The Lynn Journal asked questions to Ward 6 Councillor Fred Hogan and Cinda Danh, who are seeking the Ward 6 seat on the Lynn City Council in the Nov. 5 general election.
Following are the candidates’ responses:
Fred Hogan
Tell me Some Background Information About Yourself.
Appointed to the City Council in January when former Councillor Peter Capano was elected a State Representative. I grew up in Lynn and attended Lynn Public Schools. Graduated Lynn Classical in 1988. For the past 25 years I’ve been running community events and getting residents involved. I’ve been coaching sports in the city basketball and football for 25 years and I’ve been helping the youth of the city find the positive things in life, how to get to college. I’m also one of the founding members of Stop the Violence: Lynn. I’m also a leader of an anti-crime group in my neighborhood.
What is Your Occupation?
Employee at the Lynn Wastewater Treatment Plant, member of Local 201
What are Some of your Goals?
The West Lynn Storm overflow project is going on to combat flooding. That will help alleviate a lot of flooding in our ward. This is a continuation of work done in East Lynn. The water will be separate so when it rains the stormwater will go to the ocean and waste and the sewage will go to the Lynn Water and Sewer Treatment facility.
Another goal I have is working on crime issues in our neighborhood. One of my priorities is to get the police up to a good staffing level. We need more qualified young people to come out and apply, take the test and become police officers. Public Safety is a high priority,
In Ward 6 a lot of issues and a lot of activity – we have the waterfront development on the Lynnway. We’ve got new businesses coming in which adds to our commercial tax base. That helps a lot of elderly in my ward who are on fixed incomes. We need to find more taxes to get more police.
Cinda Danh
Tell me Some Background Information About Yourself.
I grew up in Curwin Circle with my three brothers. I attended Lincoln Thompson Elementary School, Breed Middle School, and graduated from Lynn Classical High School in 2009. I attended North Shore Community College before earning my BA in Human Services from UMass Boston. I am on the board for Arts After Hours and the Community Path of Lynn Coalition, co-creator of the Voices of Lynn Festival, a member of the Lynn Rotary Club, a volunteer at the Kakrona Center of Lynn and I created my own magazine called Faces of Lynn to uplift community voices by providing a platform for the people of Lynn to be seen and heard.
What is your Occupation?
Government Relations Specialist at Preti Strategies. Formerly, Chief of Staff to a State Representative at the Massachusetts State House
What are Some of Your Concerns in the ward?
Flooding, public safety, litter, lack of resources, and lack of community space. Political apathy is one that stands out. There’s a large number of people who feel that their local government isn’t responsive or representative of them. People want to be involved, but if the government isn’t accessible due to language barriers or any other barriers, then we will continue to have political apathy. We need a transparent, accessible, and accountable government that understands the needs of their residents and is representative of the people they are serving.
What are Some of your Goals if you were to Make it into Office?
My first priority would be to ensure that residents feel they can engage in our local government. As a City Councilor, I would provide timely updates, inform residents of their access to services, and respond to every inquiry so that all voices feel heard and are being represented.
• Create internships for youth who want to get involved in their government, because the city’s youth are our future and they deserve these kinds of opportunities to explore.
• Make our streets and parks safer in our community because parents should not have to worry about their children’s safety.
• Provide real, concrete solutions to address the ongoing flooding in West Lynn because our community has shared their concerns and are looking for relief now.
• Proactively inform residents on local issues, encourage community participation in the decision-making process, and establish neighborhood liaisons.