Thursday, January 25, 2007 Older Editions

LETTERS

Townwide litter: Focus on cleanup

Editor, Townsman:

As Andover residents we are mortified by the amount of litter - plastic bottles, cups, discarded food wrappers - that decorate our streets and public areas. It is everywhere. What brought this matter to the boiling point for us was the condition we found the grounds of Andover High School this past weekend. Does no one have the pride or common decency to put their refuse in a trash bin anymore (and there is no shortage of barrels at AHS). Shame on those who find it necessary to simply drop their litter and those who don't pick up after their dogs - and shame on the town, too, for not having the initiative to keep the grounds clean. Isn't it interesting that the town can squander over $850,000 on boondoggles like bumping out curbs on School, Chestnut and Whittier streets (did anyone consider Stop signs?) but can't seem to keep our streets public areas clean? Perhaps our selectmen and town manager should focus their energies on less dubious efforts than pasting logos on town vehicles. Shame on them if they don't.

Tom Adams & Susan Spark

89 Pine St.

Former school leader shows stuff of moderator

Editor, Townsman:

I was excited to read in the Jan. 11 Townsman about the candidacy of Eric Nadworny for town moderator. He is a perfect fit for this position, which requires a steady hand, a moderate disposition, a talent for listening such that speakers know they have been respectfully heard coupled with a knack for tactfully moving things along, and consummate skill in helping disparate groups find consensus. In the more than 12 years I have known him, I have watched him display these rare gifts on many occasions, always to the benefit of Andover.

I met Nadworny in 1995 when our daughters entered kindergarten at Shawsheen School, where parents were working hard to keep the school open in the face of pressure to close it. As Shawsheen PTO president, Nadworny helped to find and implement solutions, and our kids' beloved school stayed open. In 1996 Nadworny was elected to the School Committee, which had been going through an especially trying time of divisiveness and polarization. Nadworny served two three-year terms from 1996-2002, including three years as chairman, with unwavering commitment and a spirit of innovation that reaped huge benefits.

During Nadworny's tenure, the School Committee dealt with "hot" topics such as the troubled Andover High School building project and serious overcrowding, especially in the two existing middle schools. Nadworny did something that had never been done before: he set up a townwide multi-board task force to examine space needs together. There was open and amicable cooperation, even in the presence of disagreements. Through a series of well-publicized public forums, Nadworny encouraged frank and full discussion of the issues from all sides, moderating with his distinctive blend of intelligence, respectful attentiveness, even-tempered fairness and endless patience. People came and spoke because they knew they would be courteously heard and actually listened to. Nadworny's talent for moderating kept the proceedings moving in a productive, positive manner where people were able to present different views and reach consensus. In the end, Nadworny was instrumental in moving the town toward the solutions that serve our children today.

Nadworny has had a long and eminently successful professional career as a lawyer, and in the fields of human resources and labor relations for entities such as Shaw's Supermarkets, BJ's Wholesale Club, and the city of Boston, among others. Here again, his philosophy includes a willingness to reach out to people with different agendas from his own; in short, "a fair shot for all."

Phyllis A. Zimmerman

9 Carisbrooke St.

Writers welcome debate on marriage

Editor, Townsman:

We support the sanctity of loving, committed relationships. A loving relationship supports the growth of each member; each grows as an individual and as a member of that relationship. Same-gendered couples manifesting loving relationships should be supported. Relationships that manifest domestic violence, sexual abuse, or domination of any sort do not embody that love and support. We strive to be beacons for transformation and healing for such relationships.

Our support is based on Jesus' commandment to love. We are energized to follow that commandment by hearing within ourselves the voice of God, then with the strength and support of that voice of God, loving another. We strive to find the God in each other and to love that person, not by telling him or her what to do or believe, but rather, through our actions, we aim to be beacons of the transformational power of God's love.

Our faith journeys bring us to this position. We are aware that others believe differently. In the United Church of Christ, we support each other to answer these questions individually. We welcome those who take a different stand and embrace the diversity. We invite open, enthusiastic and respectful debate of an issue.

Suetta Tenney

Bateson Drive

Cathy Congo

Boston

The writers say they do not speak for the church but are members of West Parish Church, a United Church of Christ congregation.

Let's beat North Andover in enlightening contest

Editor, Townsman:

It wasn't completely simple, but I entered my pledge to "change a light." After typing "Change a Light" to the Google screen, a screen of choices popped up. Clicking on the third item "Take the Energy Star Change a Light Pledge" brought up Energy Star's "Pledge Screen." It was very clear where to enter first name and zip code to initiate my pledge. Then it asked "Which organization referred you here, if any?" That was puzzling, so I scanned the list and discovered "Town of Andover." So I clicked on it and then got to enter that I was going to install 10 bulbs. Actually it was 15. (I couldn't pass up an opportunity to buy bulbs for 49 cents apiece and reduce my lighting costs by two-thirds by tossing out the old-style bulbs.) But the quantity figure is limited to 10.

Upon speaking to Becci Backman who got this contest going, I learned that only 24 pledges were recorded in the first week or so of the campaign. C'mon folks, we're facing a challenge by North Andover. Not just that - Marblehead and Swampscott are well into the hundreds in their contest.

In conversations with many people throughout Andover I've found that opinion about the need to take personal, individual action about global warming mirrors the division of opinion that is expressed in the media.

On Jan. 6, the European Commission reported results of its 2006 Study on Climate Change. The report begins with the ominous warning that the ocean will rise at least 7.5 inches by sometime between 2071-2100. It will most probably rise 15 inches. It could rise as much as three feet. It depends upon how much carbon dioxide we continue to pump into the air. This follows months of excuses and buck-passing reported in the news about action to reduce emissions.

James E. Rogers, the chief executive of Duke Energy, a coal-burning utility in the Midwest and Southeast, says "Climate change is real," but then claims government incentives are needed before the industry will stop building old-style coal plants. One hundred of these excessively polluting plants are in planning or under construction. Each plant will increase emissions by 25 million tons per year. On the other hand, the American Electric Power Company is building only new type gas-fired plants (IGCC) that will emit half the volume of CO2, or no CO2 if they install carbon sequestration.

We are still increasing our carbon emissions by 1.5 percent per year. We need to begin reducing them to reverse the current trend that will increase global temperature by more than three degrees Fahrenheit in the next 60 years.

John P. Holdren, director of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, an environmental expert and president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, defends the urgent calls for limits on carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases. He says he "believes that any reasonably comprehensive and up-to-date look at the evidence makes clear that civilization has already generated dangerous ... interference in the climate system.

"What keeps me going is my belief that there is still a chance of avoiding catastrophe," he said.

Meanwhile many of us who'd rather not make small changes in our daily routines choose to ignore the risks of life-as-usual.

Since their is a huge risk of the consequences of inaction it is crucial to start reducing emissions as much as possible, as soon as possible. It is clear that the urgent need to begin immediately to reduce the effects of global warming cannot be met alone by either industry or government. Immediate action can only be achieved by individuals. It matters less how little each of us can do. What is most important is that everyone does something to reduce their energy consumption. So buy those compact flourescent bulbs, turn down the thermostat a degree or two, slow down when driving, turn the ignition off when waiting. Just do it.

Norm Viehmann

16 Martingale Lane

From one letter writer to another

Editor, Townsman:

I never looked at the Wheels of Justice Web site until Don Michelinie ("After the arguing..." Letters, Jan. 18) said it contained nothing anti-Semitic. A quick review found an allegation that the state of Israel was involved in ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in 1947; that's a significant anti-Semitic remark.

I've read quite a bit of the dialog in the Townsman and much more was made of the teachers'/administration's failure to include a balanced viewpoint of the issues than what was on the WOJ Web site. As Superintendent Claudia Bach noted, there has to be some scrutiny of purported experts who will speak to our students to make sure that they really are experts, thus assuring the parents that their children are being given complete and accurate information.

Michelinie took issue with a professor about his view of history and goes on to say that history is subjective because it is written by the victor, not the vanquished. I'm not sure this is true; what I do know is that written history is always subjective.

Next he criticizes parents for wanting a balanced communication with their children regarding the issues in the Middle East; after all, we live in a "Hegelian world." Since I am not fully familiar with the work of Hegel, I will take it as a truism that we live in a "Hegelian world" and that it is indeed a harsh, unorganized world. One can look up anything on the Internet and become fully informed on what someone else says about something and you will have learned that someone somewhere might have actually said that or something like that, true or not. I agree that sheltering is poor preparation, but so is serving up our young adults for mind slaughter instead of giving them counterbalancing viewpoints.

Years ago, many who lived in the Deep South believed Jews had horns because the only Jew they had ever seen was Michelangelo's Moses. Wouldn't it have been better for them to have been given a different representation so they wouldn't have been looking for horns on the first Jew they met?

Michelinie next speaks to those who have made charges of "anti-Semitism" like "water over the dam," an idiomatic phrase that generally means "something done that cannot be undone". He seems to believe those who have made charges of anti-Semtitism have created a politically correct, bile-filed environment. I admit I didn't really understand what he was trying to say here until I found the real problem: he has become "hardened" to the use of the term "anti-Semitism." His argument seems to be that "anti-Semitism" only exists in the minds of people who disagree with the person they are calling anti-Semitic. That sounds like a pretty anti-Semitic statement to me. Is that only in my mind?

Next he reminds us that the ACLU was prepared to come in guns blazing because this was a First Amendment issue. It was only after the school originally agreed to allow the group to speak (without requiring a fair and balanced response) and then Principal Peter Anderson cancelled the engagement that it became a First Amendment issue. If a proper vetting system had been in place this wouldn't have happened. I know the vetting idea smacks of some type of "ism" but shouldn't there be some oversight?

Michelinie rests with the claim that public opinion has turned Iraq from a good war to a bad war. The only good war I know of is the one contested with playing cards where an ace will beat a deuce every day of the week.

Jeffrey Mintz

6 Mayflower Circle

AHS students say heckling adults provided the wrong type of lesson

Editor, Townsman:

After the initial controversy involving the arrival of the Wheels of Justice group in Andover, we, as students at Andover High, formed a neutral group known as the Youth Action Alliance. Throughout the intervening period, we have been working to voice a student opinion: not on conflict in the Middle East, but on the conflict right here in Andover. We believe that the adults of the community should develop an atmosphere in the town that can be a positive model for the youth. That is not what we saw demonstrated at the nighttime Wheels of Justice forum. Regardless of the controversy involved, the heckling we witnessed from the audience was nothing less than juvenile. If the goal of such actions is to defend the "impressionable" youth from corrupting influences, we would expect those involved to fulfill that goal in a mature and respectful manner. However, those of us there were more impacted by the disrespectful manner of some audience members, than we were by the presentation. To use words like "brainwashing," while simultaneously providing a perfect model of disreputable behavior can only be described as hypocrisy.

Once the presentation had been cut short, the Andover High students from the audience gathered to discuss the conflict as a group. In that discussion, each side presented its opinion without interruptions or hostility, and allowed the opposing side to respectfully present their own.

We believe this is the kind of forum the students expected to see, and we were disappointed that the adults of this community, and those who traveled from other parts of the state, were not able to provide it. Perhaps we, as a town, can learn from this. If any lesson is to be passed from one generation to the next, it should be one of civility, and not animosity.

The Youth Action Alliance

Michael Parker

Charlotte Purcell

John-Henry Heckendorn

Cameron Lownie

Tom Blanford

Nick Platt

Cheers for AHS issue other than Wheels talk

Editor, Townsman:

Thank you so much for the article on the Memory Project ("Andover students create art for orphans," Jan. 18). After all the vitriolic exchanges that have taken place in the letters section over the past few weeks, it was a relief to see on the front page some lovely artwork being created by our young citizens out of compassion for those less fortunate in another part of the world. I hope teacher Ed Parker gets his funding for many years to come.

Tara Masih

18 Dufton Road

Issue needs 'every ounce of rationality we can muster'

Editor, Townsman:

The late Rabbi Michael Robinson, lastly of Temple Shomrei Torah in Santa Rosa, Calif., returned from World War II a pacifist. He had decided, as his wife Ruth said, "Nobody was going to tell him who to hate or who not to hate." Once a member of the rabbi's congregation called him "pro-Palestinian." He said, "I'm not pro-Palestinian. I'm not pro-Israeli. I am pro-humanity."

I will not be pitted against anyone. We all need to be pro-humanity. The only enemies I recognize are the greed, ignorance and hatred that like disease plague us all. We need to build up our immune systems by practicing generosity, wisdom and compassion. There was such hatred Jan. 5 at the Wheels of Justice presentation. I felt the fear and aggression. I strove to face my own fear and tame my own anger.

I consider myself to be a friend of Mazin Qumsiyeh and the other Wheels presenters. If there were lies and propaganda, no one would like to know what they were more than me. Their volunteer assignment was to report on what they had witnessed, emphasizing news that is suppressed by our media. I have always found them to be fair and just. They abide by the rules of non-violence and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. (Everyone read it!) In the Middle East they always meet with religious and ethnically mixed groups. How is it that in over 200 speaking engagements they had never encountered anything like the welcome they received Jan. 5?

Someone told a peaceful audience member, "You should die." When a woman heard that Wheels presenter Joe Carr's friend had been fatally shot, she audibly wished him the same. People tried to shout down the presenters. The speakers didn't react and asked the audience to ignore the hecklers. I had the impression that young people had been encouraged to be provocative and disdain dialogue. When I mentioned the death wishes to one young man he said it was free speech. Those who raised him and care for him should have taught him that this is violent language.

I am saddened and disappointed. Starting with the religious leaders of Andover we need to censure this hateful behavior and create the conditions for true dialogue. As Principal Peter Anderson admirably said, if we can't have civility in the high school library, how can we expect it halfway around the world? It is shameful the way he was badgered and I am glad he decided to proceed with the talk. Many people, adults and youth, listened. The next round of speakers was to present another view of peace making in the Middle East. This time I'm afraid Anderson may have been snookered. I challenge anyone to explain how the David Project meets the criteria of presenting a balanced and reasonable view of the situation in the Middle East.

If religion means anything, it is a way to transcend narrow and sectarian views and reach for the ultimate goal of all spiritual seekers, to see the oneness of human life, to be pro-humanity, and thereby true peacemakers.

I apologize for underestimating the genuine fear people carried, especially given the tendency of our press and politicians to divide and polarize. But there is no excuse for acting out one's fears. The most important issues of our lifetime need every ounce of rationality we can muster.

Rev. Ralph Galen

41 Lowell St.