Meet the two candidates for the seat on the Board of Selectmen.

Dora Metrelis, a longtime resident of Holland and not a registered voter herself, was moderating the event. She was tough and treated both candidates the same and fair. Each candidate was given the oportunity to introduce himself for five minutes at the beginning of the event. The questions answer session was limited to ten minutes, too short for my taste. Only one of my questions was read.
Michael P. Kennedy, who lives on 208 Mashapaug Road is 57 years old and registered as a voter in 1999. Kennedy read his introduction and seams to have the same goals as the incumbent selectmen. He is in favor of the low income senior housing project in its current form. The project in its current form was voted down by a margin of 2:1 at the annual town meeting just days after this event. Kennedy is one of the Tantasqua Representatives and is also serving together with Korny as one of the three Water Commissioners. Interestingly, the third person serving as Water Commissioner is Wettlaufer's wife Heather.
At times Kennedy struggled to read the prepared statement and was cut short by Metrelis after the five minutes allowed expired.

Raymond Korny registered to vote in 2003 and is 63 years old. Korny lives on 70 Allen Hill Road. Korny has a long list of boards and committees he served on in town. He served on the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Private Roads Committee, is running the brush dump, is our dog officer, serves on the Board of Health, is one of the Town Constables, is one of the Water Commissioners, and is a member of the Western Massachusetts Casino Task Force.
Korny did not read from a prepared statement and had only notes. Korny’s introduction was vivid and fluent, I perceived it more personal.

At 19:17, Metrelis, among other questions, read the following questions to the candidates:

“Are you in favor of the proposed truck stop or a freight terminal in Holland? According to the Department of Revenue 60% of homes in Holland are second homes and no children are attending any school financed by the taxpayers. Do you think a truck stop would make Holland more or less attractive for second home owners?”

Korny recognized and acknowledged that a healthy Reservoir is imperative to the financial future of Holland and that a truck stop is a potential accident waiting to happen. Korny’s position and his mentioning of the possibility of a diesel fuel spill and its negative consequences are uncanny in light of what is going on in the Gulf of Mexico. What the BP oil spill is for the Gulf of Mexico would be a diesel oil spill for Hamilton Reservoir.

Kennedy’s answer was: “I don’t know anything about the truck stop...” (at 21:00).
It was shocking to me that Kennedy had not only no opinion about the issue, he did not have any knowledge about one of the most important issues the town faces. Voters need to ask themselves why Kennedy is seeking to serve on the Board of Selectmen...

As Metrelis read the “truck stop” question, I noticed in the lower left corner of my view a nervous movement of a gray sneaker.
It just happened that James Wettlaufer was sitting in the second chair to my left. He could not contain himself and his restless leg gave testimony of his inner turmoil over the question (and Kennedy's answer).
Insiders know that Wettlaufer’s close friend Anthony Grossi will profit from the proposed Flying J truck stop as he is one of the owners of the parcel where the proposed truck stop is planned to be built. Wettlaufer is a strong advocate of the proposal.
It was also Wettlaufer who nominated Kennedy at the town caucus as one of the candidates for the three year seat on the Board of Selectmen.

June 3, 2010, Peter Frei

Read also:

Ray Korny, Holland's New Beginning.
We need a debate between candidates.
2010 Town Caucus Report.
A Truck Stop in our Community?