Fraser Announces Democratic Candidacy for Newly Created 2nd Franklin District Pledging to Work to Revitalize the Local Economy

Genevieve Fraser

         Genevieve Fraser, a resident of Orange, has announced her bid as a Democratic candidate for the newly created 2^nd Franklin District house seat.  The Democratic Primary will be held on September 6.
       “It’s a brand new district, built on portions of the old, that wraps around the Quabbin Reservoir and watershed lands and deserves to be looked at from a fresh perspective,” Fraser stated.  “Starting in 2013, the 2^nd Franklin District will no longer include Greenfield but will span parts of three counties.  Seven communities have been added to the remaining five towns - Erving, Gill, Orange and Warwick in Franklin County, and Athol in Worcester County.  Added to the former district will be District A in Belchertown which has a population in excess of 3,600 and is part of Hampshire County.  Wendell and New Salem are in Franklin County, and Petersham, Phillipston, Royalston and Templeton are in Worcester County.”

Gate 39 Quabbin Watershed

“As I campaign throughout the region, I plan to outline a new strategic vision for revitalizing the local economy and re-industrializing the region to combat the rise in unemployment, foreclosure and economic stagnation. ”

 “We are on the cusp of what some refer to as the Third Industrial Revolution.  New industries and homes can be built that utilize built-in heat and power provided by renewable resources, and wireless and broadband technologies offer new modes of communication and work.  We must take advantage of these opportunities rather than be beaten back by the challenges ahead."

"But without a serious plan for job creation and growth, it will be hard to sustain the values we hold dear such as quality education, support for the elderly and disabled, the arts, recreation and cultural activities as well as maintaining infrastructure such as roads and bridges."

“Our district is one of the most beautiful in the Commonwealth with a dense forest cover, rivers, streams, lakes and ponds that offer sporting and camping opportunities and a unique quality of life for area residents,” Fraser said.  "If elected to serve the new 2^nd Franklin District, I will work tirelessly to return the region to a new era of prosperity.”  
  

            Fraser serves on the Conservation Commission, Cultural Council  and Governance Committee in the Town of Orange, is a member of the board of the Massachusetts Wood Producers Association and organized the Farm to School Forum on behalf of the Franklin County School Committee Caucus in April 2011.  She is a former aide to retired State Senator Robert D. Wetmore (D-Barre), has served as a planner with the Private Industry Council, as an Environmental Technical Writer, and as a staff associate at Mount Wachusett Community College in Gardner where she chaired the Northern Tier Transit Coalition that resulted in the Greenfield to Gardner LINK Bus System.  

           In 1984-85, Fraser was the state-wide coordinator of the Massachusetts Acid Rain Awareness Weeks and was awarded an Environmental Commendation by the Secretary of the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, James Hoyte.  She is also the author of the World War II nonfiction novel, “In the Claw of the Tiger,” based on the true story of Athol native son, Franklin “Porky” LaCoste, a survivor of the Bataan Death March and POW camps in the Philippines and Japan.  She writes under the pen name, G. Thomson Fraser.  Fraser currently serves as a member of the faculty with the University of Phoenix Online and is the artistic director of the Drama Circle and coordinator of the Quabbin Civil War Commemoration.  

Fraser holds a BA from the University of New Hampshire and an MFA from Brandeis University. 

            For further information, write Fraser 4 Rep Campaign, Post Office Box 373, Orange, MA 01364, or Telephone (978) 544-1872, Email: 2ndFranklinDistrictDemocrat@gmail.com, or click on website: http://fraser4staterep.blogspot.com/

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