Two elections ago, Marie Sobalvarro ran for a seat on the Board of Selectmen and lost—by only 14 votes. I personally know about a half dozen people who would have voted for her, but were unable to make it to the polls on time. Dec. 8 fast approaches, and fortunately, we get another chance to elect the most qualified candidate for Board of Selectmen.
If you want to make sure to elect the person who knows the most about Harvard’s finances, from details through the big picture, then make sure you vote for Marie this time around.
If you want to elect the person who is the only candidate with children in the Harvard school system—and is therefore the only candidate with “skin in the game” with respect to the continued quality of our education—then vote for Marie.
If you want to elect the only candidate who has volunteered for organizations that spread across the whole gamut of Harvard’s constituents, from young through old—including for the PTO, the Council on Aging, Harvard Help, the Conservation Trust, and the League of Women Voters—then make sure to vote for Marie.
If you want to elect the only person who brings balance to a Board of Selectmen that currently has only one parent of school-aged children, whose term is up in 2010, and only one woman, whose term is up in 2010, then vote for Marie.
If you want to elect the candidate whose leadership style is to work with the existing board members effectively, and complement them, as opposed to a candidate who has campaigned on bringing individual leadership to the board, then make sure you vote for Marie.
I urge you to plan ahead. If you don’t know for sure if you will be available to vote at the polls on Dec. 8, go to Town Hall any time before then and vote, or arrange now for an absentee ballot.
Fourteen votes have made the difference before. This time it could be one vote, and that could be yours.
Bob Eiland
Harris Lane
