Monday, December 17, 2012
Calling her tenure "one of transition," Moderator Wendy Spector said Monday she will not seek re-election in 2013.
Weston voters will elect a new town moderator in May as three-term moderator Wendy Spector has announced she will not seek re-election. "I had always intended to serve for approximately three years," Spector told Patch in an email. "When I first ran to replace Bob Buchanan, it was because there were no other candidates and I felt I could fulfill the role. I saw my tenure as one of transition." In addition to this decision fitting her original timing, Spector had a more practical reason for stepping away at this time. She said that her family has recently put their home on the market and it's possible she will not be a Weston resident much longer. Spector said she had enjoyed her time as moderator, particularly the opportunities to talk …
Monday, June 4, 2012
A letter to the editor from Jon Spector.
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Monday, June 4, 2012
To The Editor: Several months ago, a Weston resident filed a complaint with the Massachusetts Ethics Commission, charging Town Moderator Wendy Spector with misconduct, self-dealing and a number of other ethical breaches. It’s unfortunately not possible to completely remove the stain to a person’s reputation that a public complaint creates — particularly when that complaint is trumpeted repeatedly in the press, as this one has been. The Ethics Commission, bound to follow the actual facts rather than the public rhetoric, has now responded to the complaint by dismissing each of the allegations made against Wendy. I hope this will lay most peoples’ concerns to rest. Jon Spector, Conant Road
Monday, April 30, 2012
A letter to the editor from Henry L. Viles.
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Monday, April 30, 2012
[Editor's Note: Letters to the editor pertaining to candidates in the May 5 town election must be submitted by Tuesday, May 1, at 5 p.m. No letters to the editor on candidates will be posted May 2 through May 5.] To the Editor: Fans of the Coen brothers’ spoof of Prohibition-era gangster films, Miller’s Crossing, will remember the classic line uttered by one of its mob boss characters, Johnny Caspar: “It is about ethics.” So it is in Weston, but instead of a plot about rival gangs battling viciously over a small city’s gin joints, other criminal enterprises and loads of political corruption, Weston has a smelly scandal about the self-dealing actions of its incumbent Moderator, Wendy Spector. The latest attempt to shield Spector is the …
Thursday, April 12, 2012
A letter to the editor from Wendy Spector.
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Thursday, April 12, 2012
Dear Editor: Many know that I have contributed a lot to the town over the years as a volunteer, School Committee member and chair, part-time School Website Manager, and two-term elected Moderator. Throughout this time, my two main goals have been to improve communications and increase engagement in town governance. Weston this May will have the first contested race for Moderator in many years. Democracy benefits when voters have a choice and, as someone who has been encouraging others to volunteer for town governance, I consider this an opportunity to communicate and engage. In a contest, we can have a discussion about the role of Moderator and citizens feel more engaged in the process. This election is important because the Moderator …
Monday, April 9, 2012
A letter to the editor from Maureen Ecker.
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Monday, April 9, 2012
To the Editor: I am writing to express my wholehearted endorsement of Wendy Spector for re-election to Town Moderator for Weston. During her tenure, Wendy has distinguished herself as an forward thinker who has reached out to the citizens to create a better and more interactive Town Meeting. As Town Moderator, Wendy has worked hard to improve communications in Weston and to create a forum which allows for more citizens to be able to voice their points of view. As well, she understands the need for information to be disseminated to the public via a variety of media including electronic bulletins. Most of us appreciate the ability to have the information we want delivered to our desktops. For those of use who do not own a computer or are …
Thursday, April 5, 2012
A letter to the editor from Ed Coburn.
To the Editor: Weston is fortunate to have two strong candidates for Town Moderator. The Moderator serves two primary functions — to preside over our Town Meetings, and to appoint members of several committees, perhaps most notably the Finance Committee and the Community Preservation Committee. I understand what’s at stake, and I am familiar with the candidates. Both have previously served the town, which is commendable. I will vote to re-elect Wendy Spector. Here’s why. The first act of the Special Town Meeting last fall was to vote to approve, unanimously, a rule which permits people to speak as many times as they wish but for no more than 3 minutes at a time. This is a rule that is used in many other towns in the state, and bears some …
Monday, March 26, 2012
A letter to the editor from Jon Spector.
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Monday, March 26, 2012
To the Editor: In her letter to you earlier today, Isabella Jancourtz accuses the Town Moderator of using westonGrapevine "to influence the vote on a matter [Article 1, the Field School construction] over which she was about to preside at Town Meeting as moderator." I would like to challenge Ms. Jancourtz publicly to produce a single shred of evidence to support her claim: an email from the Moderator encouraging people to vote for or against Article 1; a letter to the editor advocating a particular vote; a statement on the Moderator's web page in support of a particular Article; a public statement of any sort that would suggest the Moderator is trying to use her public position to influence the vote. Ms. Jancourtz is making a serious …
A letter to the editor from Alicia Primer.
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Monday, March 26, 2012
To the Editor: As a veteran volunteer on several town committees, I feel compelled to address the negativity that has come to pervade town politics. To have contested elections and increase dwindling participation are good things, but not if the result is personal attacks like some that been made against Moderator Wendy Spector. A moderator should remain impartial to issues when she makes committee appointments and when she presides over a balanced discussion at Town Meeting. Wendy Spector has maintained her neutrality in the face of controversy. When Wendy introduced the "three minute" rule for speakers, which has been supported by overwhelming vote at each Town Meeting since, more people than ever before have had the opportunity to …
A letter to the editor from Isabella Jancourtz.
To the Editor: On Friday, March 23, the day after my guest column "Sever ties to myGrapevine" appeared in the Weston Town Crier, the agenda of the Weston Board of Selectmen was posted and included the following: Mr. Spector, to the best of my knowledge, is the webmaster of myGrapevine and the husband of its president, Wendy Spector. My complaint was that Wendy Spector, who is also presently our moderator, has used her position as an elected town official to promote her business enterprise, myGrapevine. Since the publication of my article on March 22, I have heard from several parents of children in the Weston school system who were most unhappy when myGrapevine replaced ListServe. From the poor quality of the website, to the insufficient …
debbi darling
8:03 am on Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Thank you Maureen. I agree that the discourse taking place in the Town Crier is deplorable, and I am delighted that both Wendy and Jon have been extremely articulate and professional in their rebuttals. Wendy has my support. Debbi Darling more ›