Fraser Offers Economic Development, Environmental, Artistic and Public Service Expertise
By Genevieve Fraser
As a
Democratic candidate for state representative for the 2nd Franklin District, I offer over three decades of
public and private service from economic development initiatives to
environmental safeguards. As an aide to
state Senator Robert D. Wetmore, I learned first hand from one of the best what
it means to be a true public servant...to dedicate one’s life to insuring that
residents and the municipalities in which they live have a strong voice at the
State House as well as an advocate to help navigate the labyrinth of state and
quasi-public agencies that impact lives.
As
a planner for the Private Industry Council, I investigated the strengths and
weaknesses of the region’s economic and labor market and helped lay plans for
education and training opportunities and the entry of business and industry
into the local economy. As a staff
associate at Mount Wachusett Community College, I worked to showcase the dozens
of career choices whether technical oriented, science based, teaching or social service training to help those in need,
the handicapped and the elderly. I helped initiate and worked closely with the
Forest and Wood Products Institute and organized and chaired the Northern Tier
Transit Coalition that lead to the creation of the Link Bus System that spans
from Gardner to Greenfield and provides vitally needed transportation for the
region.
And
I have worked to bring the arts to the region as the artistic director of the Drama Circle and
our recent Quabbin Civil War Remembrance and
“Lincoln:
The Musical.” I spent a decade working
on “In the Claw of the Tiger," a book that serves as a history of Athol and
Orange during World War II as well as a chronicle of the sacrifices and
suffering of local heroes who survived as a POW in the
Philippines and Japan.
Though
I wasn’t born and raised here, I chose to live here because of my respect and
commitment to its people as well as the awe and inspiration I derive from the
incredible natural beauty of this place.
But along with the blessings of the region, conversely, the outsourcing
of jobs and decline of the mature industries have wrecked havoc on the
prospects of a proud and once prosperous region.
The
newly created 2nd Franklin District is home to over 200,000 forested
acres and at it’s heart is the Commonwealth’s most valued asset – the Quabbin
Reservoir and Watershed that filters and protects this priceless natural
resource - which was created by obliterating the four town once cradled in the
Swift River Valley.
But
the legacy of exploitation continues, too often our region functions like a
third world country with our natural resources shipped elsewhere – our water to
Boston and our timber to points across the globe - from Canada to China -where its milled and manufactured and shipped
back to our shores to be sold.
I
am running for state representative to reverse the trend of exploitation and
economic downturn - to rebuild the region’s local economy – to work with
colleges and universities and the Commonwealth’s Technology Collaborative and
local business, industry and municipal leaders.
Through the utilization of renewable energy sources such as solar, wind,
geothermal and biomass - which is so abundant in the region – we can reverse
the trend and attract business and industry to locate here where a sustainably
managed forest offers a healthy ecosystem for wildlife, recreation for
residents and a new economy and new hope for the region.
