Letters to the Editor

Director of Veteran Services says thank you

Dear Editor:

Memorial Day/Weekend has come to pass.  This is a thank you to all who assisted Winthrop Veteran Services in any way who made our Town Memorial Day/Weekend events the success that it was!  Starting always with American Legion Post 146 who assist veterans and their families in so many ways, not just for the Veteran related holidays, but all year with Honor Guards, proper disposal of flags, checking on veterans who may be housebound, giving veterans rides to appointments, assisting with the Food Bank, and so much more; The Westcott family who place the flags on our Veteran graves;  Scouts – Cubs/Boys/Girls and their leaders; the Missile Men who perform at all our Veteran events; our Fire and Police departments who are always there to represent and assist; St. John’s Church and Fr. Bourke; the Episcopal Church and Fr. Walter; all of our speakers, invited guests, our politicians – especially Speaker DeLeo, Sen. Boncore, and Council President Vecchia; the Elks Lodge and Ladies Emblem Club; Winthrop Yacht Club Commodore and guests who hosted our Marine Service; the singers and musicians, Tina, Chad and Freddie,  who impress us so much with their talents;  our Principal Speaker, Kate Anslinger, who was so humble and shared her great message; her daughter Emily who ran a lemonade stand and donated over $170 to our Food Bank; our DPW and their leader, Steve Calla who keep  our Town properties immaculate;  the Cash and Murray families;  all those who attended – without you, there wouldn’t be events and ceremonies; my co-workers who put up with me every day; Rich Honan, who is such a great leader and inspiration to me; and my family as I would not be able to do

Roseann Trionfi-Mazzuchelli

Director of Veteran Services

 

ON THE CITIZENS’ PETITION

Dear Editor:

Stephen C. Hines here, Precinct 6. I write today to share a rarely personal sentiment related to the proposed zoning changes in the Center Business District. I love this town, with all of my heart. I have dedicated my life, my career, and every moment of free time I have to its betterment. Hundreds of hours at meetings, working for candidates, donating thousands of dollars to non-profits and other community organizations. I stay awake at night thinking about how to better our streets, our transportation system, how to activate our withering commercial sector, and how my friends who own small businesses are going to survive in this climate of indecision. I rarely second-guess my efforts. I am always confident that in spite of the stress, the long days, the difficult conversations, I continue to make the right arguments for our overall success as a community. Tonight, I’m not feeling as confident.

At this week’s Town Council meeting a discussion was presented over the competing petitions in front of Town Council. On one side, a citizen’s petition aims to cripple significant future development. On the other, a citizen’s petition aims to freeze all work related to any initiatives in the Center until an expert is hired to oversee the projects. Neither path is ideal, nor will they get us where we need to be. As such, we are each entitled to our opinion, and I believe that. Each week I sit and I respectfully listen to each person’s opinion, shaping my own around them. Tonight, I offered a harsh reality: an uncomfortable truth that most of us are not experts in zoning, and that it is dangerous to pretend that we are when so much is on the line. A citizen’s petition to drastically alter an extremely complex set of ordinances is irresponsible and haphazard without an expert to guide the way. Tonight I was audibly and embarrassingly shunned by my neighbors. This is not the way we should be treating each other. If we are going to succeed in improving our Town for generations to come, opinions from both sides matter.

Stephen Hines

Precinct 6 resident

Dear Friends and Supporters of One Winthrop

Dear Editor:

As we watch the horrendous scene at our borders unfold, One Winthrop will be holding a ‘Solidarity Stand-Out’ on Friday, June 22, from 4 – 6 p.m. at the Belle Isle Bridge.  

We ask your support .for this effort.  Please bring a sign and your personal message showing your solidarity of immigrant families that are being torn apart by this senseless act of our national government.

Please, there is no parking in the lot at Belle Isle, on street parking only.

Thank you for your support and show of solidarity for our brothers and sisters from south of our southern border.

Sylvia Whiting

One Winthrop