Partial term on board draws four contenders

By Scott Merzbach
Staff Writer

Published on October 24, 2008

Four residents are seeking a seat on the Select Board at the Nov. 4 elections, with the winner to replace former member Anne Awad and serve through next spring's annual town elections. Here are brief profiles of the candidates.

Calvin Brower

A Town Meeting member for six years and a member of the Public Transportation and Bicycle Committee, Calvin Brower is hoping to bring his knowledge and positive spirit to the Select Board during the challenging economic times.

Brower said the town can balance its budget by using reserves, as it has done in recent years, as well as through fundraisers and increasing local fees.

He sees spending on Cherry Hill Golf Course and town commemorations as areas that can be reduced. "We're trying to find things we can cut, if we have to," Brower said.

Brower, who is disabled and retired, came to Amherst in 1999 after living in the Grove Street Inn homeless shelter in Northampton. He worked for moving companies for several years, even after damaging his ear drum in an Army training exercise in 1975.

Brower said he would advocate for more development in Amherst by loosening up zoning, but wants to promote sustainable development, such as redevelopment of so-called Brownfields sites.

"Those could bring jobs to Amherst and revenue to our economy," Brower said.

Developments should also include more housing for low-income people.

Brower notes that he has been politically active since he was 12, when he met future President John Kennedy at a presidential caucus in Worcester.

Brower maintains that keeping an upbeat tone will get Amherst through. "The more people you can help to live decent lives, and the more smiles you can put on faces, the more you know you did your job," Brower said.

Vladimir Morales

For several years, Vladimir Morales served the town on the School Committee. Now, Morales is looking to get back into elected politics, trying to represent those who he says don't typically have a voice in local affairs.

"Public service is something you do to help the folks who can't or won't do it," Morales said.

This is an ideal opportunity, Morales said, because of the expected large voter turnout that the presidential election will generate.

Morales, who has made his home in Amherst for 26 years, said he also wants to play a role in town government for his grandchildren, who also live in Amherst. This means he will advocate for proper funding for the schools and libraries.

With the budget challenges Amherst is facing, Morales said he can help to develop realistic alternatives and promote cooperation and understanding.

From the youngest students to the senior citizens, and everyone in between, voices need to be heard, Morales said, and he believes he can accomplish this.

"Discussions have to include people who think we spend too much, and too little," Morales said.

David Keenan

In his campaign for a seat on the Select Board, David Keenan said he will explore all avenues for raising revenue for the town, from economic development to talking to the colleges and university about paying for the resources they use.

"We need a private-public partnership with UMass and Amherst College," Keenan said.

Keenan, an Amherst resident since the 1960s, said the town simply doesn't have the money for extravagance, a point he has been making for a long time.

"Unless someone is willing to put the brakes on, the ship is going to hit the rocks," Keenan said.

He suggests that rental properties should be taxed as businesses so that the impacts of college students living in these homes can be better mitigated. He also envisions replacing War Memorial Pool with a gathering place, paid for with money from the higher education institutions, for everyone in the community from children to senior citizens.

Keenan said he is the only candidate who can think outside the box, something the Select Board needs rather then conventional wisdom.

"You may not want five Dave Keenans (on the board), but having one might not be so bad," Keenan said.

Aaron Hayden

Maintaining the town as a whole during difficult budget times is a goal for Aaron Hayden, who is running for a seat on the Select Board after serving five years as chairman of the Planning Board.

"What I have to offer is a great breadth of experience," Hayden said.

A 23-year resident of Amherst, Hayden is employed by Amherst College as its capital projects manager and campus utilities engineer. He has also been an on-call firefighter, member of the Amherst Redevelopment Authority and served on the board of directors at the Hitchcock Center for the Environment.

The town, he said, must pursue efficiencies in its budget, but identifying specific areas to cut isn't prudent.

"I think it's irresponsible to make promises that can't be kept," Hayden said.

Instead, Hayden said he will respect the process of the Facilitation of Community Choices Committee and its recommendations, which will be based on input from residents as to the spending plans they would like to see.

Hayden said his Planning Board leadership demonstrates that he can bring together people with different views, and he points to the success at getting zoning changes to pass Town Meeting with two-thirds majorities.

In terms of business development, Hayden said the Select Board should promote plans to get clean businesses to stay in town, publicize underutilized parcels, work with UMass and the other colleges to have spin-off businesses locate in the community and make Amherst more accessible to the businesses want.