Profiles of the Candidates for Park Commission 2011
Fired up by the hot topic of what to do with Hazel Grove Park, the town fairgrounds, and how to do that, four candidates are seeking two seats on the Park Commission. Incumbent Jon Strauss is seeking his second term on the commission. Paula Martin, Laurie Smigelski, and Bob McDonough are all making runs for what would be their initial elective office.
General Information
| Name |
Paula Martin |
Bob McDonough |
Laurie Smigelski |
Jon Strauss (Incumbent) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Did Not Answer |  Bob McDonough |
Did Not Answer |  Jonathan Strauss |
|
| Party affiliation | Undeclared | Republican | Undeclared | Democrat |
| Address | 88 Jenkins Road | 27 Orion Way | 150 Mill St | 38 Westview Street |
| Groton, MA 01450 | Groton, MA 01450 | Groton, MA 01450 | Groton, MA 01450 | |
| Contact phone | (978) 448-3464 | (978) 448-8178 | (978) 448-2768 | (978) 870-8596 |
| [email protected] | [email protected] | [email protected] | [email protected] | |
| WWW site | None | None | None | None |
Demographic Information
| Name |
Paula Martin |
Bob McDonough |
Laurie Smigelski |
Jon Strauss (Incumbent) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age | 99 (?-Ed.) | 45 | 51 | 48 |
| Vocation | Town of Groton Land Use Department employee | Did Not Answer | Self-employed farmer with my husband, DBA Excalibur Farm. Artist using stained glass, abrasive etched glass and animal headstones | I have been in technical sales serving the industrial market since January 1985. I am currently the VP of Sales at Keller Products, Acton, MA |
| Groton resident since: | 1993 | 2003 | 1991 | 1990 |
| Family information: | Two children, both currently enrolled in degree programs. | Married with two children ages 11 and 9 | Married 27 years | Married. My wife is Kerri (Crosby) Strauss, a lifelong resident of Groton. I have 3 boys, Jacob, Toby, and Jordan. 2 Cats, 1 Dog, and 2 minivans. |
| What personal quality do you think is your strongest asset? | My ability to listen to all aspects of an issue with an open mind before making a decision. | The strongest quality that I can bring to the Park Commission is the ability to get people to work together and to flush out the separate hidden agendas. | My ability to hear both sides of the issues and my ability to bring people together. | I enjoy meeting and working with the people of Groton. It is a vibrant community. I enjoy supporting people’s efforts to go out and recreate. |
Public Service Experience
| Name |
Paula Martin |
Bob McDonough |
Laurie Smigelski |
Jon Strauss (Incumbent) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Please outline your experience in public or community service, including elective or appointed office. | Presently (and for the last 14 years) a Town employee; also an appointed member of the GIS Committee and the Health Insurance Advisory Committee. | I have never ran or been elected for public office. I have been a coached for Basketball, Lacrosse, Football and Hockey. | This would be my first public service. |
|
The Issues
| Name |
Paula Martin |
Bob McDonough |
Laurie Smigelski |
Jon Strauss (Incumbent) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Why did you decide to run for this office? | As a resident of the ‘Fairground’s’ neighborhood, I’d like to be involved in the discussion and decision making process relative to the future use of the Town Fairground property. | I decided to run for this office due in large part to the misuse of the Parks. Groton has a great opportunity to build some great facilities, but opportunties are missed. | I saw a need to have the fairgrounds represented by someone with agricultural experience and to promote it sensitive to its original use. I felt that I would be an asset to the leadership. | I originally decided to run for Parks to accelerate the process for getting swings for Cutler Field in West Groton. I then accepted the Parks Commission nomination to be the representative for Parks on the CPC. The CPC is an important potential source of project funding for the Parks Commission, given our severely restricted annual budget of $25,000. I would encourage the new Park Commissioner(s) to continue the Park Commission presence on the CPC. We typically meet two times per month, for about two hours per meeting. We are charged with project oversight, evaluating new projects, and strict accounting regarding millions of dollars of taxpayer money. It is a dedicated crew. They are also a great group of people. For the last 18 months, I have been charged with the task of finding additional playing fields to support the Lacrosse and Football programs in Groton. |
| What is the most important issue facing the town, or this office? How would you attack it? | I believe that the fair and equitable use and enjoyment of the Town’s various recreational properties has become a prominent topic of discussion.
I would like to listen to ideas from others as well as share my own ideas with the public regarding the use of these recreational properties. I would like to be involved in developing fair and reasonable use policies for these properties that respect and value their resources to the fullest and are for the benefit of the broadest possible group of users whenever reasonably possible. Additionally, I believe that there are a variety of financial aspects that need be researched as part of the policy development process. |
All Groton Parks have to be shared equally. Program to program, boys and girls alike. | I see the playing fields as the single most important issue facing this office at the current time. All of the options need to be explored using common sense and use our people resource in the town to help achieve our goals. Last summer was a difficult one for our playing fields because of the lack of rain. I saw it in our crop production or lack of. What can we do to improve our current fields to keep them fully funtioning? If we can keep them healthy with more irrigation can we extend the play time on each field? Would lights be of benefit? These are just some questions that I know can be explored further. | I would say at the moment, it is finding the additional fields to support the Lacrosse and Football programs in Town. Part of the description for Park Commission objectives reads, Parks will “”work with the Planning Board to acquire more land and seek gifts of land, as the Town population grows and the need for recreational facilities increases for both children and adults.”" Right now Lacrosse has close to 450 children in their program, and Football has another 250 participants. Our search for viable sites led us to review Hazel Grove as a possibility. This caused a certain amount of excitement in Town, and some concern in the equestrian community. Due diligence required that we consider this site. My personal feeling is there is about a zero percent chance that Parks will pursue this site for playing fields. It is not economically attractive. It would also restrict the equestrian use of this site. We continue to focus our attention in the Cow Pond vicinity for the additional playing fields. |
| What other issues do you think are important and how would you address them if elected? | Groton is fortunate to have a quantity of recreational properties available for public use. The proper stewardship of these properties is an important job. Maintaining a high level of community involvement in supporting and understanding the value of these properties is an integral part of shaping Groton’s future while serving to insure that Groton will continue to be a prosperous and desirable residential community. | As residents of Groton, we need to spend our taxes wisely. If we are to invest in Parks, let’s make sure there is a positive financial out come. | The Groton Fairgrounds, AKA Hazel Grove Park, is a very important asset to this town. Its history goes back to the 1800s. It historically provided space for things such as The Groton Fair, horse races, foxhunting, Pony Club training field and show grounds. Currently it provides a race horse training track, trails and Pony Club venue for training and shows. I think this whole area can be maintained and used primarily, but not exclusive, for agricultural and equestrian purposes. Its roll could be enhanced to include things like fairs and shows (car, dog, antique farm equipment etc.) The exhibition hall would need to be rehabilitated or a new one built to hold exhibitions, meetings, historical pictures and records, an entry booth for Pony Club events, organized trail rides or hikes, lectures, gardening demos, apple fests and the like. Placing the fairgrounds on the historical register would open it up for grant possibilities. To address this task would best be done with a committee to plan out how to achieve these and other goals. Implementation would require us getting our hands dirty. |
|
| Please compare and contrast your approach and priorities with the (or a) incumbent. What would you change and what would you carry on? | Mr. Strauss has been an involved member of the Commission and a strong advocate for the use of the athletic playing fields. As a resident of the ‘Fairgrounds’ neighborhood my priority lends itself to the support of this particular property at this time. | Working together is the only way positives outcomes will happen. Working together is the first objective and the second objective is the correct spend of our tax dollars. | After speaking with the only incumbent, I appreciate his views on the town’s playing fields. We need to continue discussions on the current playing fields and resolve our future needs with responsible solutions. | I have had a chance to meet and talk with the other candidates at some length. Each conversation was very pleasant, and they all seem enthusiastic and committed to serving the Town of Groton. |
| What else would you like to tell Groton voters? | The Park Commission is a group of volunteers who serve their community and who do so, I believe, with the best of intentions. I intend, if elected, to serve on the Commission to the best of my ability and in a fair and equitable manner. | I am lending my time in an effort to help make things better. | I am here to help the leadership make the commission work. I envision resolving Park Commission issues with minimal town money where possible and embracing the self supporting effort that has been accomplished with the sports in the past. Our community needs to continue supporting the activities they enjoy by participating in fund raising, labor, ideas etc. so that we can achieve important goals responsibly. | Even though I ran uncontested in the last election, I would like to thank the voters of Groton for allowing me the privilege of serving as a Parks Commissioner the last three years. It has been an incredibly positive personal experience. It is a great group on Parks, as well as the CPC. Working with the other boards and committees, I have developed an expanded appreciation for the time, effort, and expertise that all these various volunteers bring to their respective groups. It is really inspiring to witness the level of dedication by these volunteers. The Town simply could not function without their efforts.
I think the next three years could be pretty interesting on the Parks Commission, and I hope to get an opportunity to be a part of it. Respectfully, |
