LtE: Reading Will Benefit from Rose-Gillis and D’Arezzo Leadership
Dear Editor and Reading Residents,
When we cast our two votes for Select Board they will be for Karen Rose-Gillis and Tony D'Arezzo. With the departure of Mark Dockser, who exemplified excellence in leadership during his six-year tenure, Ms. Rose-Gillis and Mr. D’Arezzo will bring the same (and much needed) integrity, professionalism, and transparency to the Board.
Ms. Rose-Gillis spent many months on the (now concluded) Parking Advisory and Recommendation Committee (PARC), working with town staff and the Reading Police Department to address parking issues in the downtown area. We’ve had the opportunity to get to know her better over the past few months and have learned that she has great ideas and a wonderful disposition. Like Mr. Dockser, she prioritizes listening to all viewpoints and will be a Select Board member we can count on to make fair and fiscally responsible decisions. Most recently she became a member of the Eastern Gateway Priority Planning Committee, demonstrating her commitment to the future of Reading.
Likewise, Mr. D’Arezzo is a qualified and experienced volunteer. Over the past 30 years he has spent time on and off as a Town Meeting member and was on the Community Planning and Development Commission (CPDC) from 2017-2024. He will bring a wealth of experience and knowledge of development projects in town to the Select Board. This will be key as we have several major projects and initiatives coming up, including the new Killam School and Center for Active Living, as well as planning for the Eastern Gateway.
To hear directly from Ms. Rose-Gillis and Mr. D’Arezzo, please watch the Select Board Candidate Forum, held March 26th at the library, on RCTV’s Youtube channel. And if you haven’t already done so, please read these other letters written in support of their candidacies: Vote Karen Rose-Gillis For Select Board, Tony D’Arezzo’s Unsung Service to Reading Merits Your Select Board Vote, and Rose-Gillis and D’Arezzo for the Experienced Leadership Needed Now.
We ask you to join us in voting for Karen Rose-Gillis and Tony D’Arezzo for Select Board. As residents actively involved in Reading’s local government we have no doubt our town will benefit from their leadership.
Sincerely,
Carolyn Johnson, Precinct 2 Town Meeting member
Rebecca Bailey, Precinct 1 Town Meeting member
Taylor Gregory, Precinct 2 Town Meeting member
Michael and Marlena Bita, Strawberry Hill Lane
Helena Johnson, Precinct 5 Town Meeting Member
Stephanie Balaouras, Orchard Park Drive
This LtE was edited from the original to clarify that Mr. D'Arezzo has been a Town Meeting member on and off over the past 30 years and not a Town Meeting member for 30 years.