To the editor:
Good morning. I am the “outside” candidate for Bemis Trustee, Stan(ley J.) Solomon. My wife is Susan Solomon. We have lived at The Commons for approaching five years. Before that we lived in Lexington for over 50 years, where I spent my spare time with Boy Scout Troop 119 while Susan was a Town Meeting member, on the Conservation Commission and Tree Committee, and president of the Lexington LWV. We both were Garden Club members.
We were serious hikers and less serious cross-country skiers. I added downhill skiing and whitewater paddling. We have hiked Lincoln trails for some 40 years; I was gifted with leadership of Professor Dirk Struik’s Appalachian Mountain Club walk behind Walden in the (now) conservation land when he aged.
I was born in eastern Ohio (Youngstown) and Susan grew up in South Brookline. I came to Boston for MIT; Susan went to Simmons. I am a physicist and worked in industry on semiconductor process development. My name is associated with ion implantation and also solar cell development. Susan worked in factory automation. Her name is not associated with the famous Lucy episode.
I am a candidate for Bemis trustee because I was invited to run. After looking at a short list of past Bemis speakers, I was honored to have been asked. I accepted and did go beyond The Commons for nomination signatures.
My opponent, in a March 13 Lincoln Squirrel letter, amply covered the history and recent accomplishments of the Bemis and Todd Trusts. Any expansion would be superfluous. She, a former trustee who moved on to higher office, appears to have some information on the Trustees’ current plans. As I do not, I find it impossible to give a specific answer as what I anticipate being able to do for them. However, I do not see that as detrimental.
Given past Trustees’ actions record and what I assume are the Bemis Trust’s constraints, it appears that a trustee’s function is simply to select one or more desirable, affordable and available individuals or groups to perform in Lincoln. (It has been explained that the job included physical management of that performance as well.)
Ability to harmoniously work in a group setting would seem to be a prime requisite. I believe I can answer the call there. Beyond this capability, I suspect that knowledge of “important” persons is a desirable asset. Because I am, I suspect, from a rather different background, I believe I can more adequately broaden the pool of potential candidates than can those who would have introduced names when they had a prior opportunity.
I do have one operational difference with my opponent. She expressed at a recent PTO meeting that she wants the Bemis Trustees to be more “interactive” with other Lincoln town boards and committees to produce better “harmony.” I totally oppose this for two reasons. These “interactees” would have been elected or appointed to manage a specific function themselves, not to do so with the advice and consent of another group. Further, I am sure that for Bemis Trustees to participate in this sort of interaction would certainly exceed powers delineated in the trusts.
As I am a few months from being 85, you can be assured that, if elected, I will not be a perennial candidate rattling around Lincoln politics.
Sincerely,
Stan Solomon
1 Harvest Circle, Ste. 231
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Thank you for running for office and being interested in the town.