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A full house Monday night at the library, to introduce each Democrat running for local office. There was a buzz and considerable energy in the house, something most people in attendance want for the national scene, but which we all know is sorely lacking. Nonetheless, hope was in the air.
And immediately deflated with microphone issues. Honest to God, wouldn’t you think the moderators here would do a sound check or something to familiarize themselves with how a mic works. As a result, the first speaker, a co-chair of the N’Port Dems, was barely understandable as she raced through her opening pep talk. Amateur hour personified. Oh well, we’re not talking here about national politics or a televised convention speech, just a little local roadshow. The two mayoral candidates spoke first, 4 minutes each, followed by city council hopefuls. Here’s this observer’s grades on each.
Jim McCauley, B+: McCauley doesn’t come across as a people person on stage, no matter how personable he is mano a mano. He goes straight to the business at hand, which he did in professional, straightforward fashion, ticking off the problems we face, mostly financial, which he feels the City defers at its risk. He was one of the only speakers this night to point out that our water and sewer situation is pretty dire and cannot be ignored much longer. Impressive presentation.
Sean Reardon, the incumbent, B-: The microphone bug marred Reardon’s performance, as he galloped through accomplishments that he considers impressive, several of which passed me by because I couldn’t hear/understand fully what he was saying. I did note his claim that miles and miles of city streets and sidewalks have been refurbished, ignoring the fact that State Street, just a few yards away, has been an absolute mess for well over three weeks. Reardon can be smooth when he wants to be, but tonight he seemed rushed and impatient.
The applause meter was pretty much even. This is going to be a tight contest.
Next came the city council candidates, first up being:
Shawn Fenn, Ward 2, C+: Can’t say I learned too much about this guy. He seems friendly enough and sincere, claiming that he “isn’t running against anybody,” gets along with people, and that he’s serious about girls’ basketball (he’s apparently a coach). He said he’s worked on municipal projects for years, but details were sparse. The one quote that stood out to me was he didn’t believe in “cut, cut, cut” when it comes to city finances, which made me wonder if he’s aware of Newburyport’s current financial hole. He’s running against Stephanie Niketic, who did not speak at the event (only registered Democrats were allowed to speak, and Niketic is unenrolled).
Beth Trach, Ward 4, A: This woman lit the room up, the Cannon Ball Express. Passionate, articulate, feisty, full of vigor. She went head-to-head with the current mini-controversy, the K-Mart development, explaining that, give me 10 minutes and I’ll convert a passionate opponent to this project into a puppy. Boom, applause everywhere. Has Newburyport finally found its Zohran Mamdani? Trach, unopposed, will certainly liven up city council meetings.
Lisa Medina Smith, Ward 5, B-: Smith is a “communicator,” and hammered away at a theme just about everyone else (except Reardon) stressed over and over again – collaboration. Given the disfunction of the city council these past couple of years, what else are you going to say? I’ll take her word for it that she’s an expert at pulling disparate voices together, but it’s a little too pie in the sky for this cynic.
Mary DeLai, Ward 6, B: DeLai seems ultra qualified, and she came across as knowledgeable, sincere, and informed. She was one of the few who spoke up about the water and sewer mess, but she also indulged in the “safer streets” rhetoric that I find absurd. She also seemed to have a chip on her shoulder, claiming Ward 6 regularly gets the shaft from city hall. I’ll keep that in mind when I next pass the new fire station out there. She’s joined by one other candidate for this seat, James Eichhorst, who was not present.
On now to Councilors At-Large:
Ed Cameron, currently City Council President, B: Cameron is steady, unemotional, a good communicator, and a cinch to win reelection. He’s been at it, serving the city, for years, and he brings a consistency and institutional awareness that others often lack. He exhibited all these characteristics in his low-key, neighborly remarks.
Rani Eng, B-: Eng is a newcomer to town, from a military family. She seemed eminently friendly and enthusiastic, and dwelled for some time on “collaboration,” as in, “My job will not be to take sides, but to bridge them,” “not to defend or criticize, but to listen,” demonstrating more than she probably intended that she IS new to town. I mean, if the last two years are any indication, discord rules the day, not making friends. Still, it was refreshing to see someone who obviously has a good heart and wants to do the right thing.
Sarah Hall, B: Another “collaborator” who REALLY wants to win a seat, this being her second try (I think). She stressed how the outer wards are poorly represented on the council and feel estranged from City Hall. If they really feel that way, I think they should move to Ward 2, if they can afford it, but since very few people can these days, they must suffer. Unless, of course, they vote for her. Hall came across as competent, well-spoken, and assured. She should win a seat this time around.
Ben Harman, B: Harman is the current Ward 4 councilor, and why he’s abandoning a safe seat to run at-large is a mystery to me. He stressed “the power of listening,” claimed politics today is too much of a “contact sport,” and collaborating (there’s that word again) is key to getting things done. “Simply showing up,” he said, was essential. Harman seems a reasonable, calm sort of guy who has a brain in his head.
Afroz Khan, B: It’s a little hard not to like Khan, given her background from an immigrant family who have made a mark in our society. Given the bleak situation in our country today, it’s refreshing to hear her story line, which is why most of her presentation was of the uplifting variety. She’s been on the council for some time but claims she doesn’t take getting reelected for granted (see below on that theme). She’s a safe bet to win again.
Heather Shand, C: Shand came across as entitled. She’s been on the council eight years, everyone should know that, and if you vote for anyone over her you should have your head examined. Ok, she didn’t exactly say that in so many words, but her body vibe did. She was the only candidate who did not use all her 4-minute allotment; maybe two minutes if that. I was surprised, given her performance, that she bothered to come at all. A bit off putting.
Summary
It was interesting to see the variety of candidates running for office – people of color, several women, many seasoned professionals in their careers, others of more modest accomplishments, but full of enthusiasm to make Newburyport a stronger community. All of them “love Newburyport,” making me wish someone might chime in and say, “You know, I really hate this place.” Love might work in some aspects of our busy lives, but please, not in politics.
I’ve said enough about “collaboration” in this report, so no more on that. I also abhor all this talk about “safety.” Please define what that means to people. I suppose if it relates to cars and traffic, we can reduce speed in town to 15 mph (who will enforce that, certainly not the police). We can, of course, revert to horse drawn transport, but then we’ll have a manure problem. If by “safety,” however, people are referring to walking our streets and not being threatened by criminals …. please, get a life.
No one really addressed the water and sewer business, K-Mart (is the developer getting a free ride or not?), City finances (we’re essentially out of cash), affordability (which in local terms, means taxes), or some of the local brouhahas we’ve endured (the library mess, bad vibes at city hall, several lawsuits against the city, etc.). Mostly a lot of kumbaya. By and large, however, this observer left the meeting somewhat encouraged. Good people are running for office, not like the old days when the political landscape seemed cluttered with good old boys mediocrity. That’s a healthy sign.
James Charles Roy
Newburyport resident
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