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    Jesse Gordon for Randolph Town Council > Events>> Gordon would push to open closed rec areas

    RANDOLPH TOWN COUNCIL RACE:
    Gordon would push to open closed rec areas


    Click here for
    original article in Sept 25, 2017 Randolph Herald

    Jesse Gordon, candidate for Town Council at-large, announced his parks and environment policy this week. "Randolph has done well with our local parks -- like Powers Farm and the Dog Park, which are wonderful -- but we had to pay for those with our own property tax money," says Gordon. "Other towns have parks and recreation subsidized by the Commonwealth -- why can't we get our fair share?" Gordon concludes, "I call that 'environmental injustice': Randolph hasn't gotten our fair share for decades from the federal government, the state government, or from regional groups.

    Gordon points first to a federal example: the abandoned Nike missile site, an army base in north Randolph which was closed in the 1970s. "The federal army base has three parts: one in Canton, one in Braintree, and one in Randolph. The part in Canton was converted to a nature education center. The part in Braintree has a picnic table and a paved trail where the army road used to be. But the part in Randolph," notes Gordon, "has had a 'No Trespassing' sign for decades. How come?" The entrance to the army site in Randolph is on Middle Street, off High St. near Scanlon Drive.

    Gordon points next to a state example: Houghton's Pond in the Blue Hills Reservation, run by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. "I enjoy going to Houghton's Pond for a family beach day, and I see dozens of families on the public barbecue pits every weekend. That's in Milton -- but Randolph has an even larger lakefront, in the same park, at Ponkapoag Pond," says Gordon. "How come Milton gets that nice state-run beach and family recreation area and we haven't gotten our fair share?" Houghton's Pond covers 24 acres in Milton, while Ponkapoag Pond covers 203 acres split between Randolph and Canton, with the majority of the lakefront in Randolph.

    Gordon concludes with a regional example: the Randolph reservoir, which is run by the Tri-Town Water District of Braintree, Holbrook and Randolph. "The Fresh Pond reservoir on the Belmont-Cambridge border is open to the public for recreation, while ours is surrounded by 'No Trespassing' signs. Fresh Pond has a 2-mile walking/biking trail around it, featuring a golf course and a dog park. Our reservoir features closed roads with warning signs to keep us away. The Fresh Pond water treatment plant is a destination for schoolkids; our water treatment plant has a sign that says 'Warning: Attack Dogs.' That's OUR land and OUR water!"

    Gordon's campaign team is distributing flyers across town over the next few weeks with details of Gordon's park and recreation policy, including how Randolph can work towards getting our fair share from regional, state, and federal governments. The flyers can also be found at www.JesseGordon.com.

Committee to Elect Jesse Gordon, 52 West St, Randolph MA 02368

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