Dale, Kennedy face off with 2 challengers for Hamilton Select Board

Apr. 6—HAMILTON — The Select Board race is between two incumbents who want to keep giving back, and two younger challengers who see a need for change.

Select Board members Darcyll "Darcy" Dale and Rosemary Kennedy are facing off against Caroline Beaulieu and Tom Meyers. The town votes Thursday, April 7, the same day neighboring Wenham hits the polls with contested School Committee and Select Board races.

The incumbents see a need to continue their work, especially after the last few years of COVID-19 and drought-related impacts have squeezed the region.

"We've got to pay attention to our water," Dale said. "Three years ago, when I ran, someone asked me during the League of Women Voters Q&A what the most important thing Hamilton was facing was. Back then, it was water — the Ipswich River Basin is one of the top 10 endangered rivers in the country."

Throughout the pandemic, the workload for a Select Board member has spiked, she noted, "but it was really out of necessity, and we find we're also working a lot more with other boards and committees."

That's something Kennedy wants to see continue, as well — especially as Hamilton begins work on its master plan, and the need for collaboration has never been greater.

"That's a process for developing a vision for the long-term growth in Hamilton," Kennedy said. "It's really important we hear perspectives from every demographic in town."

That's because decisions made by the board impact all residents, Kennedy said — whether they agree with the decision or not. "It would be antithetical to my philosophy to not think about how doing one thing would impact another part of the population."

For Caroline Beaulieu, however, her run for office is "more about the process than the policies and issues."

"We currently have hundreds, if not thousands, engaged in some contentious online conversations," she said, "but we have 11 people showing up for Select Board meetings, and less than 20% of people coming to the polls, abysmal attendance at Town Meeting."

Beaulieu said theSel ect Board also moves too quickly on rejecting things, which stifles the spirit of debate and healthy growth. "Honestly, no one gets what they want if we don't figure this out. Even the people who want Hamilton to not change at all... it will change, because we'll go bankrupt."

Tom Myers said Hamilton has become "a little bit decisive, with not being able to come to decisions about things. People aren't really knowledgeable about some of the projects going on, not paying attention to the meetings."

But with many issues having become so contentious around Hamilton, he said, perhaps new minds are needed at the Select Board. "By having a younger generation of people involved, that might start triggering people to start paying attention to things happening around town."

Contact Dustin Luca at 978-338-2523 or DLuca@salemnews.com. Follow him at facebook.com/dustinluca or on Twitter @DustinLucaSN.

Contact Dustin Luca at 978-338-2523 or DLuca@salemnews.com. Follow him at facebook.com/dustinluca or on Twitter @DustinLucaSN.