Issue Four Summer 2020

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David Walsh Candidate for Selectman I am a homeowner and resident in our town for 40 years. My wife Beth and son Joe have lived here with me since 1986. After a 30 plus year career in the telecommunication business, I started a livery business here in Nahant. I have come to know and enjoy working with many of you through my active engagement as a volunteer on the following committees and boards: • The Golf Course Committee - 8 years. • The Housing Authority -7 years. • Emergency Management -5 years. • Town Manager search and selection committee -1 year. • The Zoning Board of Appeals -11 years and still active. I decided to run for Selectman, because, I think I can be a constructive force in solutions for a number of issues that are plaguing Nahant: Flooding during mega storms has been a serious problem for more than fifty years in the Castle Rd, Fox Hill Rd, and Ward Rd area. We all know that those storms are becoming increasingly damaging, lasting for several days with numerous high tides. It is only a matter of time before the intersection of Nahant Road and Castle Nahant Magazine | 22 Road will become impassable during the storm high tides – a serious threat to Public Safety. The $175,000 that was appropriated by the town two years ago, was just a down payment. We need an engineering solution and I’m determined to work to get that done. The sewer system in town must be rebuilt. Within the last two years, a break in the pipe on the Lynnway cost Nahant taxpayers more than $1 million, just to remove the waste. Now we are moving forward on the first phase of a $15 million project to repair the entire sewer system – an essential capital expenditure for which the funds still need be raised. The taxpayers will see a significant increase in trash removal fees and sewer treatment fees over the next year. The imposition of these costs will be coming at the same time that the Town is anticipating reductions in general local aid, Chapter 70 school funding and Mass. Lottery aid. The percentage match of State dollars for The Community Preservation Committee could be in jeopardy of being dramatically slashed this year. Keeping in mind the expenses and reduced funding noted above, let me share with you my opinion on the Northeastern University situation. NU has owned the property at East Point since February 23, 1966 and has continually used the property for educational purposes. Nahant and NU have had a long relationship that has been quite harmonious. I refer you to the letter written by Polly Bradley, one of the founders of SWIM in 1984. To quote from her letter to the town, written in 2013, “SWIM has never been accused of being nimby (“Not in My Back Yard”) because Northeastern scientists have made sure we always had the scientific facts right. Nahant is a cleaner, safer place because of its 40-year history of alliance with Northeastern.” Again quoting from the final paragraph of the Polly’s letter, “Northeastern University Marine Science Center professors and staff backed Nahant in the long battle for secondary treatment and a long outfall, and over the years they have given SWIM and the Town hours and days of free scientific consultation that we could never have afforded if they had demanded payment as expert consultants. Northeastern has been essential in protecting the environment of Nahant.” If there are private entities and/or private individuals that want to purchase a portion of the NU land and pay the price and legal fees, that is their right and privilege. However, I am dead set against the Town or any of its boards or non-profit corporations spending taxpayers’ money to halt NU’s plans. If the Town, through the Nahant Preservation Trust (NPT), initiates an eminent domain action, we, the residents of Nahant, will have to bear the costs which are completely unknown, and could amount to many millions of dollars plus interest and legal fees. This is an expense that we the people of Nahant cannot afford. It is incumbent upon the Selectmen, the Town Manager and other Boards and Committees to work to resolve the impasse that currently exists in a manner which is beneficial to the Town, the taxpayers, and the eco-system and to keep NU as a good neighbor and benefactor to the Town. As your selectman, I will support the recommendation of the Coast Guard Housing Design Development Advisory Committee to incorporate the former Coast Guard housing property into the Town’s tax base. Thank you for taking the time to review these issues. Please contact me if you have any questions. I would appreciate your vote on June 20th and the opportunity to work for you. David G Walsh 617-775-7075 dgwalsh44@verizon.net
Gene Canty Candidate for Selectman I have known and loved Nahant my whole life. I spent my summers here with my family up until I graduated from Boston College when Karen and I married and moved here full-time. We bought our first home here and raised three children, one of whom still lives in Nahant. I really cannot imagine living anywhere else. These are just a few reasons of why I am driven to do my part in continuing to make a positive impact on our little town for today’s residents and for generations to come. I’ve spent my career in the corporate and retail automobile sector, serving in roles that have included General Manager, Dealer Operations Manager, and CEO for some of the largest and most profitable retail dealerships, plus also spending a large part of my career managing and consulting at the corporate level. To me, serving is a way to connect with those around you. My main experience includes: Zoning Board of Appeals (3 years), Conservation Commission (15 years, 10 as Chairman), School Committee (8 years, 2 as Chaiman), Planning Board (2 years, to present) 28 years of experience on these committees makes me the most qualified candidate to serve as Nahant’s next Selectman. The knowledge of the inter-working of town boards, as well as the leadership positions held during my years serving on these committees, will be instrumental in continuing to move Nahant forward, working with the Town Administrator, Selectmen and various boards and committees. Having served on the Conservation Commission for 15 years, I am dedicated to Conservation and Open Space protections. Lodge Park is what I am most proud of. I served as Project Manager, working with a small “de facto” group (Mark Cullinan, Bill Mahoney, Rick Kennedy, Linda Pivacek, Bob Risch, and the driving force, Calantha Sears), to convert what had become a dumping ground at the site of the then abandoned Nike Missile silos at East Point, into a beautiful vista for all to enjoy. I was also part of a town-wide effort to preserve and prevent the Kelley Greens Golf Course from being developed into home sites and limiting its use to Recreation and Open Space, after the town voted to purchase this tract of land. With the town only spanning one-square mile, preserving limited Open Space for the people of Nahant is a cause to which I am dedicated. There is a saying, “There’s no time like the present.” I think that is particularly true now in Nahant. The issues the Town is facing are incredibly important ones, including: infrastructure and the need for a new, costly sewer system; climate change and how it impacts our fragile coast-line and its home-owners; the eventual disposition of the Coast Guard Housing; Senior and Low Income Housing, and striking a balance between Northeastern’s aspirations and what is best for the town. Ninety-seven percent of Nahant’s coastline is surrounded by water. With anticipated tidal increases in the foreseeable future, we need to proactively address preparedness and to outline a path to protect the most vulnerable parts of town. We need to understand the costs of doing this and how we can pay for this, including bringing in any grants that may be available. We also need to address costs related to the new sewer system and a plan for repayment. My background in cost control will help in leading the charge, working with our Town Administrator, the Board of Selectmen, and relevant committee members. As a long-time advocate for Open Space and the preservation of Natural Resource areas, my position is probably quite similar to the many people who signed an open letter to Northeastern early on against expansion, and those residents who more recently came out to vote in a special election to uphold Natural Resource protections by casting 87% of the vote in favor. I am all for academic study of issues confronting our fragile environment. But I do not think Northeastern has to pursue its Coastal Sustainability Institute by placing a 55,000 square-foot building atop the Murphy Bunker in a Natural Resource District and adding 125-plus parking spaces to impervious surfaces bordering Wetlands. Just because the State’s Dover Amendment gives educational institutions certain building rights that the ordinary, tax-paying land-owner does not have, it does not mean that pursuing a destructive path is the right thing to do. I believe we can find mutually agreeable ground, but it takes two to come to the table. I am open to negotiating with Northeastern, but in a way that is open and objective. In a democracy, differences of opinion are to be expected (and respected). There’s always going to be a healthy dose of disagreement. We have a town leadership that is transparent, open minded, fact-based, and willing to listen. They are now leading us through these challenging times. The Council on Aging has done an exemplary job of tending to our seniors. People are leaving painted rocks around town with words of encouragement. Seaside Pizza is offering free meals to senior citizens. The Police and Fire Departments are helping kids celebrate birthdays with processions. Residents are being respectful of town restrictions to promote safety. We are Nahant Strong. I ask you to vote for me, Gene Canty for Nahant Selectman, on Saturday, June 20th. You can find me on FaceBook at genecantyforselectman or visit www. genecantyforselectman.com. 23 | Nahant Magazine
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Issue Four Summer 2020

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