Annual State of the Town Address
Chairman of the Board of Selectmen, Kevin Greeley
April 24, 2006
Ms Jane Howard: This program is being transmitted live on cable. My
name is Jane Howard. I am one of the Co-Chairs of Vision 20/20 Standing
Committee and a Town Meeting Member from Precinct Ten and it is my
privilege tonight to introduce tonight's speaker, recently elected
Chairman for the sixth time by his peers, Selectman Kevin F. Greeley. Mr.
Greeley, as you know, is a longtime Arlington resident, a product of
Arlington's schools and holds Bachelors and Masters degrees from Emerson
College, a former Associate Dean of its Graduate School and Professor of
Communication at Emerson, he is President and Founder of Greeley
Communications, a management consulting firm, helping individuals and
organizations improve their communication strategies and skills. Mr.
Greeley has served in many posts in town and certainly, as a Town Meeting
Member from Precincts 16, 18, six and currently Precinct 11. As he begins
his 18th year as an Arlington Selectman, he is nearing his later father,
Joseph Greeley's, service record of 19 years on that Board. Kevin has
also provided leadership to Arlington's first successful Override Campaign
in 1990 and several debt exclusion efforts for our schools. With Stephen
Gilligan and Charles Lyons, he initiated the exploratory process for
Vision 20/20 in June of 1990 and also about 15 years ago he founded the
[Selectones], perhaps you have heard them and he continues to be their
principle organizer. Kevin and his wife, Ann, are the proud parents of
Katie and Sean and the Greeley family are all upstairs. In addition to
that marvelous family and when not tending to town matters, his interests,
he says, are golf, gardening and playing ragtime piano. Mr. Greeley.
[Applause]
Mr. Kevin Greeley: Thank you very much Jane. I also would like to
thank Vision 20/20, my colleagues, each of you. Jane, that is the kind of
introduction that my mother sits up there and says "That is my boy." My
three brothers somewhere in this hall are saying, "Who the hell was she
talking about?" I am sure [laughter] but I appreciate it non-the-less and
I think you all very, very much for your willingness to be here tonight
and I want to especially thank my colleagues from the Board of Selectmen.
I feel very lucky and proud this evening. I feel lucky that it just
falls to me that I happen to have been chosen Chairman by Annie, Dianne
and Jack and Clarissa as well. In, in the, in the turn of events it just
happens to by my turn and I get this platform but I am a very proud member
of the Arlington Board of Selectmen. I think it is an excellent Board
without me and without my service but over the last 17 years and I believe
it is nine different configurations of the Board, I am very proud of the
work the Board has done. I am not saying we are always right and some of
you probably agree with me on that but what we always are about
Arlington and doing what we believe to be best for Arlington and I am
honored to have been part of that Board for these many years. In thinking
about tonight, Jane mentioned a number of things I was going to bring up,
so I will still mention them anyhow but, over 17 years, it has been six
times Chairman, three overrides, for debt exclusions, the retirement of
Don [Donald R. Marquis], the hiring of, I am looking for his name, Phil [Farrington]
and of course the hiring of Brian Sullivan. These are major turning
points I believe in the history of the town of Arlington as we head
forward and we are on the eve of Arlington's 200th anniversary. In 1807
we separated from Cambridge, became West Cambridge and so next year we
will celebrate 200 years as an incorporated town. As you are aware in
1867 the name was changed to Arlington and so, tonight we ask what is the state of this town, this Arlington and in doing so, I think Jane said it well, we need to, let's take a look at a little bit in the past, a little bit about today and then where do we go from here and I ask what is it
that we value in this community because I think that is what marks the
community. What is it that we value and hand down? Jimmy Carter, in his
book, Our Endangered Values, he dedicated that book and he said "To our
children and grandchildren, for whom America's basic moral values must be
preserved." We, the Board of Selectmen and we, The Town Meeting, must
preserve Arlington's values for our children. As she mentioned, mine are
here tonight and I want to first of all thank my son, Sean Patrick, who
first had to get the news that his Little League game has been cancelled
this evening, so he won't have a chance to play third base and worse, it
means he has to be here to listen to this speech. [Laughter] Welcome my
nine-year old son, Sean Patrick, if you would please. [Applause]
Town Meeting Member: [Inaudible]
Mr. Kevin Greeley: I know gees and my darling little daughter, Katie, who
at 12 was willing to come to this, only if I didn't mention her, so
forgive as I do so, my daughter Katie. [Applause] Another way to look at
what we need to do in terms of a community in my opinion is a song by
Billy Joel called Two Thousand Years, which Billy Joel wrote to celebrate
the millennium. One of the verses goes, "This is our moment, here, at
this crossroad of time. We hope our children will carry our dreams down
the line. They are the vintage. What kind of life will they live? Is
this a curse or a blessing that we give?" Is it a curse or a blessing
that we give in Arlington and I say it is based on our values? Arlington
has always valued service to the community and leadership and these days,
I think what has become abundantly clear is that it is especially women,
who through the history of this town, have provided outstanding service
and leadership.
Let's look at a few examples through time, [Suqash Achim] from who this
property was bought back 370 years ago. Herbert Myers, our Arlington's
historian for many years quoted, from a History of Winchester by Henry
Smith Chapman, describing Squash Achim, "Though she may have owed her rule
to extraordinary and unhappy conditions, she must have been a women of
parts and character to have retained, as she did, her authority for some
30 years. She it was with whom Governor Winthrop dealt when the
settlement of this part of the country was undertaken. She married after
[Nanny Pauchamet's] death. I hope I am somewhere near there and she
married the chief medicine man of the tribe, whose name was Webb [Cowitt]
but seemingly surrendered to him none of her prerogatives." Many women
[inaudible] have not surrendered any of their prerogatives, [laughter]
[applause] their powers, their responsibilities. For example 1775, Mother
[Babbowick] was gathering flowers by the old [By Spy] Pond. Mother
Babbowick was an African American. She was harvesting flowers and
single-handedly captured British soldiers who were retreating and marched
them up to the center of town, where they were taken over by the
Colonials. How about in the 1800s, the Robbins Sisters, [Kyra], Eliza
and Ida? Their civic service and civic vision was for the maintenance of
the culture, the pride and the education of all of Arlington. Ida served
in the first Representative Town Meeting and then on the School Committee.
They gifted Arlington with their beautiful home, with our library and the
Town Hall in which we stand and the gardens that surround it. Georgiana
Peachfield, who late in the 1800s was the first women ever elected to
office in Arlington, she was elected to the Arlington School Committee 35
years before women were given the right to vote in the United States of
America. More recent history, Ann [Mahan] Powers, who was the first women
to serve on the Arlington Board of Selectmen, followed by Peg [Spangler]
who was the first women elected to the Arlington Board of Selectmen and of
course that brings me to today. The Executive branch of the Town of
Arlington, since last year for the first time in our history, is led by
three women. Congratulations to all of the women [inaudible]. [Applause]
You know, I will get to the boys in a minute, just hang on there but I
would like to say first of all to my colleague, Dianne Mahon, I really
think that what I have learned as I have watched her is her loyalty and
the energy that she brings to this office has been matched by none. Thank
you, Dianne Mahon, for your [inaudible]. [Applause] Annie LaCourt is
newer but has made a great impression already. The energy that she brings
and also her questions, her wanting of information, her diving in and
wanting to do such a good job, I think is exemplary. Annie, thank you very
much [for that]. [Applause] Clarissa is unable to be here and she will
be with us later but Clarissa also I believe in a short period of time ahs
also made a outstanding contribution and I look forward to working with
her over this next year. Please say [inaudible] [applause]. These are
just a few of the names of the women whose names we may know and remember
but we can never forget the thousands of other women who gave service to
this town, as our mothers, as our voters, as business owners, as civic
leaders and as the workers in this town.
I need to introduce one special one who is with us this evening. I
mentioned here, show of hands, know the four Greeley boys, myself and my
three brothers? Well, then you know what kind of an outstanding
individual must be to have put up with those four boys. Please welcome,
if you would, Betty Greeley [inaudible] [applause]. My earliest
recollection of Arlington politics was sitting with my mother up in that
balcony, as I watched my father here ask for a 10 cent increase in the tax
rate for a raise for police salaries and he gave the speech and said,
"Please don't let it be said that old Joe lost his last fight." I will
never forget people rising to their feet and giving him a standing
ovation. I have been trying to get one but I am still working on it.
[Laughter] He will have to reach down [a fair amount] but now of course
friends I have to talk about my colleague, Mr. Jack [Hurd] on the Board of
Selectmen. I know we are now in the minority on the Board, although we
don't necessarily feel that way and Jack, like myself, might fit under
that title some have heard around here called townie because we were born
and raised here. We were educated here and we have now served on the
Board of Selectmen for a certain number of years but Jack is a role model
to me and to all of for the kind of service that should be provided. He
is not just an East Arlington Selectman, as was evidenced by his recent
victory. He is respected and appreciated from Medford and Winchester, to
Belmont, to Cambridge and to Lexington. Jack Hurd, thank you very much
for your [inaudible]. [Applause] You know Jack and I have served for
those number of years and we are backed up by three more women in that
office, Marie, Mary Ann and Jean and we could not do it without their
support but I would like to mention one of them in particular because,
speaking of service to the community, Marie [Krepelka] was secretary to
the first Town Manager in the town of Arlington, Mr. Ed Monahan. She took
a little bit of time off to deal with her children and other things like
that but she has given outstanding service to this community. The way she
has handled-she is up there saying, "I am going to kill him. I am going
to kill him." The way she has handled cancer and yet still ran the town
of Arlington is unbelievable. Marie Krepelka. [Applause] " I am going
to absolutely kill him." She is saying up there. I can hear her.
Friends, I believe we have valued service in the town of Arlington. You
know, when we think of what we value, Webster's Dictionary defines value
as relative worth or importance. What are the things that we believe are
of relative worth or importance here in the town of Arlington? Well, there
are a couple of others who I would like to mention, if I may. First of
all I would like to mention Kathleen [Dias]. Is Kathleen here by any
chance? You know Kathleen is 15 years on the Board of Selectmen. As I
sat beside her, nobody has made me laugh more during that and she was
known for maybe a little bit of quiet service and I think is because Kathy
ascribed to the belief it is better to be silent and thought a fool than
open one's mouth and remove all doubt. [Laughter] So, she let me open my
mouth and be fool enough for the two of us. Kathleen Dias, I love you and
I wish you well. [Applause] John Bilafer, his service was not always
quiet here in the town of Arlington but a former member of the Board of
Selectmen, an outstanding Treasurer. I am sure that Steve Gilligan will
do a great job carrying on but we owe John a great debt as well for his
service to this community. [Applause] Somebody whose service has just
started but I believe that this service will also be outstanding, as it
has been so far to this town, through the interview process and the
through the way he has behaved over the last couple of years. Please
welcome, if you would, someone who shares our values, Brian Sullivan, our
Town [inaudible]. [Applause]
But friends not just that service. How about if you would please, let me
ask all the members of the School Committee, I see Mr. Skidmore from the
high school here, all of the members of the School Committee please stand
if you would and take a bow [applause] and [Frank Allen] from the School
Committee, if you would [inaudible]. [Applause] Those who have provided
public service, the Management Team here in the town of Arlington, as I am
surrounded [by], thank you all for being here. I very much appreciate it.
No, they are all sitting out here among us and I think the all very much
for being here and one we have to point out, 32 years of service, the
piano player for the Selectones, who will be stepping down this summer,
however, she ahs agreed to stay on and will keep involved but has been
very involved with outstanding service, Patsy Kramer, our Director of
Human Services. [Applause]
Just a couple more quick ones, I promise you and then I am close to
being done. Volunteer service, this is what distinguishes this
community. I have mentioned a number of people who have run for office,
the number of years they have served. I am sure you haven't always agreed
with how they served but the fact they were willing to put in that amount
of time says something to me and I hope that we continue to get people who
are willing to serve like but the kind of service like that Patricia Fitzmaurice gave, as she raised our awareness and single-handedly I think
made us aware of what was going on at the [Schwamb] Mill, Jane Howard, who
with many, many others has done an awful lot to make sure that we keep our
Vision 20/20 process going and I welcome here [Cavas Gobhai], our
consultant who worked with us all those years ago. Cavas, very nice to
see you as well [applause] and Jane Howard, thank you very much for all
that you have done there. Elsie [Fiore], be careful if you walk through
the open spaces of the town of Arlington because she is patrolling them
[laughter] and you had better watch. You know, I think she has made more
Selectmen's Meetings than I have [laughter] but this is a community that
is worth living in because of people like Elsie Fiore. That is right.
[Applause]
Of course I have left names out and you will have to forgive me for that
but I do now want to mention one more name who to me exemplifies
outstanding service in this community. He is sitting up there in the
balcony with my family. He and I have been friends since we were kids. We
served 16 years together in the Arlington Board of Selectmen. Twice in my
life the town of Arlington has made national news and both times it was
because of this individual, first when he was the first 18-year old
elected to public office in the United States of America, then when he
served as President of NLC. He has 24 years on the Board of Selectmen and
nine on the Arlington School Committee. His service should be recognized
and I recognize him, Mr. Charlie Lyons. [Applause] If only I could have
gotten Charlie to give his opinion every now and then, [laughter] tough as
I was.
Friends, what else do we value? We value education. That should be our
first priority here in the town Arlington. When we have gone to the
voters, they have said yes to us, when we have asked to rebuild the
schools. We have to keep something like the [O'Neal] formula. Maybe we
change it but, in my opinion, the purpose of the O'Neal formula is to say
that, of what monies are available and are discretionary, the majority
should go to education and we need to continue that and keep that value
going. [Applause] We all recognize education is a life time journey, not
a destination. The work that Mary Ellen Remert Loud and her team do at
the library to make education assessable to all of us, we need to support
that and continue. We value community, however, that community may be
defined by those who live within it and I mentioned before about townies.
You know, sometimes there has been this little bit of a sense of townies
and newbies and who is right and who is wrong or whatever. Neither one
is. The nice part about Arlington is you can choose to live here and,
whether you chose to do that 55 years or 55 minutes ago, you are Arlington
and let's forget about that difference ever being brought up again.
[Applause]
I think we value community when we do something like the Sims' Project.
Now, I am not saying it was perfect but we are almost there and we are
almost there, passing Sims and getting Sims, with all of the goals, as set
forth by the Board of Selectmen, as reinforced and as put forward by the
Sims Advisory Board and my job, the work of the Redevelopment Board and
Town Meeting that has been put into it, we are very, very close to keeping
the same amount of open space, to providing medical care, to providing
affordable housing and some of it targeted specifically for Arlington
workers and to protect that neighborhood and the schools and all of the
other facilities in the town of Arlington. I tell you and you will learn
this as you learn more about what is going on, it is a miracle that we
have E. A. [Fish] as the Developer. He told us at Town Meeting he has
never walked away from a deal and believe me he has not walked away from
this one when lesser people would have in my opinion. Sims Hospital, we
entered it, I can remember the day sitting in Kay Donovan's office with
Charlie Lyons when this idea was first brought up, not to become
developers but to control the development and to try and make sure it
stays revenue neutral. We are very close and I believe we will accomplish
all of that. We value debate. Oh, my God, do we value debate [laughter]
and we have to protect that. We have to protect Town Meeting. Let us
always air. We are talking about things too much. My hair was dark when
I started as a member of the Board of Selectmen. Speeches have turned it
this way I think. Just another person I would like you to meet, who is
most understanding of those nights that I come home and I am upset with
something that happened or I am tossing in bed thinking about what we
discussed and why didn't I say this or whatever but she is the partner
that I choose and look forward to spending the rest of my life with, my
wife Annie. [Applause] Of course the truth is she is dead asleep when I
get home but the next morning [laughter] she does [inaudible] things up,
not tonight because 24 is on. God forbid that we miss 24. As some of you
were looking at your watch, we will get there, don't worry. I am towards
the end of it.
Just if I may, a personal reflection, of course it causes me to think of
what is it that I value and I guess I have made it pretty clear that I am
a townie. I have lived in Precincts 60 and six, 18 and 11. I attended
Cutter, Lock, Junior High West and Arlington Catholic, closed two of
those. I have been a registered member of all five Catholic parishes in
Arlington, closed two of those. I have worked for Public Works, Water,
[Paint], Tree, Cemetery departments, collected trash, plowed snow. I have
been a 20-year member of Town Meeting. This is my 18th year as a member
of the Board of Selectmen. So, when I think of Arlington--as I have
thought about this speech, I was listening to the radio and I was
listening to a song called The Town I Have Loved So Well and for me this
represents Arlington, by Phil Coulter and B. Martin.
In my memory I will always see
The town that I have loved so well
Where our school played ball by the gas yard wall
And we laughed through the smoke and the smell
In the early morning the shirt factory horn
Called women from Creggan, the moor and the bog
While the men on the dole played a mother's role
Fed the children and walked the roads
When times got tough there was just about enough
But they saw it through without complaining
For deep inside was a burning pride
For the town I loved so well
There was music there in the Derry air
Like a language that we all could understand
I remember the day that I earned my first pay
And played in a small pick-up band
Then I spent my youth and to tell you the truth
I was sad to leave it all behind me
For I'd learned about life and I found a wife
In the town I have loved so well.
This town I love so well, we want to pass on a blessing, not a curse, so
we do so by remembering our values and to preserve those values I believe
we must do a few things. One, we have to honor our commitments to the
voters. We must rebuild [Stratton] and Thompson. [Applause] Don't clap
on all of these, I am talking too long already. We must navigate through
the development of Sims. We must say on top of that. I believe we will.
These are all commitments to the voters and I believe we need to continue
to support the Lyons Five Year Plan, no new taxes and capping budgets at
4%. We need to keep education as our top priority and value. We need to
preserve Town Meeting. We need to improve working conditions for all of
our employees. We need, as always, provide a safe community for
residents and businesses to thrive and we must continue to honor service.
Now, let's start with how we celebrate Arlington next year on its 200th
anniversary. Billy Joel's Two Thousand Years has another verse which
goes:
There will be miracles
After the last war is won
Science and poetry rule in the new world to come
Prophets and angels
Gave us the power to see
What an amazing future there will be
Arlington will have an amazing future because we have had an amazing
past. What is the state of this town, this land of the Abnakies and the
Wampanoags and the Pawtuckets], this [Menotomy], this land of
swift-running water, this West Cambridge, this Arlington of 200 years? The
state of this town is excellent and it will continue to be so because of
our values and because it is the town we have all loved so well. God
bless. Thank you very much. [Applause]
Ms. Jane Howard: Thank you so much, Kevin and would you all please join us in
the aisle for a little reception before Town Meeting starts.
- Transcribed by Cambridge Transcriptions
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