Letters to the Editor

As I was driving around today with the back of my car filled with bags of ‘spring clean out’ clothing and shoes, I was struck by the lack of a central location with drop off boxes. I know there are some at the Dairy Joy, but during a regular trip to Brother’s Market, I noted an abundance of space in the back parking area to place donation boxes. It would be so convenient for many, I believe, to have such a central community location to drop off donation items. Making it easy and handy for the whole of Weston would…

We are disappointed at the response to our embracing cell phone service. It appears that we are more interested in aesthetics and historical correctness than quality cell service. A simple call to AAA for a flat tire or a health emergency in the wrong part of town frequently turns into a nightmare. If preserving the historical character of the town matters, we need to ban all cars and require that all residents conduct all daily chores using horses and buggies as is required in Mackinac Island, Michigan. Also banning e-bikes and returning to good old single speed bikes would be…

I got a big laugh out of the description of a 17,000 square foot home as “an authentic Prairie-style home” inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s designs. I’ve toured plenty of Wright’s homes — in Oak Park and elsewhere around Chicago, Pennsylvania, Los Angeles and New Hampshire, including Usonian, Prairie-style and textile-block homes, and the thing that most of them have in common is how small they are. Wright did build homes for his wealthier clients in the 5,000 to 6,000 square foot range and some even bigger, but much more typical are the things he built in Los Angeles: the…

Weston’s secondary school buildings have served our community well, but many of the major systems are near the end of their useful life. The question is not whether significant money will need to be spent on these buildings. It will. Aging mechanical systems, building infrastructure, accessibility needs, code requirements, and inefficient facilities cannot be wished away. The real question is how best to spend those dollars. A recent study found the cost of “doing nothing” but operating would cost residents $171,558,917 for system replacements and code compliance. If Weston must consider spending this simply to repair, maintain, and bring aging…

As a Weston resident, I am alarmed by the 80% property tax increase our town is facing — and equally alarmed that our Finance Committee is rubber-stamping projects without reckoning with the consequences. History has shown us what happens when taxes reach a tipping point: residents leave, property values fall, and towns get caught in a cycle that is hard to reverse. My friend overheard older Weston residents at Heirloom saying they would leave if taxes rose by 80%. Can we afford to dismiss that? The projections deserve scrutiny. The Observer reported estimates project a 27.7% enrollment increase to 2,586…

Celebrate Flag Day, June 14 As the calendar turns toward June, the quiet, tree-lined streets of Weston and the surrounding Metrowest communities are finding themselves at the epicenter of a historic crossroads. This year, the annual tradition of Flag Day, June, carries a weightier significance, serving as a preamble to the United States’ 250th Anniversary. While the national holiday honors the 1777 adoption of the Stars and Stripes, towns like Weston trace their civic identity back to the farmers and families who stood at the ready in 1775. As we celebrate the semiquincentennial, the flag serves as a visual bridge…

Alternative bike path proposal I am a strong supporter of more sidewalks and bike paths. That being said, the Route 30 proposal can have a much more acceptable plan that I think we can all agree with. I continue to propose that this path be built on top of the MWRA aqueduct. This aqueduct goes all the way from the Wayland border to Park Road in Weston. It is already partially paved and it is wide enough for a 10-foot path. It is quiet and it is bucolic and would be a great addition to our town. It can be…

We are troubled to read that most of the feedback heard by our Traffic and Sidewalk Committee was opposed to the Route 30 reconstruction plan. It feels like deja vu from 1997 when similar negative voices defeated the rail trail. Ultimately the rail trail was built and opened in 2019. It functions well, serving many people. We know because we live next to it and enjoy it every day. It enhances the value and usefulness of our property. We hope property owners next to Route 30 will consider that they could benefit in a similar way — public good and…

Thank you to those who supported the Town and School Committee budget at this week’s Town Meeting. Investments in K-12 education appreciate over time. Our community’s willingness to consistently support requests when well presented, including this year’s assistance for lighting to support our student-athletes, is a testament to the spirit of stewardship that enriches Weston. It honors the students who have graduated, those who are among us, and those who will one day walk the halls of our schools. Additionally, I want to thank the community for the privilege of serving as a representative for you on School Committee these…

On May 28 Muslims around the globe will celebrate Eid al Adha, the second Eid. This Eid comes at the end of Hajj or the pilgrimage to Mecca which is the largest annual gathering of Muslims in the world. Despite regional conflicts and high oil prices, about four million Muslims are expected to gather for Hajj this year. So what do Muslims do during Hajj and this Eid? For those who are fortunate to be in Mecca performing Hajj, there are specific rituals over a period of several days. These re-enact steps and acts of Prophet Abraham and his wife…

Learn more about Weston’s Habitat for Humanity model The housing crisis in Greater Boston is a pressing reality. At 1-11 Wellesley St., Habitat for Humanity Greater Boston is partnering with the Weston Affordable Housing Trust to build six energy-efficient homes that strengthen the Weston community. Weston’s affordable housing stock currently falls below the state’s 10% threshold. While large-scale developments can feel at odds with a town’s aesthetic, Habitat offers a human-scaled alternative. The Wellesley Street homes are designed to fit into the historic neighborhood they will be built in, ensuring they feel like they have always belonged. Among those who…

As a student at Weston High School, I’m not yet able to vote in local elections. But the decisions made by the School Committee about curriculum, schedules, and student support affect students like me every day. So if students can’t vote, what can we do? We can start by learning how leaders think and make decisions. Through the Teen Exec Podcast, I recently had the opportunity to interview both candidates for the Weston School Committee. We asked each of them the same set of questions, not to compare policies, but to understand how they approach leadership and decision-making. One thing…

It’s great news that we have three highly qualified candidates for the Select Board: Al Aydelott, Rebecca Mercuri and Anupam Sachdev. The new five-member board will be more diverse and will afford representation to more areas of town. Last, I note that it is not unusual to have uncontested Select Board races. This was true when the following Select Board members were elected: Doug Gillespie in 2016, Harvey Boshart in 2017, Laurie Bent in both 2019 and 2022, Tom Palmer in 2023, and my election in 2025. John McDonald, Church Street