Who owns Canton pride?

By Guest

Dear Editor:

I attended the Select Board candidates forum a few weeks ago at the Canton Public Library and had the opportunity to speak with incumbent John Connolly afterward as I sought a better understanding about some of his remarks. Unfortunatley, I heard little clarity.

At one point, tucked in a winding response to the question about ways Canton can heal amid internal rifts, Mr. Connolly stated, “This is our town!” What did he mean by that?

Was “our” referring to those who’ve lived here all of their lives? Was it people who are in his friends and family circle? Mr. Connolly had not offered solutions; rather he illuminated the strife, giving anecdotal examples of how long-term residents are not getting what they need, suggesting that it’s because of newcomers. I find this statement to be intentionally divisive with indifference to Canton residents who have recently moved here and to those who have been brave enough to share concerns.

Additionally, during his closing, Mr. Connolly stated, “Some people in this town want to take over this town and make Canton more like Cambridge, Brookline, Newton, or even Wellesley. No thank you.”

This comment left me pondering the offending common denominators of this list. Cambridge and Newton are cities, but the other examples are not, so it’s not that. Was it greater diversity? Probably not — Wellesley is pretty uniform. Was it that increasing property values have made it hard for most families to afford a home? If so, that ship has sailed for Canton as well. Or, could it even be that their voters generally hold their leaders accountable?

Meanwhile, during the forum, candidate Susan Harrington provided actionable solutions. “Listening is key to defusing anger,” she said. Harrington spoke about welcoming the return to in-person meetings, her support for our town workforce, better civic engagement of youth, and the value of performance feedback for municipal employees — including performance reviews for the finance director, town administrator and chief of police.

Canton is a beautiful place to raise a family. The town is growing and evolving, with a significant percentage of families, particularly with young children — like mine —having moved here in the past decade. Canton is attractive for those seeking a sense of community in a Boston suburb, rich with a competitive public school system, arts programs, sports championships, nature, and more.

Each of us, whether here for generations or years, calls Canton home. Let us never forget that stagnancy and craving a bygone era will slow us down while we work to make Canton the best it can be for our children and each other.

The good people of Canton value Canton and that is why we live here. The pride in this town is all of ours.

Angela Chan O’Donnell

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