It’s unfortunate that the Plymouth Independent chose to turn the town’s tremendous recovery from the recent storm into an attack on my character and motives. As usual, the PI seems more interested in clicks than reporting, presenting a twisted version of events instead of fairly describing what actually happened. Throughout the storm and the recovery that followed, my focus was simple: doing whatever I could to help Plymouth and the people who live here.
During the blizzard, residents were cold, without power, and in need of assistance. I reached out to the Town Manager several times during the storm to understand how town staff were managing the response. When the storm slowed on Tuesday morning, I went to the EOC to get an update and found the Emergency Management Director alone and inundated with phone calls. I asked if there was anything I could do to help. He told me to start answering phones, so that’s what I did. Over the next three days, I continued to show up wherever help was needed — answering calls, delivering supplies, bringing food to boots-on-the-ground workers, taking notes for the Emergency Management Director, helping secure equipment needed for recovery, and sharing updates so residents knew where to turn for help. That’s what anyone who cares about their community should do during a storm.
The article also suggests that sharing information on my Facebook page was somehow inappropriate. The page they reference is the same page I have used for years to communicate with residents in my role as a Selectman. I recently renamed it to reflect that I am currently running for office. Mr. Canty has done the same with his own page. In an emergency, the goal is straightforward: get information to people as quickly as possible. That page is one of the places many residents already follow for updates. The suggestion that my presence somehow constituted an unwarranted privilege is nonsense. The current State Representative also came to the EOC during the response and was welcomed, just as anyone willing to help or observe the response effort would be.
It’s also important to recognize that information was already being widely distributed through official channels. The town manager and I responded to dozens of media inquiries. Our communications coordinator pushed updates through the town’s website. Information was emailed to the town’s distribution list, and updates were shared through the town’s social media accounts. The only way someone would have been unaware of the storm response and recovery efforts was if they had no power or no signal. A Select Board Zoom meeting would not have changed that, and it would have been inappropriate to divert town staff and resources during an active disaster recovery effort. Some may have preferred to deliberate and complain, but town staff needed support, not commentary. What is particularly troubling is that the article relies on anonymous criticism from members of the Select Board. One of them clearly shared a private text message chain with the media, yet none were willing to attach their name to the comments. If a member of the Select Board has concerns, they should have the courage to raise them publicly instead of hiding behind anonymity while feeding information to the press. I have no problem with people seeing what I say — I stand behind my words. Others should be willing to do the same.
This wasn’t about a campaign. It was about getting information out and reassuring anyone who could see my posts that resources were in place to help the community recover. My colleagues received every press release before it went out. They also received targeted updates from the Town Manager explaining what was happening at the EOC and across the community. If information sharing was truly their concern, they could have shared those updates through their own social media pages or other channels.
Members of the Select Board were also free to help however they saw fit. Ms. Iaquinto came to the EOC on Thursday after the storm, and Mr. Quintal delivered food to staff working both in the field and at the EOC. I am not aware of Mr. Canty or Mr. Keohan doing so. Nothing prevented any member of the Board from getting involved.
No one was excluded from helping or sharing information. In fact, many people across Plymouth stepped up — town staff, first responders, volunteers, and neighbors checking on each other. That’s the real story of the storm: people showing up and helping wherever they could.
When a news outlet has a clear political agenda, it should surprise no one when the result is an attempt to manufacture controversy where none exists. Turning community service into a political hit piece says more about the priorities of the outlet pushing the narrative than it does about the work that was done. I will not be deterred by this divisive agenda. I plan to keep showing up for Plymouth. While others may wait for the storm to pass, content to relitigate events after the fact, I will continue to do what I believe is right for the people I serve.
I’m not going to worry about whether someone might try to spin it later.
– David Golden
Golden is the chair of the Select Board and a candidate for state representative