quiet gone but fumes and clouds of dust fill the air. Seaside Calm is a group of community-minded residents concerned with degradation of our quality of life and threat to our health from the noise and air pollution that comes with widespread leaf blower use. The gas powered leaf blowers are a serious problem for many Swampscott residents. …

I am writing to express my support for Jaren Landen for another term on the Swampscott School Committee.  I strongly believe that Jaren's tireless efforts and focused commitment to improving the quality of our children's Swampscott school experience have earned her another term.Through our discussions, it is clear to me, that to her position on the School committee, Jaren brings not only her passion for improving our school system, but also an "out of the box" approach to solving problems. Her experience working as a neuroscientist in the pharmaceutical industry provides her with a unique …

We are writing to endorse Amy O’Connor for Swampscott School Committee.  Amy is a vital and active member of the Swampscott community who has been instrumentally involved with our school system for the past 5 years.  Whether serving as a parent representative, director of after school programming, or the vice president of the PTO, Amy has worked positively and productively to better our schools. She is hard-working, intelligent, purposeful and reasonable.  We need her to bring these wonderful qualities to our school committee. As educators (we work as a teacher and an administrator in another…

Letter to the Editor: We are writing in support of Carin Marshall for one of the two seats on the Swampscott School Committee.  Carin has two children that attend the Clarke School and despite the fact she and her husband, a Major in the US Air Force, have only lived in Swampscott for six years, Carin has taken the initiative to become involved in the community as a town meeting member from Precinct 2 and as President of the Clarke PTA for the last two years.  Having served as President of the PTA Carin knows first-hand the concerns of parents about the future of the schools in the district…

I am writing this letter to show my support for Matt Strauss who is running for a seat on the Swampscott Board of Selectman.   As a friend and neighbor I have known Matt and his family for over 10 years and he is a truly positive person with great integrity and a proven leader.  Over the years that I have known Matt he has proven his commitment to this town by being a Town Meeting Member, serving on the Board of Selectman for a previous term and volunteering throughout the town at various events.  Matt does all of this tirelessly and without complaint.  Matt Strauss has no hidden personal …

I am writing in support of Jaren Landen's  re-election to the Swampscott School Committee. Jaren understands that the commitment required of a school committee member is a demanding volunteer position. The time demands are tremendous, and the responsibility for our school system is enormous. As the parent of a school aged child, I appreciate that Jaren advocates that every child must be given the opportunity to learn and be challenged at the highest level possible.  Jaren has been an effective and tireless advocate for our children and schools over the last several years and has a proven …

We are writing to endorse Jaren Landen for Swampscott School Committee.  Jaren is deeply passionate about making the schools better for all of Swampscott’s students in a fiscally responsible manner and has worked tirelessly towards that goal over the last 3 years. Her experience, passion and work ethic, and her persistent, transparent and cordial approach have made her a highly effective School Committee member.  As a School Committee member, Jaren founded the Grants and Student Life sub-committee to provide an official forum where teachers, administrators and parents could meet to address …