Letter: Owen Smith is committed to NYS

Excerpted from Daily News of Newburyport (link)

“To the editor:

Please join me in voting for Owen Smith for Ward 5 City Council. Owen is one of the best qualified candidates Newburyport has seen in some time. His professional experience and personal qualities make him an excellent choice—a councilor we can all be proud of.

On the issues, I trust Owen to make decisions based on careful consideration of expert opinion and a clear understanding of Newburyport’s priorities. We need to move forward on building Newburyport Youth Services a permanent home on Low Street. NYS is an essential service for children, teens, and families. They deserve our support.

As the parent of two small children, Owen is committed to making sure that Newburyport remains a wonderful place to raise a family. He fully supports moving forward with a new home for NYS at 59 Low St.

And while many councilors say they support NYS, their actions don’t always match. It’s been frustrating to watch progress on NYS get slowed down with talk of other gym space and projects that aren’t related. Why can’t we just get this done? We need eight votes on the City Council to make this happen. I am voting for candidates who will work together instead of throwing up roadblocks to progress.

Owen knows that the longer we delay the process, the more the project will cost. He believes in getting information from experts like engineers and architects, and then acting on that information to make progress. This is a common-sense approach. As the saying goes, it doesn’t do anyone any good to be penny-wise but pound-foolish.

Our kids deserve better. Please join me in supporting NYS and Owen Smith. Your vote matters!”

KATHERINE GENDRON

Newburyport