Westwood Needs Select Board Members Who Can Promote Compromise

I wholeheartedly agree that our next Select Board member must show respect for all viewpoints and a willingness to work collaboratively to reach the best solutions for our town. Mike Walsh is the right person for this job. I first met Mike when we volunteered together to coach our sons’ sixth-grade soccer team. Mike was a terrific coach -encouraging and enthusiastic, calm and prepared, and respectful of each player. He took the time to connect with the boys as individuals while helping them come together as a cohesive team, all while making every practice and game fun. He handled challenges with diplomacy and good humor (no small feat when everyone wants to play striker and no one wants to be goalie!). It was clear that Mike valued collaboration—supporting individuals while uniting them around a common goal. That same approach and temperament make him well suited to represent all residents of Westwood.

I agree; compromise is a lost skill of late. Polarized in our opinions about what is correct or righteous, we unwittingly stop hearing (and caring about) the “other” – becoming negative versions of ourselves. A couple of years ago there was an intense battle in Westwood over off-leash, dog walking in Lowell Woods. Hundreds of people’s (and dogs’) lives were negatively affected by the sudden leash-law. Hotly debated with a nasty edge, the special meeting held at the Islington Library felt heartbreakingly unhealthy. One of the things I remember most was how Michael Walsh knocked himself out to try to find a compromise where people could walk dogs off-leash (even if just during certain hours). Mike carefully listened to both sides and proposed a worthy resolution built on compromise. He had the courage to speak up and propose it, despite other committee members being less enthusiastic. He’s a great guy, and it is paramount we have his skill set in the year ahead. Time is of the essence… We don’t have the luxury of training novices in the critical, Select Board decisions that need to be made this year.