To the Editor,
I'd like to thank Gary Gilbert for his letter in The Cricket titled "Discord in Town Government." I'm saddened by the loss of our town planner, Sue Brown, who rightly decided to move on to greener pastures after being harassed by some of Manchester's residents.
My sincere thank you to all the men and women who keep Manchester running. Without the volunteers who staff our boards, our teachers, police, firemen, local businesses, town employees, and others who work in Manchester, our town wouldn't be the same. Those of us who live in Manchester and benefit from your services, thank you. Most of us are ashamed of the behavior of a few, including the ugly mistruths recently mailed out to town residents using the town's seal deceptively.
Unfortunately, Manchester has become unaffordable for many of our working families, and most have been forced to find housing elsewhere.
We have an opportunity to fix this problem and show the anti-growth minority that progress is both necessary and beneficial.
With the proposed revisions to the zoning laws, the planning board can begin to make progress toward creating housing opportunities for young families, empty nesters, and others, as envisioned in the town's master plan.
If, like me, you want a better, more progressive, and diverse Manchester, show up to the town meeting on November 14 and make your vote count.
Sincerely,
Craig Swerdloff
Manchester
