Much has been written about Leo Blair’s prior contributions to the overall accomplishments of the Board of Selectmen on which he served. I’ll not belabor those points and invite a review on his web site www.selectblair.com.
What is rarely spoken of, however, is Leo’s innate ability to bring balance to the needs of diverse constituent groups. Think for a moment our schools and the Council on the Aging.
During his prior term, Leo came to the rescue of the schools when an important request for the installation of ceiling fans in the upstairs classrooms of HES was resoundingly defeated on the floor of Annual Town Meeting due to poor preparation and presentation. He quickly identified a more cost effective procurement and installation design and got the job done. Anyone who has ever been up on that second floor of HES in the summer will understand the cooling effect of what Leo accomplished.
During that same term, and amidst mounting financial turmoil in Harvard, characterized by a failed Proposition 2 and a half override, Leo found the wherewithal to actually increase the Council on the Aging budget by $15,000 for much needed services to our seniors. An interesting statistic from that era reveals Leo, as then chair of the Board of Selectmen, achieved this by a majority vote with only Lucy Wallace and Tim Clark voting against the COA.
Behind these two small, but incredibly important issues to the stakeholders, lie perhaps Leo’s core strengths. He seeks fist to understand and then to be understood. He respectfully poses the tough, insightful and revealing questions … always challenging even his own assumptions. Only in that way can he be believable enough to be understood and to then get difficult jobs done.
Leo is a quintessential problem-solver. He brings poise, fairness and equity to all he helps.
Please join me in voting for Leo Blair for Harvard’s Board of Selectmen on April 30.
KEITH CHEVERALLS
Harvard
