For the first time since moving to Mashpee, I attended a candidates’ night sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce and the local newspaper.
Eight candidates for four town offices spoke. For the most part, they agreed with each other on topics like affordable housing and more support for the schools, and that was the end of that.
I was guessing that the speeches for Selectman and School Committee would have provoked the most reaction from the crowd, but I was wrong. It was a candidate for Sewer Commission who brought down the house.
When the moderator announced this part of the program, I thought, “bo-ring”, but I was wrong again. The Sewer Commission, as it turns out, has some shared responsibility for quality of groundwater, which is and has been a huge area of concern for this town, because of its high growth rate (almost 9%), toxic plumes from the Otis ANG base and nitrification from lawns and, well, human waste.
There are two candidates for this post. The first explained that he was running only out of civic duty, admitted he didn’t have the background or training for the post and turned to his opponent, who has an armload of wastewater treatment experience and licensing, said, “After talking with Don for ten minutes, I’m going to vote for HIM!”
So, we’ve lucked out with at least one local candidate who is a person of integrity and you’re right, I couldn’t help thinking how great it would be if this little scene were repeated, many times, at the state and national level.