Community Endorsements
"Kirk Ware Brings People Together"
Marian Harman, Chamberlain Road
I am supporting Kirk Ware for Selectman, and I hope you will too. I got to know Kirk when I attended two years of the East Boston Camps Master Plan meetings. He was the Chairman and ran the meetings. I was very impressed by his demeanor and his abilities.
When we started the EBC plan, he insisted over the objections of some of the members, that we needed a good survey plan to work with. In the end, a survey was done, and the survey showed many areas where the boundaries hadn't been known. It all got straightened out because of Kirk's common sense approach. Then he said, again over many objections, that we needed to know the environmentally sensitive areas to avoid such as the vernal pools.
He strongly suggested hiring Sue Morse, an internationally known tracker, to review the whole area- He had worked with her on projects in the past. She came down several days and made a thorough environmental survey and report to the Town, which was extremely helpful. This planning approach was unprecedented for the Town. Sue Morse recommended large buffers for the vernal pools if any logging were to be done, covering of the shadbush trees which were being eaten by beavers, leaving the rare bog environment strictly alone, along with many directives for how logging should be done sensitively if at all. Throughout the whole two-year process, if I (not a committee member) wanted to say anything, Kirk was always very willing to call on me and thank me for my input. He welcomed input from all in attendance. He was very polite to everyone, which sometimes wasn't easy, and was amazingly effective at getting things done in a quiet but firm way.
Kirk was also influential in obtaining the main consultant for the EBC plan. The consultant, Bill Giezentanner, is also an environmentally sensitive person who works with Mass. Audubon. An excellent Master Plan came out of this long process. It addressed the needs of the vast majority of Westford voters, and it passed at Town Meeting with flying colors.
Kirk Ware is a lawyer by education. He works now as a builder. As far as I'm concerned, there are good builders and bad, and he's definitely a good builder. He's interested in environmentally sensitive building. At the present time, he is working with the Westford Land Preservation Foundation to design environmentally sensitive developments which include large areas of dedicated conservation land. I feel that Kirk Ware's proven ability to work with people, to listen to what they have to say and to bring people together to accomplish a goal, will prove invaluable on the Board of Selectmen.
"Kirk has brought about solid results as a devoted volunteer for many town committees"
George Fletcher, Plain Road
Not every year does a candidate come before the town with the qualities and qualifications that Kirk Ware brings to the position of selectperson. Kirk comes with experience on several committees, most recently the East Boston Camps Master Plan Committee. Kirk has dedicated his time and effort to many of the issues that residents of Westford hold dear, including conserving our town’s open spaces and helping plan our new schools.
The town is facing several problems, both financial and infrastructural. Kirk, through his experience, is well aware of these problems and has the skills to help develop a plan to solve them. He served on the Commission for Efficient Town Government and knows how to help the government operate effectively and resourcefully.
Kirk has brought about solid results as a devoted volunteer for many town committees. In the time that I have known Kirk, he has proven to be a man of high integrity who works closely with others to both conceive and carry through on innovative ideas that better the town of Westford.
For those who are looking for effective change in the way our town government is run, I urge you to vote for Kirk Ware for the Board of Selectmen.
Kirk Ware is "one of the most qualified people we could choose to help lead the town"
George Murray, Heywood Road
I am writing to support the candidacy of Kirk Ware for the position of Westford Selectman in the coming election. While I believe that all of the incumbent Selectmen have worked hard for the Town of Westford, Kirk possesses the ideal combination of skill and personal characteristics to provide leadership for the town in what promise to be difficult times ahead.
Many Westford voters probably know Kirk best for his leadership of the East Boston Camps Master Plan Committee, and I had the opportunity to observe his quietly competent leadership of that group. However, I know Kirk best from serving with him on the Permanent School Building Committee over the past 15 years.
Kirk came to the committee through a decision by the Board of Selectmen to expand the Building Committee membership to work through the difficult task of finding and choosing acceptable sites for school building projects. He chaired the Site Selection Committee, working diligently to find appropriate building locations, and to work through what had become some contentious issues around the sites being considered.
The site of the current Crisafulli school had been studied as a potential building location, but had been rejected by the Building Committee because of ledge prohibiting locating a septic system there. Kirk proposed connecting to the sewage treatment plant at Westford Academy, and worked closely with the architect, Building Committee, and other town boards to make it happen. The result was an un-buildable site becoming buildable, improvement of the operation of the sewage treatment plant, and considerable savings to the town.
This effort was typical of my experience working with Kirk. He is an expert on building and site development, and these skills were used in the development of each of our school projects, to reduce costs and deliver value to the community. He persevered to achieve our objectives, was willing to listen to all sides on an issue, and consistently demonstrated teamwork and leadership skills.
Westford faces many critical challenges in the future, to deliver the services our residents require, at a cost in tax revenues that our citizens can afford. And, that has to be accomplished in a manner that provides fair and competitive wages and benefits to town employees. Compromises, sacrifices, and a willingness to work together will all be needed, and I am convinced that Kirk Ware is one of the most qualified people we could choose to help lead the town. Please consider supporting him with your vote in May.
"Kirk did an excellent job keeping the process moving forward productively"
Bill Harman, Chamberlain Road
I have become impressed by Kirk Ware, and I'd like to recommend him for Board of Selectmen in the coming election. I got to know Kirk in recent years mainly in connection with East Boston Camps. He was the chairman of the Master Plan Committee which analyzed the land and developed a Master Plan. It turned out to be an unusually difficult job for a chairman because of intense differences of opinion. But Kirk did an excellent job keeping the process moving forward productively. In the end, the draft plan was very well done, and it was subsequently adopted at Town Meeting.
I believe that Kirk Ware as a Selectman would support the will of the Town. In that respect some of the current board members have caused me bitter disappointment. The membership of the Board is very important. Kirk Ware would be an excellent choice.