Richard Cabelus dropped out of the Select Board race and Rich Maiore resigned from the board, both citing uncivil behavior. We cannot allow incivility to be normalized in Harvard’s culture, driving experienced and dedicated neighbors to pull away from public service.
Whether colleagues or community members, we should be able to both hold divergent beliefs and conduct ourselves with civility. Our community is not homogeneous, and the tangible outcomes of representative governance are strengthened by diverse values and perspectives. While both Richard and Rich may at times approach town strategies in ways that I and others disagree with, they are clearly committed to investing their time and skills to advance solutions to Harvard’s pressing challenges.
Having said this, commitment to public service is not sufficient to warrant the privilege of representing our community. It is not Richard or Rich I now write of, but the remaining three candidates for two open Select Board seats.
Though Don Ludwig’s experience in town conveys his commitment and substantial institutional knowledge, his actions have justifiably resulted in distrust among many community members, including key collaborators on town committees. Don remains a welcome neighbor and, with appropriate recourse, might rebuild the trust needed to earn the privilege of representing the community. For now, though, Don Ludwig has work to do outside of the Select Board.
In my opinion, we are left with two viable candidates for the two open Select Board seats: Eve Wittenberg and Ahmet Corapcioglu. How fortunate for Harvard that Eve and Ahmet are strong candidates in their own rights, irrespective of the preceding context. They blend town and relevant external experience, fresh perspective, a willingness to learn and listen, and a solutions orientation. They have my full-throated endorsement for the Select Board.
There are a multitude of pressing challenges facing Harvard that we must collectively confront. We are not always the best versions of ourselves, but we can surely do better through active, thoughtful engagement. I hope this election sees hearty participation and that, rather than viewing elections as a one-and-done, we see this period of turbulence as motivation to deepen involvement in public service rather than withdrawing from community.
Adam Meier
Mill Road
